With everyone passing around the article in the Indy Star today where Smooge and JJ confirm they're most likely coming back next year, one particular quote jumped out at me. It was from JJ and it is:"That's what it looks like right now for me, coming back to school," Johnson said. "I still have a lot of things to accomplish, a Big Ten championship, a Final Four. There are a lot of things I still want to do in college."
Whoa. My next question would have been, "Have you written off a trip to the Final Four this year?"
Maybe I'm being hypersensitive, but that's what that sounds like. And I'm not ready to throw in the towel. I know some of you are (and that disappoints me greatly), but this season is not over. I know it just got a whole lot harder. But these guys need to believe in themselves and they need all of us to continue to believe in them. Just imagine how a deep tourney run would feel now. Most of the media didn't believe Purdue was legit before Rob's knee injury -- and we all know they're now officially left for dead.
All things considered, I'd rather this happened when it did than, say, in the last game of the Big Ten Tournament or something like that. This week provides two of the Big Ten's crappiest teams to try things out on and work on new schemes. The Big Ten Tourney is pretty meaningless, honestly, and so there's another couple of games to work on things. And then, assuming you maintain a 2-seed for the big tourney (as Leprechaun Lunardi currently projects), you play a 15 seed to start that off.
If Matty and the boys can't figure out a decent formula to win with the talent that remains healthy in those five games, then there might be a deeper problem.
Keep the faith. It is not effing over.
18 comments:
Completely AGREE!!! Watching that game last night was even painful, seems like they all just gave up on each other.
I'm not sure they've given up hope, but I think at this point the realistic expectation is that a Final Four run is on the unlikely side. That being said, it's the day after a heart-breaking loss. I can't blame them for having their confidence shaken a bit, but the remaining schedule and some more practice time should correct the woes.
If they're still saying the same thing this time next week, that's when it's time to be disappointed.
--Funnelfiasco
Neither JJ nor Smooge could say they plan to enter the draft at this point in the season especially after last night. But to look at JJ's comments another way he may be signaling that IF Purde makes a Final Four run he will enter the draft.
WELL SAID!!!!!!
I AGREE 1000000000%
I want a deep run that we still can get AND all three to come back and go undefeated next year! (it would be cool)
Notice he also said he wants to win a Big Ten championship. Has he given up on that goal as well? Almost certainly not, since it's still very attainable from even a pessimistic viewpoint. The statement I will focus on is "There are a lot of things I still want to do in college." I'm just glad to hear they'll be back, regardless of where we end up this year.
Boiler Up!
Are you people KIDDING me? What NBA team is going to draft either of these guys? I love them, but are you really serious when you talk about JJ or Smooge getting drafted??? I'm sure JJ would be really tough against the Lakers... Odom, Gasol and Bynam would snap him in half in the paint and we know his 17 foot fade away doesn't even work in college. Give me a break, guys... nobody on Purdue's team is going pro this year. Maybe next year, but not this year. END of story.
ChicagoBoiler -- Smooge is the top-ranked shooting guard in the college ranks, I believe. I can't remember the source but it was sent to us... so despite some bad games, that counts for something. Nobody's saying these guys would dominate in the NBA, but since when has that stopped guys from making bad choices and entering b/c someone got in their ear and said they were ready even if they weren't? It's worth being concerned about, though I agree they're not ready.
Again, though, that's not usually what decides it.
We are in a very sad place indeed if news that JJ and Smooge are returning for their senior seasons is met by anything other than relief and high hopes for the future.
C'mon guys, it means that no matter what this year hasn't gone down the drain. Worst case scenario, this season is the final building block for what should be a preseason top 3 team next year.
That said, I'll still be cheering for this squad until we hit 00:00 for the season.
J Money, I have no idea where you are getting your info, but here is ESPN's Top 60 in a Mock Draft and nobody from Purdue is on it. Kramer has a better chance of getting drafted this year than JJ or Smooge.
http://www.nbadraft.net/2010mock_draft
The Big Ten tourney might produce a very interesting semi-final matchup. If Purdue and MSU win their Qtr-final games they'd meet again as #2 and #3 seeds. By that time I'd expect both teams to be playing better than they did yesterday, and it would provide Purdue with a chance for redemption that they'd straightened things out.
Still a tall ask mind you. But as a team they can only change perceptions by the way they play on the court.
Let's not forget how a similar Purdue team with Hummel stunk things up earlier this year at Northwestern and last year at home against Duke. Similarly, this team, like any other, is capable of putting all the pieces together and bringing it. Every Big Ten team has done that one time or another this year and the Hummel-less Boilermakers should be no exception.
I think he was talking about the Rivals.com power rankings (http://collegebasketball.rivals.com/viewcbse.asp), where Smooge was ranked #1 for a few weeks earlier in the season.
Following up with Ryan....and where he is still the #5 shooting guard on their board.
Love your work J money.....but use the towel to dry off because you're all wet.
Support the team all you want, pray for them, believe in them.........I will too. But logic says this team is going nowhere. Listen to your inner basketball self. Too many holes in this team. Too late in the year to learn how to play without Robbie.
ChiBoiler- you've been a Purdue fan a while...so you can remember Brad Miller. Miller was soft and lazy at Purdue...but could shoot and played face up well.
The big softie bulked up and became an all-star, olympian and rich dude. JJ will be rich playing basketball too, drafted or not. His length, shot-blocking ability and Euro-style game will earn him a job.
His softness has angered me in a ton of games...especially MSU. But, I think it might be wise not to judge JJ, Smooge or anyone else after their worst collective game in years. It's a good thing that Sunday didn't define the season as you seem to think it does.
Oh yeah, the Lakers statement makes a ton of sense. At least 20 starting big men in the NBA get worked by Phil's frontcourt regularly...and they're all still getting paid to play basketball.
that's a keen insight to what JJ said. i hope Painter picks up on that. Purdue teams seem to go thru mental breakdowns.
i still think this Purdue team can win- b/c i'm not completely sold on other teams. MSU is a good team, and if Smooge or JJ hit some of their shots they could have won that game... they will miss Hummel and i know their chances are slim now, but i still see sweet 16 at least, with final four still possible depending on the seedings and match-ups. Let's hope they don't play a team with a bunch of big men...
I don't see how this team can make the Final Four, but I hope I'm wrong.
I think its funny JJ and Smooge made this announcement at all. They have played so crappy lately, I doubt many NBA GM's were waiting on pins and needles for this "news." I don't think many NBA teams are desperate for a 6'10'' center that can't rebound or a 2 guard that can't score.
I agree with Purdue Matt about the FF. I also hope I'm wrong, but the realist in me is making it hard to see them in Indianapolis. Now don't get me wrong, they can definitely do it. George Mason made it a few years ago and this team would probably beat that GM team 8 our of 10 times. With the right draw and some upsets from other teams it is possible, but it is going to be VERY difficult.
As far as the guys coming back we should be nothing but thrilled. The news pretty much guarantees we will get to go on this ride again next season, and I can't help but think of what that team will look like. No, I have not given up on this season, but it is fun to think about. Imagine the Big Three with LewJack/Barlow at point and Carroll playing the 5 and JJ at 4. Or we could go Big Three, LewJack/Barlow, and one of the incoming Johnsons. There is no Chris Kramer next year, but that team already seems much more talented than the one we watch today.
BTFU!
I don't think that anyone is arguing that JJ and Smooge's draft stock hasn't fallen. Clealry Hummel's presence in the game took a lot of the opposing defenses' pressure off of them. But that doesn't mean they still couldn't bring up their draft prospects by playing well in the BT & NCAA Tourneys. And like J Money said, just because they may not dominate doesn't mean they couldn't contribute to an NBA team. I hope we can make a decent run in the tourney and I hope to have all the triplets back next year, but I don't think these comments should be taken for anything other than what they are: two players staying on message when there's plenty of basketball left to play in THIS season. Let's take it one game at a time and focus on taking care of the Hoosiers in Mackey! BTFU
Post a Comment