This guy was the better coach tonight in Mackey ArenaPurdue deserved to lose in Evanston earlier this season...and they stole a victory. Tonight, on Senior Night, at Mackey, they deserved to lose again, and they lost. I guess fair is fair, NU got its retribution, but the Cats are not a good team. Purdue's entire team and the coaching staff choked, let their guard down, played dispassionately and was sleepwalking for the majority of the second half and earned the loss tonight.
Psssst- Wanna know a secret? Matt Painter has no clue how to counter zone defenses. Purdue lost badly to a mediocre Michigan team (who plays zone) and lost again tonight to a mediocre Northwestern team (who plays zone). God-forbid our Boilers run into Syracuse or another solid zone team in the tourney.
It's amazing to me how different the two halves were- As the first half started to roll along, I was thinking to myself, "With Grant playing his game again, on both sides of the floor, this Purdue team is dangerous...
"Hummel's healthy and playing like it, LewJack's pace and control are getting better every game, JJ is playing like an all-league player, Kramer makes it difficult on everyone he guards and Moore is always a threat to score 20...and quietly."
But the second half, Kramer was playing defense like he did v. UM, JJ wasn't rebounding or blocking shots, Hummel wasn't asserting himself and shots weren't falling, Grant wasn't shooting quite as well, Smooge disappeared (yet again) and LewJack really had no one to pass to as the offensive spigot was in the off position.
This basketball team suffers the same disease that the football team suffered from the last few seasons- no killer instict. And it seems to me, the roots of the problem are in the same place- the laissez-faire coaching philosophy of never-too-high, never-too low has crept in multiple times this season...And tonight, it turned a 10-point lead into a seven-point deficit in about 6 minutes. Against an offense like Northwestern's, a 12-15 point lead is all but a victory...but lazy passing and poor shot-selection will be, and was exploited by the smart Wildcats.
This Purdue team has struggled to find an identity all season. Earlier in the season we could blame the struggles on injuries and illness...now, health is not the problem, but the same problems seem to exist. Purdue seemingly has been running from its identity and trying to cover it up all season, but our Boilers are what they are- an OK team...and quite-frankly, that's unacceptable. There are too many weapons and too much experience on this squad for this team to have this many conference losses.
The magic number of 64 points was not magical tonight- this is the first loss for Purdue while holding an opponent to 64-or-less points. Our Boilers allowed NU to shoot just under 50%...and in doing so, they allowed a team on life-support to keep its tourney hopes alive for the second time in a week. Purdue is now in danger of losing 3 of its last 4 games and falling from as high as a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament to a six OR seven. And, their national ranking should be a memory come this time next week save an improbable win v. MSU. Granted, there's still a BT tourney to play, but Purdue's history in that event is dismal.
Atop of a 10-minute shooting drought and lack-luster defense, Purdue's rebounding woes once-again reared their ugly, anger-inducing head. Down the stretch in the game, Purdue simply allowed NU to out-will them as second-chance after second-chance simply opportunities nailed the coffin shut. I've always said this, rebounding is a decision...and Purdue decided tonight to not want the ball, especially in latter stages of the second half.
When a team that's defined by defense and hard work doesn't defend and plays lazily, there's a problem...we've now seen this twice in a 6-day period. Painter and Co. better help these young men figure out who they are in a hurry or ZERO of the pre-season team goals will be met.
Coble and Mirkovic controlled our Boilers this evening
25 comments:
Listening to the game, it simply sounded like NU wanted it more and our boys decided to let them have it. Don't underestimate a couple of factors. First, NU is still looking to get an at-large NCAA bid. If they finish off the regular season with wins, that gives them a .500 record in one of the top three conferences in the nation (RPI wise). Add to that a couple of BigTen Tourney wins, and who knows? Second, the style NU plays is hard to prepare for. While it is not suited to blow teams away, it is built to keep them in games (ask MSU).
I think Painter will use this as a motivational tool to make them hungry from here on out. The regular season title was already gone, so you could almost sense a bit of a letdown. Painter even said as much after the game comparing the pregame feeling to last year's Wofford game. However, they are playing for tourney seeding and I expect the team to refocus quickly. Although the players have shown their immaturity at times, they have also shown to be very basketball smart over the last couple of years.
And as for Painter, give him time. For crying out loud, he's still developing as a coach. Don't be so hard on him just yet. If he's still coaching here in 20+ years and our team still can't figure out the fundamentals of breaking down a zone defense, then you can complain. If you heard him after the game, he wasn't a happy man. That "laissez-faire coaching philosophy of never-too-high, never-too low" works well during games over the course of the year, but you can bet your behind he won't be so laissez-faire on the players during practice this week.
Hang tough, and play hard.
That's generous, Jim...we should give coach Painter 20 years to deliver? Wow.
And if you agree that it sounded like our boys let NW take the game from them...at home...on senior night. Well, who should take the blame? This team was thought to be top 5 material and elite eight potential. They sure don't look that way now. Poor FT shooting, getting outworked, outhustled...these are controllable and inexcusable.
I feel bad that Ridell and Reid didnt get the playing time they should of against this NW team on their senior night. Same with Green and Calasan I feel bad that they had to go away with a loss from Mackey. Hopefully we can just move on beat the crap out of MSU to take 2 of 2 and then look onto the NCAA tournament.
I couldn't see the game, so I certainly have a different perspective. I expect a 9-minute plus FG drought would put me in a pretty foul mood about our ability to handle the NW zone as well. If I concentrate only on the numbers, however, it looks like offense wasn't the problem. We scored 1.13 points per possession during the game, our 4th most offensively efficient game of the Big Ten Season. Similarly, the UM game, which you also cite, was a solid (if not spectacular) offensive performance for us: 1.09 points per possession, our 7th most efficient conference game.
I can't comment on the lack of hustle or heart, as I didn't see the game. It's entirely possible that we lost for that reason. I tend not to believe in the talismanic power of hustle. It's extremely important, no doubt, but a few bad bounces or bad calls can do just as much.
One other thing--I keep hearing about poor FT shooting on our part, but again that doesn't show up in the box score. We were 14/20, right about at our season-long percentage. Again, I think I read that we went 2/5 down the stretch. For those of you who watched, that had to hurt, but the game-long numbers actually say that we shot free throws just as well as we usually do.
Last, J Money, you're being too hard on Jim. He obviously didn't mean that Painter gets 20 years to figure out how to attack the zone (which, if my observations above are right, he's actually already done). His point was just that failing to do so within 20 years would certainly be a failure. Clearly that doesn't mean that he thinks that taking 19 years to figure out the zone counts as a success. Jim, I applaud you for keeping a level head. For whatever reason, this team is much less consistent than last year's. While this loss hurts, I don't think Sunday's game is any less winnable than I did this morning. It just depends which team shows up.
J Money,
I think City had my perspective on the 20+ year thing figured correctly. I don't want to give anyone that long to prove that they can't learn from their mistakes. I guess my point is that I hear a lot of negatives toward Painter that I feel are a bit unjustified given the length of his career to date.
As for who's to blame, how about blaming the team? It's everyone involved ... players, trainers, coaches. I remember being at Purdue during the Dark Times of Akers/Colletto and fans blaming the band for the football team's losses! When things don't go the way you expected or hoped, you get frustrated. It's what you do when facing those frustrations that matter.
My point? They are college kids being coached by a young coach. They are talented and they will win, but they will make mistakes along the way. Realistically, this team was picked by most to finish first or second in the BigTen with MSU ... and with the exception of the surprise that is Illinois, that has happened. Nationally, you're making your judgment based on polls, which we all know is worthless except in college football (unfortunately).
Now, if the team flames out and gets crushed by MSU, loses the first game of the BigTen Tourney, and then fails to make it to the Sweet16 in the NCAAs, then you may begin to question the direction of the program.
I don't care about how desperate a team NU is...UM was desperate too. There in lies the problem. Purdue is in the best-coached conference in America. Great coaches motivate teams night-in, night-out. Purdue was not motivated last night.
I like Painter, but allowing a team to backslide into a malaise during a game in the stretch run is pretty horrible.
If Painter struggles with XOs versus zone defenses, he needs to hire a coach who's outside of his inner circle and can counter the trap. The players didn't know how to find JJ with a 5'10" guy on him 5 or six times- that's coaching. The team didn't seem to know how to handle the collapse as NU's point defender would flex- that's coaching. The players are somewhat at fault, but the point guard is a Freshman and many are sophomores. I'll always place blame on the 38 year old first.
I like Painter...but I don't want to wait 2-5 seasons until he figures out how to attack different defenses...and I'm sure Hummel, Kramer, Grant, JJ, LewJack et al don't either.
All is not lost this season, but these losses to teams that should have been wins are now mounting.
We hit those 6 (count them, 6! 2-4 from Kramer and 0-2 from Hummel) free throws at the end of the game and we win. Hit your motherf*cking free throws!
Hey Geniuses,
What kind of defense does Ohio State play? Purdue fans are the most fickle fans in the world. They overreact to everthing. They let one loss overshadow all the good this team has accomplished this season. This team starts three sophomores, a freshman, and a junior. That's still young in my book. All that matters is the tourney. Maybe this loss will be the blessing in disguise that drops them to the 6 seed and away from a dreaded 5/12, 4 seed, 1 seed run to the elite eight. Quit being so negative!
Hey Illegal Defense, what was Purdue's record last season?
Should Purdue have beaten aOSU, UM, Penn State, NU and Illinois (at Mackey)? One or two lapses are fine, five isn't. The tournament is not all that matters...especially coming from a fan base that hasn't known a final four since 1980.
It's not negativity if it's truth.
Well said argument, Boilerdowd. I ended up going to this one and I want my gas money back.
Hey Boilerdowd,
Shouldn't you know Purdue's record last season as a Purdue blogger? I don't care if they have 10 lapses as long as they win the national championship. They're in the dance where anything can happen (see crappy IU 2002 or George Mason). While this team has some flaws (which every team does), they still have the "potential" to make a run in the tourney. All of this arguing won't matter if they get hot at the right time.
Peter Pan, I know their record last season- pssst- it was better than this season (that's the point).
Anything can happen, but a team without an identity, more times than not, will fail. I've been a Purdue fan for too long to allow chance to be the deciding factor for my outlook.
Wouldn't this be a pretty good time to start "putting it together"? It is March, by the way.
The reality is, you will not have national respect until you have accomplished something nationally relevant. Bdowd is right. Ill. Def. is wrong. If you're content with underachieving, then you can focus on the alleged positive of a 2,3 or 4 seed in the conference tournament. If you aren't going to be content until Purdue receives some national respect, then you've got to demand more than the egg that was laid last night.
I envision a response citing injuries, illness and such and the overcoming of same as the basis for calling this year a success, but adversity is a given before every season. Remember, MSU played 8 conference games w/o its best player. If some of you know MSU fans, ask them how they'd feel about finishing this season with 6 or 7 conference losses. My guess is that they would call such a season a disaster, regardless of injury/illness/adversity.
Illegal Defense. The only question you have to answer is the following: Before the season started, would 6 or 7 conference losses have been an acceptable result? If yes, then you can be happy with this season. If not, then you're dangerously close to being labeled a Purdue apologist. Expectations aren't fluid. Boiler nation as well as the sporting public expected more this conference season and thus far, the team has not delivered.
Hey Illegal Defense,
You know nothing.
Hey Peter Pan,
You are handsome.
Of all the teams to make the final four since 1980, no significant basketball school has made it less than twice. Here is a list of the teams that have made it once: NC State, Georgia, Nova, Saint John's, Providence, Seton hall, Cincy, Miss State, UMASS, Minn, Utah, Stanford, Wisconsin, Texas, George Mason, Marquette (with super coach Crean) and possibly Virginia (unsure about that one). It could be argued Purdue had a much better program than those teams since 1980. For informational purposes, the leaders in that time frame were Duke 10, UNC 9, Kansas 7, and Ken and Fla with 5.
I can't wait for Calasan to exit. His play tonight really hurt us. We are up 10 and we have 3 wasted possessions in a row...
1) Calasan missed 3
2) Calasan fumbles the ball away
3) Calasan fumbles the ball away
0-3 from the field, 0-1 from 3, 2 turnovers. Good riddance!
Calasan didn't lose the game, in my opinion.
By the by, did you see that Jeff Robinson had 22pts. in his sectional game?
I don't disagree with you about Painter struggling to coach against a zone, but Northwestern played man-to-man for most of the second half. It's as if our guys never recognized that they'd switched defenses. The announcers didn't mention it either (at least that I caught).
Like our football team, I wonder if conditioning is an issue... A LOT of missed FT's late in MANY games, being outhustled in close games, etc.
If our FT shooting doesn't improve, there won't be very many wins added to our record this season.
Hey guys! Here are the main points I brought away from the game.
Rebounding: We had at least 5 more rebounds than NU going in at halftime. 2nd half, we were constantly out of position after having good defensive stands, which allowed them to get easy offensive rebounds. This has happened a lot this season. The guys need to stay in position and block out- basic fundamentals!
Ball movement: We were picking apart their zone at the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2nd halves. Then, I believe it was against their M2M, that we quit moving the ball, quit moving without the ball, and relied on guys to create their own shots. Eventually, it didn't matter what defense they were in, we were out of synch and couldn't get back our rhythm. They need to learn to transition against different D's much better if they have any hope of going anywhere in the tourney.
Reaction to the officiating: The team needs to quit playing into the opponents' hands when calls aren't going their way. If they feel the calls aren't going their way, they need to adopt an "us against the world" attitude, step up the intensity and play crisper. Let the crowd do the booing and make good plays so the crowd has something to cheer about. We seem to get caught up in those moments instead of stepping up our play.
The officiating: Should Ted Hillary still be able to officiate when he needs a walker to get to the court? That guy was old in the 80's, now he is ancient. He couldn't run up the court, he was doing slides to get up and back. One of my main beefs with the officiating this year is the lack of travelling calls. We get the raw end of this deal. Our in-your-face perimeter pressure is causing violations that are not being called. Whether the guys has picked up his dribble or not, there are numerous times a game that the ballhandler is sliding his pivot foot, not pivoting. Plus, there are times the pivot foot is being switched. How difficult is it for a ref to count, look for a foul, and watch a pivot foot. It used to be that one had to act as if the ball of the pivot was nailed to the floor, now it is as if the pivot is on a 2-foot track. This is giving an advantage to the other team and I counted about 6 walks that weren't called- some during that key stretch where the game got out of our hands. Maybe Hillary's eyes are bad and he can't see the movement, or maybe the rule is now that the player has a "slide" foot instead of a "pivot" foot. This has happened all season and I don't remember it being as bad before. This is not why we lost, but it would be nice to get these calls.
Sorry for the long post. Go Illini (I hate saying that), but a win by PSU and another PU loss Sunday could put us as a 4 seed the BTT.
Anyone else think that this may be the best Northwestern team of all time? It's not like we lost to the NW of yesteryear. People just need to chillax for a second. The world is not coming to an end, there is more basketball left.
Boilergal, good analysis. Finally some X's and O's and not questions about mental and strategic preparedness, focus, and physical tiredness (all things which will never be proven).
gal- wouldn't Purdue still have the tiebreaker over PSU?
Head-to-head, they're 1-1, overall record, Purdue will have a better record, thus giving Purdue the three, right?
Not sure- What are the rules?
If it would be based on how teams did against the top of the league going down. And if Ill, PSU, and PU are all tied with 7 losses: according to their record vs. MSU, Ill would be the 4 seed with an 0-2 record and PSU/PU tied.
If it is head-to-head among those teams tied: PU would be #4 (1-3 vs PSU/Ill), Ill #3 (2-2) and PSU #2 (3-1).
I would rather not risk the 4 and just have PSU lose and we will take the #2 or #3. Hey, we might get a 2nd chance to beat IU like we should have if we are the 3!!
We absolutely shouldn't be having this conversation, that's for sure.
If we win Sun, this conversation is null and void. I checked the rules and in the case of multiple teams tied, they look at head-to-head first. We do not want to be tied with PSU and Ill- we would be the 4 seed. All that said, Go Boilers and Lions... unless Purdue is going to lose on Sun, then go Illini!
Anyone confused yet??
Hey illegal defense (and others)- perhaps the mentality and physical state of the team can be proven:
http://purdue.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=920263
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