Free Bobby Buckets!

No, I am not advocating that Bobby Riddell get the Lion's share of playing time. However, as a role player, there is one time of the game when Mr. Buckets would come in handy: the end.

When down, his three point shooting ability would be nice to help come back efforts. When up, his free throw ability would come in handy when trying to ice the game. The fortunate part about the pace of play at the end of games is that Riddell can be brought in and out at will on offense and defense, given the numerous timeouts and fouls that stop play. His defensive inabilities and propensity to foul can allow the Boilermakers to sub him out of the game. Now, who should be playing in his place during these situations? The answer is easy.

One of the more frustrating parts of this season for me has been the play of Lewis Jackson, especially on the offensive end. His poor decisions have often led to poor shots, turnovers, and empty possessions. He's an easy target for the opponent to foul during a close lead (54% from the line), and has often made horrible decisions on the offensive end and should not be trusted with the ball in a clutch situation. Purdue would be much better served if Bobby Riddell was playing in Jackson's stead down the stretch of close games on the offensive end.