Brunt: More good than bad for Purdue in 81-67 CBI win over W. Illinois
By CLIFF BRUNT
ISL Editor
We didn’t learn quite as much about Purdue as we could have on Wednesday night because Western Illinois was shorthanded.
Forward Terell Parks, the Leathernecks’ leading scorer, missed the game because of a foot injury. Ceola Clark III, Western’s No. 2 scorer, tore his ACL during the Summit League tournament.
What we did learn during Purdue’s 81-67 win in the first round of the CBI tournament, though, was mostly good. The game wasn’t as close as the final score — Purdue led by 20 with 1:26 to go.
Even with that, Purdue came out sluggish and trailed 30-22 before rallying to lead 37-34 at halftime and dominating the second half.
Here are some thoughts as Purdue prepares to host Santa Clara on Monday.
Western Illinois shot 57 percent in the first half.
That is inexcusable, and had Purdue been playing a typical Big Ten opponent, the Boilermakers would have been down 20 and there would have been no comeback. They have to figure out how to start better. As I have said, Purdue is now a target. Folks know about the Boilermakers and they need to get used to it. In a way, Western’s early success might have taught Purdue a needed lesson.
Purdue played with energy for much of the game.
This is a difficult thing to do against an overmatched opponent in a game that many perceive to be meaningless. The Boilermakers found their mojo and controlled the game after falling behind early. Simply put, after that early run by the Leathernecks, Purdue played like it cared.
Another key element — Terone Johnson made a 3-pointer and a layup to cut that deficit from 30-22 to 30-27, and Purdue was tuned in the rest of the way. That’s the kind of leadership he needs to show.
A.J. Hammons played well.
The Leathernecks were grossly overmatched in terms of size and talent inside, but there was no guarantee the sometimes passive Hammons would take advantage of it. He did, scoring 15 points on 6-for-11 shooting in just 17 minutes. He had just four rebounds, though that could be attributed to the fact that there weren’t many missed shots. Purdue shot 59 percent from the field and Western shot 50 percent.
There was a particular exchange that I liked from Hammons. His man, 6-foot-8, 260-pound Michael Ochereobia, got around Hammons for a hoop and was feeling pretty good about himself. Hammons, seemingly annoyed, went downcourt and battled tirelessly for 25 seconds to get position before dropping a nice right-handed hook over Ochereobia. That’s the kind of ownership you want to see out of a big. You get me, there’s going to be payback on the other end. That’s what I’m talking about, big fella.
The seniors led.
D.J. Byrd scored nine points on 3-for-5 3-point shooting. One of those 3-pointers was from NBA range. Dru Anthrop led the Boilermakers with six rebounds and added four assists and three steals. Anthrop in particular was important because he showed what simply wanting to make the most of a moment can get you. His postgame interview on television was insightful and refreshingly selfless, and it was good to see him on camera. Again, the more on-court leadership young guys get to see, the better.
The freshmen showed up.
Hammons played big, Ronnie Johnson scored 14 points and Rapheal Davis had 12. Donnie Hale Perhaps the best thing is that little seemed forced, and they all seemed locked in. Between the four of them, they made 18 of 27 shots. That means good shot selection. That’s a great sign for freshmen, no matter the opponent.
Jacob Lawson and Anthony Johnson barely played.
Lawson is so far into the doghouse at this point that I’m not sure he can ever get out. He was a starter at one point, and now he can barely get onto the court in a CBI game the Boilermakers are winning by double digits late in the second half. He played two minutes. His future does not look good. Anthony Johnson played seven minutes. That’s not good either since Purdue is playing these games to build for the future. If you’re not playing in games that are for building for the future, you might not be a part of the future. Anthony Johnson needs to have a lot of good practice time before Monday’s game.
Purdue gets another chance.
Monday gives coach Matt Painter another opportunity to learn more about the future. That is by far the best thing to come out of the game for the Boilermakers.
