Boiler Banter: Purdue's Role Players Must Stay Ready to Pull the Trigger vs. Houston

INDIANAPOLIS — Matt Painter has never lacked confidence in his players' ability to shoot the basketball. At times this season, though, a handful of Purdue's role players have been hesitant to take shots, even when getting open looks. That sort of tentativeness can't rear its head again in Friday night's Sweet 16 showdown against top-seeded Houston.

There have been instances throughout the season where Myles Colvin, Camden Heide, Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox have been reluctant to pull the trigger despite getting the basketball with an opportunity to score. Self-doubt or a lack of confidence may have crept into their minds in those instances.

And, to be frank, it was detrimental to Purdue's success on the offensive end.

On Friday night, the Boilermakers will play a Houston team that ranks first nationally in points allowed per game (58.4 points per game) and fifth in opponent shooting percentage (38.39%). Open looks will be hard to find, but when Purdue gets them, it's important to get shots up.

"It's one of those things that they're so good defensively, if you don't take that shot — it's kind of like facing a real pitcher in the Major Leagues and you get that first good pitch, you take it," Painter said during his Thursday press conference. "You're probably not getting another good pitch. That was a mistake.

"When you get shots you have to take them because when you don't take them, you'll end up with shot-clock violations and pick-six turnovers. They're so active and they do such a good job disrupting the basketball, whether that's their post defense and their doubles or it's their aggressive ball-screen defense or just playing passing lanes and their overall pressure ... they're an elite defensive team."

The Boilers certainly weren't gun shy in their first two games of the NCAA Tournament in Providence. When guys got open looks, they let them fly, resulting in a pair of double-digit victories over No. 13 High Point and No. 12 McNeese to advance to the Sweet 16.

Heide finished the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament making six-of-eight shots. Cox was also pretty efficient with his opportunities, knocking down four-of-five field goal attempts. Colvin was four-of-12 and Harris was two-of-10 from the floor.

Even when players aren't hitting at a high clip, it's important to take advantage of those opportunities. A good shot — even if it's a miss — is better than a turnover. It gives Purdue a chance to collect an offensive rebound or set its defense at the other end of the court.

That's why it's been so critical for Purdue's role players to feel comfortable taking shots when they get those open opportunities.

"It's been very important. Obviously teams like to take away certain actions. When you get it out of your hands and get it to those shooters, that's oftentimes the best shot, especially for Purdue," veteran guard Fletcher Loyer said. "They shoot such good percentage and they put a lot of time into their shots. It's the best shot when it gets swung to them, and they'll continue taking them and continue to help us win games."

Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Loyer are going to get the lion's share of the opportunities on Friday night's game against Houston. Those three have been the catalysts behind Purdue's success all season long. That's not going to change in the Sweet 16.

As has been the case all season long, the shot opportunities for Heide, Colvin Harris and Cox aren't going to come on every possession. Collectively, that quartet is averaging 15.5 attempts per game, or 3.9 shots per player per game.

Maybe the open looks won't be frequent, but when those shots present themselves, Purdue's role players have to be ready and willing to fire away.

"It's going to be important for us to let it rip," Painter said. "When the coaching staff and everybody on the team is telling those guys, 'Hey, you've got to take your shots,' and then they're pausing or passing them up, that doesn't help our offense whatsoever. We don't have five guys out there creating for us. We have a couple of guys creating for us.

"It's important to take the ones that come your way."

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