March Madness: 5 reasons Vols could lose to Purdue in Sweet 16
2. Purdue’s defense is dominant on the perimeter and in the paint.
Playing off the last post, Purdue wants to slow the tempo down because of the fact that they can then rely on their defense. And yes, this is one of the toughest defenses every year to get around. Matt Painter prides himself on coaching defense.
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The Boilermakers are literally a complete defense, holding opponents to 66 points a game. Their center, Matt Haarms, is obviously going to provide the necessary length to shut people down inside the paint.
But what’s unique about this team is the fact that they can also stretch to the perimeter, Haarms included. His ability to stretch out to the perimeter while other players can help him play physical under the basket makes for a great team defense overall.
Given the slumps the Vols can suffer on offense at times, this could be very dangerous. You could potentially see them going up to 10 minutes without scoring a point. What’s remarkable is that while Purdue dominates defensively, they’re not a team known for getting in foul trouble. They aren’t amazing at not fouling, but they don’t foul the way most defensive-minded teams do.
Being able to be average in the foul category while shutting down opponents overall is a huge deal. It’s why they are top 30 in defensive efficiency, and this is something Rick Barnes is going to have a very hard time dealing with.
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Now, I still maintain that defense-heavy teams do NOT win championships win it comes to March Madness. The reason is eventually you run into a red-hot outside shooting team, and no defense can stop that, so you have to match it with offense. But to beat such a team, you have to be the team that is red-hot. Can the Vols do that? If not, then the next key could put them in real trouble.