What is the story about?
The Purdue Boilermakers looked like a team that is improving over the first several weeks of the season as they picked up a victory against the Ohio Bobcats 80-62. After being moved the bench, Gicarri Harris showed is scoring ability as he 8-12 from the floor for 23 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and steals even after starting his night with an airball.
Antoine Harris had another stellar game even though he did not get a chance to start following being late to a film session ahead of the game. The
freshman ended with 17 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal. The Boilers, on the backs of Harris, West, and Cox’s 16 points and 4 rebounds, were able to recover from a lackluster start to the second half that pulled the game to 43-36 with 15:30 remaining in the second half.
Head Coach Matt Painter and players Gicarri Harris, Antoine West, and Enzo Shahrvin share their thoughts following the victory for the Boilers to even their season record at 2-2.
Head Coach Matt Painter
- Painter is working to figure out his team in the early part of the season more so than he has needed to over the last several seasons. He spoke a lot about consistency from his team, noting that the team has had good stretches in the first half of games but then seem to make things difficult for themselves by going away from what was working and taking difficult shots. He would eventually bring up that players have got to figure out some things as their youth is showing at times, especially doing individual things and not team first type of things.
- Predetermined thoughts. It seems to be where some of the guys who are struggling are playing with where they think the ball should go or having their mind made up ahead of time instead of playing reactive to what the defense is going them. Some guys have got to not simply take shots because they want to take shots.
- Something you don’t often hear from Painter but he verbalized some frustration from guys not making enough effort plays. He said there were some plays where guys needed to get on the floor and they just didn’t. If the indications from former players still hold true, that’ll be taken care of in the next few practices.
- Consistency seems to be the key word so far through four games. Painter stated he needed consistency from individual players but also from groups of players. I’m sure he was likely speaking directly to Cox and Harris as those guys are veteran guards who need to be playing at a high level consistently for everyone else to play better. As a group, Painter may have been speaking to his groupings of players once the starters aren’t on the floor together.
- West was late to a film session but it seems pretty clear that Painter is going to go with Ertel, Cox, West, Benter, and DJ at some point to start the game. That’s about a consistent of a group as CMP can put on the floor but it also gives him some options coming off the bench in how to work his lineup, especially as Enzo continues to improve and get a feel for what Purdue needs and wants from him.
- Speak of Enzo, the French big man looked vastly improved from what we saw against UCONN and even from earlier in the week against Illinois State. He didn’t score in this game but he did some great things, notably CMP mentioning his gortats (interior seals on drives) and his improvement in knowing how to recover following his ball screen defense. As he continues to figure out what he can and can’t do in the college game and as he gets more comfortable with his teammates, he’ll continue to help Purdue win games.
- Harris gave some insight during his moment in the media session and said that Enzo is a very unselfish player but he is learning to start scoring more when the opportunities are presented to him. That’s going to likely come from rebounds and opportunities in transition. Enzo moves at an elite level for a player his size and once he figures out how the college game, he will take a big leap forward in providing Purdue with some uniqueness.
- Painter noted how well Harris practiced leading up to the game against Ohio. Although the move to the bench may have been a bit of a reality check for the junior guard and allowed him to refocus, Painter said that he wasn’t practicing poorly before but it was very much so noticeable that he was practicing at a high level. He deserves to start for what he has done for the program and his own personal sacrifices, but Purdue may be better with him coming off the bench. He played so well in that first half, CMP rewarded him with a second half start.
- Following a question from Dustin Schuette of Sports Illustrated about maintaining focus and process based when things aren’t going well, Matt Painter said that is THE battle they are facing offensively. CMP stated: ‘We have good pieces. We have talented guys. We have some youthfulness and you see that come out and that is where that inconsistency comes from. You’ve got to trust what you work on every day.‘
