Purdue's Win Over Tennessee: Best Game of the Young Season

In theory, it should've been a clash of styles, with Purdue wanting to slow it down and grind it out defensively, while Tennessee attempts to fly out in transition and take 3-pointers. But in what was easily the best matchup of the season to this point, Purdue found itself perfectly comfortable running up and down the floor with the Vols, largely thanks to E'Twaun Moore. The Vols missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, allowing Purdue to sneak away with a 73-72 win.

Before going on about Moore and the Boilermakers, how about some love for Chris Kramer? Yes, Tyler Smith absolutely smashed it on him early in the game, but the steal made in the video below was quite literally a play made with sweat.

When you combine the humidity of those gyms with that much sweat, you've got yourself a hardcourt slip-and-slide.

Back to the game itself, Purdue displayed a versatility that many probably didn't realize they had. JaJuan Johnson's offensive game has expanded in a way that puts opposing big men in an untenable position. Do they overplay and get beat to the hoop? Do they back off and let him hit the jumper? Moore was, more often than not, the man who bailed out the Vols during a stagnant possession. And that's not even mentioning the multitalented Robbie Hummel. His health will always be a concern, but the talents exhibited by the other Purdue players on Monday night have to lead you to believe there's more to this team this year.

Purdue has two compelling non-conference games remaining: Dec. 1 against Wake Forest and Jan. 1 against West Virginia. Both games will be played in West. Lafayette. The Tennessee win, plus potential quality wins against Wake and WVU give the Boilermakers a chance to build a compelling NCAA Tournament resume before ever facing one of the other top Big Ten teams in either Ohio State or Michigan State.

This post originally appeared on the Sporting Blog. For more, see The Sporting Blog Archives.