Express Analysis: Purdue's win over Austin Peay

Purdue’s Game 2 win over Austin Peay on Friday night in Mackey Arena was far from picturesque, but likely par for the course for a new-look Boilermaker team bound for some ups and downs. Here’s our standard post-game analysis and Wrap Video from the Boilermaker win.

ASSESSING THIS PERFORMANCE

Same way that Zach Edey, Caleb Furst and Trey Kaufman-Renn weren’t going to go 8-of-23 on two-point shots likely ever again, Purdue’s 0-for-16 start from three-point range screams of an outlier. Purdue is going to have to keep growing into its shot-generation operation and offensive execution, but its players are too skilled to shoot this badly more than a time or two this season.

The good news was it happened against an opponent who wasn’t throwing a whole lot of help at Zach Edey, so he could go off. Had Purdue shot badly against a team that was conceding threes in favor of loading up against Edey, then this really might have mattered.

More good news lies in the fact that Purdue maxed out Edey’s advantages, both a positive for Edey himself but also those who got him the ball. Did Purdue have a true post entry turnover tonight?

Further, Purdue was OK defensively these first two games, and “OK” is a decent starting point. Austin Peay is not a particularly good offensive team and that’s important context, but 44 points and 28-percent shooting, those are small numbers no matter who you play.

Purdue seems to be starting its November-December process with a solid floor, but Marquette will be the first real test.

DAVID JENKINS JR. QUICKLY SHOWS HIS VALUE

Make no mistake here: Purdue had real interest in getting David Jenkins Jr. on the floor against Austin Peay, because the Boilermakers will need him against Marquette, which will press and trap and really come after Purdue’s ball-handlers.

But one only needed to see the Boilermaker newcomer on the bench during the Milwaukee game to know what he’s been dealing with. It’s generally a plus in basketball to have two eyes that open and Jenkins only kinda sorta did.

Jenkins missed a whole week of practice, but shot around on Friday and played 15 minutes a few hours later, and did some positive things. During the team-building phase of this Purdue team’s development, elements matter, and the toughness and competitiveness Jenkins showed against Austin Peay was a great example set by the Boilermakers’ oldest and most diversely experienced player.

PURDUE’S DNA THIS SEASON

Watching Caleb Furst fly around in the first half as if there were three or four of him on the floor was another reminder that this 2022-2023 Purdue team looks like it’s wired the right way, as Purdue teams have traditionally been. You might have viewed Furst’s tip-in at the halftime buzzer as sheer dumb luck had the sophomore’s relentlessness on the boards not been the epitome of a player making his own luck.

And one must look no further than Purdue’s current collection of black eyes and fat lips to be reminded how full-throttle Mason Gillis‘ approach is. Trey Kaufman-Renn seems to have some of that in him, as well, and Braden Smith‘s tenacity is a tangible thing for Purdue.

Meanwhile, you keep seeing Purdue’s willingness to play for one another and share the basketball, maybe to a fault somewhere along the line. That’s another element Purdue prides itself on generally, and a box this Boilermaker group very much has checked.

There’s no telling how this season is going to unfold for Purdue, but all indications here are that this might be a very Purdue-ish sort of team.