Purdue playing loose in Kansas City

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Purdue basketball is about to play its biggest game in seven years, against perhaps the best team in the country still playing, and in that opponent's back yard.

Daunting stuff, right? So why, as they went through their open practice and media obligations at Sprint Center, didn't any of the Boilermakers seem tense about Thursday's Midwest Region semifinal against Kansas?

"At this point, we're just having fun," junior captain Vincent Edward said. "We're not trying to think about how big of a moment it is, more than just being in the moment and actually playing the game. We know what it's for and we know the type of composure we need to win the game."

A loose approach has worked well for Purdue so far. Last week in Milwaukee, one practice session ended with the coaches joining players for a shooting competition. The Boilermakers say being focused doesn't have to equal being stressed.

"I think the further you advance, the guys, they know what this is about," said Purdue assistant coach Brandon Brantley, who reached the Elite Eight with the Boilermakers in 1994. "It's a high level. You grew up wanting to play high-major Division I basketball. This is what it's about.

"The guys are focused. I don't think there's too many speeches at this level because they're aware what it's about."

Point guard P.J. Thompson said the approach starts with the coaching staff, followed by himself and the rest of the team leaders. He said captains have made it a priority to check in on the rest of the team occasionally.

"I've never been an uptight type of dude, regardless of who we play," Carsen Edwards said. "Regardless of the stage I've always been loose about it.

"Some of the older guys, they're not very uptight either. But we still understand what we have at hand and what we need to get done. It's a good balance."

Perhaps the pressure is actually on Kansas. It has to protect the No. 1 seed and the expectation of playing only 45 minutes from its campus in Lawrence.

"We want to play Kansas basketball no matter where we're playing," Jayhawks point guard Frank Mason III said. "We have to take advantage of it and come out and be really excited and ready to play."

 

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Purdue wary of Jayhawks in transition



The last Purdue-Kansas NCAA Tournament clash, featuring a sensational first half from former Boilermaker Robbie Hummel and a memorable Jayhawks rally, still sticks in Matt Painter's mind.

"If we would have kicked the ball in the stands the last two possessions, we would have won," the Purdue coach said of the 2012 second-round game. "Our long shots that we missed led to scores."

That lesson could just as easily apply to Thursday's impending matchup between the teams in a Midwest Region semifinal at Sprint Center.

Kansas, led by guard play but utilizing a short bench, is not known for turning up the defensive pressure. However, the Jayhawks thrive in transition. Much of Purdue's preparation for their first Sweet 16 game since 2010 involved not helping Kansas get into fast-break scenarios.

"If you take bad shots and you turn the ball over, they make great plays," Painter said. "They're also very good at having in-between breaks. It doesn't look like there is much there, but they got enough there to pull that quick 3 or break you down quick off the dribble and then get something. Maybe not immediately, but they get something that first five to six seconds of having the basketball when it looks like your defense is set.

Kansas averages 16.1 points per game off turnovers, with a plus-4.2 margin over their opponents. Purdue has struggled at times with turnovers, though most of them came through the frontcourt and didn't necessarily directly lead to scoring opportunities.

However, that's not the only potential offensive pitfall.


"When teams take quick shots, flat shots, that's what they want," Vincent Edwards said. "They want to get up and down the court. Take our rhythm ones when they're there, which is what coach Painter preaches and harps on, and when we don't have them, get it inside and let that generate offense.

"... They can't be pressuring us and take care of the post. Something's got to give."

Purdue is trending up slightly in turnovers recently. After averaging over 13 turnovers per game through the Feb. 25 game at Michigan, the Boilermakers have given away 10 or fewer possessions in four of their last five.

"Our bigs are doing a better job of taking care of the ball," said point guard P.J. Thompson, who ranks second nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio. "And us guards are doing a better job taking care of it too ? not putting ourselves in bad situations where we'll turn it over that we might have earlier in the season."

Self came out on the better end of that 2012 meeting with Purdue. Yet the Boilermakers, and Painter, left an impression. He said he's not sure Kansas has ever played anyone who feeds the post better than Purdue.

"The one thing I did know coming out of that game was that Matt can really coach, and he's hard to beat," Self said. "They're sound ? they don't turn it over, shot selection. When you hear that old Larry Brown ad, 'Did you play the right way?' I think Purdue does."