INDIANAPOLIS − Do not be shocked if what Utah State does offensively seems to be eerily acquainted, Purdue basketball followers.
Aggies coach Danny Sprinkle admitted Saturday afternoon the place he is discovered a number of the staff’s offense.
“Plenty of our offensive units, like, we steal lots of units from (Matt) Painter and his workers,” Sprinkle mentioned.
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So a March Insanity second-round showdown will see two groups that ought to know what they’re up towards in that regard.
Purdue will try to achieve the Candy 16 for the second time in three years and seventh time since 2009 whereas going through a Utah State staff averaging 80 factors per recreation that has scored no less than 87 4 instances in its previous 5 video games.
How will Utah State defend Zach Edey?
The one factor the Aggies cannot replicate is going through a 7-4, 300-pound pressure.
Zach Edey is coming off Friday’s 30-point, 21-rebound efficiency towards Grambling State.
The technique?
Scratch, claw, pray.‘I do not assume no person has seen something like Zach Edey,’
Attempt to make Edey as uncomfortable as potential.
“There is not any good strategy to deal with him,” Utah State guard Ian Martinez mentioned. “We have simply obtained to go on the market and problem him and never give him something straightforward. He will need to work for the whole lot that he needs to get.”
Former Purdue PG Johnny Hill on Utah State teaching workers
Former teammates P.J. Thompson and Johnny Hill are actually opposing one another.
Thompson and Hill had been teammates at Purdue throughout the 2015-16 season. Thompson now coaches Purdue’s offense. Hill is on the Utah State teaching workers.
For Hill, it is no shock Thompson has earned the belief of Matt Painter to run the staff’s offensive playcalls.
“Once you transition from enjoying to doing no matter it’s you are doing, it’s form of like a brand new id,” Hill mentioned. “It is nice to see. He will be phenomenal. Everyone over there on that stuff understands it and so they see it.”
Names to know
For Purdue: Zach Edey (24.6 factors, 12.0 rebounds, 2.2 blocks); Braden Smith (12.5 factors, 5.8 rebounds, 7.4 assists, 1.6 steals); Lance Jones (12.1 factors); Fletcher Loyer (10.4 factors).
For Utah State: Nice Osobor (17.8 factors, 9.1 rebounds, 1.5 blocks); Ian Martinez (13.4 factors); Darius Brown II (12.4 factors, 6.6 assists).
Purdue vs Utah State prediction in March Insanity
Each groups have confirmed they will rating constantly at a excessive clip.
The matchup to mark is Edey and Osobor on the boards. The winner on these missed photographs probably makes the distinction right here.
Prediction: Purdue 83, Utah State 75
Sam King covers sports activities for the Journal & Courier. Electronic mail him at [email protected] and observe him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.