We Have To Accept That Rutgers Is Good

Tonight in New Jersey Purdue showed us everything that they are. Young, talented, fast, and jittery. They are about 80% ready for the moment, and being 80% ready for the moment often means winning most of the games you should win and losing all of the games you should lose.

Rutgers, god help them and god help us all, is a really good team, good enough to sustain a loss to Ron Harper Jr and still beat Purdue to win for the third time in a row against a Big 10 opponent…ever. They can shoot, they can drive, they’re good in the post…they are a pretty complete team. Likely to win the conference? I could see it happen. If the remarkableness of that statement doesn’t surprise you, then I guess you’ve don’t follow college basketball at all. Rutgers has been the Kansas of basketball, a program invited to join the Big 10 based solely on their media market and literally nothing else. And they were worth not an ounce more than two easy wins every year. But man, they sure seem to be headed in the right direction.

Even an experienced team would have a hard time against this Rutgers team, and Purdue is anything but an experienced team. Led by true freshmen and redshirt freshmen, with some inconsistent upperclassmen mixed in, you’re bound to have ups and downs with this team. And that’s what they gave us today, going down big in the first half, coming back, extending the lead, and then not being able to hold on to it.

When Purdue was clicking today, they really were something to watch. Purdue had the talent to shoot the ball, take it off the dribble, and pound it on the block. But there are so many wonderful pieces just waiting to fall into place. Pieces that just haven’t yet, and maybe it’ll take all season to do so. Maybe a less screwed up off-season would have accelerated this process. But no matter, it is what it is. Purdue has Rutgers and Illinois back-to-back and with an L already next to the Rutgers game in the books, we are likely to see the same against Illinois as well.

But again, no matter. What really counts when looking at this team is looking at this team. Do they fight? Do they make smart decisions? What are the weaknesses and limitations of this team? Who do they go to when they really need a bucket? Who draws the toughest defensive assignments? This team can and will lose more than any of us would like this season, but positives can still abound, depending on the answer to those questions. The jury is still out, and while I wouldn’t blame fans for being disappointed, I really like what I’ve seen so far. I really think this team has a ton of potential, even if it isn’t realized until next season.

Special shout-out today to Isaiah Thompson. IT has been sidelined this year by the excellent play of Eric Hunter Jr. But when Hunter struggled today IT stepped up in a big way, closing the first half with three made shots and really injecting some energy and optimism into this team. He continued his excellent play in the second half and offered hope that if he and Hunter and clicking at the same time, Purdue’s backcourt is going to be really scaring. He finished with 17 points, trailing only Trevion Williams.

Sasha Stefanovic also had a strong game with 14 points, including a number of great plays off the dribble. Would love to see him try to finish instead of always looking for the dump-off pass.

Mason Gillis had zero points but don’t confuse that for not affecting the game. He absolutely did. He’s a monster on both ends of the court and I love watching him play.

Aaron Wheeler is stuck. He plays hard, but that doesn’t seem to effect his output. His shooting isn’t good, his defense is spotty, he wasn’t an effective rebounder tonight…he’s being far out-played by Gillis and it’s going to take a huge leap for him to catch up.

Ending on a positive note, Ivey was all over the place tonight, scoring off the dribble and being aggressive on offense. He also had a nice block late in the game. That kid is very special, a future pro in my opinion.

(Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and Happy Holidays for whatever you celebrate. Have a great New Year. I’m thankful for the health and safety of each and every one of you.)