GoldandBlack.com Analysis and Wrap Video: Purdue's win over Nicholls

Our post-game Analysis and Wrap Video from No. 3 Purdue's 104-90 win over Nicholls ...

From here on out, Purdue's strengths need to be just that.

Wednesday evening, the Boilermakers — one of the better rebounding teams in the country — surrendered two dozen "second chance" points to Nicholls, the product so often of Purdue simply being unable to secure defensive rebounds, sometimes amongst itself, but at other times simply being beaten to the glass, or to loose balls.

"We don't box out. I think they played harder and when the ball went up, they got 50/50 balls better than," Coach Matt Painter said. "When we had to box out and fight for them, we won a couple of them, but for the most part, they won those. They were quicker to the basketball and did a better job than us."

Look, these one-sided buy games are what they are. The possessions don't matter as much once the scoreboard reflects the eventual outcome well in advance, but come the Wisconsin game, those days come to an end. Every possession will matter. Look what happened against Iowa. Purdue got up 19, probably coasted a bit, and suddenly, it was a ball game.

The Boilermakers need to tighten the screws now defensively, but had they just finished off possessions tonight with rebounds, we're sitting here talking about a 25-30-point win in which Nicholls scored maybe 70.

Purdue will need to be more physical blocking out come Big Ten play and more energized getting to loose basketballs.

It didn't matter all that much tonight, but it will probably matter every time out the rest of the way.

Purdue has probably coasted a bit the past two games. That's human nature, but things change when conference play starts.