Purdue matchup is challenging
by John Berkowitz on Mar 20, 2009 6:00 AM PDT
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PrintWashington has its work cut out for them on Saturday when they play a second round game against the Purdue Boilermakers. Purdue is a much better team than Mississippi State and they present a more challenging matchup.
Purdue is as fundamentally a sound team as the Huskies have faced this season. The Boilermakers are physical, strong, and they are tough. They are a patient team like WSU that doesn't take bad shots. They play solid defense and have the type of depth that matches up well with Washington.
Purdue made 27 three pointers in three conference tourney victories and was guilty of only 17 total turnovers in 120 minutes of action. The Boilermakers won the Big Ten Tournament and finished second in the regular season. Purdue was the pre season pick to win the Big Ten and they seem to be reaching that potential at the end of the season.
Purdue is led by small forward Robbie Hummel who is getting closer to 100 percent after battling a stress fracture in his lower back. The 6-foot-8 Hummel averaged 16 points and 9.3 rebounds in Big Ten tournament action and was selected the event's MVP. 6-10 sophomore center JaJuan Johnson teams with Hummel to give the Boilermakers a large profile on the front line.
Guard E'Twaun Moore is more than capable of putting the ball in the basket and defending on the perimeter. He averaged 14 points a game this season and scored 17 in the Big Ten championship game against Ohio State.
His backcourt mates Keaton Grant and Lewis Jackson aren't big time scorers but they have enough speed to be able to compete with the quickness Washington will bring to the table.
As far as depth goes the Boilermakers use a rotation of eight solid players so fatigue shouldn't be a factor in this one if they are able to control the tempo. Like WSU and UCLA the Boilermakers win when they control the tempo.
What does this all translate to on Saturday?
Washington will go with a bigger lineup to counter the big Purdue front line. Expect to see more of Matthew Bryan Amaning teaming up with Brockman and Pondexter earlier in this one.
Brockman is a beast on the boards and he will surely get another double-double on Saturday no matter how well Purdue plays. The key up front will be how much help he gets from his front line mates. Both MBA and Pondexter are coming off a solid game against MSU if that is any indication.
On the outside Washington needs to apply the same type of pressure that they did to disrupt Mississippi State. Venoy Overton will once again be key in this one when it comes to disrupting the Boilermakers. MSU was an excellent three point shooting team but Washington's defense out on the perimeter took that out of the game. Purdue can also shoot the long ball so UW needs to apply pressure to take that away.
If Purdue can't hit from the outside they still will have a strong inside game to counter. Make no mistake this team is much stronger inside than Mississippi State.
I watched the victory over Northern Iowa today and I think the Huskies have the overall edge in quickness and I think that will be the deciding factor in the game. UW will have to start shooting better from the outside which means Thomas and Dentmon who are both due need to step up in this one.
I think it will be close game but I am picking Washington by 6 points in this one. I think the pressure on the perimeter from our guards, the muscle of Brockman, and the finesse of Pondexter will be the deciding factor. I just don't think the Boilermakers will be able to deal with our pressure on the point and I would pick Brockman over any big man in this tournament.
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Versatility
I think one of our most interesting traits is how versatile our offense can be. We have had nine guys score in double figures at one point or another. We have a player like Nemanja Calasan, who often only gets 3-5 popints but is capable of going for 20. Keaton Grant is an up and down shooter who is dangerous from the 3-point line if he is hot. Marcus Green is a senior and lone remaining player from Matt Painter’s first recruiting class. He’s is the typical “little things” guy that does all the dirty work like offensive rebounding and such. While Chris Kramer is a defensive stopper, he is capable of scoring 15 as well. We perform best when one of these guys has a solid night offensively because it opens things up more for Moore, Hummel, and Johnson as our priamry scorers.
Lewis Jackson is very underrated as a freshman point guard. He is incredibly quick and is a harassing defender. When he is playing his best defense it only free things up for Kramer to do his thing. I expect a close battle between both teams tomorrow.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boliermaker Blog
Purdue
It will be a very close game.
Until the two teams play head to head it is actually tough to pick the favorite. I don’t think I have seen a defender as quick as Overton this year out at the point. So we will see what happens when both teams line up.
I don’t see a double digit win.
by John Berkowitz on Mar 20, 2009 7:23 AM PDT up reply actions
Versatility.
Thanks for the information. From my point of view, however, Purdue is one of the lower scoring teams in the entire tourney. Against good defensive teams, like UW, they will struggle to get their score into the 60 range.
I think this game is about whether or not Purdue has enough team D to simultaneously shut down four scorers, whether or not they can keep UW off the offensive glass (where easy points occur) and whether or not they can stroke the three (the one area where they have the clear statistical advantage).
Otherwise, UW has most of the advantages. Purdue does not have especially long wing players (the matchup that kills UW) and they are not unusually big in the middle. They don’t go too deep on their bench which makes fatigue a factor for them. They are going to want to avoid getting into a running game. They can’t score in big bunches, so they can’t afford to dig a hole.
Clearly, they are an excellent defensive team, especially on the perimeter. They also do have a few shooters, so they will really need to work those advantages as much as they can.
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
I don't think running is an issue
I think we play better offensively when we run. lewis Jackson has improved our offense dramtically when he forces tempo. Last year against Baylor there were concerns that we couldn’t run with them or score enough and we ended up dropping 90. I think we are low scoring ebcause of the nature of the Big Ten. IF we’re shooting well we can score plenty, and I thinkw e can definitely run if we want to.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boliermaker Blog
we shall see
… I saw that a bunch of guys were wrapped in ice after the NI game. That takes a toll when only 6 or 7 guys get most of the minutes over a season. Hard to keep running in a second in three nights situation against a team that goes a legit 10 deep on the bench (and a team that had a pretty easy first round game).
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
I have to second that
Like the SEC I think the Big Ten is down this year.
The Illinois / WKU game last night is testament to that.
by John Berkowitz on Mar 20, 2009 8:09 AM PDT up reply actions
Big10
those that think the big10 is ‘down’ this year, either haven’t been paying attention, or believe factual statistics somehow lie. They’ve been the #2 in the RPI all season long, and dont have 7 teams in the tourney because of luck.
Illinois was playing without their best defender and senior catalyst for their WKU game. And hidden in the 12-5 matchup, was a very solid and experienced WKU team that had every intention of winning.
Just like us in the midwest feel the PAC10 is down this year. But the numbers at least back up our testaments. You’ve been flirting with the WAC in overall strength of RPI. and if you want to throw cellar teams at us that skew the numbers… you have no worse teams than we have in Iowa and Inidana.
by dasMetzger on Mar 21, 2009 11:22 AM PDT up reply actions
Deeper bench
We usually go 8 deep on the bench (Nemanja Calasan, Keaton Grant, Marcus Green who have all been starters before), with a ninth guy (Bobby Riddell) capable of playing a few minutes too.
Also Illinois was without their top point guard and senior leader Chester Frazier last night. He makes them a completely different team. Sorry, just had to stand up for conference pride.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boliermaker Blog
good for you - that is what you should do!
… but it doesn’t change the fact that your 8 man rotation is mostly a six man rotation. They are an excellent six … but fatigue might well be a factor.
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
It is mostly a six
We have four guards that can start for most programs. Thomas, Dentmon, Overton, and Turner are all studs and they keep us fresh.
Gant and Holiday are excellent defenders and role players up front. you can call those two guys unsung heroes because they can go unnoticed offensively but they have a big impact on defense.
Brockman sat out half the first half and we went on a run that put the game away against MSU. That says quite a bit about or depth.
by John Berkowitz on Mar 20, 2009 9:06 AM PDT up reply actions
No problem on that
We respect conference pride and the thougtful discourse you bring to the table.
This is going to be a real tight end and I think you have an edge when it comes to shooting from the outside. We have better speed at guard but it isn’t a huge difference. I think Pondexter matches up well with Hummel and I put Brockman up against anyone in the NCAA this year when it comes to rebounding and defense.
by John Berkowitz on Mar 20, 2009 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions
I agree with T-Mill on the running
Just because a team tends to play a certain style doesn’t mean that they are best at that style or that they are incapable of playing another. In fact, I tend to think that we (Purdue) would help ourselves on the offensive end if we were to push it in transition a little bit more often. Last year we played at a slightly higher tempo, and I think that led to a higher shooting % from behind the arc. I would welcome a slightly higher tempo tomorrow.
My concerns about Washington lie elsewhere. You guys are great at getting offensive boards and great at getting to the line. Rebounding (on both ends) has been a struggle for us this year, and that sometimes negates otherwise good defensive sequences. And fouls can kill us, especially if our bigs draw them.
Looking forward to a good one tomorrow.
by septimusharding on Mar 20, 2009 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I expect UW to win by double digits
that is assuming we are up with 2 minutes left and they foul though. Its the Big 10 fellas in the big dance. Brockman wont lose
best to think of twittering as a substitute for texting ...
…. except that you can “text” a whole bunch of people at one time. If you don’t get value out of texting, you probably won’t get much out of twitter.
I use it mostly to follow content pushers like ESPN and a few business publications. Mike Sando is very active in pushing stuff out.
"Greed is Good."
So is Rudy.
We don’t text very often.
Get some milk….etc… .
I added Twitter because Coug Center did. It hought it would be fun to experiment with.
by John Berkowitz on Mar 20, 2009 9:07 AM PDT up reply actions
I hate texting
i would much rather call someone.
I didnt know what to call the act of doing twitter.
I run the Lookout Landing Twitterpage, and I'd be happy to run yours as well, John. One less thing you'd need to worry about.
Why would I watch Transformers when I can play with them at my house?
by .Taylor on Mar 20, 2009 11:59 PM PDT up reply actions
johnb, agree with your analysis.
Its time for our guards to get out of their funk. Not sure what the problem is, good that others have stepped up like QP, Elston and the Annoying one. I think we need to push the pace, if we can do that, I see PU rushing to get back in it and possibly a rout in the end with FTs. More likely is the 4-5 point win which I will take today if you give it.
An interesting blurb in Condotta’s blog on our history with Purdue was the time we played in 67. IIRC, PU had AA Rick Mount, and I watched both games at HecEd, 1 win, 1 loss for Mac Duckworths last team Dave Hovde (Selah, WA), Levi Fisher (Garfield HS), Dave Carr (Tacoma cant remember if he was Lincoln or Stadium). Wow, Am I old, scares me that I still remember some of this minutiae.
GO DAWGS
David Carr and the Carr family
Husky RB Luther Carr’s little brother and the great uncle of current Husky CB Matt Mosley.
I think it would be interesting to figure out how many people in the Carr family have received scholarships at Washington since 1956.
If you count girls and boys the number may just astound you!
Matt Mosley’s mom was on a track scholarship at UW.
David Carr was a great basketball player.
Luther Carr Jr was a GA at UW and now coaches at Idaho. I sent him an email and maybe he will get back to me so I can write a story on the Carr family tree.
He is the son of Gary Carr who is the brother of Luther and David. He went to Issaquah HS and has had a great career at American who almost beat Villanova last night.
I hope Luther Jr gets back to me because if you counted all the kids who have received scholarships at UW and other places you would be just amazed. I don’t think any family in the Northwest can come close to matching it.
by John Berkowitz on Mar 20, 2009 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions
Purdue is that team
I’m trying to keep it all in perspective and I’m trying to see what Purdue sees. The Boilermakers are no slouch. I’m sure they’ve got game film on us and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’ve received scouting reports from other Pac 10 clubs.
Our guard-play sets up the physical Brockman Ball. MSU failed to take advantage of our guards not shooting from outside yesterday. When the opposition is matched up defensively with all five of our players, Brockman is a beast down low. But if the opposing defense uses spy and double team tactics down low that means one guy out on the perimeter is open. ASU did this to perfection against us in the Pac 10 Tournament. I think Purdue is going to come at us with a better gameplan then what MSU brought.
Again Purdue is no slouch. They have rich tradition on the hardwood and won’t be intimidated about playing on the road. We need to counter that with a loud, boisterous UDub fan base and get after it. I’m telling you what Purdue is going to come with. They are going to pack the paint. They are going to double up Brockman on one possession and double up QPon the next possession. With them stacking the paint, they will clog all driving lanes to the basket for Dentmon and Thomas. Purdue is going to force us to make quality shots outside. I know I would. So with all that said, we’ve got to continue to shoot from outside. You have to play 6 games to win the national championship and every game is different. Eventually we will be in a game where shooting from outside will either win it or lose it for us. I think Purdue is that team so we’ve got to step up and knock down those shots.
Go Dawgs! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
USC's Gameplan was brilliant in winning the Pac 10 Tournament
Will Purdue us Floyd’s gamplan vs. Huskies? If Purdue doesn’t have a deep bench then surely it will be considered. What did Floyd use to win down the stretch in the Pac 10 tournament? He stayed with his five starters for the majority of the game. Now that sounds devasting in regards to player stamina, but when you control the tempo and slow it down, player stamina is a non factor.
I see Purdue attempting to slow the tempo, using mostly of their starting five w/ critical substitutions for key moments. They will pack the paint so they can control Brockman and QPon. And with them owning the paint it will not offer Dentmon or Thomas any lanes to penetrate. In essense all shots within 12 feet of the rim will be contested. Purdue is going to force our guards to shoot from the perimeter. Furthermore they will leave one guy on an island all dam day. That guy will be Gant, Holiday, or Overton. They will force Gant, Holiday, and Overton to step up and make a quality shot from outside. If they don’t make those shots it is a defensive stop for them.
I see Purdue doing the Tim Floyd thing. They are going to try to dictate tempo and use most of their starters and subsitute very little. This is what we’ve got to be ready to counter, becuase this gameplan has hurt us the most in games we’ve lost.
All I saw was purple
Not sure why people are saying we don't have a deep bench
We’ve got eight guys averaging 16 minutes or more. We’ve been limited to a more shallow bench in some games because of injuries at times, but everyone is healthy now. Calasan, Hummel, Kramer, and Jackson have all missed a game or two due to injury/illness in the Big Ten season alone. Green played in a couple for only a few minutes because of the flu back in February. Moore, Johnson, and Keaton Grant are hte only guys who have been completely healthy all year.
We can go 9 deep with Bobby Riddell providing a few spot minutes as well, and I expect he will play some. All nine have been double figure scorers in at least one game too. Riddell is also not some stiff that just comes in to rest guys. He is a better than 50% 3-point shooter that will knock it down if left open. Ask Penn State. He had 13 against them in a game that Hummel sat out and it was sorely needed at the time. The Northern Iowa game is the first game Bobby hasn’t played in since February 3 at Ohio State. I doubt he’ll have a game like he did against the Nittany lions, but he is capable of burning a team if they forget about him.
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boliermaker Blog
Quality is the keyword
The beautty of our team this year is our depth- we don’t fall off in talent when we go to our bench. Our reserves can be our starters as well as our starters could be reserves. This team is well discplined and each member of the team has accepted their role. Does Purdue fall off talent wise if they go to their bench? I don’t know, but I can tell you this- Arizona State and USC have perfected their games. Now we swept SC, but the way SC is playing right now is due to their tempo and playing with the kids that give them the best chance to win. If Purdue has a Washington-like bench then we’ll see. Yet from what I’ve seen nobody has depth like the Dawgs.
Why do we play so physical? Why does Overton play in your face defense? Because we can and Overton can. When you are as deep as us on the bench we can play more physical then the opponent. We have five guards that all play extended minutes. Do we raise an eyebrow if Overton picks up his third foul before the half? Answer: NO. Because we still have IT, Dentmon, Holiday, and Turner. Do we worry if any one member of the low post kids gets into foul trouble? Answer: NO. Because we rotate in Brockman, QPon, MBA, and Gant. The truth be told we can play as physical as we want to and not worry about fouls. That sentence speeks volumes as to a quality deep bench. Everybody has a bench- the issue is QUALITY.
I see this game as a springboard game for either Washington or Purdue. I think it will be a tough game to win for either the Huskies or Boilermakers. Regardless who wins saturday’s game- I think they will be ripe to pick off UConn. We are looking forward to a game with UConn, because the East Coast Huskies have owned us in our last two tournament matchups. I’ll spare you a gameplan vs. UConn until after saturday’s matchup w/ Purdue. I sure as hell do not want to get ahead of ourselves.
Is anybody sick of seeing that Nike commerical with Richard Hamilton hitting that buzzer beater shot on Washington to advance to the Elite 8? That game still rots in my bowls.
Go Huskies! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
YES
That stupid commerical is heart breaking and they keep playing it.
I'll tell you what bigdave...
I’m sure our team has seen that commercial and although Romar wasn’t the Husky boss back then. I can see him using that commerical as warfare in the event we do meet up w/ UConn.
I say to CBS, keep showing that commercial. It’s enough to want to right the ship as to how that game ended.
All I saw was purple
This Purdue Team
They are just now coming to their prime. Since early this year when Purdue took Oklahoma to OT Hummel has been hurt. Shortly after, Krammer got bashed in the face, The members of the team have had bouts with the flu. This very same team as freshman lost in a tight game to Xavier last year in the 2nd round, if I recall they led them by over 20 at one point. If there is a team faster I have not seen them play Purdue yet. They have guys were starting sitting on the bench to make room for the Sophmore team we have now. They are tough, very tough and all highly recruited players. I have never seen them tired when they are all healthy like they are now. They led the nation at one time in defense, holding other teams to 34% shooting. If one player on this team gets hot, the game is pretty much over. Washington better hope this does not happen. You do not beat a team like Mich St by 25 without having a good team. Right now Washington is favored by 1 point and I am guessing that is because of home advantage. You better bring some fans you will need it. Don’t judge this team by Northern Iowa, no one was hitting baskets. I doubt that happens this game.
A Big Yawn Fest
Is it just me, or is this year’s NCAA Tournament a big yawn fest? Everyone of Friday’s games were freakin’ lame and I just couldn’t stomach anymore of it after the morning session. What is it this year?
Could it be that the selection commitee got it completely right this year, which would explain all the ho-hum and very little upsets? Could it be that college basketball has become a complete mid major sport as to what it use to be before the one and done rule? Or could it be CBS’s complete dropping of the ball as to which games are televised? Other then Washington in it and winning and last night’s Ucla game, this tournament really is a HUGE bore.
Friday’s games are/were darn near unwatchable. Something is wrong with the tournament because usually I am like a kid in a candy store during March Maddness. I’m bored and instead of watching the games I am posting this rather lame post. Good night…
All I saw was purple
About the CBS remark...
NCAA March Madness on Demand… if you have comcast or verizon broadband you can get all the games in pretty decent quality, or if you have slower internet you can still get audio feeds of any game.
Yawn Fest?
Cleveland State, Sienna, and Wisconsin had some big time wins tonight that upped the excitment level.
Missed it
Then apparently I missed all the comostion. Up until the night session no upsets and no buzzer beaters. What the hell do I care if Florida State loses to Wisconsin? I have not rooting interest in either team. I guess though I should’ve stayed awake due to the game going into overtime.
But other then Washington in it and the Pac 10 going 5-1 in the first round, this has been a fairly lame tournament, television viewing wise. No cinderella upsets and no buzzer beater shots for the win = a lame 1 round. Hopefully things begin to heat up.
Go Dawgs! WOOF!!!
All I saw was purple
Sienna and Cleveland State
Cinderella’s Baby!
by John Berkowitz on Mar 21, 2009 9:04 AM PDT up reply actions
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