Purdue Basketball: Keys to taking down Texas Tech in the Sweet 16

Keep up in transition as much as possible.

Winning the battle stylistically is critical for Purdue, which means that they will want to keep the game in the half court as much as possible and stay out of a track meet. Even so, it is still inevitable that Texas Tech will push the pace when they get the opportunity and set up some quick shots because of their speed advantage. Senior guard Keenan Evans, especially, is one of the most electric players in the country and can score in a hurry from anywhere on the court.

With this in mind, Purdue is going to need to address the disadvantage they have in transition by keeping up with Texas Tech. Quick baskets will really help Purdue, as long as they don’t begin to force ill-advised shots in an attempt to score quickly.

Obviously, Purdue wants to play at a slower pace. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have the tools to compete in a track meet. With guards who can get down the floor in a hurry in Carsen Edwards and P.J. Thompson, the Boilermakers are well equipped to hold their own in this type of game. The only challenge is that their size works against them if the entire game is played this way. While Texas Tech doesn’t have a weakness when it comes to running the floor, Matt Haarms and even Dakota Mathias and Ryan Cline become winded in these types of games. Haarms was visibly struggling a bit to get down the floor in the late stages of the second round game.

Ultimately, Purdue will want to keep the game in the half court and prevent Texas Tech from playing the game at the pace they want. But when given the opportunity, the Boilermakers will want to cash in and get points in whatever way they can most efficiently. They must, however, be sure to make sure Texas Tech doesn’t go on long scoring runs as a result of an advantageous pace.