Takeaways: Purdue ends non-con on positive note

Fifth-ranked Purdue closed non-conference with another leave-no-doubt sort of win, this time a 101-60 decision over anticipated MAC contender Kent State. The Boilermakers are 12-1 as Big Ten play resumes.

Our GoldandBlack.com post-game analysis from the win …

PDF: Purdue-Kent State statistics

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ON PURDUE DEPTH

This isn’t cosmetic depth, the kind where a team may play a bunch of guys but Nos. 6 through 9m aren’t any good. That’s not depth; that’s numbers.

The depth Purdue has touted itself as having has proven itself. That’s been one of the reveals from non-conference play, with the Kent State game really highlighting it.

Jack Benter may or may not get 20 again this season and probably won’t maintain his 56-percent three-point shooting into March, but the past two games have really been something from a guy Purdue doesn’t necessarily need to score. That opponents have reason to fear him now is an invaluable dynamic moving forward. That he is holding up defensively — fouls are an issue, though — and Purdue has helped him along as a rebounder by almost always pairing him with Oscar Cluff makes the offensive punch relevant.

Gicarri Harris has played a few excellent games in a row now and if this keeps up, Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year might be a realistic goal.

Same for Daniel Jacobsen, who’s improving by the day and essentially a co-starter at a position that is now a strength for the Boilermakers.

And while Omer Mayer has had some ups and down — he is a freshman, remember — his impact goes well beyond his own productivity. Is Braden Smith defending at the level he is right now — a game-changer — in part because he knows he can leave games if needed? He might be. That is really important. If Smith felt compelled to power down some last season to carry the offensive load and be his best late in games, Mayer might have taken that concern off the table.

This is real, and there’s no real reason to believe this is just non-conference-season fluff that goes poof as soon as Big Ten play starts, as sometimes happens.

PURDUE’S DEFENSE

Kent State needed a meaningless three in the final seconds to hit 60 points. That’s nothing for Purdue to beat its chest over — losing point guard Cian Medley hurt the Flashes — but did extend Purdue’s streak of holding opponents to 60 or fewer points to four. Mind you: They were all blowout wins, so garbage time was plentiful. Suffice to say Purdue didn’t have to really guard for the final 10 minutes against Minnesota, Marquette, Auburn or Kent State.

The key now is simple: Keep it up.

There have been gimmicks here as there were last season around this time. This has just been about Purdue giving great effort, dominating details and playing with a cohesiveness in line with its experience level.

You can’t just expect to outscore people on the road in the Big Ten. Shooting is too fickle and officiating normally tilted toward the home team.

But as they say, defense and rebounding travel and Purdue will need them to.

This is the story of the non-conference slate: Purdue’s defensive awakening post-Iowa State.

ON THE FUTURE

To the depth point, keep this in mind, today’s depth is tomorrow’s core, as Matt Painter alluded to. All these key bench contributors now are your team next season, and they’ll have played in a lot of big games in advance of their moment coming.

They’ll have learned, presumably, about patience, because there are like four guys coming off the bench here who might be starters under different circumstances.

As long as they’re good with winning and playing alongside great players, that’s the big ask Purdue makes.

TAKING CARE OF THE BALL

Take way Meyer’s four turnovers — garbage time indiscretion in some cases — and Purdue committed only four turnovers.

This has been an area where Purdue has fared well in, too, and one where constant vigilance is required, because part of the reason the Boilermakers look so good defensively is because they are not undermining themselves with giveaways.