Purdue coach touts Iowa's physical presence

IOWA CITY - Iowa's success rebounding the basketball has drawn praise and concern from Purdue Coach Matt Painter.

The 10th-ranked Boilermakers host Iowa on Sunday and have beaten the Hawkeyes seven straight times, including by a combined 45 points the two outings in West Lafayette, Ind. Purdue (14-1, 3-0 in Big Ten) has beaten its three league opponents by an average of 17 points.  But it's Iowa's performance in a five-point loss to No. 2 Ohio State on Tuesday that has Painter's attention entering this match-up.

The Hawkeyes (7-7, 0-2 Big Ten) led for much of the game and at times neutralized the Buckeyes' inside tandem of Jared Sullinger and Dallas Lauderdale. Iowa outrebounded Ohio State 34-30 and didn't back down in the post.

"I think what's encouraging for Iowa is the fact they were in both games and were in position to make some plays down the stretch to win both of those games against two very good teams without Eric May in the one game and without the athletic freshman (Melsahn Basabe) in the other game," Painter said. "(Basabe) in the Ohio State game was just an unbelievable factor with his athleticism blocking shots and making plays in a great first half."

Basabe scored 22 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked six shots against the Buckeyes. He'll likely be matched against 6-foot-10 senior post JaJuan Johnson, a two-year all-Big Ten honoree. Johnson averages 19.6 points and 8.5 rebounds a game to rank third and fourth, respectively, in the Big Ten.

"I'm going to have to box (Johnson) out, I'm going to have to defend him sometimes and I'm going to have to be in the paint with him," Basabe said. "It's another challenge, it's the next game."

The teams are nearly equal in rebounding statistics with Purdue grabbing 38.5 and Iowa 38.4 a game. Painter praised Iowa for its toughness and how the Hawkeyes crash the boards.

"I think it's a team it's developing," Painter said. "They have some very good pieces, Matt Gatens, Eric May, the point guard just watching those games (Bryce) Cartwright has done a good job for them. Zach McCabe is a good basketball player. He's physical, he's tough he has a skill level. Obviously we all know how tough Jarryd Cole is, how physical he is. So they've got a physical basketball team. They're a very good rebounding basketball team and that's always a concern of ours.

"I think they bring a physical presence to the Big Ten, and they really get after you."