Team GPA: 4.0
No. 20 Purdue (13-4, 5-1 Big Ten) didn't leave much doubt Sunday: the Boilers had made two 3s in the first two minutes, and once their defense caught up, it was a 17-point game before the 10-minute mark.
Nebraska (12-4, 2-3), enjoying a run of six wins in seven games, didn't know what hit them. By the last whistle, a team that averages 12 turnovers a game had coughed it up 17 times and lost 104-68.
Player stats below, with ratings to follow:
Braden Smith: A
Fourteen assists. Smith knew exactly what buttons to press Sunday, despite relatively low scoring participation.
He's been a heat-seeking missile lately, with X steals in the last four games. It's the result of strategic gambling (investing?) on the defensive end. He's timing up forays off his man and to the ball, and Purdue's defense and wing scorers are benefiting.
Fletcher Loyer: A
Loyer hesitated once, early in the first half, after a screen created the opportunity for a straightaway 3-point attempt. He gave up the ball, though, and moved on for his next chance. He didn't have to wait long; Loyer collected a pass seconds later, pulled the trigger instantly, and ... swish.
The junior guard didn't hesitate after that.
Loyer poured in 19, on 5-of-6 shooting from deep.
He even got in on the turnover fun on defense. Loyer prevented a transition layup early in the second half when he perfectly timed a swipe on Nebraska's best scorer, Brice Williams.
Trey Kaufman-Renn: A
Very efficient and – woah – look at that: seven assists. Nebraska couldn't keep up with Kaufman-Renn in space, not when Smith found him off the pick and roll in milliseconds and, before defenders could recover, the center put up floaters that found net.
By big man standards, he shot from the moon. The highlight was a silly, and-one 12-footer he made as the minutes wound down in the first half.
C.J. Cox: A+
Once again saddled with the 3-and-D role, guarding 19-point scorer Brice Williams. Williams scored 9.
Just talk about the onions on this guy. He already has one of the most confident shots on the team, bolstered surely by his turn to the starting lineup. When he shoots, it's as if he believes it won't count if the ball touches anything but net.
Sunday's game was the seventh double-figure scoring game of his young career, spanning 17 games. For reference, Braden Smith did it in 16, but remember, all of those were starts.
Caleb Furst: B+
Switched on to Brice Williams in the pick and roll and defended capably. Did foul once on a 3, but, as noted, Williams was subdued.
It was a quiet game from the box score for Furst, who contributed mostly off-ball on screens and defense.
Myles Colvin: A-
Myles Colvin escaped whatever funk he had been in today, with 14 points and four 3s made.
And while the technical he was called for in the mid-second half shouldn't help his grade, it does in my book. After making a 3 in Connor Essegian's face, Colvin did his usual Myles Morales/Spider-Man web-slinging celebration. Except, instead of slinging them at the crowd, he shot his imaginary silk right at Essegian.
He stayed in the game, and promptly threw down a behind-the-back jam.
Camden Heide: B
Dunk machine and scrappy rebounding work.
Gicarri Harris: B
Mostly garbage-time minutes, good to see 2-of-3 from deep shooting.
Raleigh Burgess: NA
Didn't play many competitive minutes.
How I do these
A lot is anchored to Game Score, a metric invented by John Hollinger which (quite imperfectly) estimates a player's box score contributions. It's just a starting point for the grades, and it's readily available. During the game, I focus most of my attention on watching defensive reps, box-outs, offensive movement/involvement, and non-assist passing. I'll add all the off-ball value to these grades that my eyes can catch.
Further, these are role dependent – my grades answer a question that goes something like, "How well did a player take advantage of the opportunities they were given?"
Late game heroics earn bonus points, and the opposite is true for important errors. Oh, and I hate missed free throws.