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Can anyone with insider post the article on the front page of ESPN NCAA page? Title reads Purdues defense will stifle Minnesota.
 

Basically, it says that Purdue's defense has held teams to pretty low point totals and combined with the Gopher's inability to shoot 3's, will allow Purdue to focus only on our big-men (namely Mbakwe and Sampson). It also claims that Moore with shut down Hoffarber.

That is the 2 sentence summary.
 

Tied for the best defense in the country vs. the 51st offense, not a ridiculous statement really. But no, I can't read it.
 

centerofmn said:
Basically, it says that Purdue's defense has held teams to pretty low point totals and combined with the Gopher's inability to shoot 3's, will allow Purdue to focus only on our big-men (namely Mbakwe and Sampson). It also claims that Moore with shut down Hoffarber.

Thanks is the 2 sentence summary.
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Hoffarber is well overdue to light up the Boilers. He has not made more than 2 FG in a game against Purdue in his career.
 

MinnesotaBoiler99 said:
Hoffarber is well overdue to light up the Boilers. He has not made more than 2 FG in a game against Purdue in his career.
Click to expand...
Probably true, but we've only played PU 5 times total in 4 years.

I think we've played Purdue fewer times than any other Big 10 opponent in the past 4-5 years.
 


Gophers need to dominate the glass and shoot free throws well in order to stay in this game.
 

While it is a shame that the one thing Blake has not improved much on is creating his own shot, it would be nice if we had some other scoring threats. The Hoff is thoroughly covered in every conference game we play and has been since his Sophomore year. It is easy to shut down Blake when there is always someone on our team you can just leave open without worrying about him scoring. Rodney and Al need to make their jump shots or Blake will have to wait until the Iowa game to light it up.

Gold Vision said:
Gophers need to dominate the glass and shoot free throws well in order to stay in this game.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. Probably the most important 2 items for the Gophs to focus on this season.
 

TheHofferette said:
While it is a shame that the one thing Blake has not improved much on is creating his own shot, it would be nice if we had some other scoring threats. The Hoff is thoroughly covered in every conference game we play and has been since his Sophomore year. It is easy to shut down Blake when there is always someone on our team you can just leave open without worrying about him scoring. Rodney and Al need to make their jump shots or Blake will have to wait until the Iowa game to light it up.



I couldn't agree more. Probably the most important 2 items for the Gophs to focus on this season.
Click to expand...

I disagree on that. Blake's much improved in creating his own shot. It's just that he was totally unable to shoot anything but threes until this year, so even a big improvement doesn't make him a great shot creator. However, I've been impressed with Blake's strides in creating shots for himself.
 

Here is the article if you wish to read it...

The Purdue Boilermakers don't have any trouble shutting down opponents. In fact, Matt Painter's squad has yet to allow 70 points in a game this season thanks to the second-most efficient defense in the country behind Maryland.



And considering the Minnesota Golden Gophers can't hit a 3-pointer, stopping them will be that much easier tonight at Williams Arena.



Purdue allows teams to shoot just 29.7 percent from beyond the arc -- top 35 in that category -- and the Gophers are coming off a loss to Ohio State in which they hit just 2 of 14 shots from deep. That's 14.3 percent.



On the season, Minnesota has shot a tad better -- 33.0 percent, ranking outside the top 200 -- but Tubby Smith's team relies on 2-pointers for 54 percent of its points. It's no mystery where the Gophers look for offense: Trevor Mbakwe.



The 6-foot-8, 240-pound junior leads the team in points (13.4) and the Big Ten in rebounds (10.4). Mbakwe is used on more possessions (23.7 percent) than any other Gopher, plays the second-most minutes (27.5 per game) and is a major reason Minnesota is ranked 12th in offensive rebounding percentage. So, yes, he's important. And though the Gophers said they'll stand by him in the wake of his recent arrest, he could certainly be distracted.



But the team's lack of consistency on the perimeter will leave the Boilermakers free to focus almost solely inside on Mbakwe and 6-11 junior Ralph Sampson III (10.7 ppg). Look for Purdue G E'Twaun Moore (tied for the fifth-most steals in the conference) to bottle up G Blake Hoffarber (13.4 ppg), who was held to just seven points in the loss to the Buckeyes. Purdue will simply dare the rest of the Gophers to shoot beyond 17 feet.



This game actually comes at a perfect time for the Boilermakers because they could use a true test in the paint. Of the top bigs in the Big Ten, Purdue has seen only Penn State's 6-8 forward Jeff Brooks, who went for 15 points and 10 boards in the Nittany Lions' 83-68 loss.



Specifically, it will benefit 6-10 center JaJuan Johnson (19.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.5 bpg) to experience a battle with Mbakwe, the only player in the conference besides OSU freshman Jared Sullinger averaging a double-double. But besides Johnson, no Boilermaker taller than 6-5 averages 20 minutes, so crashing the boards will be the Gophers' best hope to tip the scales in their favor.



Rebounding was the clear difference-maker when Richmond handed Purdue its lone loss on Nov. 27. The Spiders held a 41-31 edge on the glass and had more second-chance points in their 65-54 win. The Boilermakers haven't been held to a total that low on the scoreboard since.



Which brings us to another reason Minnesota is at a disadvantage: the emergence of junior guard Ryne Smith, who is finally becoming a third offensive threat on a team desperately searching for a Robbie Hummel replacement. Smith is no Hummel (15.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg when last healthy) but he's averaging 17 points in conference play and has solidified his play by hitting better than 50 percent of his 3-pointers.



Bottom line: Minnesota doesn't have a potent enough offense (ranked 51st in efficiency) to put Purdue's defense on its heels. And the Gophers won't be able to keep the Boilermakers from bombing away -- their 3-point defense ranks 249th in college basketball.

In terms of the conference race, though, Painter's club has yet to face any of the four teams currently ranked in the top 25. (Ask the Gophers: They lost to three of them in a two-week span.) OSU, Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin are waiting to get a piece of Purdue. And if Mbakwe exposes the Boilermakers down low, be certain Sullinger, Jon Leuer and the rest of the Big Ten will be ready to do the same.
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You think Blake hasn't improved at creating his own shot this year? How is he supposed to improve much more than he has in that aspect? Quickness, dribbling ability, height, and overall athleticism aren't exactly that easy to improve.

TheHofferette said:
While it is a shame that the one thing Blake has not improved much on is creating his own shot, it would be nice if we had some other scoring threats. The Hoff is thoroughly covered in every conference game we play and has been since his Sophomore year. It is easy to shut down Blake when there is always someone on our team you can just leave open without worrying about him scoring. Rodney and Al need to make their jump shots or Blake will have to wait until the Iowa game to light it up.



I couldn't agree more. Probably the most important 2 items for the Gophs to focus on this season.
Click to expand...
 

Of course, there's something to be said for a team that shuts down teams from long range not really having as much of an advantage against a team that really doesn't rely on it in the first place. We shot 2 for 14 and were within four points of a W in Columbus. How many Big Ten teams can pull that off? If part of Purdue's success is stopping three point shooting, and little of our success has to do with shooting threes, then does that give Purdue that much of an advantage?

That said, it will definitely be imperative for the Gophers to win the battle in the paint. The three bigs all need to come up big tonight.
 

Tied for the "best" defense in the country. I wonder what that rank will look like after they actually play some real offenses.

rcpratt said:
Tied for the best defense in the country vs. the 51st offense, not a ridiculous statement really. But no, I can't read it.
Click to expand...
 




Monty519 said:
If part of Purdue's success is stopping three point shooting, and little of our success has to do with shooting threes, then does that give Purdue that much of an advantage?
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THIS. The whole article is illogical.

That said it can go either way and I'm anticipating a close game.
 

Damn, we must have quite the offense if we can score 41 in a half against the "best" defense.
 

Great chance to be the first team to drop 70 on them this year. Too bad we had to give up 40 as well already. Lets get this win.
 

I think this article deserves to be revisited. Spot on. I love when they right these matter-of-fact predictions and are completely off.
 

"Look for Purdue G E'Twaun Moore (tied for the fifth-most steals in the conference) to bottle up G Blake Hoffarber (13.4 ppg), who was held to just seven points in the loss to the Buckeyes. Purdue will simply dare the rest of the Gophers to shoot beyond 17 feet."

Oops. Were Hoff and Moore even matched up?
 

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