Michigan Basketball: 2021-22 keys to victory against Purdue Boilermakers
By Greg Waddell
1. Score out of ball screens…lots of them
From a profile standpoint, this Purdue team compares similarly to the 2020-2021 Iowa Hawkeyes, and the 2012-2013 Michigan Wolverines, two teams with dominant offenses and defenses that were just okay (to put it kindly – sorry Fran McCaffery). While Purdue’s talent isn’t a question, their ability to execute on defense for an entire game hasn’t been consistent up to this point in the season.
One of the most vulnerable spots of this Purdue defense is ball screens – Zach Edey is a monstrosity of a man, but good backcourts can take advantage of his size and put him in positions where he has to defend in space on the move. Trevion Williams has reshaped his body over his career, but he still isn’t the most mobile big man and is not a plus defender.
Devante Jones is averaging 11.6 points and 4.4 assists per game over Michigan’s last five games (they are 4-1 in that stretch). He is looking more comfortable every game and is Michigan’s best option as a pick and roll ball handler. Michigan needs a double-digit scoring effort from him, and if he can get going early in pick and roll action, the pressure he puts on the defense will open up spot-up opportunities for shooters like Caleb Houstan and Eli Brooks.