Upon Further Review-Oregon

Following each Purdue basketball game this season — or at least most — GoldandBlack.com will take a closer look back at some finer points in our long-standing Upon Further Review series. Today, the 17th-ranked Boilermakers’ 65-58 win at No. 13 Oregon.

PDF: Purdue-Oregon statistics

More: Analysis | Wrap Video | Stat Blast | Final Thoughts | Pod

(Video clips via NBC)

PURDUE DEFENSE

Oregon’s offense made bad decisions, took bad shots and just looked like an AAU team (all due respect) at times, but maybe it was Purdue’s defense that forced the Ducks to lose their composure.

This is the worst offensive possession you’ll see, as Oregon punts on two separate mismatches on one side of the floor, reverses the ball, drives wildly into help, then throws it to the bench.

Purdue’s help-defense structure has been operating really well lately, and quite honestly, this looked like the Boilermakers just laying traps all night.

Oregon wanted to dribble; Purdue dared it to.

Purdue’s help clamping down from the wing forced at least two turnovers, and Oregon was never savvy enough to move the ball out of these drives effectively.

The bluff-and-stay here from Gicarri Harris blows Jackson Shelstad‘s mind and Trey Kaufman-Renn plays picture-perfect drop defense.

And this free-safety role Purdue has Braden Smith playing really plays to his instincts. That he can kind of tuck himself away in traffic and strike when he sees an opportunity is kind of a way where his lack of size is an advantage. People try to attack him because he’s small; now he’s attacking them by being small.

One thing that stood out about how Purdue guarded was that it seemed — seemed — like it was giving wider berths on the perimeter, to lay those traps, so to speak. Had Oregon shot competently, it might have been an issue, but I think Oregon only made one three over a lagging defender.

The point of the extra space, too, would have been to make Purdue really compact on the defensive glass too.

Purdue just keeps building igloos around the defensive glass.

TREY KAUFMAN-RENN ON OFFENSE

Oregon’s size was an issue early in the game, especially, and that compelled Oregon to seemingly just anchor Nate Bittle at the rim.

But Oregon should have known TKR doesn’t get all his paint scoring at the rim.

Shortly thereafter, this happens specifically because Bittle is detached from his man.

Of course, there’s no easy answer. Bring your big out and Smith does this to you.

CAMDEN HEIDE

He was quietly really good. Here he wasn’t so quiet.

Purdue knew Oregon was going to play zone, so this crashing of the offensive glass from the mid-post had to be an emphasis.

MISC

• Another excellent BLOB set from Purdue but also a refection of the extra layer of weaponry TKR gives Purdue with his ability to pull out of these handoffs when everyone’s keying on Smith, pivot and drive.

Hell of a play there by Smith, too, as the de facto screener, holding up two guys and giving his teammate a clear path.

• Braden Smith continues to terrorize other peoples’ big men. Honey badger.

• Unbelievable defense here from Caleb Furst, staying in front of one of the best guards in the league, then understanding the lay of the land and forcing Shelstad into his baseline help. Top notch.

This primo defensive possession begins with Furst pressuring Bittle in the high post. If Oregon wanted to run something through that, we don’t know because it never took shape.

Here, it looks like Oregon is trying to run a backdoor play that every Purdue player on the floor sees coming.

• Pretty neat work here from Purdue as it basically runs two different offenses on the same set.

I screwed up the clip, but Purdue had a boilerplate post feed from Fletcher Loyer to TKR set up on one side, but reversing the ball out of it transitioned nicely into this ball screen action with Smith and Furst, who is aided here by being left-handed.

• This rebound from Myles Colvin.

• Watch Loyer on this rebound. This is 100-percent him just giving himself up to take a Duck off the glass. The intent, that is.