Takeaways: Purdue U-Indy

 Our GoldandBlack.com post-game analysis from No. 1 Purdue’s 92-49 exhibition win over the University of Indianapolis Wednesday night in Mackey Arena.

PDF: Purdue-Indy statistics

DANIEL JACOBSEN GIVES PURDUE A DIFFERENT LOOK

Purdue kind of spun its wheels for a while to open the game before it was Daniel Jacobsen who changed everything.

It was the 7-foot-4 center’s activity level that turned the game, as Purdue generated run-out scoring off one of his blocked shots and a steal on which the passer must have missed the 7-4 guy standing in the lane.

Purdue creating offense off defense was a major element to this game, though this was not a relevant enough level of competition to really be predictive of anything. That said, Purdue was a zero blocking shots last season, generated too few fast breaks and was outright bad finishing at the rim with anyone other than Trey Kaufman-Renn.

Now, Jacobsen checks a lot of boxes in the context of those deficiencies from a year ago.

He’s going to block shots and alter a lot of others. That’s how fast breaks start.

He’s going to bring the lob dunk back to Purdue’s offensive profile, which will benefit everyone else on the floor once defenses have to account for it.

They’re not all going to look like this — bigger schools are going to be greater challenges and more physical than Indy can even imagine being — but this exhibition did highlight the ways in which Jacobsen’s return can change in Purdue now, but also what might lie ahead for him in the long run.

PURDUE’S CONFIDENCE

Again, take these games for what they’re worth, but you did see tonight what Purdue saw all summer from Gicarri Harris, who impacted the game profoundly at both ends of the floor and was probably on this night the best player on a team with two All-Americans.

Harris makes his open threes, but you saw tonight him coming off hand-offs looking to shoot. He’s been aggressive and productive and smart in seizing opportunities to attack off the dribble and through two exhibitions he’s been a weapon in transition.

This might look like something that might not be sustainable if not for the fact this is what Purdue saw all summer from the sophomore.

Harris was solid as a freshman last season, but sure looks poised for more this season, in a complementary, glue-guy sort of role. That’s not to say, though, that a night like this every now and then won’t be a welcomed sight.

But it was the defensive impact that obviously stands out, too, in the big picture of what can really matter for the Boilermakers this season. Harris generated two steals, ran off with one of Braden Smith‘s and caused a shot-clock violation with a deflection. The steals led to fast breaks which led to points.

Easy scoring — “stolen” points, “garbage” points, whatever you want to call them — are gold in basketball, but can especially be so for this Purdue team that should be hard enough to stop as is.

JACK BENTER AT THE 4

Jack Benter needed to see a three go down and one finally did. But while he figures to be an outstanding shooter in time for Purdue, his offensive value should go beyond it.

Purdue runs pretty structured offense and relies heavily on ball movement, cutting, opportunism off the dribble, etc. Offensive savvy has always been a coveted commodity at the 4 that they’ve had to do without at times when they’ve had great 4 men.

Benter can handle and pass and while he may not be a featured offensive piece right away, he’ll have structural value. His three assists came in just 18 minutes tonight, with no turnovers. Last season, Purdue’s 4 men accounted for 31 assists the whole season, you know.

ON PURDUE DEFENSE

There has to be another competitive gear for Purdue defensively. The dribble defense has to be much better when the games count than it’s been when they haven’t.

The Boilermakers generated turnovers and blocked shots vs. Indy and that’s great but also masked the fact that Purdue’s centers both got in foul trouble primarily because they too often had to confront the ball at the rim.

It’s great that Purdue has size now backing up its guards; it’s optimal though for them to not need it. Purdue has needed it too much. Granted, these aren’t games where the scouting and preparation are in-depth, if existent at all, but keeping the ball in front of you isn’t a game plan-specific part of the game.