Boilers To Take On Enigmatic Bucknuts Led By Weird-Looking, Poor Coach

The Boilermakers retreat to the friendly confines of Mackey Arena tomorrow afternoon (4 PM, Eastern, ESPN) to take on the OSU Buckeyes (18-8, 8-7), the second straight Big Ten semi-bubble team they'll have played.

I don't think anyone can figure out the Buckeyes, but as the title of this post intimates, we here at BS think Thad Motta is just a lousy coach. He gets amazing talent and there have been games where that's veyr evident, but for whatever reason, the Buckeyes just can't seem to keep things on the upswing.

They just beat PSU at home in their last game (pictured -- Jeremie Simmons, whose mom didn't know how to spell Jeremie, elevates over PSU's Taylor Battle, who was simply looking for a high five) but had previously lost three in a row -- but only by a total of ten points. That's frustrating.

As you also may recall, the Boilermakers lost a tough game at the Auto Parts Center or whatever the hell it's called, when JJ went bonkers and scored 30 but Hummel did not play. In that game, Purdue had the ball in a tie game with under 30 seconds left and LewJack made a poor decision and the Boilermakers lost in overtime. Losing focus and straying from your effecitve game plan even once like that can be the difference in the Big Ten. Let's hope the Boilers play more focused at home, despite feeling as though they've blown their shot at the regular season Big Ten title. This is a beatable team and it's a game the Boilermakers should win, not just one they should hope to win. At home, favored, better team.... there's no excuse not to finish strong.

The thinking here, if we must put forth a prediction, is that the Boilers come to play and win by 8, 75-67.

Hey, it's Friday, after all, and what's better than a meat bikini?

BS Liveblog and Purdue Interior Defense Both Weak

Well, for starters, the attempt at using the "Cover it Live" liveblog/chat technology was a rousing success clusterf-ck. Our apologies to anyone who specifically came here to use it and was as frustrated as I was. And kudos to those BS readers who made their way into enemy territory at Maize N Brew, as they were indeed able to get it working and we all enjoyed a decent chat for a while.

As for the game, well, what can you say? This was an absolute must-win for the Wolverines and they played like it. Well, Sims and Harris did, anyway. And I don't fault the Boilermakers too much in this one for a few reasons.

For one thing, Manny Harris caught fire. He was jacking up threes from wherever he felt like it and they were going down with more frequency than an Ann Arbor co-ed (hey-yo!). I knew it was bad when Manny made an awkward-looking turn and shoot move where his legs were sort of splayed out in two different directions and we had a hand in his face and the ball still rattled home for three. Not much you can do when a guy is unconscious like that. Well-done, Manny. I dare say you made up for a) getting booted from the Jan 31 game, and b) whatever it is you did to get your ass benched in the loss to Iowa. I'd say this win over a ranked Boilermaker team more than evens out the loss to that lousy Hawkeye team.

DeShawn Sims was an animal. Seriously, this guy looked unstoppable in the post. He was basically doing whatever he wanted down the stretch. Now, part of this is because Nemmy Calasan had the sniffles and wasn't playing (seriously, let's get this team some Thera-Flu and some Vitamin C) and JJ got into foul trouble early and wasn't out there. I might question Coach Matty a bit, though, because as the game was slipping away and Sims was manhandling KG and others, what harm would there have been putting JJ back in? What was going to happen? If he stemmed the tide, great. If he fouled out, we'd have been no worse off.

Robbie Hummel was the only one hitting. If not for Rob's play early-on and his stout 24 points, this one would have been out of hand fast. Robbie came to play and was looking rather warm in the first half. It's amazing how game-to-game his back issues really are.

Speaking of shooting.... Michigan shot the lights out, pumping it in at 63% from the field. That's very hard to overcome, no matter who you are and how good your defense is. They also went 50% from three-land. Again, how do you stop this? (The Boilermakers, comparatively, shot a respectable 46% from the field but a stinky 28% from three.) Still, Michigan couldn't hit free throws down the stretch and the Boilermakers had a couple of chances to cut the lead to 4 or 5 in the final minute. I know the UM faithful in the livechat were beginning to poop themselves at that point. I will say it's fun following a team that honestly does scare other teams as one of those, "They're not dead until the buzzer sounds" kinds of teams. I think these Boilers are entering that zone of respect.

Both teams "needed" this game but the UM guys needed it a lot more. The Boilers are a tourney lock and simply did not have the desperation, the desire for "revenge," or the home crowd in this one. Michigan's jumping-up-and-down student section of 16 kids really was rocking. I kid, I kid.

Other thoughts...

The Boilers now fall back into a tie with Illinois for second in the conference, two games back of MSU with three to play. Still, if the Boilers win their two home games against OSU and NW and MSU loses one game before we play them, well, hey... stranger things have happened.

The black unis looked awesome, I thought. My dad happens to be visiting me this weekend and so we watched together and I pointed out that I didn't like the necktie-and-collar look and he said he actually thought that was something he liked about the new uni. But hey, my dad's a retired accountant, so collars and ties are the norm.

Chris Kramer looked off to me. That one rush to the hoop and attempted dunk was weird. Yes, he was clearly fouled, but that no-call seemed to throw off his whole night. He wasn't accurate with his passing and he was no where near as effective on D as he usually is. I hope this is an anomaly and not a portent.

Please share your thoughts in the comments....

Purdue versus Michigan Liveblog

If you kids want to jump in and comment live as we move along, do so here. The guys from Maize N Brew will be there, too, and though we're not sure we'll be able to make the party, you should be able to have some fun.

Manny Harris's Elbow and Chris Kramer's Nose Have Not Forgotten One Another

As you may recall, the Boilermakers and Wolverines got together on January 31 in West Lafayette and mayhem ensued. Manny Harris elbowed Chris Kramer in the schnozz, Kramer went down and bled with a broken nose (which, according to some, he faked -- hey, he's dedicated to his cause), Harris was ejected, Coach Beilein tried to manhandle the ref and we all generally went bananas.

UM and Purdue fans haven't ever truly hated one another, I don't think, but if it gets crazy again tonight I think that could begin to happen. And maybe a new bitter rivalry will get going.

The Boilers come into tonight's game having won four in a row and with Hummel's back issues constantly in question. One moment he's going to sit out the rest of the season, the next minute he's playing against cellar-dwellars like IU. Your guess is as good as mine.

Since that 1/31 game, the UM squad has gone 3-3, which isn't so bad except that they lost to Iowa on Sunday. They're now 17-11 (7-8 in the B10) and officially a bubble team. Tonight is their last home game of the regular season and then they go on the road to Wisconsin and Minny. So to say tonight's a big game for them would be accurate.

It's also yoooge -- in my opinion -- for our Boilers. Win this game and then hold serve at home against OSU and Northwestern, and then we head to MSU for our showdown. Lose any one of those, though, and the regular season race is over. So tonight's the first -- and toughest -- step to getting to that showdown game against MSU.

I don't expect the Boilermakers to overlook Michigan tonight. Painter will have them ready and will remind them of how lackluster they looked against IU. This Michigan team has already proven they can win -- UCLA and Duke know this -- and they led the Boilers at the half a month ago, in West Lafayette. Crisler should be rocking and the hate that will be leveled at Chris Kramer will be infuriating to Purdue fans, as this guy did nothing but play solid defense and irritate Manny. But the fans will get on him, big time. Fortunately for us, CK seems to play even better when this is the case.

Also, keep an eye out for the new Boilermakers road unis -- the black on black should be cool.

We'll also be experimenting with a joint liveblog tonight, in the spirit of all of us fans getting along. You'll be playing nice in the sandbox with the readers of Maize N Brew, if you so choose.

If the liveblogging technology works and is well-recieved, we'll use it in future games, too, and I intend to liveblog our first round tourney games for those who have to work and will be unable to see it. I'm not sure if it WILL work tonight and I know the staff of Boiled Sports isn't entirely sure we'll be able to be online during gametime, so if we're not... well, play nice. And if the livebloggy thinger doesn't work, well, we're not technical geniuses. But we are handsome, and what more do you want?

Check back at gametime for the liveblog stuff to be up and running.

Seems like the right time for this move...

I hope he sees the court...

Forehead making big moves!!

The Forehead Following in Sampson's Footsteps

This is silly.

Seriously, dude can't count past ONE?

And IU, of course, will self-punish, once again...ahhh, the dreaded self-punishment. While I don't think Crean is a cheater, shouldn't he be a bit more careful...with the telephone?

Hope Continues quest for solid receiving corps...

Not sure we're there just yet, but this speedy JuCo (RB) product is slotted as a WR when he arrives in W. Lafayette, and should help out as a wide receiver immediately...check that, he needs to help out immediately. But, he might prove to be a threat on Special Teams as well.

Carlos is a Boiler.

The more he trains, the quicker he gets...I guess

He Should Fit Right In...

Purdue's struggles with injury and long flu bouts have been well-documented this season. Sounds like DJ Byrd is so amped to be part of the Boiler squad that he's been emulating Painter's squad's oft-depleted style.

Byrd joins the infirmary.

Are you kidding me?

What's wrong with this picture? Um, how about everything!

That's Victoria's Secret model Adriana Lima on the left. That's Marko Jaric (he of the Memphis Grizzlies) on the right.

They just freaking got married. How the heck does something like that happen? Seriously! Adriana Lima and Marko Jaric? That's the best she could do? What's this world coming to?

Beginning of the End

The Indianapolis Colts have enjoyed 10 or more wins/season for 9 of the past 10 years...and over 12 wins/season for the past six seasons. Much of the reason the Colts had such success, especially in the late 90s/early 00s was the offensive fire power trio of Harrison, Manning & James. James left town prior to the '06 season, and the Colts won a World Championship that year...But, huge changes during this off-season will probably spell the end of the golden era of the Colts franchise while in Indianapolis.

The most recent, the (unsurprising) announcement of Marvin Harrison being released by the team, seems to be the right move as he carries a hefty price tag and isn't even the second-most productive receiver in the Colts line-up any longer. That said, the void 88 will leave might not be filled during the remainder of Manning's career. Harrison and Manning's pre-season workouts and pre-game preparation are legendary, and the results of their labor are obvious. That said, it is definitely time for this potent duo to part ways.

While I believe Manning will still have very good numbers for the coming seasons, I don't know if 12 or 13 wins is a likelihood...and double-digit-win seasons might become more-and-more hard to come by in the near future.

My crystal ball says Jim Caldwell might be on an especially-short leash as Polian, Irsay and Co. all understand that the clock is ticking for Manning, arguably one of the top-5 QBs the league has ever seen.

If the Colts are the Atlanta Braves of the NFL, Harrison's departure might be equivalent to Greg Maddux heading out of the ATL following their '03 season.

Travis Is Growing Up

In case you haven't noticed -- and we know many of you don't realize there are other sites out there since this one is so awesome -- our friend Travis, who has been doing very thorough Boilermaker writing over at Off The Tracks has shed his skin like the snake that he is and moved on up (like the Jeffersons) to a fancier new place.

It's called Slammer and Nails. Or, no, wait... Blubber and Whales? Shoot, I can't remember... no, that's not it. Hammering Stacey Dales? No... hmmm... Black Heart Gold Penis? Wait, no... Ramming Hay Bales? No, despite being in Indiana, that's not it, either.

Ah, I'm sure it'll come to me and I'll be sure to let you know so you can go check it out.

(I got it! Jamming With Snails! Or... Scamming Always Fails? Ah, I'll come up with it.)

Thinking Big Time??? (and other notes)

GBI reported earlier today that Morgan Burke might be moving off of the benchmarks he sat years ago for the upper deck seats in Ross Ade Stadium. Back in the early 00s, Purdue's AD set a goal that season tickets needed to be consistently near 52K to allow the expansion of Phase II of RA. Now, he's saying if ticket sales can hover above 43K, the next phase will be warranted, and might happen during the off season in the next three seasons. This expansion would also contract the lousy bleacher seats in the South Endzone...and only make the stadium size increase about 3,500 seats. Phase III might not be necessary unless Purdue football experiences another ticket surge a la '99-'04. Even without Phase III, the stadium would have more seats with great sight lines and would look better on TV.

But there are two interesting sub-stories to this. First, does this change in Burke's rhetoric signal the end of his time at Purdue? It's been widely talked about that Burke has contemplated leaving his alma mater a few times in the past 5 years...and what would be a better capping of his tenure than the opening of the revamped Mackey Arena and final renovation of RA?

The second part of the story that's noteworthy is the business side of it. Some of the buzz on the message boards reflects alums believing this shouldn't be completed until benchmarks are reached. But, those benchmarks were set before the current boxes were in us in Ross Ade. An Athletic Department insider told me a few years ago that Purdue's luxury box sales have been very profitable, and at that time, had a five-year waiting list before there was any availability. Granted, that was before the three seasons of sub-par football, but these boxes make the expansion have some economic momentum.

Shifts in Position
Royce Adams, who's had a bit of a backsliding career following a ton of playing time during his Freshman year has been moved to the offense for his Senior season. DB Tommie Thomas is also moving to WR. Both player have good speed, which seems to jive with Hope's idea of getting the fastest possible 22 players on the field...and Adams propensity to shy away (a bit) from hard hitting might indicate that he's mentally better-suited for the offensive side of the ball. Hopefully, they can both contribute on what seems to be Purdue's weakest unit heading into the '09 season.

Big Jon
If you don't like curse words and racist/sexist concepts coupled with weak, poorly produce beats, don't click here.

Jon Uchendu, former Purdue player has now found a new career path as a big time MC. Chendu, represent Ark-LR!!!

Chendu clearly has landed on his feet and is counting stacks and stacks of cheddah and things are only going to get bettah...Dollah, dollah bill, y'all.

So, Everything's Fine?
The on-again, off-again saga of the Ostrich's fractured L5 vertebrae seems to have taken a turn for the better in the last 10 days (despite reports of his condition worsening). But prior to that, reports of his condition might have been exagerated due to his Mom's assessment of what was going on. Who would blame a Mother for wanting her child to get healthy? No one...but my Mom, while well-intentioned, shouldn't be giving medical prognostic indicators to a team of capable doctors either.

Mom usually knows best, but might not have in this case.

Boilers Jump Five Spots

The Boilers took a nice jump in the polls after an impressive week that included laying the wood to previously #5 MSU, moving up five spots to be #16 in both polls.

Wins over UM and OSU this week would further help push the Boilermakers back into the Top 15 and if they could pull off both of those victories, I think they will have earned such respect.

Looming on the horizon -- after a home game against the Kitty Cats -- will be that final showdown with MSU.

Lead the way, Matty.

Making the most of an opportunity

Only four Boilers were invited to the NFL Combine in Lucas Oil Stadium, but all have been noteworthy, at least in one or two categories.

-Alex Magee was a top-10 performer in the bench press putting up 225 30 times (that's impressive to me because I can only do it 29 times). While some scouts say his position switch in '08 helped show his flexibility from a positional standpoint, I don't think it raised his stock at all as his numbers never seemed to show a dominant DE.

-Curtis Painter surprised some people by finishing in the top-10 in the 40 (finishing 6th with a 4.87)...remember, he was an option quarterback during his first season at Purdue. He was fifth in the three-cone drill, coming in at 7.0.

-Greg Orton came into the combine chiseled, and his bench press reflected his physique. He put up 225 22 times, third-most by wide receivers. His vertical leap of 38 inches tied him in 6th place...and his 10'5" broad jump placed him 7th among a very talented group of receivers. His numbers, route-running and build seem to lend themselves to being a possession receiver on the next level.

-Kory Sheets confidence was the only thing that outshined his performance at the combine. Calling himself one of the most under-rated backs at the event, Sheets backed it up by running a top-3 4.47 40 yard dash, a top-5 vertical jump (37 in.), top-5 broad jump (10'1") and the sixth-best 60-yard shuttle running an 11.7.

Both Kory and Curtis were asked some difficult questions- Curtis was asked about his drop in production in '08...his answers were congruent with his overall attitude...like his old coach, he wasn't too up or too down ever while in a Boiler uniform, and he didn't get too excited about these questions either. He simply reiterated that he was trying to prove he was a capable athlete and that he placed too much pressure on himself during his Senior campaign.

Sheets, like Painter, didn't seem to have the best answer when asked a difficult question. Teams and media members alike asked him about his public conflict with Painter and Tiller during his final season at Purdue. He pretty much said, "It was what it was..."

Neither player particularly helped themselves with these answers. Hopefully all these Boilers test well behind closed doors.

Quick note- I have no idea why Anthony Heygood didn't get a look at the Combine...hopefully he'll be able to help himself during the pro day in West Lafayette.

Letdown Game.

Coming off of a big victory versus a highly-ranked opponent, you're typically going to see a letdown. J was worried there would be one, and there was...We saw it this afternoon in Mackey, but timing was on Purdue's side as IU was the opponent. This game sure didn't feel like a rivalry game to me...with the exception of Dumas throwing a cheap shot after the play at Kramer, and bumping into Buckets at the free throw line between shots, there wasn't too much to write home about. Granted, I didn't see Hummel's concussion (I was in the little boys' room), but my brother said it didn't look cheap to him. Other opinions vary on the message boards...if only the BTN had some fancy editing equipment, maybe I would have been able to see the replay. Maybe they'll be able to afford some next season.

Here are my thoughts on IU's players today- I was impressed with Verdell Jones ability to create scoring opportunities...and Malik Story looks like a handful because of his larger-than-average build and strength. Pritchard looked alright, and Roth is just like Rick Mount (wink, wink). Kyle Taber's play was a thing of beauty, as usual. Dude is a sexy beast.

On the good guys' side, Smooge was a monster. He nearly reached his career high and hardly shot in the second half. He had a great shooting night (71% from the floor), but still turns the ball over a bit too much, for my liking. Johnson had another big game- 14pts. 10 reb. 5 blk...but he had four turnovers like Moore. Kramer's stat line was good, and probably should have been better. He had at least one block shot stolen by the officials and ended up with 7 points on 3-3 shooting, 5 steals and 4ast., but was in foul trouble for most of the game. LewJack had a quiet game (like much of the line-up), didn't play a ton of minutes, but showed his speed and quickness on a few plays as he accelerated past the IU defense...that said, he missed a couple easy shots- missing layups is something that should happen at this point in the season. KG regressed back to the form we saw earlier this season going 0-3 from the field, at least he had three assists. With the exception of Moore's shooting it was really kind of a meh game.

Paint Crew giving it to the Hoosiers

The real story of the game is the fact that Purdue left 15 points on the floor. Smartly, IU fouled Purdue a lot in the last 5:00 to try to lengthen the game, and Purdue responded by missing the front end of a few 1-and-1s and missing at least half of the two-shot opportunities. If Purdue would have shot their average (70%) from the stripe, they might have had a bit more breathing room in the end. Regardless, they didn't...they let a horrible team hang around and stay within a 10-point margin for most of the game. The lethargic effort almost seemed as if Purdue would only push itself when the game got around a 7 pt. margin...then, they'd build the lead to 12 or 13, and let it fall back to 7...repeat. You can see how Purdue kept IU at an arm's length ad nauseaum:

Stats by StatSheet.com

Two things were noteworthy about this game, to me- First, Purdue allowed IU to score over 64 points...and won. Our Boilers are now 1-6 when they allow teams to score more than 64 points. I think it's actually a psychological positive to win a game like that; it's going to have to happen in the tournament. The second thing that was noteworthy was how the forehead makes me nervous- not because I think his teams will dominate, but because he's almost twitchy he's moving so often...and clapping, and sweating, and making unusual faces. Granted, Painter's lip-licking tick is unusual, but dude, Tom, just take a break for 10 or 15 seconds per game...I'm just saying.

We also learned that Burr, Valentine, Hillary and Hightower aren't the only lousy refs in the Big Ten. A new crappy official has joined their ranks- Congrats Brian O'Connell for missing a wide array of violations. You're in horrible company now, as you know.

Next up, UM in AA on 2/26 @ 9:00pm...This one is the most bothersome game remaining on the regular season schedule, for me.

Moore, Moore, Moore!!! How Do you like it, how do you like it?

-Smooge has 18 First half points and a 4-4 start (before missing) from behind the three point line.

-Ostrich playing, surprisingly quite a few minutes; but seems to be stapled to the floor. Earlier in the season, he talked about how when his back hurts, he feels unathletic and can't really jump.

-Purdue up by 9 points inspite of three players having 2 fouls (including Kramer and LewJack) and JJ has yet to get on track (offensively)...Seems like a game in which Purdue might blow it open in the first 7 minutes of the second half.

-JJ has 5 blocks...in one half!

Talk amongst yourselves...

Here We Go Again...

Hummel's back flares up again...definitely not good, but not surprising either. Hopefully, Painter has enough faith in Buckets now to play him against IU- he should be able to keep up with Roth and help the rotation.

Addendum-
Rumors now swirling that the Ostrich might be out for the season; that stings...But I'd rather have him out for the season than out for a career.

Get well, Robbie! (and get all-the-way-healthy, this time)

I wouldn't be surprised to see the rest of the team come out very flat on Saturday with this announcement coming so late.

Is it still a rivalry?

Before you jump down my throat for asking the question, hear me out.

This is what I think of when I ponder Purdue v. IU:
I am not as old as some of our regular visitors, but I'm old enough to vividly remember watching this live:

There was fire back then...Years later, that inferno was still ablaze:

Don't get me wrong, I still burn for IU, just not white hot. But, I remember how angry I used to get just watching the Ass Hall crowd (versus ANY opponent) as they reacted to their hero's rants and demonstrations. Their hand motions, matching red sweaters and disbelieving faces any time there was a foul on Alford, Bailey, Evans, or any one of the identical big men during the early 80s/90s (ref. Lindeman, Eggers, et al). But that changed.

I watch IU now on TV and am not bothered...and really, I haven't been too upset in the last few seasons either. It all started years ago as Keady overstayed his welcome and had a tough time beating Knight in his closing seasons...then the passion got weaker as Mike Davis was hired- I liked the guy...I liked even more that IU fans didn't like him. But his tenure all but squelched the rivalry...IU beat Purdue like a drum most contests, Keady was a shadow of his former self, then Painter inherited a mess, and most of IU's players weren't Indiana kids. That trend continued briefly under Sampson...with the exception of a few guys. But, the fact that the sweaty-pitted, blue oxford-wearing cheater was there reminded me of how I used to feel about IU.

The sleeping hillgiants had been awakened! The same people that would say, "Bobby graduates his players, and coaches the game the right way..." during the latter years of Knight's time in Bloomington were now saying, "Kelvin made some mistakes, but has changed...he's the right guy for the job..." as his first cell phone insurrections (in Bloomington) started...Those blind loyalists continued, "What's the big deal? They're just phone calls!" As the NCAA sniffed ever closer to the once pristine program. Then, all of a sudden he was gone...and with him, many of the thugs that he had brought in to play in Bloomington...at that time, the lemmings told us "I never liked that guy."

But now, the right guy has the job. I've heard some say, "I believe in Tom Crean's plan." They believed so much, that they gave him a contract extension before he had stepped onto the hardwood of Ass Hall. His first recruting class was alright...and have not looked much better than just that yet. But, the yesmen in Bloomington have started to murmur once again..."Tijan Jobe is a diamond in the rough...he's going to be special.

"Tom Pritchard is like Brian Cardinal, only stronger."

And finally, after IU's lone conference win, "Matt Roth is the next Rick Mount."

Seriously??? Yes, it was said on the message boards...and not by just one, but many agreed. I thought it was a joke...granted, it was, but it wasn't intended to be one. This is why the rivalry is still alive- stupid people. They're not going anywhere either...they're still wearing their cream and crimson in the winter, and their blue and gold in the fall.

If you're offended by this, you're one of the tools that I'm talking about. No reversible jacket wearer has an excuse that I'll accept.

Not all of you IU fans are this way...some of you guys are alright. First off, you don't see IU basketball as a stand-alone institution...you're an alum or loyalist of the university...hats off to you- you're far too rare. You understand that while it might seem this way, the sun does not rise and set on the forehead of Tom Crean. You can admit when things are bad, and you can be happy and don't have to gloat when they're good. But the mentality and inflamatory statements of the blindly-loyal fan will stoke the gray embers of a rivalry like this when the coals are all but cool to the touch. This rivalry is not dead, it's just quiet for now.

A flare-up between Chris Kramer and DJ White reminded us of the days of yore...and verbal battles between the tag-team of Painter and Weber against the shady Sampson made a few flickers of flame evident. But I have a feeling the contrasting styles of Matt Painter's non-argumentative sideline demeanor and The Forehead's geiser-like temper might help re-ignite old flames. And IU's pipeline of talent is beginning to flow...and the classes that Painter has brought in and will bring in are good.

This year, will probably be fun and give us something to look forward to. Sparks are nearly guaranteed to fly as the hostile Paint Crew bears down on the young Hoosiers as Purdue's defense attempts to suffocate the Hoosiers at the same time. Next season, it'll be even better...and by 2010/'11, Purdue will have around 7 four-star players on the roster, and IU will have around 5 highly-ranked guys and a well-established system in place that''ll make everyone better. Plus, familiarity breeds contempt...and we're going to re-acquaint ourselves with the Hoosier fans once again, after two-straight seasons of just one meeting. It'll be nice to get things back to where they used to be...the way they should be.

The 2008-2009 Season -- How We Got Here

Doing season wrap-ups at year end is always kind of anticlimactic and, really, just a space-filler. You've got nothing else to talk about so you do a wrap-up. So let's talk now for a minute about the current basketball season and how we got to where we are.

And where is that exactly? That's back to a very nice place to be... that place where you "contol your own destiny." Which sounds a bit more grand than it is. If I could literally "control my own destiny," I'd steer said destiny towards a place where I was independently wealthy and Jennifer Love Hewitt was on staff for no other reason than to be a motorboating companion.

Anyway, the Boilermakers are now 9-4 in the Big Ten, one game behind the Spartans and in control of whether or not they win the Big Ten regular season title.

Looking Back

Looking back on the season, we all expected big things from this team. And Boilerdowd noted right away that our expectations -- and the national media's -- were too high:

"Let's keep things under control," he warned, "Teams full of freshman don't often play like our guys did last year. They were playing over their heads."

"Also... I like a man's ass in bicycle shorts. What can I say?"

Okay, so he didn't say all of that, but you get the idea. And it's true -- last year's team was an aberration. No, it's not that these guys aren't good -- they are. But that it could all come together so well and that our boys could contend for the Big Ten title while being so very young.

Then this season came along, injuries plagued the team and an inexplicable 0-2 start happened. Suddenly, things were very different -- quickly. The hopes for a Big Ten title vanished and it simply became about having a good season. Hummel's back worsened, even as the team ran through six straight wins.

Looking back, though, at the losses, you could make a case that this team should be 12-1 in Big Ten play.

The 71-67 loss at Mackey to Illinois -- hit our free throws, even a little bit, and that's a win.

The 67-64 road loss to PSU -- come on, it's PSU. No excuse.

The 80-72 road loss to OSU -- I don't care if Hummel was out. JJ scored 30 and we had the ball for the last possetion of a tied game. Should be a win.

The road loss at Illinois was a sound defeat from start to finish.

Looking Ahead

So what's my point? I have no idea.

Oh, right... that things can go in different directions so easily and so quickly. This team went from media darling to 0-2 bust to gutty team to conference contender. And it feels like each switch happened in a matter of days. Could they be that team that gets their act together in March and wins four in a row to make the Final Four?

We suppose, but we agree here at BS that the Boilermakers time is a year or two away. This year's squad is indeed gutty -- but they're way too thin and injured to make a deep run, at least logic would say so. You can't rotate just seven guys -- with only 4 or 5 truly healthy -- and expect to keep up with the teams you'll need to beat in March. Would we be completely gobsmacked if they made it to Detroit? No. But we don't expect it to happen just yet.

Back in the beginning of the season, we said that a successful year would be consistently being ranked in the top 15 and making a run to a Sweet 16 berth. That looks strangely intelligent right now, mainly because we're S-M-R-T.

As for what's immediately ahead, there are five regular season games left.

Tomorrow against IU should be a win.

Next Thurs @ UM should be a win, but of course has us worried.

Two days later hosting OSU should be a win, but will not be a cakewalk.

March 4 against Northwestern -- there's no excuse to not win that one.

And then the finale in East Lansing. If the same smothering defense shows, I don't care how prepared MSU is and how much they remember their ass-whipping in WestLaf -- it won't matter. However, I have to believe the Spartans will hold serve at home in this one.

If the Boilers win the Big Ten regular season crown, we here at BS say take a dive in the Big Ten tourney. You gain little and could instead rest your guys. That rest is more valuable to this team.

What have we learned about these Boilermakers?

When JuJuan Johnson cuts to the bucket and puts down a beastly dunk (like the one pictured above), you should have a good feeling because it means good things. He's done this a number of times, and it always seems like a giant awakening, like a guy saying, "Okay, enough of this bullsh-t. I'm taking this mofo over."

We've also learned that JJ is a legit threat whenever he has the ball. The overpowering dunks are one thing, but the ability to pick-and-roll nicely as well as put in soft-touch baskets in the lane -- sometimes even while falling down -- creates a comfortable feeling. You can tell when Johnson's on and who doesn't like it when their Johnson is standing tall? Wait, I mean.... oh, never mind.

We've also learned that Big Shot Rob Hummel is someone the Boilers CAN play without. They've had to practice all season without him, so seeing the team get better at playing without him only makes sense. Now it feels like a team that is good enough to win on a lot of nights even if Robbie's not playing -- and when he gets in there, it's like having a sudden extra weapon. Boilerdowd and I also learned on a visit to campus on 1/31 that Robbie can have any freshman girl at Purdue he wants. When we stopped a group of frosh girls to ask some trivia about Purdue (video forthcoming....one day...), one of the things we asked, just randomly, was who the best current player is. Without hesitation, and with that little girl, starry-eyed voice, they chimed, "Robbie Hummel." Oh, Robbie, you lucky dog.

If there was any doubt, Chris Kramer is the heart and soul of this team. He's a cocky boy, yes, but he's a co-captain for a reason (why KG is, I'm not sure, actually). His defense is the very definition of "smothering" and he's managed to piss off some of the smoothest and most talented offensive players to come through the Big Ten recently. I also know of several females who would not be bothered at all by having Chris Kramer in their personal space. Take note, Manny Harris.

We've learned a little more about who Keaton Grant is. He's not the guy who used to be more of an offensive weapon. It's time to deal with that fact. KG is a complementary player who, when he's feeling it, puts up beautiful rainbow threes.

We've learned that Bobby "Buckets" Riddell should be treated as more than a walk-on. Fortunately, it looks like Matt(y) has realized it as well, as Buckets is seeing time in the first half these days. This guy is a solid baller and he passed up opportunities to be the man at D-II and D-III schools just because he wanted to play for the black and gold. This, of course, makes us love him even more. His solid shooting and decision-making doesn't hurt, either.

We've learned that a lot of us don't like Nemmy Calasan. He likes to take ill-advised, boob-ass three pointers from the top of the key. Yes, Nem, have you ever wondered why you're open for those so often? You're not Detlef Schempf. (Dowd thinks Painter allows this to keep Nemmy happy.)

So those are just some of what we've learned thus far this season. Hopefully there will be more to learn.

Like how Jennifer Love Hewitt looks it a lavender-ish catsuit.

Built for speed or comfort?

Rick Reilly Wants You To Get Off His Lawn

I never had a big problem with Rick Reilly when he was at SI. Sure, he wasn't always in touch with things, but he was an old-school journalist who didn't seem to take himself too seriously. He wrote a nice little column in the back of SI that sometimes was really, really good. And sometimes was really stupid. But hey, we all mail things in from time to time (insert joke about my posts here).

But Reilly joined the Entertainment and sports Programming Network last year and he's gotten a little more annoying. And by having more of a Web presence, he's getting more noticed by other amateur writers -- or bloggers -- for whom Reilly does not much care. The pull quote of the article was this:

“I don’t really go on the blogs, because they don’t really like anybody," he said. "Jesus could do a column and they’d be like, ‘What the hell is with the hair?’ It’ll always be something.
"Charles Barkley told me a long time ago always half the people are going to hate you and half the people are going to love you. If you suddenly change who you are, the other half will hate you. I don’t really care what people holding down couch springs do or say."

Wow. Disrespect. Face! You showed us, Reilly. Of course, who do you think reads ESPN.com? 55-year-olds sitting on the toilet? Oh, no, that's right... that's who read your old column. Did you also know, Rick, that ESPN employs "bloggers"? Guys like Adam Rittenberg, who is always giving us interesting and sometimes insider info on Big Ten basketball and football.... and, you know, puts up content. And does it frequently. All while holding down couch springs.

Oh, no, wait... you probably don't mean him, because he's legit in your eyes, because he works for ESPN. So you mean... guys like me... the kinds of guys who are essentially paying your salary by paying attention to you, you old fart. Way to not come off like a haughty a-hole.

Let's go back to the article, shall we?

On whether he buys the criticism that he does not come off as well on TV as in print:

"I know I’m not Bob Costas, but I think if you can get past the big nose and nasally voice, I think I’m trying to bring interesting sentences, good writing, clear and maybe unusual opinions to television.’’

Yes, interesting, unusual, cutting-edge opinions on things like.... beer pong. Groundbreaking, Rick.

"But what I find out so far is when you write a great column, people are like, ‘Oh, I emailed it to my 100 best friends,’ or ‘I was able to talk to my dad finally,’ or ‘I buried the hatchet with my son,’ or ‘I realized I had a problem with alcohol.’ You really move people.

"When I write stuff on TV, it’s, ‘Hey, saw you on TV!’ ‘What was that shirt?’ ‘Why were you wearing those shoes?’ People can’t get past the odd looking person on TV to hear what you’re saying yet. It’s almost like they’re amazed that the electronics at their house worked: ‘Look, I saw you on TV!’ What about what I said about my father? ‘Uh, no, I just saw that that was a weird nose.’"

Okay, first off, I guess Reilly is less modest than I thought, if he thinks his 800-word sports vigniettes are changing people's lives. But moving on to his weird over-obsession with what people think of how he looks... I don't know, Rick, but I don't think people are glossing over some super-important point you're making to make fun of your shirt. I think your points are silly and your comments are often of the goofy-ass, unfunny type. The weak puns Reilly puts forth fit in nicely with Berman at the WWL, though.

This next passage might be my favorite, though.

[The] ... perception that there is tension between ... Bill Simmons [and Reilly]:

"Where do they get this stuff? I get along with him. I think he’s funny. I think he’s a great turner of phrases. I’ve tried to learn from him how he builds an audience on the Internet.

One of the first things Simmons does is try to avoid insulting his readership.

He definitely has that new blogger style where you write in stream of consciousness style, a lot of parentheses, a lot of tangents, and that’s not the way I was raised.

Gotcha. So you insult bloggers as a whole in this interview (because, you know, we all think in lockstep) and then you compare Simmons, who you're trying to convince us you like, to.... bloggers?

I also like "that's not the way I was raised." As though Bill Simmons is rude to old people while Rick Reilly helps them across the street.

"My whole thing was hey, you’ve got 800 words, choose them wisely. Pick the exact word you want and don’t waste a word and kill your darlings even if you love them, that it’s got to fit. He comes from a whole different era where it doesn’t have to fit. He can go on for 7,000 words if he wants. My kids read him.

Ah, the subtle (even possibly unintentional) dig about how your kids read him. We get it, Rick. Bill Simmons is for children; Rick Reilly is for the grown-ups.

More from Rickey:

On how he divides his time among his various ESPN duties:

"The number one thing for me by far is the column. That’s what I spend all of my time pulling my hair out and chewing through table legs about: writing a great column. Because I want to write something that no one else is writing, good sentences, 800 words, no more. Even though it’s on-line, I still believe in 800 words.

Something no one else is writing. Yes, like a stupid column about how we should take away a bunch of MVP awards and give them to other guys, who might just as well be steroid users. Yes, Rick, that's something nobody else has ever said. Doofus.

Whatever. Like I said, I don't have a huge problem with Reilly, but the more he talks -- especially about current media, like the Web and blogging -- the more he looks like a detached old man. As any politician will tell you, insulting your base is not the best way to get liked.

Tick...Tick...Tick...Tick...

What's that sound?

It's Devan Dumas, of course.



Following throwing multiple elbows v. MSU, Dumas was suspended indefinitely. I guess the Forhead thought nine days was indefinite enough to teach the hot-headed JC transfer guard a lesson...Uh, maybe it wasn't.

I didn't watch the entire IU game, just caught pieces of it. But, I saw Dumas, both in the first and second half nearly blow his top and come to blows with members of the Badgers squad.

Let me see- MSU's tough defense frustrated him, then Ryan's UW squad got him hot under the collar; he should be completely fine versus Kramer, LewJack, JJ and co, right?

Tick...Tick...Tick...Tick...

Early Thoughts on IU

In just two days, our Boilers face off against our theoretical rival, Indiana. And don't you just wish we played them twice this season and MSU just once? I sure do.

As the imagery associated with this posts shows, my line of thinking is that we need to be the Cobra Kai this weekend. No fricking mercy. Because it's not just about a Big Ten win (though that IS critical). This game is the only matchup between the two this season. IU is going to get better before long -- we all know this. And IU has nearly always gotten the better of the Boilermakers when it comes to recruiting. So what if you're a potential recruit, a kid from Indiana, who is watching these two teams? And you see the Boilermakers blow out the hapless Hoosiers in a raucous Mackey.... I would think that could have an impact on a young lad.

That said, I will admit I'm genuinely concerned about this game. Boilerdowd has told me I'm crazy to be worried, simply because IU is just that bad. And I understand that. But they've got little to lose and everything to gain... and we have a LOT to lose. I don't expect the Boilers to come out tight, but they've been slow-starters for two seasons now, and a slow start against a bad team is the one recipe for disaster. Allowing IU to hang around would be terrible, even if the Boilers pull out the win.

So going back to the Cobra Kai, we do indeed need to strike first, strike hard and show no mercy. IU got some wins over the sad Boilermakers teams in Keady's final years and Painter's first one. It's time to rub the salt right back in. And I don't care how bad IU is -- it will feel great, and I'd love to see a 30 point win. As 'dowd pointed out to me, Painter won't do that -- he will not rub it in. And that's a good thing. But I don't think 20-25 point wins are rubbing it in.

Let's show we're that much better. Let's show we really are a top 15 team. Let's demonstrate that the Purdue program is in that much better shape than the Indiana program. Let there be no doubt.

Sweep the leg.

Seth Davis is a Jack

Sure, PSU and IllinoiS did the Big Ten no favors last night with their awesome display of awesomeness in Champagne (maybe I caused this by bashing women's basketball last week?), but I'm still tired of the Big Ten taking shots from people who should know better.

This morning, Seth Davis was on the Dan Patrick Show and he was first asked about the 38-33 Naismith-esque game between the Kittens and the Illini. His response? Why, to take a shot at the Big Ten in general, of course:

"When I saw that, I wondered if they had gone back to the old rules where you had to have a jump ball at center court after every basket. Although that would have maybe been an improvement in the Big Ten this year."

The hell? Frick you, Seth Davis. You and your haughty, ACC-leaning self. He also went on to talk about how those in "lesser" conferences are sometimes in better position for the tourney because they're not grinding out tough games like those teams "in the ACC and Big East."

One of the things I recently discussed with Boilerdowd was how the mass media don't have any clue WHY the scores are generally lower in the Big Ten. It's not that it's weaker -- it's that our conference does this little thing called DEFENSE.

Did anyone watch Duke-UNC last week? There wasn't any defense in that game. They just ran up and down the court, nobody was even getting their hands up on defense, and when you have two teams full of all-American shooters, well, you KNOW they're going to score. And then -- presto! -- you've got a 90-80 kind of game. It's not rocket science.

Oh, and if you still think (and I know none of you do) the Big Ten is "weak," let's take a look at the conference RPI ratings.

Huh. That's funny. It looks to me -- and I'm no Seth Davis-level genius -- like the Big Ten is ranked the #2 conference... ahead of the Big (L)East and mere thousands of a point behind the ACC.

Do you know how long it took me to do that research? Four seconds. Sure, I'm biased, too, but I don't get paid to be knowledgeable on the subject.

Moving Pictures

Hummel
It seems the Hummel situation changes each week...and this BTN story makes me believe, to a greater extent, that Purdue might get better and better over the next month. That said, if Robbie's back gets bad again, Purdue could struggle mightily, in both tournaments...so Painter's got to manage #4 smartly...



The Future
These two future Boilers faced off on Tuesday night...and I'm pleased in what I see from both in this segment from Lafayette's WLFI.

They both seem scrappy and willing to mix it up on defense. Both have the ability, at least at the high school level, to take over a game offensively. And, they both seemed pretty stoked to be on their way to West Lafayette.

From the video I've watched, it seems Byrd likes to set up the three with drives that draw contact...this change up should help out our Boilers as he comes off the bench his Frosh year. Carroll is a back to the basket player and can create with his soft hands/footwork...I wish he could forgo his Senior season and come back up JJ in '09/'10. Part of me believes he might never get the chance to be JJ's back up because of the meteoric rise of Johnson's game; who knows.

Seriously?

Purdue should be retro-actively ashamed for getting beaten by either of these teams...let alone getting swept. Games like this are why the Big Ten will not get any respect until something changes.

Some other tidbits-
-Neither team shot over 30%
-Illinois attempted ZERO free throws
-Both teams shot under 19% from behind the arc

This makes Purdue's typical 25-point first halves look flat out awesome!
Worst part? Illinois was at home.

Penn State's Battle fights through Meacham & Frazier's double team

Highlights from Champaign

Upon Further Review...

The new white uniforms were kind of insipid, to me in person. I think the black unis are more of a departure from what we're used to and might be more impactful. That said, they're not stupid looking (like some teams unis), so that's a good thing...and wins like this will go a long way in making me a fan of the new look.

Quick thought- is it possible that Purdue's best basketball is still ahead in the '08/'09 season even with Hummel's nagging injury? Perhaps...

Here are a couple more lousy camera phone shots (special thanks to my brother) from last night along with some of my favorite AP shots...I won't tell you which ones are which.

I think she actually just spray painted her legs

Big Time Atmosphere, Big Time Win

Sparty was prepared for a tough road game in Mackey tonight, and stuck tight with Purdue into the second half. But, as Purdue's guards extended, and JJ continued to alter shots, MSU was simply blown out of the water by Purdue's defensive pressure in an important BT contest. The atmosphere was hostile and loud...even some of the old guys got involved in making noise.

But sadly, some jackhole in row 16, Sec. 16 didn't like me standing up during different times of the game...and he was a Purdue fan.

Please note, I'm 5'4" (so wasn't blocking anyone's view)...wasn't cursing...and wasn't puting down any MSU players. This guy kept saying sit down. This of course forced me to stand up for the next three minutes. Then as the game got further out of hand, I turned around and asked him if it was OK that everyone in our section was standing. This jerk is what is wrong with Purdue sports. He's a microcosm for all of the small-time, unenthusiastic numb-nutted gold coats in the lower bowl that have to be all but begged to cheer, and even worse, don't like it when others are cheering, even in big games. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. There need to be more Paint Crew members in the lower half of my alma mater's basketball arena. Sorry for the sidebar, but this garbage infuriates me.

Paint Crew killed it tonight

Paint Crew- EXCELLENT JOB! Everything from riding the worst three officials in all of the land, to ripping up IU when the opportunity presented itself- you guys were loud and in the game. And speaking of those horrible officials, my brothers and I were yelling at Jim Burr after missing a series of reach-in fouls early in the first half. Not only did he not ignore us, he made a chatting hand signal toward us...Dude is a pro, huh! That's a joke, to me that an official would acknowledge the crowd during a contest, but he's a joke. Half of the game he was making stupidly-large signals for violations, the other half, it looked like he was late for his bed time.

Stealing Money

And Valentine and Hightower were no better...and probably were worse (as our pal Boilergal pointed out). The hand signals that we all have come to know for traveling, reach in, over the back and other calls are all out...they've been replaced with jumping around, running and pointing to a spot on the floor or a player (as if you're angry at him) or making a hugging motion or something else non-sensical. There was a period in the early second half where they called 4 personal fouls on Purdue, in a :50 period...two on Moore. They were ticky-tack to say the least, and were simply lousy...But these three stooges, in spite of their best efforts, weren't the story tonight. Defense was.

From the get-go, both Purdue and MSU were contesting every pass, drive and shot. And, from the low-angle from where I was watching, it was clear there weren't going to be a ton of fouls called. Both teams were grabbing, slapping and holding to make it difficult...it was physical- exactly what you'd expect from these teams and their coaches. And MSU, unlike Purdue in the early going, took advantage of free throw opportunities.

Not only was Purdue missing foul shots, our Boilers offense was pretty inept for the first 15 minutes or so. Outside of Hummel, not too much was working offensively. This trend changed in the second half as Jackson, Kramer and Grant started creating easy offensive opportunities by stifling the Spartans just as they started to run their offense. After that, Johnson's footwork couldn't be matched by Green, Gray or Suton. Johnson continues to look like an all-conference player.
The Ostrich showed signs of life as well as part of his game returned to form after a lousy showing in Iowa. He hit two three pointers and had two more go in and out...and on his first attempt, he was physically violated, and the refs didn't seem to notice the molestation. Hopefully, he can take it easy this Saturday. Grant played like he did last year as he shot 50% from behind the three point line. Atta boy, KG! Clearly, he's sick of hearing me ask the question, "where's the old Keaton?" Kramer was Kramer defensively, but had a couple of blocked shots that were impressive to me. Nemmy played well, but shot two three pointers in the first half...one nearly missed the rim. Green played the game that I like to see him play- gritty, hard-nosed and with the defense-first mentality that makes this team tick. Lewis Jackson played at a fast paced on both sides of the court, and much to the chagrin of the ALJA, seemed to make everybody better...all while throwing up during his time on the bench as the flu that everyone else has had has made its way into LewJack's system. And finally, Smooge shot well, played good defense and rebounded very well...he had too many turnovers, but his silky-smooth game seemed to be a tough match-up for the Spartans.

In the closing minutes, Buckets and the reserve brigade was on the court. After Bobby broke the ankles of a back-up Spartan guard, he hit a 20 footer (long two pointer, not a three). At that point, Izzo pointed to his starters on the bench and said, "Remember this!"

I like Izzo, because like me, he's passionate and short and likes basketball a whole lot...but he's too good of a coach to believe that shot was offensive...further, this Spartan team shouldn't need any more motivation as Purdue goes to East Lansing in two and a half weeks. (Thanks to the Big Ten for this "random" scheduling, by the way)

Defining Moment
Both Chris Kramer and Robbie Hummel set up for a charge in the second half, and the officials made the call in favor of Purdue...with both Purdue players on the ground, the three remaining Purdue players came and helped their team mates up from the ground.

Fun Facts
-MSU has the largest rebounding advantage per game at 10+...tonight, they won this battle again, by just 5.
-Purdue is now 20-0 when holding their opponent to 64-or-less points in this season.
-Purdue's defense made yet another good team look lousy as Sparty shot 32.7% and had 22 turnovers.
-As a team, Purdue continues to shoot the three poorly...but they keep shooting; good, I guess.
-This is the first victory versus a top-5 opponent at Purdue since I was in high school (and Matt Painter was still a player in West Lafayette)...1992, for those of you who don't own my book. While it's good that this streak has been broken, that stat is still shocking to me. Hopefully, they won't go another 16 years until the next win of this genre.
Cat Woman
You probably couldn't appreciate it on TV, but Erin Andrews was wearing pants and high heels that made it look like she was a naughty kitty cat. Sure, she had her standard weird shirt on...but she is stunning in person. This year, I didn't get to talk to her after the game as she raced off of Mackey's floor, but my section was only about 20 feet from her post...close enough to watch her work. You've heard me say it before, she's a tireless in-game reporter who is constantly pouring over her notes and stats.
Oldy Olderson
While I didn't get to hear it, some friends of mine have told me that Vitale sounded pretty awful tonight. Well, he didn't look any better. Hopefully his health isn't poor, but judging by the way he moved around off camera, I'd think otherwise. I am glad I didn't have to listen to him on the TV though.

Next Up
The Forehead and Co. come to Mackey on Saturday to square off at 2:00 in the afternoon...It'll be televised on BTN. Special thanks to the Big Ten's awesome scheduling that keeps Purdue from playing IU twice in one season, for the second-consecutive year.

Burr, Valentine, Hightower

Stink.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

I'll be spending the evening with Erin...

I'm about to go out on a date with my lady friend, Ms. Andrews...I'll let you guys discuss the game details.

Boilers by 5.

More On The New Unis

As we've discussed here, the Boilers are switching uniforms. And much like Iowa, they're just doing it midseason. Hey, why the hell not? Nike donates money to put their swoosh on our scoreboards and their unis on our guys, so they get to make the call. Great world we live in.

Thanks to the site, Crawfordsville Area Sports Blog for the photos below. Let's take a look.

I have to say, I definitely like the black and I think the outline makes the numbers very readable, but my first thought about this one is that it reminds me of those dark Oregon jerseys. Not saying it's logical, but the dark on dark reminds me of them.

Keaton, keep your eyes front and center, son. BoilerGal has first dibs on CK.

Is it me, or should CK take a size larger in that jersey?


And here's my main complaint... in this photo and the above one, I especially notice it -- when I glance over the pictures, it looks to me like they're wearing shirts and neckties underneath the new jerseys. All-in-all, I think we can all agree we like them. And, of course, we'll need to see them in action.

Unless we're mistaken, that action will be tonight, as our Boilers host the MSU Spartans. If we're going to beat them, tonight's the night, folks.

Thanks again to Crawfordsville Area Sports Blog for the photos.

UPDATE: Special thanks to an anonymous reader who pointed out that during the press conference, it was announced that Nike would provide alternate unis in gold for next season. When next season? Who knows. Probably 2/3 of the way through the year. Said reader also provided a link letting us know that one Painter-coached squad has worn the golds and it was his first season against IU. Check this out for the visual evidence. (I really like those, by the way, especially with the black down the sides.)