Myles Colvin, Camden Heide join starting lineup; No. 6 Purdue routs Marshall

The initial reviews on the new starting lineup?

Thumbs up.

Myles Colvin and Camden Heide earned starting roles Saturday and helped set the tone as sixth-ranked Purdue pounded Marshall 80-45 at Mackey Arena.

Matt Painter inserted Colvin and Heide into the lineup after the Boilermakers lost at Marquette on Tuesday. But the switch to this group has been on the mind of Painter for a long time.

Heide and Colvin provided the spark, combining for 18 of Purdue’s first 23 points. The pair drained 3-pointers, got to the rim, and gave Braden Smith plenty of options in the offense.

It worked as the Boilermakers led by 19 with 3:14 to go before halftime. Smith and Fletcher Loyer didn’t hit a field goal in the first 20 minutes, but Smith handed out six assists, and Loyer’s production came from the line.

PDF: Purdue-Marshall box score

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Colvin and Heide each finished with 13 points. Smith handed out nine assists.

Trey Kaufman-Renn was a mismatch inside for the Thundering Herd, totaling 10 points in the first half as Purdue led 39-24. Kaufman-Renn exposed those matchups to start the second half, scoring the first eight points to finish with 18.  

But it took the Boilermakers until midway through the second half to start winning the rebounding. Purdue outrebounded Marshall 23-16 after halftime.

Marshall controlled the boards in the first half, 17-11, and no Boilermaker had more than two. The Thundering Herd stayed close to Purdue because of eight offensive rebounds in the first half but didn’t capitalize on second-chance opportunities.

Marshall was hurt by turnovers and poor shooting from the 3-point line.

The Herd were shooting 29% from beyond the arc and didn’t improve those numbers after hitting just 4 of 32. They also committed 19 turnovers, and the Boilermakers feasted by scoring 23 points.

“TRUST YOUR WORK”

Colvin and Heide were informed Thursday by Painter they would be moving into the starting lineup. Both made their first career starts.

It’s essential to keep the same routine as if the pair were continuing to come off the bench. Heide did his regular three jumps, and Colvin didn’t alter anything.

The only difference is they heard their name announced in the starting lineup to the sellout crowd before tipoff.

“Do you normal thing, don’t change anything, and I think the preparation that we’ve done or that I’ve done, and others have done, just to get to the moment and to the starting (lineup) has worked,,” Colvin said. “It’s just continuing to trust your work and go out there and play your game.”

Coming off the bench, Heide could watch the game unfold, pick up early tendencies, and use that information when he stepped on the floor.

They combined for 26 points, hitting 7 of 9 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point range and no turnovers.

“It’s a little different feeling being out there right away instead of getting myself mentally prepared and seeing how the game is going,” Heide said. “But if you prepare the right way and you’re ready to go, it doesn’t matter if you’re in the starting lineup or if it’s the first media, second media, whatever it is.”

Why did Painter switch the lineup after five games?

No lineup will probably solve the current rebounding struggles completely. Different combinations might improve other areas, including creating more spacing on offense and opening up different avenues to score based on the personnel on the floor.

“Sometimes somebody else starting helps the rotation, and sometimes it doesn’t, but it allows us to be more functional offensively,” Painter said. “I’ve yet to see a lineup that’s good from a rebounding standpoint.

“If you play bigger, you should rebound better in theory. If you’re going to struggle to rebound, now let’s be more efficient in other areas.”

The flip side of Colvin and Heide joining the starting line is that Will Berg and Gicarri Harris are now coming off the bench.

“We should get a positive response from four people,” Painter said. “Don’t look at it as a demotion. Look at it as another opportunity to come in and help your team win. It’s still winning basketball, right? That’s what we want those guys to do.”

“BETTER NOSE FOR THE BALL”

For most of the game, the Herd controlled the rebounding.

It wasn’t until the second half when the Boilermakers finally got a better handle in that area and were able to outrebound Marshall 34-33. By using a smaller lineup, Painter might be sacrificing rebounding in the early part of games.

But Purdue needs help on the boards, and that’s where the bench plays a role. Freshmen Raleigh Burgess and C.J. Cox pulled down five and four, respectively, and Berg totaled three.

“Everybody’s a defensive rebounder in the game,” Painter said. “Some people don’t offensive rebound because they get back on defense, but everybody’s a defensive rebounder. Right now, we’re not doing a good job, whether you start for us or you don’t start for us.”

The key for this year’s team is how much the guards pick up the rebounding slack. Loyer and Smith are solid in this area, but more is needed from Colvin and Heide, along with production from Cox, Burgess, and Berg.

“You need your guards to rebound,” Painter said. “You need them to be around the ball. I thought C.J. did some good things. I thought Myles went in and got a couple of tough ones. Braden chased one down along the baseline that was pretty impressive. We’ve got to have a better nose for the basketball. It’s not just the simple rebounds that come right to you.”

TOUGH STRETCH

Let the upgrade in competition begin.

The Boilermakers received a taste of facing higher caliber teams during the loss to Marquette but begin a stretch Thursday going against six consecutive Power 4 programs.

After playing North Carolina State, Purdue takes on either Ole Miss or BYU in San Diego and opens Big Ten play at Penn State before returning to Mackey Arean to welcome Maryland. The Boilermakers play two neutral site matchups against Texas A&M (Indianapolis) and Auburn (Birmingham) before Christmas.

Purdue had fewer turnovers Saturday than against Marshall, a positive sign, and starters committed four. Rebounding and taking care of the ball will likely determine how the Boilermakers come out of the upcoming stretch.

“We have the ability to play without turning the ball over, and if we can rebound and take care of the basketball, we’re going to put ourselves in a better position,” Painter said. “That’s a tough stretch for us, but that’s what you want.”