228th in the nation according to
KenPom) but bringing 2-pointers
to a 3-point shootout isn’t going to
win them games against top teams
on a consistent basis.
Last year, the offense was held
afloat by their big men crashing the
offensive glass and converting on
second chance opportunities. They
cleaned up 36.5 percent of their
own misses (22nd in the nation)
and were one of the top teams in
converting these second and third
chances into points.
Returning four of five starters
from their fifth-place Big Ten
finish—and heartbreaking NCAA
tournament loss to Cincinnati in
overtime--Purdue will hope to
improve and challenge for the Big
Ten title and further advancement
in the NCAA Tournament.
Kendall Stephens, who shot 38
percent on 3-pointers last season.
He’s mainly a one-dimensional
shooter, attempting 190 3-pointers
to just 75 2-point attempts, but his
spacing will be a vital part of the
Boilermaker offense.
Stephens can’t do it by himself
though, so they will need another
shooter to step up in support. This
is a team that was terrible from
beyond the arc last year, making
only 32.7 percent of its attempts,
one of the lowest in the nation.
“This trio of big
men should help
Purdue be on of
the best defensive
teams...”
To do so, they will need to
find some reliable scoring punch
from the perimeter. Their defense
and big men will keep them in
games, but having someone who
can score quickly will be key for
them to squeeze out close wins.
If this player emerges come
conference play,
Purdue will be
one of the top
contenders in
the conference,
and could make a run to the
second weekend and beyond
come March.
They recognize their weakness
and don’t attempt many of these
shots (just 32 percent of their field
goal attempts were 3-pointers,
Photo: Mark L. Baer - USA TODAY Sports
BBALLBREAKDOWN | 43