Purdue Basketball Looks Like Legit Big 10, National Contender

Don’t be surprised if you see the Purdue Boilermakers making it far in the bracket this spring. Coach Matt Painter has his squad poised for what could be one of the better seasons in Purdue history. It’s not just about Michigan State, Wisconsin or even Indiana in the Big 10. They could all be looking up at Purdue when it is said and done.

The Boilermakers have shown their dominance this season through five games with their closest margin of victory being 15 points. They certainly do what good teams do by beating up on the little guy and not playing down to their opponent’s level of play. Their most impressive win came on Sunday when they won the Hall of Fame Tip-Off championship with their 85-7o win over a solid Florida Gators team. It’s what happened in this game that truly showed Purdue’s high potential.

Purdue is going to mostly be known for their size and talented players inside. Highly regarded freshman Caleb Swanigan is joined by Isaac Haas and A.J. Hammons. That was on display as they out-rebounded the Gators 36-27. These trees on the inside will make it hard on teams to score against Purdue. Opponents are going to have a hard time getting second-chance points against them so they better make their first shots. But these guys can score too. Haas has a good looking inside offensive game with a nice hook shot and touch. Hammons and Swanigan have the ability to step outside and knock down long jumpers, as they each made threes on Sunday. It’s a scary combination.

However, what really showed the team’s potential was their outside shooting. In their win over the Gators, they knocked down 11-of-26 three-point attempts. If a team has that kind of inside game to go with this kind of outside shooting game, look out. Guards like Rapheal Davis and P.J. Thompson can knock ’em down. They are joined by swing-man Vince Edwards as outside threats.

Michigan State has an impressive roster and looks strong, but the talent and team that Painter has at Purdue puts them right there with the Spartans. Ask the Gators how legit the Boilermakers are. If Purdue can stay consistent and hungry they could be as good as anyone in the country. It’s never too early to start thinking about March Madness, so it’s a good time to start considering Purdue as a team that can make a deep, deep run.

Andrew Frosceno covers the New York Giants, college football, college basketball and MLB for www.Rantsports.com. You can follow him on Twitter, Google or Facebook.