Down goes Sparty

Purdue pulls the upset. 73-63

This was Sparty's toughest game left except for us, so it was good that they lost. Purdue played terrific defense- the best I can remember under Painter.

wshoes wrote:

This was Sparty's toughest game left except for us, so it was good that they lost. Purdue played terrific defense- the best I can remember under Painter.

Also I think Izzo made a mistake going to the intentional foul to early. They were down 5 or 6 and had momentum with over 3 minutes to play and he instructs the team to foul Eastern as soon as he touches the ball. I know he is a 50% at the line, but it was still a bad strategy even if he doesn't hit them all IMO. That tactic took the air out of the ball. Even if he misses a few, the game has become choppy and not flowing like it was when they were building the comeback.

I think Izzo was telling the team that he didn't have confidence in them coming all they way back without him inserting himself into it with a stupid strategy.

I thought we should have started fouling Happ with about 3 minutes to go.

It might have saved us the game.

joe wrote:

I thought we should have started fouling Happ with about 3 minutes to go.

It might have saved us the game.

Completely different game situation. Wisc had all the momentum and I agree fouling Happ at that time would have been the right move. However, during the MSU/Purdue game, MSU had taken the momentum and I thought this strategy killed that.

It was a sound idea. No different than fouling Simpson or Matthews. About a 50-50 chance of a miss, and stops the clock. Who knew Eastern was going to hit 6/6? At any rate, I'm glad it worked out.

joe wrote:

I thought we should have started fouling Happ with about 3 minutes to go.

It might have saved us the game.

Joe, I have a strong feeling that, a week from Saturday, Coach B will put a designated hatchet-man** on Happ for much if the second half...unless the score is totally lopsided (which I doubt it will be in THEIR favor---although maybe in ours).

Happ will be shooting free-throws in a hostile environment, against an unfamiliar background (replete with waving arms and other paraphernalia), both of which lead one to believe his FT% that day will be much closer to his middling 50% than it was in Kohl.


**-whom I'm coach will educate NOT to swing the hatchet while Happ is totally away from the ball; that ONE intentional was enough!!!