Purdue Boilermakers
The Purdue Boilermakers succumbed to the physicality and daunting pressure of Texas A&M, falling 70-66 in Indianapolis. The Boilermakers, plagued by lengthy scoring droughts in the second half, saw six turnovers committed by Braden Smith and five by Trey Kauffman-Renn. And the Aggies capitalized, scoring 22 points off Purdue's turnovers. The Boilermakers were able to get back into the game after trailing by 12 with under five minutes to go but ultimately its deficit was too large and its comeback bid fell short Saturday afternoon.
Buy or sell Purdue?
Purdue is not where it needs to be defensively. Part of the reason is the loss of its interior rim-protecting presence in 7-foot-4 freshman Daniel Jacobsen, who suffered a season-ending injury early in the season. In its past nine games, the Boilermakers have given up 100+ points per possession eight times and haven’t necessarily been a staple on the glass or with creating turnovers. With Auburn up next and Big Ten play on the horizon, these defensive issues spell difficulty -- and I don’t think it can change for the better.
Purdue has more than enough pieces to be a force in the top half of the Big Ten yet it’s evident this team isn’t on the level it has been at during the past two seasons. Despite this, it's not like Purdue is falling from grace (i.e. wins over Alabama, Maryland and Ole Miss). If we are comparing Purdue to its past two teams, then, of course, sell the Boilermakers. Purdue is still a top-25 level team, but unless it can fix its defensive issues, expecting another deep NCAA Tournament run may not be in the cards this season.