Big Ten Basketball: 5 biggest takeaways from 2019 Gavitt Tipoff Games
By Adam Childs
2. Purdue second-half struggles bring up a larger issue
The Boilermakers have as much size as any in the country when they play big. They can dominate the inside and cause problems for the other teams. They did a great job of that in the first half against Marquette, but then the second half happened and they only scored 17 points.
While the length is still there, the second half showed that right now Purdue doesn’t have a go-to scorer. Nojel Eastern could still be that guy, but right now he isn’t it. The Boilermakers lost their two best scorers from last year’s team in Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline and while it is opening shots up for the rest of the team, they haven’t found a guy they can rely on when they need points.
They led by as many as 18 points in the first half and 13 at the break, but only scoring 17 points in a half will not win you many games. When the offense is running smoothly they can score with most teams, but when the defense picks up and they need a scorer who are they going to turn to? After two consecutive losses, it is a question that needs to be answered soon or the Boilermakers are going to be in trouble.
3. Michigan State rebounds after a disappointing opening game
The Spartans are one of the best teams in the country, there is no denying that. But after a disappointing first game against Kentucky (who turned around and lost to Evansville) in which they were down double-digits for a large part of the game, there were questions on just how good were they.
After an easy win against Binghamton, the Spartans faced another tough test in Seton Hall. Myles Powell came to play, but the Spartans were able to come up with just a little bit more earning a late win.
This is the type of game Michigan State won all last year and one they badly needed early in this season. Losing two games in their first three wouldn’t have derailed their season, but it would have raised questions. But on a night when Powell was great for the Pirates, the Spartans needed an answer and they were able to come up with one.
The Spartans are still the favorite in the Big Ten, but some teams may be closing the gap. The confidence boost from this game should serve them well going forward.