IndianapolisVol
(Volunteer) Basketball Mod
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This tournament has the potential to pad our NCAA Tournament resume and our regular season win total. Let's hear some predictions and discuss where everyone thinks we will finish.
We open against Purdue 2 weeks from tomorrow on the 22nd. Purdue lost PF Caleb Swanigan who was drafted in the 1st round but returns its next 6 leading scorers from last season including 7'2" Center Issac Haas. Matt Painter had this team averaging the most PPG in the Big 10 last season and a large part of that was a balanced 9-10 man rotation. Purdue shoots at a high percentage from all over the floor and guys like Vince Edwards, Dakota Mathias and Ryan Cline can score points in a hurry from beyond the arc.
With that said, I think we can match their depth and I think Rick will rely on constant substitutions to take advantages of mismatches in short spurts, especially at the 3, 4 and 5 spots. If the exhibitions have been any indication, Rick is not afraid to make adjustments on the low post 45-60 seconds at a time to keep our guys fresh and prevent our opposition from making in-game adjustments for any one combination of guys.
A win against this team would give our guys an early confidence boost and could be a difference maker at the end of the year if we find ourselves on the bubble.
As balanced as Purdue's roster is, replacing Swanigan's 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game will be a chore. Their biggest advantage will be their experience. For the amount of points they can put up, this team plays very under-control. That said, Painter will probably have them push the tempo early to build the lead if they start to pull ahead in the first half. If the game stays close they will rely on their perimeter shooters to score in quick spurts. This team has a lot of unselfish players and they will pass their way out of zone pressure or when they draw a double team. As with years past, pressure defense and dominating the boards are two staples of Painter's game plan. Their biggest weakness last year was defending slashing guards and wing players who could drive to the basket and score in the paint when Swanigan was out of the game.
Overall I think we have a lot better chance to win this game than most analysts and experts will predict. The biggest key for us down the stretch will be keeping the game close and giving a guy like Admiral opportunities to penetrate the perimeter defense. A big bodied slasher like him will either draw the double team down low and pass into an uncontested layup on the post or have a one-on-one matchup against a smaller guard in the paint.
What does everyone else think?
Anyone have any knowledge on Nova, WKU, Zona, or NC State?
We open against Purdue 2 weeks from tomorrow on the 22nd. Purdue lost PF Caleb Swanigan who was drafted in the 1st round but returns its next 6 leading scorers from last season including 7'2" Center Issac Haas. Matt Painter had this team averaging the most PPG in the Big 10 last season and a large part of that was a balanced 9-10 man rotation. Purdue shoots at a high percentage from all over the floor and guys like Vince Edwards, Dakota Mathias and Ryan Cline can score points in a hurry from beyond the arc.
With that said, I think we can match their depth and I think Rick will rely on constant substitutions to take advantages of mismatches in short spurts, especially at the 3, 4 and 5 spots. If the exhibitions have been any indication, Rick is not afraid to make adjustments on the low post 45-60 seconds at a time to keep our guys fresh and prevent our opposition from making in-game adjustments for any one combination of guys.
A win against this team would give our guys an early confidence boost and could be a difference maker at the end of the year if we find ourselves on the bubble.
As balanced as Purdue's roster is, replacing Swanigan's 18.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game will be a chore. Their biggest advantage will be their experience. For the amount of points they can put up, this team plays very under-control. That said, Painter will probably have them push the tempo early to build the lead if they start to pull ahead in the first half. If the game stays close they will rely on their perimeter shooters to score in quick spurts. This team has a lot of unselfish players and they will pass their way out of zone pressure or when they draw a double team. As with years past, pressure defense and dominating the boards are two staples of Painter's game plan. Their biggest weakness last year was defending slashing guards and wing players who could drive to the basket and score in the paint when Swanigan was out of the game.
Overall I think we have a lot better chance to win this game than most analysts and experts will predict. The biggest key for us down the stretch will be keeping the game close and giving a guy like Admiral opportunities to penetrate the perimeter defense. A big bodied slasher like him will either draw the double team down low and pass into an uncontested layup on the post or have a one-on-one matchup against a smaller guard in the paint.
What does everyone else think?
Anyone have any knowledge on Nova, WKU, Zona, or NC State?
