A lot of teams might be searching for answers during a four-game losing streak. That’s not the case for Purdue coach Matt Painter — who has a pretty good idea of what’s gone wrong during this tough stretch for the Boilermakers.
Over the last two weeks, Purdue has struggled on the defensive end of the floor. But there’s nothing extraordinary that needs to happen for the Boilermakers to return to its elite status on that side of the court.
Following Sunday’s loss to Indiana, Painter said that Purdue had a lot of “concentration mistakes” in a 73-58 loss. He reiterated that point ahead of Friday’s clash with UCLA.
“We’ve got too many breakdowns where people go against our rules and then we put ourselves in a tough spot and it’s hard to get out. Continue to do your job — whether it’s an iso ball-screen, normal action that a lot of people run, dealing with the post, whatever. Stick to our rules and then disrupt the passer. Do a good job on the basketball when he becomes a passer to make it difficult for him.
“And also containing the dribble. If we can do a better job keeping the ball out of the paint, and we can do a better job taking care of the basketball, good things will happen for us.”
Purdue has proven it can be a nuisance on the defensive end. During a stretch when they won 11-of-12 games, the Boilermakers were forcing opponents into more than 15 turnovers per game. Over the last four games, teams are turning the ball over fewer than 7.5 times per contest.
The ability to get out in transition was what catapulted Purdue to the top of the Big Ten standings in early February. Now, the lack of forcing turnovers has the Boilers fighting for a top-four seed in the conference tournament.
But that’s not the only factor in Purdue’s recent struggles. The Boilers also have to do a better job of protecting the basketball on the offensive end and ensuring they get quality looks at the basket.
As Painter has said a number of times, good shots that are missed still gives Purdue an opportunity to set its defense. It’s going to be a tough test against UCLA, a team that prides itself with its effort on the defensive end.
The Bruins rank 13th nationally in turnovers forced per game, averaging 15.6. They also rank 99th in opponent field goal percentage, with teams connecting at a 42.3% clip.
“More than anything, taking care of the basketball,” Painter said. “Getting quality shots every time down the court — you end up sounding like a broken record, but you have to do a better job in taking care of the ball.”
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