Purdue basketball faces its biggest challenge of the season tomorrow when they take on the Crimson Tide from Alabama. So I wanted to reach out to the staff and see their key to the game or alternatively
what they’d be watching for.
Ledman:
The easy answer is to see if TKR returns. That’s going to be a big deal. Other than that though, I want to see CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris assert themselves more. The due didn’t score until roughly 4 minutes remained in the game against Oakland. Purdue needs five scoring threats on the floor at all times and while Cox and Harris can be additive players with their defense alone Purdue cannot play short handed on the offensive side.
Casey:
I’m going to cheat and pick two – will Purdue’s offense just look better with Benter at the four than TKR and another big? That means even if it’s Benter with TKR at the five or any other combo.
Second, which Gicarri Harris is the real one? The break out star waiting for his chance during the summer or the one slumping on offense early again this season?
Drew:
Can Braden get into the paint of the bounce? Assuming Trey is back, the pick and roll is back on. I’ll be looking to see if Braden can get downhill or if Alabama’s length at guard pushes him towards the sidelines. Purdue needs Braden to get into the paint and make the magic happen if they want to win in the road deep in SEC territory.
Travis:
The blatantly obvious one is TKR. Does he return? I am not worried about chemistry. He has had all summer to adjust to life with Cluff in the paint and the fallback of playing the four for two years behind Edey. With Smith-Loyer-Cox also starting last year he has plenty of experience. We know Alabama is going to want to play uptempo from our last two games with them, so getting TKR back on the floor not only makes Purdue better, he is another body in the rotation.
Ryan:
I want to see how Purdue handles the length and athleticism of Alabama. That has been an issue for Purdue for years given that Purdue doesn’t have the same size at the guard spots as other teams. If Purdue can handle it decently, it’s excellent news for this team and raises the ceiling just a little bit more.
