More: Purdue torched the Sun Devils | An offensive clinic ($)
NEW YORK CITY — Purdue's known for its size, and rightfully so. But its skill has shown up in a big way thus far this season.
The past two games, the No. 17 Boilermakers dropped 15 three-pointers in each and done so on a combined 30-of-46 shooting.
It's been the continuation of — if not an uptick of — the Boilermakers' blazing shooting through the first quarter or so of the season.
Collectively, Purdue's now shooting 44.8 percent, good for second nationally in percentage, behind just UCLA (45.4). (Lots of games left to play, but the school record for a season is 44 percent, set in 1988.)
The Boilermakers average 11 threes per game, tying for sixth nationally with Notre Dame, its opponent next weekend in the Crossroads Classic. That per-game makes average is tops among high-major programs.
Purdue has made 99 three-pointers through nine games, 18 more than it had through as many games a season ago.
The Boilermakers have been more consistent to start this season, having now made eight or more threes in all but one game and having shot 36 percent or better in six of nine games. That's only once more than it did through this many games last season, but the floor might be more relevant than the ceiling.
Through Game 9 a year ago, Purdue shot 32 percent or worse four times. This year, it's done so just twice - against Georgia State and NJIT.
Something to make note of about Purdue's shooting the past two seasons: It's had a funny way of, in its worst games, making the big ones, as happened this season against Georgia State (5-of-22 for the game) and last season against Old Dominion (6-of-20).
Against Georgia State, Purdue closed the game making 3-of-4 during the 20-0 run the Boilermakers closed the game with. It was 2-of-18 prior, its worst shooting stretch of the season, but one that evened out quickly and decidedly in the games that followed in Cancun, where Purdue was 28-of-46 in blowouts of Utah State and Auburn, for 61 percent.
Purdue's shooting effort to this point has been a true collective effort.
Of those Boilermakers who've attempted 10 or more threes, six of them are shooting 40 percent or better. The exceptions are Carsen Edwards (just under 35 percent, but 14-of-31 his last five games) and now-idled Spike Albrecht, who's 2-for-12 this season, though his body of work prior to Purdue suggests that to be uncharacteristic. As for Carsen Edwards, he's shooting 45 percent the past five games, so trending upward, and giving Purdue a dynamic shooting option. He's closed two first halves this season with buzzer-beating triples. (Counting P.J. Thompson's 50-footer against Villanova, Purdue's done so in a third of its games this season.)
As for others, Dakota Mathias is eighth nationally, shooting around 56 percent. Vincent Edwards' 47-percent clip is not officially listed among national leaders - it's unclear why - but would be good for top-35 nationally. Ryan Cline - he's 13-of-21, shooting 62 percent - simply doesn't have enough attempts yet to qualify after he sat out the first four regular season games. Caleb Swanigan has been much more efficient as a sophomore than he was as a freshman. He's 7-of-12 from long range. Basil Smotherman - a career 15-percent three-point shooter through the first 66 games of his career - is 3-of-7.
The frontcourt's table-setting ability has aided Purdue's shooting cause and been a significant part of this Boilermaker team that posts up as much - or more - than anyone in the country, but has also been more effective from long range than just about anyone, at least in the season's early going.
Shooting has been a strength for Purdue, but also at least in part a by-product of its excellent passing to this point, though the Boilermakers' turnover problems have put something of an asterisk on that.
Still, Purdue leads all Big Ten teams and ranks fifth nationally with an average of 20.4 assists per game, without any individual averaging more than four.
Purdue's different than most teams. Its two leaders in assists are its two forwards: Vincent Edwards (35) and Swanigan (33).
It's not just them: Smotherman has played just eight games, but in that time, he's handed out only six fewer assists this season than he did in 34 games in 2014-15, before he redshirted last season. Isaac Haas' seven assists this season put him well on pace to roughly triple his total of 16 from a season.
"We have the ability to post and that gets people into rotations, but I do think it's our best team in terms of moving the ball," Painter said after the Arizona State game. "But we have more people who can shoot on this team."
Membership Information: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2016. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
