Big Ten Blog: Purdue advances with toughness and depth

This isn't the end-game for Purdue, but since they're here in the Big Ten Tournament, why not win the danged thing?

This is why Purdue is going to end up in the Final Four. Not just because of the talent – and there’s plenty up and down this lineup – but because Purdue is crazy tough and crazy deep and are fully prepared to make the deepest run it’s made since Lee Rose led the Boilers to the Final Four in 1980.

Consider:

Purdue got outrebounded by Michigan State Friday, just the second time the Boilers have been out-rebounded all season…and still won.

Braden Smith injured his calf and missed a good portion of the second half…and Purdue still won.

The Boilers, who fell apart from 3 in the loss to Fairleigh Dickinson last March in Columbus, made just 5-of-14 3’s Friday in Minneapolis, a grim total given the fact Purdue is the second-best 3-point shooting team in the nation…and still won.

On a day when Purdue didn’t quite bring its `A’ game, a day when Zach Edey was dominant but nobody else really stepped up offensively, the most telling statistic was produced by one of those guys who figure to make a massive difference in the NCAA Tournament: His name is Lance Jones and he drew five offensive fouls against Michigan State. Jones, the transfer from Southern Illinois, stepped in for Smith after he injured his calf in the second half and not only steadied the ship at the point but sacrificed his body for the greater good.

“One of his best games,” Matt Painter said. “Even though he (Jones) didn’t score a lot, he did a lot to affect the game. He got fouled nine times, which is unheard of for a guard…”