Takeaways: Win over McNeese
PROVIDENCE — Our post-game analysis following Purdue’s 76-62 win over McNeese State Saturday afternoon in the NCAA Tournament’s Midwest Regional.
ON RELENTLESSNESS
Purdue was cruising to a blowout win and Trey Kaufman-Renn was still hitting the offensive glass like his life depended on it. The Boilermakers were up 20 in the first half and Braden Smith was still laying out to secure a steal that triggered a fast break that put the Boilermakers up even more. Fletcher Loyer ran down a fast-break from behind to create a turnover, then draw a foul.
The official record will say this was a 14-point win, but that’s warped-reality, garbage-time margin laundering. This was basically a 25-point win that was over by the second media timeout in the first half.
Purdue was ruthless in its offensive and defensive execution to start the game and even more so in the rebounding column, where the Boilermakers are performing head and shoulders above the sum of their parts, by sheer will.
The regular season ended with the term “concentration” coming up often as Purdue lapsed defensively and occasionally endured turnover spasms. What you saw in Providence was the most dialed in Purdue has been since probably January.
Yes, these were two buy-game-name programs, but two great teams with athletes, experience and the swagger that comes from laying waste to everything in your path for nearly the whole season.
This wasn’t Purdue advancing because of a fortuitous draw; it advanced because Purdue became the best version of itself, and the most tenacious version, at the perfect time.
ON PURDUE DEPTH
This is the exact same Purdue team it’s been the whole season, but suddenly much deeper and more complete.
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Like an aligning of stars, wings Camden Heide and Myles Colvin are playing their best ball of the season — not just shot-making, but rebounding and defense — and freshmen CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris have been great.
The common thread between the four of them is the energy and attentiveness they’re contributing to those greater themes for Purdue.
Purdue got 27 points, 13 rebounds and six threes from the group.
They’re all part of Purdue now having outrebounded their first two NCAA Tournament opponents by 38 and having really reminded everyone how formidable a three-point shooting team this is.
Worth noting that Harris, Heide and Colvin all endured just brutal shooting slumps at one time or another season, but all persevered.
ON THE BEAT GOING ON
It may not seem like it anymore, because it’s become so common, but making the NCAA Tourbament’s second weekend is a big, big deal and not to be taken for granted. This is now six out of eight tournaments that Purdue has reached the Sweet 16. That’s pretty remarkable consistency in a sport where the names change everywhere and a school where you don’t just get plug-and-play All-Americans every year.
Purdue stakeholders shouldn’t take it for granted.
This is all about Matt Painter, the common denominator in all of it. For like a decade now, he’s done virtually everything right and the results reflect it.
