Boilermakers ‘comprehend’ difficulty UConn brings

• Myron Medcalf, ESPN Staff WriterApr 7, 2024, 05:14 PM ET

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  • Covers college basketball
  • Joined ESPN.com in 2011
  • Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato

GLENDALE, Ariz.– Matt Painter is not naive about the job his Purdue group will deal with when it plays UConn on Monday night in the championship game game at State Farm Stadium.The Huskies have accumulated a plus-125 point differential in the NCAA competition, the second-best margin in NCAA competition history behind the 1998-99 Duke group that lost to UConn in the national title game that season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.Painter stated his team must play an effective game versus a challenger that strikes when it senses weakness.”What they do a terrific task of

is when blood remains in the water, “Painter stated on Saturday.” When you reveal weakness or you turn your back on pressure, you dribble in location, you leave your feet, you do not play on 2 feet, those guys are the best in business. They will make you pay. … That’s our challenge, is (to) handle pressure, take care of the basketball, make good decisions. They’ll get into you. They’re solid. But they’re simply awaiting you to do something foolish. Don’t do something stupid.”

Because the group’s efficiency versus Gonzaga in the Sugary food 16– 136 points per 100 belongings, 45 percent from beyond the arc– the Boilermakers have had to conquer a couple of rocky performances to reach this stage. Against Tennessee in the Elite Eight, Purdue (top-3 nationally in 3-point shooting) finished 3-for-15 from beyond the arc. In Saturday’s win over NC State, Purdue devoted turnovers on 25 percent of its ownerships (16 total). Those difficulties will hurt the Boilermakers Monday if they continue, Painter said.Editor’s Picks 2 Associated”You have

to be on your P’s

and Q’s,” he stated. “You’ve got to take care of the basketball. You have actually got to have the ability to rebound, be excellent in transition. If you take bad shots and you turn the ball over, you remain in deep difficulty. It’s a quick 2 or a quick 3 for them. They’re probably the best I’ve seen in a long, long time in being able to take your mistake and make you pay for it at times when you make errors. Other teams are most likely going to make you pay, but it’s just not automatic. It simply seems, when that happens, it’s automatic( for UConn). You can’t have those kinds of turnovers and those kinds of bad shots.” Purdue has actually likewise taken pleasure in, nevertheless, a dominant run this season. Zach Edey is on his method to winning back-to-back Wood Awards. The group’s 3-point shooting has actually been elite and the Boilermakers are also playing top-15 defense.But the Huskies have made a historical NCAA competition that can end with simply the 2nd back-to-back nationwide title run in more than thirty years. Alabama made 73 percent of its 3-point efforts in the first half versus UConn on Saturday and the game was connected, 56-56, with 12:05 to play. Then, the Huskies ended up the match with a 30-16 run and won by double digits.”They comprehend what we’re up against, “Painter said.”They comprehend we haven’t played anyone like UConn.

They’re not fools. We have cable where we’re from. We’re really familiar. “