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Big Ten Basketball: Buy or Sell Maryland, Purdue, Michigan and MSU

By Austin Walther

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with his team during the second half at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-59. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with his team during the second half at Breslin Center on January 08, 2019 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game 77-59. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 03: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots the ball during the second half of the game at Mackey Arena on February 3, 2019 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 03: Carsen Edwards #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots the ball during the second half of the game at Mackey Arena on February 3, 2019 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Purdue Boilermakers – Sell

It all comes down to Carsen Edwards not playing hero ball for Purdue. When they got blasted by Michigan State in the beginning of the January, the junior had his worst game of the season. He was held to just 11 points, shooting under 20 percent from the floor. His running mate this year, Ryan Cline, scored just 12 points and shot 33 percent. Trevion Williams was the only other Boilermaker to scored over seven and that was his introduction to Big Ten play.

From that game forward, Purdue went on a huge winning-streak. They made it clear on how tough of a schedule they had to start Big Ten play back in December and to begin 2019. Edwards went off for 36 in an overtime win against Wisconsin. He and Cline made 10 three-pointers combined and the freshman Williams was inserted into the starting lineup.

Williams and Matt Haarms continued to rotate as starters, but Matt Painter figured something out with the team. Edwards stopped trying to take over every possession and let the game come to him.

Purdue was seeing contributors from all over. Within three weeks, the Boilermakers went from un raked to 12. It was a very nice eight-game winning streak that featured them returning to favor to Michigan State on their home court.

Edwards and Cline are very lethal from downtown. They’re both averaging well over three three-pointers per game for a combined 168 total. When you look at Cline, he really causes a mismatch at times. He’s six-foot-six and can launch from deep, in just about any position possible. With the emergence of Williams, Purdue could go 10 strong. But in their main rotation, Edwards is the only player under six-foot-six.

The Boilermakers were rolling and had a rematch set with Maryland at College Park. The Terps really needed that win to inch closer to a protected seed. Purdue was already seeding as a three which is remarkable given where this team was at a month ago.

Edwards and Cline went back to trying to do everything on their own. Cline went three-for-12 with his only shots being triples. Edwards shot under 30 percent. No one else scored over eight points. As great as Purdue looked during their winning-streak, this is the other side of what the Boilermakers could end up doing in the NCAA Tournament, leading to an early exit.

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