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Final thoughts Purdue-Iowa

b8vTr9Hoby:Mike Carmin•02/07/23
Zach Edey

What I would be saying on my podcast in my previous life about Thursday’s game:

–Those who follow and watch the Boilermakers every game understand this team is more than Zach Edey. Those on the outside who see Purdue every other game or once a week, love to latch on the narrative that it’s a one-man show. At times, it has been. But Thursday demonstrated – again – the offensive weapons the Boilermakers can hit you with. Edey had four points before stepping to the line with 8:19 to play. Purdue had already scored 68. That means the rest of the team accounted for 64 points with eight minutes to play. It wasn’t like this team was struggling to score. Edey helped the Boilermakers close out this win and recorded another double double but the contributions from everyone else shoots down that narrative. It was another example of how well-rounded this team can be. Purdue will need Edey to have more 30-18 games but being able to score from different spots on the floor will make this team tough to defend the rest of the way.

–If Mason Gillis and Caleb Furst hit 3-pointers, it’s going to be difficult to slow down this offense. Everyone knows what happens when Gillis gets hot from beyond the arc. Furst can string baskets together as well. Forcing power forwards to play defense on the perimeter will put teams in a bind. Gillis and Furst are going to see plenty of opportunities because teams aren’t going to leave Edey in one-on-one situations unless a coach is stubborn. We all know there are plenty of those roaming the sidelines.

–It was good to see Furst finally fill up the stat sheet. He hasn’t played poorly the last month but needed a game like this to give himself a boost for the stretch run.

–The fast starts by Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith were significant coming off the IU loss. The pair didn’t shoot well in Bloomington but quickly settled in and set the tone from an offensive standpoint. A combined 41 points and nine assists will take the Boilermakers a long way. Yes, Iowa doesn’t play defense but Purdue’s ball movement and the willingness to make the extra pass continues to stand out.

–Purdue continues to crush teams on the boards. The Boilermakers were plus 20 with Furst and Edey combining for nine offensive rebounds.

–The 17 turnovers are bothersome but it’s been the trend against Iowa. It’s a concern because you’re coming off a game where Purdue had 16. Sunday at Northwestern is probably going to be a low-possession game and you can’t give them away. You saw what Maryland did in the second half against the Boilermakers and the Terps are on the schedule next week. Purdue needs to be better in this area.

–The defense was pretty salty in the first half. Edey protected the rim. Ethan Morton and company made life hard for Kris Murray. In the second half, the Hawkeyes got out in transition and shot 60% and the Boilermakers didn’t get their offense under control until late.

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