Purdue Still Searching For Better Rebound Balance Early This Season
In this story:
Matt Painter knew Purdue needed to address its rebounding situation when last season ended. The Boilermakers simply weren't good enough on the glass. It's why bringing Oscar Cluff to West Lafayette was such an important addition to the roster if the Boilermakers wanted to be a title contender.
But simply adding Cluff to the roster and getting Daniel Jacobsen back from injury doesn't automatically make Purdue a better rebounding team. That's been evident through the first two games of the season.
In Purdue's season opener, it tied Evansville on the glass, both teams securing 40 rebounds for the game. The Purple Aces collected 20 offensive boards, though. On Friday, Oakland outrebounded the Boilers 39-37 with 12 coming on the offensive glass.
"I'm going to be honest and say very average," Cluff said of Purdue's rebounding efforts following Friday's game. "We've got a long way to go, but it's only November."
Purdue has been without senior All-Big Ten forward Trey Kaufman-Renn for the first two games. His 6-foot-9 frame and aggressiveness on the glass will certainly help the Boilermakers in the rebounding department, but the Boilermakers can't assume his return will instantly turn Purdue into a better unit on the glass.
When it comes to getting stops and ending possessions, Purdue has to be more aggressive.
"I think it's just embracing the physicality of the game," Painter said on Friday. "When you get behind plays and try to rebound, it's going to be harder. When you don't get behind plays, you should have good rebound balance. We weren't getting those."
Through the first two games, you might look at Cluff's box score and assume he's been dominant on the glass. He's averaging 11.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. But even the 6-foot-11 center would tell you he hasn't quite reached his potential yet.
Cluff had four rebounds through the first half of Purdue's game against Oakland on Friday. He was more aggressive in the second half, collecting five boards, but also doing a better job boxing out and creating opportunities for his teammates to clean up the glass.
"I think understanding just how physical I have to be," Cluff said of his second-half performance against the Grizzlies. "That wasn't even a scrape of it, really."
Better box-outs from the bigs
In Purdue's win over Evansville on Tuesday, Cluff and Jacobsen combined to score 20 points and grab 20 rebounds. It's a strong day at the office for the two bigs, but Painter still thought more could've been done, especially when it came to boxing out the Purple Aces.
"They have to do a better job boxing out. They had 18 [rebounds] between them, but they have to do a better job of hitting," Painter said on Tuesday night. "They gave up some offensive rebounds tonight ... if they want an area where they can secure things for us, it's keep getting on the offensive glass and keep them off the offensive glass."
What Cluff and Jacobsen can do, even when not collecting rebounds, is put a body on opponents and take them off the glass. That should open up opportunities for others to grab boards throughout the game.
Jack Benter has gotten 13 boards through two games as an undersized player at the four spot. Braden Smith swooped in for seven rebounds against Oakland. Purdue has players who can rebound well, but they have to get those opportunities.
Through two games, Purdue's rebound balance hasn't been optimal. But at the same time, there's a lot of potential when Kaufman-Renn returns to the lineup and the Boilers start to develop better team chemistry.
"Obviously, it's not great right now," Cluff said, "but I think we have a lot of room for improvement."
Related stories on Purdue basketball
KAMPE PRAISES PURDUE FANS: Greg Kampe, a college basketball coaching legend, gave major props to Purdue's Mackey Arena and the fans following Friday night's game against the Boilermakers. CLICK HERE
LOYER'S HONEST COMMENTS: Top-ranked Purdue got a scare from Oakland on Friday night at Mackey Arena. Fletcher Loyer had an honest assessment of the team's performance after the game. CLICK HERE
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.
Follow SchutteDustin