Big Ten: Purdue Flies Under The Radar

Some might call the middle of the Big Ten a mess, but I choose to look at it as an entertaining mix of solid teams that can beat each other on any given night. Wisconsin is clearly the best team in the conference, but after the Badgers, there is room for debate on who occupies that second spot.

There are currently three teams tied in the loss column with four losses each. Those teams include Maryland, Purdue, and Michigan State. Below these three sit Ohio State and Indiana with five losses apiece.

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Debates regarding the second best team of the conference usually occupy the same usual suspects. Maryland gets a significant amount of love despite some shaky recent performances, as does Michigan State, thanks to the Tom Izzo factor. Even Indiana has been considered by many, including myself, as the Big Ten’s likely runner up.

But, what about Purdue?

Matt Painter’s Boilermakers have been lost in the shuffle despite playing better than some of their counterparts. That lack of respect, or acknowledgement, is likely due to their slow start.

This season has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride for Purdue. They stumbled through nonconference play, dropping games to Kansas State, Gardner Webb, Vanderbilt, and Northern Florida, though they did grab solid wins against BYU, Missouri, and NC State. Entering Big Ten competition, it was unclear which version of Purdue would show up.

Since then, all they have done is take care of business. After Sunday night’s defeat of Nebraska, they hold a 17-9 (9-4 in the Big Ten), and are tied with Maryland and Michigan State for the second best conference record.

Those nine conference wins include victories over Iowa, Indiana, and Ohio State, all three coming when their opponent was ranked in the top 25.

Most of their success comes from their team-oriented, balance approach. Six players average between 8.3 and 11 points per game, with 7-foot center A.J. Hammons leading the way with 11 points per game. Ten players average at least 11 minutes per game, with no player averaging more than 29.9 minutes per game. It really is all about balance.

Their leading scorer, Hammons, has essentially developed into Purdue’s “go-to guy,” if you were forced to choose one.

The junior center is very skilled in the post, using an assortment of midrange jumpers, hook shots, and post moves to shoot 52.9 percent this season. He also anchors Purdue’s defense, Hammons has the fifth best defensive rating in the Big Ten, and protects the rim to the tune of 3.0 blocks per game.

Hammons is joined in the post by fellow 7-footer, freshman Isaac Haas. Haas is also very skilled for a man of his size, and he is averaging 8.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. Few teams are fortunate enough to have one skilled 7-foot center, but the Boilermakers have two.

The heart and soul of this group is junior guard Rapheal Davis. Davis is second to Hammons in scoring, with 10.9 points per game, and is a load to deal with when he gets into the paint. Despite only shooting 27.3 percent from outside, Davis is shooting an impressive 49.2 percent for the season. When he gets inside, he usually finishes the play or gets fouled. He is by all accounts the leader of the team, and displays it every night with a commitment on the defensive end.

Not to be forgotten, guards Kendall Stephens and Jon Octeus spread the floor with their outside shooting, with each making 38.7 percent, and 40.6 percent of their three-pointers respectively.

Then there is forward Vince Edwards, who carried the scoring load in Sunday night’s win over Nebraska. Edwards shot 6-for-10 from the field, scoring 15 points on a night when Hammons and Davis struggled. Each player in the rotation has completely bought into their role, and that has led to this impressive turnaround.

Purdue doesn’t have the talent of Maryland, or a legend coaching their squad like Michigan State does, but they play within themselves and have started to learn how to win.

Their remaining schedule features three tough road games against Indiana, Ohio State, and Michigan State. If they can navigate this stretch without going 0-3, and take care of their home games against Illinois and Rutgers, then Matt Painter will likely bring Purdue back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Robbie Hummel left campus in 2012.

Purdue has proven they are a force to be reckoned with, and can compete for the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.

It’s time to start paying attention.

Next: Big Ten Player of the Year Power Rankings

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