Rutgers Basketball: Takeaways after defeating Purdue while shorthanded

They can make free throws

So far this season the Rutgers Scarlet Knights are shooting  60 percent from the free-throw line. Coming into the game versus Purdue they were better than 70 percent from the line in just one game as they tallied up six victories to just one loss. Tuesday night would be the second time they eclipse the 70 percent success rate from the free-throw line as they would connect on 14 of 17 as they toed the free-throw line.

Even more impressive was the circumstances in which they were able to make them. The pressured filled trips to the free-throw line began with just 1:59 remaining in the game with Rutgers up 71-68. From that point, Geo Baker and Jacob Young both went four for four to prevent the Boilermakers from closing the gap.

The strategy by Coach Painter, while desperate, was properly executed as Baker is shooting 57 percent from the free-throw line and averaged just one make per game. Young, who left the previous game due to an injury is a 76 percent shooter, but he himself had already hit two of two and averages dictated he would miss at least one.

If the Scarlet Knights can raise their 60 percent shooting from the line, they will become a difficult team to beat. The schedule only gets more difficult in the Big Ten for the Scarlet Knights as their next three games consist of Iowa, Michigan State, and Ohio State. It will be difficult to blow out these teams without making free-throws and just as hard to win the close ones.