Purdue makes statement with rout of Michigan State

Feb. 27, 2011

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Purdue Boilermakers probably aren't going to win the Big Ten championship, and JaJuan Johnson likely won't be conference Player of the Year.

But they made a statement Sunday at the expense of Michigan State that they just might be playing better than any team and player in this league right now.

Johnson intimidated the Spartans with a 20-point, 17-rebound, seven-block performance, leading the No. 8 Boilermakers to their sixth straight victory, 67-47, at the Breslin Center.

It was Michigan State's worst home loss since a 22-point rout by Duke in December, 2003.

"JaJuan was pretty special," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "When you've got a guy patrolling in there like that, it's hard to go against. Sometimes he got them, sometimes he altered them.

"JaJuan Johnson's one of the best players in the country. I always tell them, if you want to be one of the best, you have to prove it on the road. Today, they did that."

Johnson, a 6-foot-10 senior, and the Boilermakers (24-5, 13-3) have been taking a backseat to freshman Jared Sullinger and the Ohio State Buckeyes all season in the Big Ten.

Ohio State has a one-game lead with two to play. Purdue is home Tuesday against Illinois and at Iowa Saturday. The Buckeyes are on the road Tuesday against Penn State and then home to Wisconsin next Sunday.

As impressive as the Boilermakers were in dismantling MSU, it was surprising this turned into such a blowout. The Spartans (16-12, 8-8) appeared to be regrouping with three victories in their previous four games to improve their NCAA Tournament resume.

"I'm disappointed, which has been a reoccurring statement this year," coach Tom Izzo said. "For some reason, our players looked tired, even though I gave them two days off (after winning Tuesday at Minnesota). Maybe they are just wearing down a little bit."

While Johnson got help from guards E'Twaun Moore (17 points) and Lewis Jackson (16 points, seven assists), Michigan State really turned into a one-man show. Guard Kalin Lucas scored 23 points while no one else had more than seven.

Forwards Draymond Green and Delvon Roe combined for 11 points while making 5 of 18 shots. Freshman guard Keith Appling went scoreless in 20 minutes. Durrell Summers had three points in 28 minutes.

"Guys just got to have a better approach, especially in big games like this," Lucas said. "Today was definitely a big game. We played a top-10 team in the country. If you can't come out and spill it your all, it's a problem."

While some might look at Purdue and say the Boilermakers showed they're a potential Final Four-type team, Green was only looking at it from his team's perspective.

He considered it a significant step back for the Spartans, and at a very bad time.

"It came down to toughness," Green said. "They took the fight to us. We didn't take it back like we've been doing. You have to give them credit, of course, but they're not 20 points better than us. When they punch you in the mouth and you don't punch back, it's bound to happen.

"It was a physical game and they were tougher than us. We knew that's what the game would come down to, who played the toughest. They played tougher."

Green is still trying to regain his stamina after being set back by a stomach virus a week ago.

He made only 3 of 12 shots and 1 of 4 free throws, finishing with seven points, in 31 minutes.

Michigan State shot 33.3 percent, including 1-of-11 from three-point range.

Somebody needs to start scoring and take some of the load off of Lucas, who can only do so much by himself.

"We definitely need that," Green said. "A lot of that is my fault. I haven't been scoring. I've got to find my rhythm. I've just got to play better.

"I didn't feel in warm-ups that I was shooting well. I didn't feel like I shot well from the free-throw line in warm-ups. When I got to the free-throw line (in the first three minutes) and missed the two, it bothered me.

"I didn't feel right. I missed some bunnies (easy shots). Delvon missed a couple bunnies."

Some of their problems were the result of Johnson's interior presence. Credit the Purdue players for motivating their big man with a little tough love.

Green and Roe had combined for 37 points the last time the teams met, an 86-76 Purdue victory on Jan. 22 in West Lafayette, Ind.

"The first time playing these guys, I gave a lot of buckets away," Johnson said.