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College basketball rankings: Purdue’s status as a title contender in doubt after defensive lapses are exposed

Published

1 year ago

February 11, 2022

Even though Matt Painter is great, and Jaden Ivey is awesome, and Zach Edey is incredible, and Trevion Williams is outstanding, and that offense is amazing, I was hesitant on a recent episode of the Eye On College Basketball podcast to label Purdue one of the top eight national title contenders solely because the Boilermakers struggle so much defensively.

It was on display Thursday night.

Final score: Michigan 82, Purdue 58.

The Wolverines shot 51.6% from the field and 57.1% from 3-point range in the 24-point victory over Purdue. Consequently, the Boilermakers now rank 126th nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com.

“When you get out-rebounded like we did, and then you get doubled up in turnovers, and you don’t shoot the ball well, then you need to be very, very good on the defensive end if you want a chance to win the game, and we obviously weren’t,” Painter told reporters afterward. “When you look at all those — poor shooting percentages, twice as many turnovers, they outrebounded us by 10, a lot of breakdowns defensively — you’re going to get beat pretty badly.”

Indeed you are.

The Boilermakers are so good offensively that they can beat just about anybody when they’re clicking, but their defensive issues are undeniable and have been for a while. A lot of people have said that anything short of Purdue making the Final Four this season for the first time since 1980 will be disappointing, and I get that sentiment. But the unfortunate truth is that teams that guard like this just do not make the Final Four.

Consider the following: Last season’s Final Four teams entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 10th (Gonzaga), 16th (Houston), 44th (Baylor) and 86th (UCLA) in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. In 2019, the Final Four teams entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 1st (Texas Tech), 5th (Virginia), 8th (Michigan State) and 45th (Auburn) in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. In 2018, the Final Four teams entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 5th (Michigan), 22nd (Villanova), 24th (Loyola Chicago) and 46th (Kansas) in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. In 2017, the Final Four teams entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 2nd (Gonzaga), 3rd (South Carolina), 22nd (Oregon) and 25th (North Carolina) in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. In 2016, the Final Four teams entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 7th (Villanova), 11th (Oklahoma), 14th (North Carolina) and 30th (Syracuse) in adjusted defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.

(I could keep going but you get the point.)

The bottom line is that the past five Final Fours have featured 20 teams, only one of which ranked outside of the top 50 in adjusted defensive efficiency heading into the NCAA Tournament, none of which ranked outside of the top 90. Again, Purdue currently ranks 126th. And the numbers are even more troubling if the goal is to win a national title because the past five national champions have entered the NCAA Tournament ranked 5th (2019 Virginia), 7th (2016 Villanova), 22nd (2018 Villanova), 25th (2017 North Carolina) and 44th (2021 Baylor) in adjusted defensive efficiency. Again, Purdue currently ranks 126th.

So keep this in mind as the season progresses — and especially when it’s time to fill out brackets. Only a fool would suggest there’s no chance Purdue can make the Final Four guarding this way because crazy things sometimes happen, but there’s no getting around the fact that teams that guard this way tend to get eliminated short of the Final Four.

Purdue is down to No. 10 in Friday morning’s updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings. The Boilermakers’ next game is Sunday at Maryland on CBS.

Top 25 And 1 rankings

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Related Topics:Basketball College Contender defensive doubt exposed lapses Purdues rankings status title

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MLB Insider Points Out A Troubling Fact About Mets, Padres

Published

4 mins ago

June 9, 2023

nigemord@gmail.com

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Over the winter, the New York Mets and San Diego Padres were among the busiest teams in terms of free agency.

New York had lost Jacob deGrom to the Texas Rangers but filled their rotation by signing Justin Verlander, Kodai Senga, and Jose Quintana.

They also brought back Brandon Nimmo.

The Padres on the other hand signed Xander Bogaerts, Matt Carpenter, Nelson Cruz, and Michael Wacha.

Both teams were expected to be powerhouses in the National League this season.

However, they are both under the .500 mark.

On Twitter, MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY pointed out a troubling fact, that the Mets and Padres committed a total of $800 million thanks to their signings and went over the luxury tax threshold, and that now, both teams are at risk of missing the postseason.

If you include luxury tax penalties, the #Mets and #Padres are dropping about $800 million to go a combined 59-66 and sit home for the playoffs.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 9, 2023

This is yet another poignant reminder that just because a team may “win the offseason” with some big signings doesn’t mean that a successful season is guaranteed.

Of course, it’s not to say that teams shouldn’t spend money to improve their rosters.

However, it serves as a grim reminder that a busy offseason doesn’t guarantee success during the regular season, or even the postseason should the Mets and Padres end up qualifying.

New York was recently swept by the Atlanta Braves.

They are now 30-33 and sit 8.5 games out of first place.

The Padres own a record of 29-33 and sit eight games out of first.

Both are close in the Wild Card race, but this season has not been kind to either team.

The post MLB Insider Points Out A Troubling Fact About Mets, Padres appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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QMJHL steps up punishment for players who instigate fights, frequent offenders

Published

8 mins ago

June 9, 2023

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A player in the QMJHL who fights will be issued a game misconduct and suspended for a game for each subsequent fight, commissioner Mario Cecchini announced on Friday.

The announcement comes after the league’s member assembly “endorsed a ban on fighting,” in March.

Officially, the QMJHL approved the:

1. Addition of a game misconduct penalty for any player involved in a fight;
2. Addition of an automatic one-game suspension for any player declared the instigator of a fight;
3. Addition of a minimum two-game automatic suspension for any player identified as the aggressor;
4. In addition to the game misconduct, an automatic one-game suspension will be imposed once a player has reached his second fight, rather than his third.

“We are taking a tremendous stride towards player safety,” Cecchini said in a press conference Friday, ahead of the league’s draft.

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Mets Made Dubious History On Thursday

Published

12 mins ago

June 9, 2023

nigemord@gmail.com

(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The New York Mets are reeling.

With Thursday night’s walk-off loss to the Atlanta Braves, they suffered a sweep at the hands of their division rivals and fell to 8.5 games back of first place in the National League East.

Each loss from this series had one shocking constant.

In all three games, the Mets held a lead of three runs or more and ultimately squandered it on their way to three soul-crushing losses.

The Mets are now three games below the .500 mark.

This is the first time something like this has ever happened in Mets franchise history.

SNY, the TV home of the Mets pointed out this fact on Twitter.

For the first time in the history of the Mets franchise, they have lost 3 consecutive games in which they've held a 3-run lead in each game. pic.twitter.com/HkoSb5fum0
— SNY Mets (@SNY_Mets) June 9, 2023

The Mets were ahead by a score of 10-6 in the bottom of the sixth inning.

However, the Braves chipped away and ultimately emerged victorious on Ozzie Albies’ walk-off home run in the 10th.

Atlanta won by a final score of 13-10.

The Mets have now lost six in a row.

Because of this loss, they were leapfrogged in the NL East by the surging Philadelphia Phillies and now sit in fourth place in the division.

It certainly has been a week to forget for the Mets.

Picked by many to win the NL East, the Mets have been a disappointment thus far with stars such as Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer struggling.

Fortunately, the Mets are only three games behind the Pittsburgh Pirates in the NL Wild Card race and will begin a series with the Bucs on Friday night at PNC Park.

The post Mets Made Dubious History On Thursday appeared first on The Cold Wire.

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