Big Game in Big 10

I'm trying not to write too much about Ohio sports, but this was a pretty important game tonight between OSU and Purdue from a national perspective. Let me start by saying Purdue deserved to win this. They shot unbelievably well in the first half compared to miserable shooting by the Buckeyes. In fact, for the game, Evan Turner and Jon Diebler were the only OSU players to score in double figures (tough night offensively for William Buford and David Lighty).

What may be even more difficult to fathom is Purdue won with Robbie Hummel only scoring 4 points. The Boilers took control from the beginning, and it was the first half performance that ultimately won the game. I think OSU made some key mistakes defensively, particularly not doubling JaJuan Johnson (who must live to destroy OSU since he does it so effectively). Purdue always has one player on the floor who contributes nothing offensively (either Chris Kramer or Lewis Jackson); however, Ohio State never seemed to compensate for this and Purdue clearly took advantage as the Buckeyes had no one who could handle Johnson one-on-one. Couple that with some untimely Ohio State turnovers and missed free throws, and Purdue came away with a very impressive victory for their first win ever at the Schottenstein Center.

All that being said, these teams are about as even as any two teams can be (remember, OSU won in West Lafayette this year). From my perspective, OSU has the edge of having a better starting unit, but Purdue has a huge edge in depth off the bench. In front of a great environment, this was a great win for Purdue and a very difficult loss for OSU.

Three thoughts to close for the night....

1) Is anyone in the Big Ten more underrated than JaJuan Johnson? Great body control underneath; stronger than he would appear; and a great shot from 15+ feet. He owns Ohio State more than any player I can remember in recent years.

2) Should there be any doubt that Evan Turner is the national player-of-the-year? John Wall may be flashier, but from a pure numbers perspective, Turner averages more points per game, more rebounds per game, and equals Walls on assists per game (all of that in a better conference). Why is this even a debate?

3) Here's to hoping these two teams square off again in the Big Ten tourney; would be a terrfic rubber-match.