Indiana's keys to victory versus No. 2 Purdue
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - The long standing IU-Purdue rivalry will have its next chapter written on the hardwood on Tuesday night when Indiana welcomes No. 2 Purdue to Bloomington.
The two in-state rivals enter Tuesday's contest sporting identical 4-2 records in Big Ten play and are a combined 18-1 at home this season. The similarities between Indiana and Purdue's respective seasons thus far seemingly end there.
Indiana made it through non-conference play without picking up a "bad loss." The Hoosiers beat the teams they were projected to beat -- although not always convincingly -- and lost to the teams they were expected to lose to. At this point in the season Indiana is 10-0 against quad 3 and quad 4 teams. Against quad 1 and quad 2 teams, the Hoosiers are 2-5, including an 0-4 record in potential resume-boosting quad 1 matchups.
Purdue made it through non-conference play unscathed too. The difference? Purdue handily beat the teams that they were supposed to -- by an average margin of victory of 20.7 points -- while also taking down four teams currently ranked inside the AP top-25. The Boilermakers have wins over No. 6 Tennessee, No. 12 Arizona, No. 17 Marquette, (RV) Alabama and (RV) Gonzaga all at neutral sites this season.
If there's something that may level the playing field in this matchup between one of the top teams in the country and a team on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament right now, it figures to be the home court advantage the Hoosiers have inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Indiana is 9-1 at home this season, with that lone loss coming against then-No. 1 Kansas in a game that the Hoosiers led for 35 minutes. On the flip side, if there's one area that Purdue has looked vulnerable this season, it would be on the road. The Boilermakers' two losses this season have each come on the road in environments that most likely won't compare to energy that Assembly Hall will have on Tuesday night.
"We know we've got a hell of an opponent coming in here (on Tuesday), and we've got to do all the necessary things to win," Mike Woodson said Monday when he met with the media." We've got to rebound the ball, not turn it over, and you've got to share it and get shots, and it helps if you can put the ball in the hole. All those things tie in together in terms of you winning basketball games."
For Indiana, a win over Purdue would be massive for the Hoosiers' hopes of reaching a third straight NCAA Tournament this year. Here's what Indiana needs to do for success against Zach Edey and Purdue.
Energy, energy, energy
Indiana has to come out with a lot of energy and keep the energy levels high throughout Tuesday's game against Purdue for any chance at knocking off the Boilermakers. Two of Indiana's most impressive performances of the season -- home wins over Maryland and Minnesota -- were sparked by a tangible energy that few venues around the country can replicate.
In order to keep the crowd, and subsequently the team, engaged and the energy levels inside of Assmebly Hall high throughout the game, Indiana is going to have to knock down shots. Looking at Purdue's losses to Northwestern and Nebraska, both the Wildcats and the Cornhuskers shot north of 50% from 3-point range. The Hoosiers aren't likely to shoot that well from distance and maybe they won't have to. But Indiana is going to have to be willing to take shots from outside the arc and hope that they can get some of them to fall, as 3-point shots can provide big jolts of energy.
It's Indiana versus Purdue, the crowd is going to be there and they're going to be loud and energetic. It's up to the Hoosiers to harness that energy and have it show through in their play on the court.
"They want to beat us as badly as we want to beat them," Woodson said. "It's been that way. I think it's great for college basketball. They have their fan base, and we have our fan base. When you go there, it's the same way. When they come here, our fans are unbelievable."
Win the turnover battle
Purdue's opponents this season have forced the Boilermakers into about 12 turnovers per game, scoring 12.6 points per game off those turnovers. When looking back at both of Purdue's losses this season, the Boilermakers turned it over more than their season average and that allowed both Northwestern and Nebraska easy points in transition.
Indiana isn't a team that forces a ton of turnovers, but when they're at they're best, the Hoosiers are pushing the tempo of the game and getting out in transition after getting stops. Of course, it's much harder to get out and run if you're taking the ball out of the basket after each defensive possession. Getting stops and forcing live-ball turnovers is going to be key to getting out and running for Indiana.
Pushing the tempo is especially important when playing a 7-foot-4 center that averages over two blocks a game. Beating Edey down the floor before he can set up camp in the lane, deterring any would-be drivers, is key for Indiana against Purdue on Tuesday.
If the pace of the game does slows down and Edey and the Boilermakers are able to set up there half court defense consistently, there still may be something the Hoosiers can do.
In Purdue's most recent game against Penn State, the Boilermakers switched almost every pick-and-roll, even those that involved Edey. Dynamic Penn State guard Ace Baldwin found himself one-on-one with Edey on multiple occasions after Purdue switched the high pick-and-roll. If the Boilermakers elect to continue that defensive practice against the Hoosiers, Xavier Johnson should be able to take advantage of his speed and downhill driving ability against the slow-of-foot Edey in one-on-one situations.
Rebounding
It's not surprising that the team with the tallest player in the country is a good rebounding team. Edey himself is averaging close to four offensive rebounds per game this season. That's an area of the game that Indiana has struggled in for stretches this season.
"Well, you've got to block out," Woodson said. "That's just basic basketball. When the shot goes up, we've got to put bodies on people. I don't think our guards have done a great job this year in getting back in. We challenge three-point shots, we're trying to head up the floor, and a lot of times when those long shots are taken, they're long rebounds, and we're just not picking some of those up."
The Hoosiers have to do their best to limit the Boilermakers to one shot each possession. Offensive rebounds not only allow teams more opportunities to put the ball in the basket, but off of offensive rebounds is where Purdue gets a bulk of its open looks from 3-point range where the Boilermakers are much improved from a season ago.
"I think they shot low 30s from the three (last season)," Woodson said. "They're shooting 39% this year. That's the biggest challenge. You're going to have to guard the three-point line and still deal with Edey."
Luckily for the Hoosiers, they have a 7-footer of their own in Kel'el Ware. Ware has back-to-back games with double-digit rebounds for Indiana, but against Purdue the Hoosiers are going to have to gang rebound. Ware is going to need support on the defensive glass from all of his teammates on the floor, guards included.
"I think Malik (Reneau) has got to get better and Mackenzie (Mgbako) has got to get better in terms of helping us rebound," Woodson later added. "I think Ware's done a hell of a job rebounding the basketball, and he can't do it by himself. We've got to do it as a team and as a unit. We're going to have to do it tomorrow night because they've got a big team and they're scrappy and they rebound the ball."
The Hoosiers don't have to win the battle on the boards, they most likely won't. But if Purdue is allowed two or three looks at the basket on each offensive possession, that could spell trouble for Indiana.
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