3 Things I Want to See From Purdue Against Chicago State
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — When you're on an early two-game losing streak, there's nothing to cure all that ails you more than a visit from the Chicago State Cougars.
They're next up for Purdue, and the two teams will square off Saturday at 2 p.m. at Mackey Arena. Chicago State has the distinction of being the lowest ranked team in the country in the kenpom.com rankings, checking in at No. 353 out of 353 Division I teams. (Purdue in No. 10 still, despite the two early losses to Texas and Marquette.)
These two teams played two years ago, and Purdue won 111-42. Chicago State is 1-2 this year, beating an NAIA team (Judson) and losing to Loyola (Md.) and Eastern Illinois. They were 3-29 last season, losing their last 21 games in a row. More of the same might be expected, considering the loss to EIU was by 64 points, 98-34.
Here are the particulars:
- Who: Chicago State Cougars (1-2) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (1-2)
- When: 2 p.m. ET Saturday, Nov. 16
- Where: Mackey Arena, West Lafayette, Ind.
- Line: Purdue is a 38.5-point favorite
- Kenpom.com rankings: Purdue 10, Chicago State 353 (out of 353 Division I teams)
- TV: BTN-Plus (streaming only)
- Announcers: Mike Folta, Liam Archer
- Radio: Purdue Radio Network
- Announcers: Larry Clisby, Rob Blackman, Ralph Taylor
Here are three things I want to see from the Boilermakers Saturday against Marquette:
1. End the trend of blowing leads
This should be a no-brainer Saturday considering the opponent, but it's something that must be done nonetheless. Purdue had a 5-point lead late against Texas and kicked it away at home last Saturday, and then the Boilermakers had an 18-point lead at Marquette and let it slip away by making only five shots from the field in the entire second half.
Chicago State will provide no such concern about wins or losses, but what I want to see is no stretches of points by the Cougars where they feel like they can hang around a little. Get off to a good start, and let the blowout start early.
2. Do a better job of getting the ball inside
There are going to be games this season where 7-foot-3 center Matt Haarms will simply need to take over and dominate on the offensive end.
That hasn't really happened yet. Haarms is averaging 13 points a year — second on the team to guard Jahaad Proctor — but the Boilermakers had struggled to get the ball inside to him on a regular basis. Chicago State has no one to match his size — not many do, really — so it would be nice to see improve its interior passing on Saturday.
3. Play solid for 40 minutes on both ends
Purdue has a chance to get plenty of playing time for everyone on Saturday, so it would be nice to see solid execution on both sides of the court for all 40 minutes. Purdue has looked really good for stretches in all three games, but they've also really struggled for long stretches.
Kudos to Purdue for playing a difficult schedule with teams like Texas and Marquette. The Boilers are one of only three teams in the country two play two top-25 teams in the kenpom.com rankings. They get their breather on Saturday. so make the most of it.
