Purdue men’s basketball concluded its Canada trip with an emphatic 97-62 victory over University of the Fraser Valley.
Freshman wing Jacob Webber scored 21 points as part of the Boilermakers’ bounce-back 3-point shooting performance. Fellow freshman Luke Ertel collected 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Purdue coach Matt Painter used his fourth starting lineup in as many games, putting Ertel, C.J. Cox, Webber, Caden Pierce and Daniel Jacobsen on the floor together. They came out strong in what turned into a 32-9 first quarter.
The Boilermakers will now spend a couple of days in the resort town of Whistler before returning home.
What we liked about Purdue’s victory over University of the Fraser Valley
∎ Remember that 2015 game Ryan Cline had at Pittsburgh which might have made it worth burning his redshirt? Mark down Webber for at least one of those this season. Except, thanks to the NCAA rule change, he’ll come out of the year with four more year of eligibility regardless. His textbook technique and quick release were on display with four first-half 3-pointers Wednesday — not counting the three free throws made when fouled on another attempt. He scored 15 points by halftime, then hit another 3 on the first possession of the second half.
∎ Pierce has a palpable stabilizing effect on the floor, with occasional moments of flashiness as well. He darted through traffic in the first quarter and kicked to Jack Benter for a 3. He was also credited with three steals in the first half. It’s not always easy to project how players will transition from the Ivy League to the Big Ten, but he looks ready and able to do some grunt work in a physical league.
∎ Ertel acquitted himself well on this trip. He lit a spark as a starter Wednesday, scoring on a layup, a mid-range and a 3 within the first four-plus minutes. He’ll never escape Braden Smith comparisons, but one way he resembled the All-American on Wednesday was his ability to win effort rebounds. His five boards were second only to 7-4 Daniel Jacobsen’s seven.
What we didn’t like about Purdue’s win over University of the Fraser Valley
∎ Gotta use a microscope to find nits worth picking from a game like this. Jacobsen’s 0-for-4 first quarter at the line is worth noting. Competence at the line will be crucial to maximizing his offensive impact.
∎ Despite Fraser Valley shooting 25.8% from the field in the first half, the teams were even 18-18 on rebounds. That’s because UFV had 10 offensive boards. Even with some allowance for a game which had already gotten away, Purdue has work to do on the glass when it gets back to West Lafayette.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Freshmen shine as Purdue basketball rolls past Fraser Valley in Canada finale: Likes, dislikes
Reporting by Nathan Baird, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Nathan Baird, Indianapolis Star | USA TODAY Network
