Purdue basketball ‘did good things’ against Gonzaga, even if results didn’t show

LAS VEGAS — For all the talk about Purdue basketball’s offseason of change, let’s not forget which truths remain non-negotiable.

The Boilermakers still need a reliable, efficient low-post scoring presence. Daniel Jacobsen showed one off Monday night against Gonzaga, tossing one hook shot after another over one of the country’s best frontcourts.

Advertisement

They also need potent, confident perimeter shooting to augment that interior performance. Too many of those shots tumbled off into the void of T-Mobile Arena – enough to leave Purdue on the wrong end of a 78-72 season-opening loss in the TNT Hall of Fame Series at T-Mobile Arena.

When those concepts sync up – and “when” still seems the correct term rather than “if” − this team will beat teams the caliber of the Bulldogs. It nearly pulled off an Ocean’s 11-esque caper anyway, storming back from down 11 with under six minutes to play to pull within 2. Then it airballed a couple of open 3s, Gonzaga piled up free throws and Purdue lost a season opener for the first time since a 2013 home loss to Bucknell.

Across those 13 years, the program rose to a place where even losing by six to a top-15 opponent on a neutral court feels more like a missed opportunity than an affirmation of potential. Obviously, it can be both.

1 / 7

Purdue basketball season begins today with game vs Gonzaga in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 02: Antione West Jr. #1 of the Purdue Boilermakers is fouled by Isiah Harwell #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half of a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series game at T-Mobile Arena on November 02, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

(Ethan Miller, Getty Images)

1 / 7

Purdue basketball season begins today with game vs Gonzaga in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 02: Antione West Jr. #1 of the Purdue Boilermakers is fouled by Isiah Harwell #1 of the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the first half of a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Series game at T-Mobile Arena on November 02,…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/purdue-basketball-did-good-things-095100984.html

Author :

Publish date : 2026-11-03 09:51:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.