Peck, Simpson play big; Northern Kentucky notes

ErrickPeckisn'tdefinedbyoffensiveproduction.

HeknowshisimportancetoPurdue'steamliesinhisversatility,anabilitytodefendthepostandperimeter,tousehisstrengthandembracethegame'sphysicalityontheglassand,then,totakehisscoringopportunitiesastheycome.

PeckpickedtheperfectspotforthelatterFriday.

WithPurduetrailingbyfouranddesperatelyneedingabasketinthefinalminute,Peckcalmlydrainedathree-pointerfromthecornertocutthegapandrevivethequicklysinkingBoilermakers.

"He'ssolid,"CoachMattPaintersaidafterPurdueescapedwitha77-76victoryoverNorthernKentuckyintheseasonopener."Weneedmoreguyswhoaresolid.Attimes,youdon'tknowhe'soutthere,hejustdoeshisjob.Buthesteppeduptonightandmadeahugeshot,andobviouslyheledusinrebounding.Ifyoucanreboundonourteam,you'regoingtofindaspot....Ithinkhefitsthatvoidforus.We'vefortunatetohavehim."

Earlierintheweek,Pecksaidhisrolewouldn'tbetoscoredouble-digitpointseverynightbutinsteadto"crashtheboardshard,playpassinglanes,getsteals,getblocks."Buthequicklyadded,"Iabsolutelycanscoretheballwhennecessary."

Hewasthepictureofefficiency,too,makingfiveofhissixshotstoscore11points.

AndyethedidsomuchmoreinhisfirststartfortheBoilermakers.

WhenPurdueneededsomeonetogetestablishedontheboards,Peckdidso,grabbingsixofhisteam-highnineinthesecondhalf.Healsohadateam-hightwoblocksandaddedtwoassistsin26minutes.

"HavingErrickPeckinthere,Ithoughtheplayedreallypoised,asfarassteppinginandmakingthatshotandalsoontheglass,"TeroneJohnsonsaid."Weweregettingkilledontheoffensiveglass.Ithoughtoutofeveryone,hewastheonegettingtherebounds."

AfirmfinishJaySimpson'srolecouldchangewhenA.J.HammonsreturnstoPurdue'slineuponWednesdayafterservingathree-gamesuspension.

Butin25minutesintheopener,SimpsondidenoughtoforTeroneJohnsontosayhethoughtSimpsonwas"probablythereasonwewonthegame."

"Ithoughtheplayedgreat,"Johnsonsaid.

Simpsonmade5-of-9shots,mostlyinthepaint,andmadefourofhisfivefreethrowstoscore14points,secondonlytoRonnieJohnson'steam-high18.Simpsonalsohadsixrebounds,ablockandtwosteals.

"Itwasreallyimportant(tostepup)becauseA.J.isabigpartoftheteamsowithouthim,wereallyhadtostepupandfillinhisplace,"Simpsonsaid.

Also,inaninterestingtwist,SimpsonwaschargedwithguardingsomesmallerplayersontheperimeterbecausePurdueswitchedallscreenswhilehewasinthegame.Painterlikedwhathesawfromthe"center"inthatregard,sayingSimpsoncontainedthedribblebetterthananyoneelseonPurdue'steam.

"Theybeathimacoupletimes,butforthemostpart,hecangetinastanceandguardpeople,"Paintersaid."He'satalentedguy.Ithoughthedidagreatjob.Ourguardsaretheoneswhokeptgettingbeat.Wesimplyjusthavetosomepride,getinastanceandcontainthedribble."

UnderwhelmingTheBoilermakersallowedateamthatdoesn'thaveaplayertallerthan6-9toplayevenwiththemontheboards.

AndthatdidnotsitwellwithPainter.

"Itdoesn'tmatterhowtallyouaretoboxsomebodyout,"hesaid."Anybodywhocanplaythegameofbasketball,youmightnotbeabletoguardsomebodyone-on-oneinspacebutyoucanbeintherightposition,youcanboxsomebodyout.Youcanphysicallyhitthemandgogetthebasketball.Wehavealotofguysrightnowwhowatch.

"Ithoughtwecouldplay10or11(players),butifguysaren'tgoingtoembracethephysicalityofthegameandthey'renotgoingtomakegooddecisionsandtakegoodshots,maybewewon't.Idon'tknow.Wehavetalent,butwe'vegottohavesomedisciplineandwe'vegottohavesometoughnessandrightnowthat'snotwhereweareasateamwhenshotsgoup.Ithinkit'safunpartofbasketball,yougetachancetocracksomebodyandgogettheball,andoffensively,yougettoflyinthere."

NorthernKentuckyhad17offensiverebounds,convertingtheminto17second-chancepoints.Butitmisseditseasiestputbackofthenight-whenJakeGeislerhadapoint-blanklookinthefinalsecondthatcouldhavewonthegame.

OfPurdue's35rebounds,16wereoffensive,leadingto19second-chancepoints.PeckandSimpsoncombinedfor15oftheteam'srebounds.RaphealDavisledtheguardswithfive.

"We'rejustsimplytoocasualandtoocool,"Paintersaidofrebounding."You'llgetsteamrolledinourleagueifthat'showyouwanttoplay.Sowehavetochangethat."

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