Upon Further Review: USC

LOS ANGELES — After each Purdue basketball game this season, GoldandBlack.com will take a detailed look back at the contest to highlight some of its finer points.

Today, the Boilermakers’ 69-64 win Saturday night over USC.

PDF: Purdue-USC statistics

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BRADEN SMITH TO OSCAR CLUFF

This was Purdue’s offensive foundation at USC as the Trojans mixed up what they were doing with their bigs on Braden Smith and the Boilermakers wanted to attack 7-foot-5 Gabe Dynes with a more physical player. (Dynes’ height helped USC in some ways, but broadly, he was more liability than otherwise.)

Purdue has this designed really well to start the second half, using Fletcher Loyer as the high screener for depth to pull USC away from the roller as USC is using Dynes on the perimeter to contain the corner. This just as soon could have played out as a quick post-up for Trey Kaufman-Renn or the kick-back to Loyer, but USC loses Cluff.

Purdue did beat USC putting two on Smith a bunch. This isn’t Cluff, but same idea.

Masterclass point guard play here by Smith to use TKR’s screen, exploit USC’s aggressive up top and have the poise here to draw another two defenders, manipulate them, then get Cluff this look.

If that wasn’t the pass of the game, this was, as Fletcher Loyer stretched USC all the way out and set the angle for this.

Jacob Cofie having to account for Jack Benter up top made this work too.

PURDUE DEFENSE

Purdue only allowed 64 points and forced double-digit turnovers so it’s difficult to say the defense wasn’t good enough.

But first thing: Purdue missing threes was the issue more than anything else, especially early, because USC wanted to run and was able to on some long rebounds. There were some iffy shots and sloppy turnovers, too.

But also, USC did a good job attacking Purdue’s hedging with its bigs. Eric Musselman might be manic, but he is a good, malleable coach.

First USC possession, some is late on a rotation to the rim here after Ezra Ausar slips his screen. I don’t know Purdue’s rules for this game so can’t tell you whether this Smith’s or Kaufman-Renn’s responsibility. I don’t know.

This is simply an ineffective hedge, as the guard easily splits CJ Cox and Daniel Jacobsen.

The downside to hedging ball screens, aside from many big men not being able to do it, is foul exposure.

This is a good call.

This isn’t, but they call it on Fletcher Loyer, for whom this game was a real trip.

Two guys are reaching here, because there’s so much space on this trap, as Cluff sort of over-runs it.

Attacking size again: This is just Purdue getting got putting its 5 man on the in-bounder, putting Jacobsen in a situation where Ausar can drag him outside, drive then find the man cutting behind the help that has to come over.

Just solid strategy by USC as much as anything.

Last thing, USC got into the lane a bunch running Chad Baker-Mazara off off-ball side screens into hand-offs and CJ Cox often got separated from him.

But you see here early in the second half, Cox knocks it out, beating the screen and keeping in front of the ball.

THE BENCH

Jack Benter might have been the difference in this game.

This was a defensive risk that could have blown up on Purdue, but did illustrate his awareness of what USC was going to try to do at this point in the game. It wanted Ezra Ausar one-on-one.

Tremendous awareness and vision there on the pass and a solid, under-control, poised play by Omer Mayer to start the whole thing.

The other contributing factor to that assist was that moments earlier, Benter made this three, a stark break from the game plan USC had for Kaufman-Renn, who was now the 5.

Nice play by CJ Cox to again dribble out of the corner and make a play for somebody else.

This was the first half, but the play that started the 30-10 run. Being small at the 4 can be a limiting factor if you want to consider Benter “small,” which he’s really not, but mobility, effort and awareness go a long way.

In football, they’d call this “jocking” a guy.

In the first half, Gicarri Harris was really good.

Just like he did against Iowa, him challenging this cross-court pass out of the corner forced a turnover, as his man throws this ball to Redondo Beach trying to get it over Harris’ reach. Keep in mind, the passer here is 6-foot-7 Chad Baker-Mazara. This was a great job by Harris pinning him to the baseline and forcing a low-basketball IQ into a horrible pass. Absolutely picturesque defense.

Second, Purdue having dudes in the corner now who can dribble pass closeouts and make proper decisions and passes is a game-changer.

USC takes away what Purdue normally does here, taking away the corner curl to Cox and the big man slip to the rim, so this might just be improv by Harris and Smith, the inbounder. Or it was 3D chess from Purdue, baiting that far side help defender to pinch inside on TKR to open up Harris, with the action for Cox allowing Smith to slip out to the arc.

THE OFFICIATING

Sick of this topic, but it was again central to the post-game dialogue for both teams so it bears inspection.

This was a badly officiated game, but for Eric Musselman to be the one burning it down after the game was wild. It wasn’t DJ Carstensen’s fault his team missed nine out of 14 free throws.

Matt of fact, Oscar Cluff‘s foul trouble gave USC a chance.

Watch whatever this was.

Now this. Looks straight up and down, right?

Now, this is the play Braden Smith was first hurt on. It’s close, and it is Smith initiating by trying to split these two defenders, but this is also clumsy defense by a 7-foot-5 guy combined with a clear block by Ryan Cornish, still moving at the time of contact, and with his legs split pretty wide, ptimal for knee-to-knee contact and/or tripping.

Speaking of legs sticking out. This was called.

And, of course, you all saw Smith get hit on his layup in the final 30 seconds. That was egregious. Stars shouldn’t get special treatment, but they should get a call anyone else would get, and that could have been called a flagrant.