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Big Ten: Pretenders Or Contenders?

By Aaron Ferguson

Feb 22, 2015; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O
Feb 22, 2015; Piscataway, NJ, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) brings the ball up court during the first half against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at the Louis Brown Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim O /
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Dec 22, 2015; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center A.J. Hammons (20) walks from the tunnel to the court for the start of the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Mackey Arena. Purdue defeats Vanderbilt 68-55. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 22, 2015; West Lafayette, IN, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center A.J. Hammons (20) walks from the tunnel to the court for the start of the second half against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Mackey Arena. Purdue defeats Vanderbilt 68-55. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /

Purdue Boilermakers

Big Ten Record: 7-4
Key Win: vs. MICH 87-70
Key Losses: @ ILL 84-70, vs. IOWA 70-63, @ IOWA 83-71, @ MD 72-61

Contenders

Purdue has struggled in conference play this season, though only one of their losses can be considered bad since the other three are to teams that are ranked in the nation’s top five. If their non-conference schedule is any indication of how good they can be, the Boilermakers have an opportunity to take a fast track to the top of the Big Ten.

Their resume may look unimpressive within conference play, but they have something that no other team in the Big Ten can match: size. Purdue can send out two seven-footers in A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas, but they also have a talented true freshman in 6-foot-9 forward Caleb Swanigan. Purdue’s size may be better than Stanford’s when they had the Lopez twins.

Hammons and Swanigan are the bangers down low. They have strong post moves and excel at crashing the glass. Haas is skilled on the offensive end, but lacks physicality on the defensive end. But the Boilermakers thrive when their three-point shooting is on.

Vince Edwards, Rapheal Davis, P.J. Thompson, Dakota Mathias and Ryan Cline are the five three-point shooters that Purdue relies on to win games. With a great inside presence comes a need for great perimeter shooters. All are shooting better than 35 percent from three-point range this season, and all need to continue to do so.

Purdue’s schedule going forward gives them a great opportunity to take the Big Ten conference. They have games against Michigan State, Michigan, Maryland and Indiana. The Boilermakers can truly rise to the top of the conference and separate themselves from their upcoming competition.

They are legitimate threat to the Big Ten, especially when the conference tournament rolls around. But they are also national contenders due to their size and balanced offensive attack. When Purdue is hitting their outside shots, they can hang with any team in the country.

Next: 7 Potential NCAA Tournament Teams Lacking Signature Wins

The Big Ten is shaping up to have a great finish with elite matchups down the closing stretch. Some teams have more work to do than others, but each team has a legitimate chance to win the conference. Each team has their strengths, weaknesses and injuries, but they will have to overcome adversity on their quest to prove they are contenders in March.