Express Thoughts: Improvements past due for Purdue, basketball's outlook and more

by Brian Neubert

GoldandBlack.com’s Three Thoughts from the Weekend column runs every Monday morning.

ON THE TWO-GAME SLIDE

During its four-game winning streak, was Purdue really that good? Many of the underlying circumstances and the eye-ball test alike said no, but those outcomes overshadowed the paths to those outcomes. The vulnerabilities of this Purdue team are the same now as they were then: It turns the ball over too much, its tackles too poorly and it gets beaten deep too often.

That Minnesota and Maryland couldn’t take advantage, those were Minnesota and Maryland problems, and I don’t say that to take anything away from Purdue, because finding a way to win in spite of yourself does matter.

But Purdue never stopped having to win in spite of itself and now that’s the problem. When it came up against a couple of opponents who don’t see your mistakes and raise you mistakes of their own, then Purdue’s problems are laid bare and the Boilermakers flail like a fish on a dock, as they did the past two outings.

At both Wisconsin and against Iowa, Purdue got beat for a lot of reasons, but not the least of which was the fact that Purdue beat itself against opponents more than happy to sit back and allow opponents to do just that.

Being solid is a skill, and maybe not as easy as it sounds. It’s all Purdue’s basketball team had to do last season to do things truly historic. It couldn’t, or at least didn’t.

If this Boilermaker football team was just a little more solid, then it would have won at Syracuse, maybe against Penn State as well, and while I can’t say they’d have beaten either Iowa or Wisconsin, they sure as hell wouldn’t have gotten blown out by them.

The good news is there’s still opportunity ahead. Illinois is good, but if you think Illinois is unbeatable, come on now. But you’re not going to beat them turning the ball over and missing tackles.

Then Northwestern and Indiana, Purdue is better than both this teams, but will still need to play like it to win. Purdue’s problems to this point, they can be great equalizers against inferior opponents.

The time to improve was weeks ago, while winning. Now, improvement is past due, as Wisconsin and Iowa just illustrated in no uncertain terms.

ON ZACH EDEY

So when Purdue’s season tips off Tuesday night against Milwaukee, so will a fine litmus test of the efficacy of Ultimate Size in college basketball. Because while Purdue has relied so much on giant centers over the years, I do think this team is different. Purdue has never entered a season built around a 5 man with so little established around him.

I’ve mentioned often here about the season and level of play Purdue football has needed from Aidan O’Connell due to his outsized stature within his team and influence over outcomes. You can say the same about Zach Edey.

He’s Purdue’s most important scorer, its most important decision-maker, its most important rebounder, its most important interior presence, its most influential player, arguably its most important defender and its most experienced guy. And like O’Connell in a different sport, he plays a position where his success directly depends on the infrastructure around him.

Whereas O’Connell has to carry a brand-new receiving corps this season, Edey will be largely dependent on a pair of true freshman guards to help him succeed.

It’s the sort of role any competitive and ambitious player would welcome, but certainly not an easy one. Nevertheless, Purdue most likely goes as Edey goes.

ON CHARLIE JONES

Charlie Jones has been a godsend for Purdue this season, same as Devin Mockobee and getting a sixth year out of Aidan O’Connell, even if he’s not had a great season to this point. Imagine had the circumstances around those three not unfolded the way they did, where the Boilermakers might be.

Jones came to Purdue because Purdue throws the ball. My guess is, though, he couldn’t have guessed how this would go.

Against his former team on Saturday, Jones was targeted 18 times. Nearly half the passes Purdue attempted against Iowa were intended for him.

That’s a double-edged sword, though. It’s obviously a high compliment to Jones, who’ll be on an NFL roster at this time a year from now, I’m guessing, because of his lone season at Purdue. But it’s also an indictment of those around him.

Jones needs help.

Who’s Purdue’s No. 2 wide receiver right now? Any idea? Payne Durham is a constant at tight end, but at wide receiver, Jones needs help.

The Broc Thompson situation obviously weighs heavily here and the losses of Milton Wright last spring and Garrett Miller this August must be mentioned when assessing Purdue’s offensive weaponry.

But teams love that empty cliche of “next man up” in situations like this and the reality is that no one’s stepped up.

Purdue played the Music City Bowl last year minus David Bell and Milton Wright and scored a thousand points. That seemed like maybe it would be a positive omen for this season in terms of receivers emerging as needed.

Nope.

TJ Sheffield has made some plays, but not consistently. Mershawn Rice looked like a pro against Penn State and and has made some plays since, but he’s disappeared a whole bunch of times too. Tyrone Tracy just hasn’t been as productive as it was reasonable to figure he would be after Purdue really worked him into things during the spring. Elijah Canion hasn’t played since September. Deion Burks isn’t getting enough opportunities. Abdur-Rahmaan Yaseen is out there, but just out there. Andrew Sowinski suddenly moving into the playing rotation mid-season I’m sure is a credit to him, but probably an indictment of someone else, too.

Saturday illustrated this issue more than any other game this season.

Purdue needed its player development chops to show at wide receiver this season. Its next men up had to step up. Purdue still needs them to. Never was that more apparent than on Saturday.