At the beginning of the season, college basketball guru Jay Bilas did a media conference call and when Purdue came up as a discussion topic, the ESPN Analyst said he wasn’t impressed with their guards. Bilas mentioned Vince Edwards, in a positive light and when he did he said that the Boilermakers senior was not really a guard, but more of a wing/swingman.
Technically, he is a forward by classification, but he’s also a wing, so you have room for debate here if you really want it.
It set a certain tone of coverage for Purdue Basketball this season, the narrative of “it’s all about bigs,” and that we should focus on the forwards. 2016-17 Purdue basketball was not really going to be about the guards, so the narrative went, and that’s unfortunate given all the backcourt accomplished.
The main focus was, is and has always been on Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan, and deservedly so as he’s hands down the B1G player of the Year. He might end up being the national player of the year as well.
After Swanigan, the player most Purdue basketball observers likely bring up is Isaac Haas, and that’s understandable given what a tremendously formidable presence the 7’2″ giant he is. Beyond those two players, most people who aren’t fans, supporters of other B1G schools or hoops gurus, can’t really name a ton of Purdue basketball players and that’s a shame given all that they have accomplished.
This Purdue team flies under the radar quite a bit, especially so for a B1G champion. Vince Edwards, the team’s third leading scorer, is decently well known but he’s still a guy who goes overlooked sometimes.
He came into the 69-65 win at Northwestern averaging 14.5 points per page and 51.7% FG over his last six games.
Edwards led the game, one in which Purdue basketball was cast at the villain, with 25 points on 9-14 from the floor. He chipped in five assists.
“This is definitely one of his best games and for the moment (too),” said Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter afterward.
“A lot of the people wanted to downplay this game and say that we didn’t have a lot to play for,” Painter added before mentioning what a tremendous opportunity it always is to “play a NCAA Tournament team on the road.”
Added Northwestern Coach Chris Collins: “I thought Vincent Edwards’ play was fantastic.”
As Painter pointed out in the postgame press conference, the four is the help guy for Northwestern and thus the method NU employs in their double teams sets up a great match-up for Vince Edwards.
“We wanted to get it inside as much as possible and Vince would be open, and we could capitalize on it,” he said. With NU focusing on the twin towers, it freed up Edwards.
Of course, Purdue has been getting solid production from the backcourt all season long, despite the media not focusing on it. All Dakota Mathias, the teams’s fifth leading scorer, did is lead the B1G in three point shooting percentage. Edwards was named third-team All-Big Ten (media) Mathias and Haas were named honorable mention All-Big Ten. Mathias was selected to the Big Ten’s All-Defensive team. Another guard and the team’s fourth leading scorer, Carsen Edwards, goes overlooked too.
Mathias should have been given more love writes Casey Bartley of Hammer and Rails, the SB Nation Purdue basketball community.
Dakota, you took 136 threes this year. Your .478% from deep was the 16th best percentage IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. Not only that, but you shot better from inside the arc than Nigel Hayes, Tai Webster, Bronson Koenig, and Scottie Lindsey. You did all this, while being the guy who guarded the best perimeter guy on the opposing team. You did this, while leading a team without any shot blockers, to one of the best defenses in the conference.
ALERT FOR TIPPECANOE COUNTY:
DIRTY DAKOTA has been sighted in your area. If you see him, do not attempt to guard him. Alert authorities.
— Casey Bartley (@CBartleyRivals) March 1, 2017
Purdue, the top seed in this year’s B1G Tourney, had a double bye and they’ll face #9 seed Michigan today.
Just like last weekend, they will be the proverbial villain again. Thus, you’ll just have to put on your (gold and) black hats Purdue basketball fans.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network. and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times and NBC Chicago.com, contributes to Chicago Tribune.com, Bold, WGN CLTV and KOZN.
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