5 Big Positives Through Purdue Basketball's First 11 Games
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Purdue is now one-third of the way through its season and owns a 10-1 record. It's been another great start for the Boilermakers, aside from the disappointing performance against Iowa State on Dec. 6. The good news? Matt Painter's team sits 2-0 in the Big Ten.
There is always room for improvement during a college basketball season. But what have been some of the biggest positives for the Boilermakers through the first month of the year? There are plenty to choose from.
Production at the five spot
The combination of Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen at the five position has really paid off for Purdue early this season. Painter likes to combine the numbers of the two players, so let's follow that same model.
Through the first 11 games, the duo of Cluff and Jacobsen is combining for 21.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks per game. That's tremendous production across a 40-minute basketball game.
What makes the Cluff-Jacobsen rotation so unique is that they have different skill sets. Cluff is a traditional post player who can score with his back to the basket. He's also an outstanding rebounder. Jacobsen works as a lob threat offensively and a shot blocker on the defensive end. It's difficult for teams to scheme against that one-two punch.
The three-point shooting
Purdue has taken a lot of pride in its ability to knock down the three-point shot. The Boilermakers have a plethora of shooters in Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox, Omer Mayer, Jack Benter, and Liam Murphy. All are capable of splashing it in from deep.
As a team, Purdue is shooting 39.5% from long distance this season, which ranks 20th nationally. Five players — Loyer, Murphy, Benter, Smith, and Cox — are hitting at a 40% clip or better. That's a great weapon for the Boilermakers, especially with talented post players in Trey Kaufman-Renn and Cluff, who can draw defenders in from the perimeter.
The Boilermakers haven't shot the ball well from behind the arc in two of their last three games, hitting just 4-of-18 against Iowa State and 7-of-23 against Marquette. But, overall, the three-point line has been a strength for this team.
Overall improvement on the glass
A lot of credit for Purdue's rebounding improvement goes to the addition of Cluff. His effort on the glass has provided the Boilermakers with a nice boost in that department. Kaufman-Renn also deserves a lot of praise, though, as he has improved dramatically over the last year.
Kaufman-Renn wasn't a poor rebounder last year, but averaging 6.5 boards per game wasn't an eye-popping number this year. With Cluff and Jacobsen boxing out other fives, Kaufman-Renn can box out others who are in his same weight class, giving the Purdue forward an edge. His overall effort on the window has been better, too.
Through his first nine games, Kaufman-Renn is averaging 10.4 rebounds per game and has five double-doubles. Cluff has four double-doubles on the year.
As a team, Purdue is averaging 40.4 rebounds per game this year. Last season, that number was just 32.4 boards per contest.
Assist-to-turnover ratio
Painter preaches to his teams to limit turnovers. Purdue has had some issues in that department at times this season, but the Boilermakers are averaging just 10.4 per game this season. The magic number for the program is 12 or fewer. So far, the Boilers have done a good job staying below that total.
Through 11 games, Purdue has had more than 12 turnovers in just three games — Akron, Iowa State, and Marquette. The team's chances of winning games increase if the number of turnovers is below that number.
Purdue is also a team that loves to share the basketball. Led by Smith's 9.2 assists-per-game average, the Boilermakers are averaging 20.4 assists per game. That mark is tied for the fifth-best in college basketball and ranks second in the Big Ten (Michigan).
Rim protection
Another area where Purdue struggled last season was defending the rim. With the addition of Cluff and the return of Jacobsen, the Boilermakers are much better in this area.
The two centers are averaging 3.3 per game, with Jacobsen accounting for 2.4 per contest. That's a greater strength for the 7-foot-4 center, while Cluff can provide a more physical presence in the post.
Purdue's defense is far from perfect and there's still plenty of room for improvement, especially in rotations and cutting off backdoor cuts. But at least the Boilers have a last line of defense at the rim this season, usually providing some level of resistance at the bucket.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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