Aggressiveness paying off for Purdue

For Purdue, there is never anything remotely positive about losing in Bloomington.

Such is the nature of that blood feud of a rivalry.

However, if there was any glimmer of silver lining that came from the Boilermakers' 77-73 loss in Assembly Hall Feb. 20, it might be this: The resonation that Purdue is better when it is aggressive.

For much of that game, Purdue got run off the floor, trailing by as many as 19 in the second half. But because of the aggressiveness that came with urgency, it required an goal-tending call, perhaps an illegitimate one, to deny the Boilermakers a chance for a buzzer-beater to tie or win it.

Asked if that comeback impacted his team on the importance of being aggressive on the perimeter, Coach Matt Painter said, "No question."

Purdue's half-to-half field goal percentage actually went down in that game after halftime, but the Boilermakers gave themselves a puncher's chance in the end by making 7-of-12 threes in the final 20 minutes, against 2-of-7 in the first 20.

"One thing we've done in a couple games this year is that when we've been aggressive, we've taken bad shots," Painter said. "Being aggressive doesn't mean you take poor shots. Being aggressive is just being on the hunt and attacking them and if it's there, you keep going and if it's not you let the next guy either kick it, shoot it, make the next play, get into motion, whatever it might be. Just keep attacking, but don't have those predetermined thoughts and just take what the defense gives you."

Purdue has done that the past three games, of which its won the past two. The past 90 minutes or so of basketball show a team that has been efficient, assertive and, aside from a fleeting two-minute meltdown against Maryland, relatively turnover-free by its standards.

And the balance between bold-but-sensible has been best reflected in Purdue's upward trajectory beyond the three-point arc.

Since a 3-of-25 debacle at Maryland last month, Purdue is shooting 44.6 percent from long range on an average of 15.3 attempts. It shot 34.9 percent on an average of 22.4 attempts in 24 games prior.

The Boilermakers have made 40 percent of their threes in five of the past six games after doing only five times over the previous 24.

Purdue has been smart.

But it's been aggressive as well.

"It's just a different dynamic for our whole team that we probably haven't shown for a while," said guard Dakota Mathias, who has been particularly effective lately. "When we finally do show it, people realize we're more than just big guys scoring at the rim."

Purdue's offense is always going to build off A.J. Hammons, Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan around the basket, but the importance of balance - not necessarily in point distribution as much as scoring elements - has been underscored of late.

Purdue's been aggressive, and Purdue's been better. The Boilermakers scored 83 against Maryland and 81 at Nebraska since their comeback fell short in Bloomington.

The past three games, Purdue is shooting 55.4 percent overall.

"I think all of us just realized we had to be more aggressive, start getting in the gaps a little bit," Mathias said. "It's easy for the defense when we're just standing there with the ball over our head trying to throw it in the post. You have to be more dynamic than that."

Where has the aggressiveness been most apparent?

In Mathias, for one. He's looked for shots more than he has before, he's taken the ball to the basket more often and he's been aggressive, but judicious, as a passer. He is especially lethal exploiting scrambling defenses following offensive rebounds.

And perhaps more importantly, forward Vince Edwards has been assertive off the dribble lately, a much-overlooked crucial element to the Boilermakers' offensive mix.

Against Nebraska, he was 8-of-12 from the floor and scored 20 points. He made back-to-back threes early to get Purdue off on a strong foundation; he drove off ball screens late in the game to help put away Purdue's first road win since the end of January.

"He's been more aggressive and Dakota's been more aggressive. That's important for our team," Painter said. "We have to get people driving the basketball and then making good decisions, whether they drive it or pass it, and not having predetermined thoughts. Just keep attacking and whether you can get all the way to the rim or pull up, just take a good shot for you. … (Edwards) just has to keep being aggressive and if they take things away after he's aggressive, just make the right play. He's done a good job of that lately.

"There's no question that when we play that way, we're better and I think we've done that here in the last couple games."

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