Head coach Mike Rhoades, along with key players Ace Baldwin Jr. and Puff Johnson met with media members Tuesday ahead of Penn State basketball’s conference opener against No. 8 Purdue. Here are three takeaways from the sit-downs.
1. Mike Rhoades: “They just have very high IQ guys that know how to make plays… I don’t think a Purdue team is ever going to beat itself. You have to go and beat them. And that’s very hard to do.”
The Boilermakers are coming off an in-season tournament championship win in San Diego after taking down No. 23 Ole Miss. In that game, Purdue led by as many as 17 in the first half, but lost that advantage in the second, going down by as many as 7 with 7:58 left. Purdue would rally to win by two.
This team is methodical and isn’t easily flustered. If you don’t take advantage of your opportunities, any momentum you have, even when you just gained it, can and will be taken away.
Penn State Basketball Takeaways: Things are About to ‘Get Real’
Purdue is 7-1 and has been fueled by its ability to put the ball in the basket. According to kenpom.com, Purdue ranks as the seventh-most efficient offense in college basketball.
Contrary to Penn State’s up-tempo style, Purdue will work the clock, slow things down and generate good looks.
It’ll be paramount that PSU plays a clean game and pushes the pace as it has done all year. If it doesn’t, this game could turn out to be a sour way to open conference play.
2. BALDWIN ON MATCHING UP WITH BRADEN SMITH: “I’m just looking forward to playing against him. He’s a good player and we both just want to win.”
Rhoades deemed this a “great college matchup” between Baldwin and Smith and it should be.
These are two of the leading assist men in the entire country, with Smith’s 9.1 ranking second and Baldwin’s 8.4 coming in at fourth. Two steady hands spearheading their respective team’s offensive game who will also be guarding each other? Headline worthy.
Penn State has made a name for itself by being one of the best pressing defenses in the country, forcing more than 17 turnovers a game. Baldwin is key to this aspect, is averaging 2.4 steals per game. But Smith ranks within the top 30 in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.65), embodying the true point guard model.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.Although basketball is a team sport, these two Player of the Year candidates will dictate a lot about the outcome.
3. THE BATTLE OF WILLS
Two opposing philosophies collide Thursday night.
One team wants to get out and run, force turnovers and create havoc on both ends of the floor.
The other prefers to slow down the game and drill good set after good set.
“I always think, you know, wills will collide. You still got to out will your opponent and [play] the way you want to play,” Rhoades said Tuesday.
The will of Penn State (pace and space) is on a crash course with the will of Purdue (snail pace). Although PSU is capable of putting to together runs throughout a game, it can’t afford to get off to a slow start against Purdue. Playing from behind is a recipe for disaster against the Boilermakers, seeing as they can work the clock at their preferred tempo.
But if Penn State can blitz Purdue early on and maintain its up and down brand of basketball, the battle of wills can be won.
The question is, will Penn State maintain its fast pace, or will it succumb to the half-court game?
