A three-game losing streak in mid-January quieted the hype that surrounded a Purdue team which had opened 14-0 to climb to No. 4 in the rankings. That doesn’t mean the Boilermakers are done making noise.
That skid may have cost them a shot at the Big Ten’s regular-season title, but their national title hopes are far from gone. Having recovered from the losing streak by winning three straight, including a victory over a ranked Wisconsin team, Purdue has plenty of very talented offensive players and most of them are experienced upperclassmen. That’s a good combination to go far in the NCAA tournament.
All five starters are juniors or seniors, providing a very good mix of capable big men and perimeter players. Robbie Hummel can do damage inside and out, leading the team in rebounds and 3-pointers made, and the three-year starter can always be relied upon to score in double figures. He’s joined in the frontcourt by JaJuan Johnson, an all-conference pick last season who has bounced back after his struggles played a key role in the losing streak. Johnson averaged 6.0 points in those three games, but he averaged 19.7 in the next three. The star offensively, though, is E’Twaun Moore. He’s among the Big Ten’s leading scorers at more than 17 a game and his shot selection has improved significantly, making more than half of his field-goal attempts after hitting 43.2 percent through his first two seasons.
Those players, as well as coach Matt Painter, now have enough experience to understand what it takes to make a deeper NCAA tournament run after last year’s trip to the Sweet 16 followed two second-round exits. Painter, meanwhile, is showing he won’t let his players get complacent. He’s repeatedly tinkered with the lineup, recently benching seniors Chris Kramer and Keaton Grant, and publicly criticized Johnson when he was slumping.
Another big potential plus Purdue has once March Madness arrives – it will have been well-tested. Unlike last season’s down year for the Big Ten, this is the strongest the conference has looked in quite some time, with four Top 25 teams and up to three others that could make the field of 65.
Plus, Purdue’s strong start included non-conference wins over West Virginia and Tennessee when they were in the top 10. The start was all the more impressive considering the Boilermakers did it without their starting point guard. Lewis Jackson, the team’s 2008-09 leader in assists, hurt his foot in the preseason but finally returned against the Badgers. It will surely take some time for him to get back in the flow, but when that happens, it should only help a Purdue offense which already is second in the Big Ten to Michigan State.
Speaking of the Spartans, some believe they received extra motivation last year knowing the Final Four was being played less than two hours from their campus – and they ended up reaching the national title game. Well, this year it’s being played at Lucas Oil Stadium, just over an hour from Purdue.
