A Tale of Two Tournaments: Boilers Underwhelm

The Schreiber-led Boilers had high hopes coming into the NCAA tourney- First 40-win season, First B1G title in over 100 years, First NCAA tourney since '87, First B1G POY ever...lots of firsts, lots unfamiliarity.  And when the chips were down, honestly, this team looked like they weren't quite ready for primetime...But a team out of the MAC, the hottest team in college baseball, answered the bell...fought through adversity and ran through the Purdue-hosted Gary regional without having to play the extra game.

But, didn't this plot feel eerily similar to something much closer to our hearts at BS? It did to me.

Before I go any further, let me give some background.

I know many of you reading have a hard time believing that my words have any credence. Afterall, I'm a self-admitted baseball loather.  In the summer, DVDs of old Purdue football victories, the occasional golf major and IndyCar races scratch my itch for sports excitement.  I typically wait until September to care about baseball.  But, I don't dislike baseball because I know nothing about it.

I played the game from the time I was 7 through 17.  I played Babe Ruth, where I was actually pretty good, played high school ball and coached Little League for 5 seasons.  I loved playing the game...and coaching as well...just the watching makes me sleepy.

That said, I went all fairweather for the Boilers and watched as much late-season action as BTN would bring to me...And here's what I saw- a team that didn't pitch great, made quite a few errors in the field and, in the clutch, simply couldn't get the job done.  Hell, how many stranded runners did we see in the final two games of the season alone?

Back to my original point- we've been through this before.

Back in '11, Smooge and JJ were two of the best players in the conference, if not the nation.  Much like these Baseball Boilers, accolades were handed out on a weekly basis as those Boilers came up with big wins, on big stages against big competition.  Same goes for Schreiber's bunch this year.  When they needed hits, they found them. The dramatic comeback v. UCLA and the big wins v. MSU when they needed them come to mind right away.

Purdue's 2012 baseball team, like the 2011 basketball team was one of the best in the nation...and the post-season flame-outs don't change that fact. Both teams were highly-ranked and both played on extremely-high levels.  BUT, both teams also backed their way out of the regular seasons v. Iowa...lowly, hated rival, Iowa.  The baseball and basketball Hawkeyes aren't coached by an icon like Ferentz...and their records show it.  So losing to either of these teams, at home or in Iowa is kind of inexcusable for the cream of the conference.

Now, one big difference between these two teams is that the baseball Boilers won the B1G tournament...and did it while going through IU. But, IU's baseball team isn't like the hardwood Hoosiers.  That said, winning the B1G tournament for this year's Boilers was a great accomplishment...but I don't think the players thought of that as their end goal.

So when they got the #1 seed in their regional, I'm pretty sure they thought there was more meat on the bone for this season...and it looked like there might be after the first game v. Valpo.  Granted, Valpo played a pretty horrible game, errors mounted, helped Purdue move runners and stay alive in innings that were dead...and the Boilers advanced easily.

Similarly, Matty's squad played a low seed, St. Peter's in their opening round of the tournament in 2011...and St. Peter's looked shocked and overwhelmed by Purdue's ability...and they were swamped...So Purdue would move on.  It looked like Purdue would play college basketball blueblood, Georgetown in the next round.  G'Town, had been ranked as high as top-10 earlier that season...but finished their BE schedule with a whisper and received the 6 seed in Purdue's bracket.

Similarly, Kentucky was a highly-ranked team for most of the season in 2012...but wasn't given the privilege of hosting the regional this year.  But the Wildcats seemed to be Purdue's main hurdle to making the Super Regional.  But Kent State had other ideas...and they moved Kentucky to the loser's bracket just as VCU had cleared the Hoyas out of Matty's squad's way a year earlier.

So it was set.  Purdue v. Kent State...Purdue v. VCU...and our Boilers would be playing with the nation's best and in a conversation that everyone thought they belonged in to begin with.

But, VCU overwhelmed a sluggish Purdue defense and played with more energy than a team that had been defined by hustle and effort.  Similarly, Kent State, peppered the struggling Boilers with hit after hit...Purdue's pitching that had been strong and well-coached all season, was overwhelmed as their ace was kept in the game a few pitches too long.  The strength that had defined both teams during the regular season was no where to be found...and Boiler fans in the United Center and Gary's Steelyard alike were both left cursing as they watched the games slip away.

VCU went on to make an improbably trip to the final four...and the fuel to their confidence might have been beating the mighty Boilers.  Kent State earned its way out of the regional by knocking off two of the nation's best...who knows when their run will end. But the point is, Purdue's is over.

I won't go as far as to say the regular seasons don't matter.  Both teams provided a very enjoyable run for the fans as they won, won and won some more.  But, when the chips were down, neither team could step up.

A few years ago, my brother who is a fellow Purdue alum pointed something out to me- You really can't blame the media for giving Purdue no respect.  Time and again, very good Purdue teams in football, basketball and now baseball have taken great regular season success only to crap the bed in the post-season.

We can talk about key injuries...whether it's Glenn Robinson's back in '94 or Rob Hummel's knee in '11...and those factors were important. We can site valiant efforts in a loss like Hummel's herculean game v. Kansas or Shawn Phillips super-human defensive effort v. Georgia in 2004...but both ended in heartbreak.  Facts are facts...so until Purdue can break through and win a January 1 bowl (or better), get into the Final Four or get to Omaha, it's tough to argue that our Boilers are anything other than a regular season monster and a post-season pansy.

I don't like this any more than anyone reading this...in fact it makes me a little sick in my stomach when I think about how some of these truly great teams never got to hoist the trophy at the very end of the season...but right now, things are what they are...and there's only one way to change the future.

Just win.

So What's Been Different For Purdue Basketball This Year?

Obviously, any of us can point to the fact that there is no more JJ and no more E'Twaun and thus that's the key. And sure, that's a valid point. But it's not like this team is devoid of talent and it's not like they haven't won some tight games and had their impressive nights. 

Any season in any sport can be sliced up and dissected in a multitude of ways, so obviously this is just one fellow's opinion, but I think the following statistics are very impactful. 

There are a couple of measures that the NCAA selection committee takes into account and that computer rankings also take into account and one of the big ones is how you fare against quality competition. Sure, the top 25 rankings aren't the same as the RPI, but if you want a simple look at how your team is doing against some of the best in the country, either top 25 list is a good measuring stick. Below is how Big Ten teams have fared against those top 25 opponents.

That's right....winless. And the worst record versus top 25 competition in the entire Big Ten. If you wish to compare our boys against some of the teams I think a lot of us feel are similarly talented, the side-by-side is not good. Illinois, for example, who perpetually feels like a team in freefall, is 3-3 against top 25 competition. IU is 3-4. Michigan is .500. All of which are a hell of a lot better than 0-6, yet would .500 be that much to ask for?

The second big factor that has been different this year is the ability to protect home court. Purdue hadn't lost at home in two years, yet has three home losses this season. If you hold serve against Wisconsin and Michigan at home this year -- neither of which are a stretch to imagine having happened -- suddenly you have two wins versus the top 25 and you're just one game out of first in the conference. How incredibly different would this season feel right now if Purdue had simply pulled out those two? Remember, this is leaving the Xavier and Butler debacles exactly as they happened.

Protecting home court leads to good things. You win games against ranked teams when you do that in the toughest conference in the land and you challenge for the conference title. You also lock up a tourney bid and are able to go into the Big Ten Tournament only looking to not hurt yourself, rather than desperately wanting additional Ws for the ledger.

How does this compare, you might ask? I'm glad you might have asked.

Last season, the Boilers went 16-0 at home and 4-2 vs the AP Top 25. The year before they were 15-2 at Mackey and 4-2 against Top 25 competition. Those two seasons resulted in first and second place finishes.

Clearly, losing all-conference talents like JJ and  Smooge is a big hurdle to overcome, and I'm not suggesting the Boilers should not have been impacted. However, I think these data points illustrate just how different things could be if only the Boilers could hold serve at home and close out a few conference games against their ranked foes. The opportunities still exist -- albeit road versions -- so the summary on this team and this senior class has not yet been written.

It's time to get the pen on the paper. Choo-choo.

It Wasn't Supposed To End This Way

It's okay to feel that way. It's completely okay for you to feel dejected this morning. I woke up and the first thing I thought about was the loss to VCU. Sure, losses don't affect me like they did a number of years ago (my son gives me some much-needed perspective, maybe), but this one will continue to sting for a while.

I don't think it would be hard to get most people to agree that this year's team entering the tourney was a lot better than last year's. Sure, you could argue they miss Chris Kramer's defense, but playing strong defense was not really a problem this year. Once they collectively got over losing Rob for the season -- and make no mistake, they got over it a lot faster than the rest of us -- this team came together. They gave us a strong start to the season, a couple of fairly minor hiccups, and then one of the greatest Februarys we've ever seen out of a Purdue basketball program.

All we asked at the start of the season was that the team be healthy and playing good ball heading into March. We sort of got our wish. There weren't any mega-injuries, obviously, but there were those proverbial "distractions." Barlow manages to screw up enough -- or so badly -- that he's dismissed for the season. Did that impact their focus? I know I said I was concerned that it did, but I really am not sure it could have been that big a factor. Losing your sixth man whose play had gone steadily downhill the last few weeks of the season doesn't seem like it could possibly be that impactful. Purdue still had their seniors and that's what should have mattered.

Last year's team perhaps had more of a chip on their shoulders because the Rob injury was fresh and they were really being counted out. And the thing that made the ending last year kind of tolerable was that they lost a game to the eventual national champs and clearly were out-manned and out-talented. This year? No disrespect to VCU -- who is a good team -- but it's not the same.

Purdue would have needed to beat a 14 seed, an 11 seed and then a 10 seed to get to the Elite Eight. If Richmond pulls off the huge upset of Kansas (not a completely insane idea), then the path for the Final Four would have been 14-11-10-12. All double digit seeds. We often lament that things rarely "line up" for Purdue. Well, let's not mince words: things were lined up for Purdue this year.

This is not to say the road would be easy, even with those double digit seeds. St. Peter's plays strong defense, VCU shoots the lights out, FSU just beat one of the Big East's elite, and Richmond already beat Purdue this year. So obviously I'm not saying it'd have been easy. But it's never easy to get four rounds into the tourney. But I would have very much liked these matchups for our boys.

So what happened? We're all so quick these days to place blame and we're always looking for the scapegoat. Perhaps that has led us to be even more frustrated by yesterday's game because there's no easy answer. When the game was about ten minutes old and Purdue led 22-19, I felt good because even without JJ or E'Twaun getting warm yet, Purdue had a lead. That had to bode well, I thought. But then VCU began hitting and somehow going through Purdue's defense like they weren't even there....uncontested layup after uncontested layup. And then, once they were up by double-digits, they began bombing away every time Purdue left them open for threes. And that's what a good shooting team should do. Get them on their heels and then deliver the haymakers, the knockout blows. It's something we've wished Purdue would do more but rarely did. VCU followed the recipe perfectly and then feasted on roasted Boilermaker.

There were people on Twitter giving grief to JaJuan Johnson, which we felt was unwarranted. JJ had 25 and 14, so it's hard to suggest he's the reason the Boilers lost. VCU also was doubling JJ a lot and leaving E'Twaun in single coverage -- yet Smooge couldn't cash in. And sure, you could blame 33 if you want, too. But this year, against unranked teams, Purdue has done fine when at least two guys show up as significant scorers. JJ having 25 and Ryne having 20 should have been enough of a base to win. And when you look at 76 points, well... if I told you Purdue would score 76 against a CAA team seeded 11th, I bet you'd take that.

Why did the defense simply fall apart? Why were the Boilers exhibiting body language that we haven't seen in years? How much of this is on the seniors? How much is on the coaches? There are no perfect answers, but it is probably on all of them, including underclassmen, etc. It was a collective failure. Failure to do what got them there, failure to adjust, failure to focus, failure to lead, failure to follow.

Being perfectly honest, I always felt that last year was "the year." I remember saying a while back that 2010 -- in Indy, no less -- was Purdue's best chance of several decades to go to the Final Four and/or win a title. They had the big three as juniors, CK's defense, Keaton's experience, LewJack as a sophomore and, until the season crumbled, a likely high seed. They got to #3 in the country before Rob's knee effectively ended the dream. I remember being crushed because I knew that was the year. I just knew it. And sure, we all pointed to this year with the guys as seniors, but the 2009-2010 team -- healthy -- was just right. This year's team was, as we've now seen, missing something.

We're very excited, actually, about the future of this program and, as Boilerdowd said to me last night, "I want to see next year's team right now." But going back to what I said at the beginning of this post....it's okay to feel dejected. We all had higher hopes for these seniors.

This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

Boilers Massacred in Chicago: 94-76

I didn't have a great feeling coming into this game, but still was confident that Purdue's defense was on an upswing, and would be enough to power Purdue to victory. Not only was I wrong, but I wasn't even close. In hindsight, the mirage set in front of us by our Boilers crushing St. Peter's was more an indictment of the Peacocks than a sign of good things for Purdue.

J had sizable concerns about this team's psyche after days of unrest- rumors of why Barlow was booted, Ryne Smith's injury and John Hart tweaking his ankle made my fellow BSer uneasy. Turns out, he was right and I was wrong. I really thought we'd see a focused couple of games from this veteran-laden squad. I thought they were mentally tough enough to draw together and get back to what made them great waaaaaaaay back in February. Sadly, I was wrong.

Like many of the losses this season, Purdue left no room for doubt in this one. It was close in the beginning, but began getting unraveled late in the first half as Purdue's poor shot selection led to VCU fast breaks and extremely-easy buckets. Allowing 40+ points in a half is never a good thing for a Painter-coached team. So we all knew that if the 10 point lead didn't shrink, at least by a few in the first few minutes of the second half, The Forces of Good were in grave danger.

At just before the 16:00 mark, VCU's lead was 12...and like that, the game was over for all intents and purposes. When I think back to this season, I can think of one double-digit comeback...and zero of that nature in the second half. Perhaps it's mental, perhaps its just that this team isn't an offensive juggernaut, but whatever the reason, leads that shouldn't be insurmountable quickly become so with this team. That 12 point lead quickly became 20+ as Purdue wilted, yet again and ended March how they began it- with a painful loss.

In late February, if you would have told me that the top-10 Boilers would go 1-4 versus four teams out of the top-25 in the next month, I'd have told you that you were as nutty as Charlie Sheen. We really believed that wins versus Wisconsin and Ohio State weren't the peak of the season, but a foretaste of what was coming in the tournament. We were wrong. And while February was amazingly-enjoyable, it really only makes tonight more painful.

The team that played the last four games didn't deserve the ranking that the real Purdue Boilers earned...they didn't deserve a three seed either...but they did deserve an early exit from the tournament and the public, self-induced humiliation we saw tonight.

Members of the media and lemmings on Twitter alike stated and re-stated that Purdue just wasn't fast, athletic or strong enough to hang with VCU. WHAT? While it definitely looked that way, it's tough to believe that a team with an All-American, an All-conference player and a solid supporting cast could look like a mid-major who barely got into the tournament. But this reversal of roles is precisely what happened. My favorite Gene Keady quote of all time is, "It's not who you play, but when you play them."

A white-hot, pissed off VCU team was given the gift of playing a soft-hearted, mentally-weak, unfocused and non-cohesive opponent and the result is they get to play at least another game while Purdue's players are done for the season. As I type, Notre Dame is struggling with FSU and Illinois is fighting hard against Kansas. Half of my brain says, "Damn, if this wasn't laid out perfectly for Purdue." The other half says, "This team wouldn't win the NIT right now...let alone earn its way into Houston...regardless of the road."

If you had the stomach and heart to stay with the telecast until the end of the game, you probably saw one of the most-heartbreaking images that I can remember in my life as a Purdue fan. While his teammates struggled, floundered and stumbled toward the end of the game, Rob Hummel couldn't resist the weight and pressure of what he was witnessing. He knew this season might have been different had things gone differently...he surely believed tonight would have been different had his body held together. I pray he didn't and doesn't feel guilty for something he couldn't control...but I absolutely empathize with him as that moment was just too much to bear.

Crushed.

Purdue's defense, no, its entire system, is based on playing smart, playing with grit and playing with heart. Our Boilers have played flat-out dumb the last few weeks as quick, bad shots and poor passes have reigned supreme. The grit that has helped define Purdue teams for more than a generation has gone missing. And most-shocking and most painful, the heart that they've exhibited over the last few seasons simply didn't even murmur this month. And because of the confluence of these factors, this season is now over.

Notes from a debacle (Boilers whipped by VCU)

-While Purdue didn't have to control the glass to win this season, rebounding was always an indicator of this team's focus. Purdue lost this battle 44-35

-I've heard a ton of fans venting and blaming JJ and Smooge as the reason for the loss. Let's first look at JJ:

25 pts (11/20 shooting), 14 boards, 3 blocks

In other words, he did what he's done all season. A fair gripe would be the 4 three point shots he took (only hitting one) were generally rushed and not the best option...like nearly everyone's shooting tonight. Partially because he shot so many jumpers, he didn't get to the line like usual (2/3).

Now Smooge:

10 pts (5/15 shooting), 8 boards, 6 assists

Not horrible numbers, but clearly, he's in another slump. But, he did get involved in other ways. The real problem I have with this slump, like the big one at the beginning of the season, is that he just wasn't finishing the easy shots around the rim. On one specific play, he double pumped a layup attempt when the defender's hand wasn't even near the ball.

They had two turnovers each.

I think the hardest thing to watch was as the game got out of hand, it seemed these two just didn't get visibly angry...they just faded. I don't question their effort. They've never been vocal leaders or fiery personalities...but in games like this it's awfully tough to watch that type of player lead a team.

Now the Juniors:

Ryno

20pts (7/9), 3reb, 1blk

He found his stroke after shaking the cobwebs loose against SPC. Much like in '10, Smith came to play at the best-possible time. Defensively, he struggled at times as did everybody.

LewJack

10pts, 7 ast, 2 reb

Didn't apply the on-ball defense that we've come to expect...the guy he guarded defined the pace for the game and he couldn't stay with him.

Rest of the team:

Byrd

6pts, 6ast, fouled out

He had a couple big shots...but I like the last part of that stat the best. He looked angry and was physically doing whatever he could to try to slow down VCU. Can't wait to see him playing a more natural position in '12.

TJohn

5pts, 1ast

Quiet game...like the rest of the guards, took some bad, quick shots and couldn't get back on defense.

Boilers Pluck Peacocks. 65-43; Await Georgetown/VCU Winner

The Boilers rolled in their opening round game against St. Peter's, as we all knew they would. It's rare that Boilermaker fans get confident going into a tourney game, but this was one where the general feel was pretty damn positive.

I spoke to B-dowd before the game and I said my theory on Purdue's run was that tonight's game would be the most "fun" one for all of us as fans, while all remaining games from this point forward would be stressful.

It turned out to be exactly that way. During the week, I said on the podcast that Purdue was going to win big and needed to win big to get confidence back and to assert themselves, quite frankly. Winning by 22 points doesn't really allow the media to minimize your potential, for example, and that's a good thing. We like to see the Boilers respected.

Nevertheless, every time St. Peter's made a basket, the D-level broadcasting crew on TNT would try to suggest the Peacocks were "making a run." Never mind that no such run really ever occurred.

As for the game itself, sure, there are some things to discuss.

What I liked:

-- JJ grabbing 16 boards. Sure, SPC was small and not a good rebounding group, but Johnson simply snatched quite a few of those away from two or three 'cocks at a time. 

-- Lewis Jackson's game. Four of five from the floor, four of five from the line, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. His game was barely noted by the broadcasting team, who was too busy showing really uncomfortable hugs and caressing by SPC's coach and badass, 5-point-scorer Nick Leon. However, Eammon Brennan caught up with Lew after the win. Lew was on his game tonight and it was good to see, especially in light of Barlow's absence.

--On that note, I also liked Terone tonight. TJ looked very comfortable at the point tonight and it was actually terrific to see. He looked more comfortable, to me, than he's looked most of the season... and that's not to say he hasn't looked good this year. I'm just saying it's amazing what playing your natural position can do for a guy. Terone had eight points (including two treys), four dimes and two steals.

--Holding a team to 43 points. Kind of awesome.

What I didn't like:

--Purdue turning the ball over 16 timess, more than SPC....including seven by Smooge alone. Wow. I don't know if St. Peter's defense is that good or if Purdue had a sloppy night, or a little of both. Many times, things like this do indeed fall somewhere in the middle. Remember, the Peacocks were ranked very high defensively in college basketball and I guess it was at least partially deserved. It didn't stop a 22 point beatdown, but it did cause Purdue to turn the ball over a lot and to only score 65 points.

--Sloppyness. Some of it was SPC D, as mentioned, but there were other things that had nothing to do with the opposition. Sloppy passes, taking eyes off the ball, fumbling rebounds, etc. Yes, you can get away with this stuff now but we all know you need to buckle down. I'm inclined to not be real worried about any of this because it was the first game, plus it was a team Purdue was up big on most of the night. You do tend to lose your focus a bit when you're up 25, no matter how much you try not to.

-- Ryne Smith going 0-5 from the floor. Sure, he is coming off a concussion and, sure, a St. Peter's player braced himself on the back of Ryne's neck in order to block Smith and knock him to the floor...but hey, what does that matter?  Seriously, though, we're big fans and I hope Ryne is okay and that he gets back on track. We need you, Ryno.

Next up...

As I write this, VCU is taking the naughty paddle to Georgetown's collective hineys, so it looks like our Boilers will face the 11-seed VCU Rams, also of black and gold lineage. Game will be Sunday, time as yet to be determined.

One stop down, three to go until reaching our final destination of Houston. The ride begins to pick up speed now, so please hang on.

Choo-choo, muthas.

Bracket Don't Lie...and notes on cheating

There's a ton of pressure in those brackets. This pressure can make an old man dance around like a little boy and can make another weep like a baby. We saw a bit of that last night as Kalin Lucas' college career ended. This is a guy who deserved much better than what he got this year- He didn't deserve to have malcontent teammates who were forced to exit, he didn't deserve to watch his teammates crumble in injury time and time again, he didn't deserve to watch his well-respected coach nearly have a mental breakdown in the closing minutes of most games, and he didn't deserve to have his achilles tendon rupture last season. He's a truly great player, but this is a team game and his team's season is now over.

As Purdue fans we can relate too well...as people we can probably relate even more.

And this is far from the only case of heartbreak- Louisville's Knowles rolls his ankle, and at the same time, Morehead State plays a great game...and just like that, a member of EsPN's favorite conference goes down in a heap. A team we all know well, Richmond, out-grits a Vandy squad that was in the top-25 for most of the season as their dynamic duo, Harper and Anderson outclass the 'Dores like they did Purdue back in November. Injuries, unconscious shooting, foul trouble, poor coaching decisions...they all come out in the wash as each team earns its right to play in their next game.

It's funny- when a team wins a big game, you often hear a player say, "It hasn't sunken yet." But, when a player loses, he knows right away what's happened. I think that's an example of what Painter's been talking about for a few weeks- winning makes you soft in some ways. It's like an opiate that numbs your senses and makes you ignore the faults and imperfections of your reality. If that's the case, losing is shoving smelling salts up your nose and having your face forced into frigid water. Immediately, you're aware of the scope of all that's happened around you. A player might even see his entire career, mistakes and failures alike, all right in front of him as he questions what he might have been able to do to change the trajectory of his team's fate. And win or lose, the tournament format simply doesn't lie. The team that's playing the best at that point of the season wins the whole ball of wax.

We've said it one hundred times and we'll say it again- thank God the NCAA lets the teams decide who will play for the national championship...in basketball. Yesterday, I gave credit to CBS for its joint venture with TBS that we've all been enjoying- I was told my praise was misdirected. Fair enough. Congrats to the NCAA for getting this tournament right. The coverage has been excellent and has given the consumer/fan the ability to choose exactly what he wants to watch regardless of when dinner time is, if the local news is on or if a regional favorite is playing.

Now go fix football.

And speaking of fixing things, NCAA, you're a pitiful joke when it comes to punishment. Nice job in botching an open-shut case of blatant disregard for your structure and respect of authority.

Some might think that five games is a suitable suspension for players getting tattoos in exchange for swag (I don't, by the way). But I don't believe anyone outside of the corrupt cabal known as an Ohio State University thinks this punishment is fitting for this case of cover-up in the name of winning, or attempting to win, a national title. Please note, I didn't just say Ohio State's athletic department...that's intentional. The moment Gordon Gee muttered his hilarious quip, "I just hope Tressel doesn't fire me..." It became a university-wide conspiracy to skirt the rules and get away with whatever's possible.

If karma truly existed in sports, the Buckeyes would lose today to UTSA...but it doesn't. In lieu of karma, I'll be rooting hard against the Buckeyes and hoping for their early departure. Being part of the same conference doesn't mean we should look the other way as one of our own cheats its way to success...afterall, Purdue isn't a part of the SEC- but aOSU clearly wishes it was. Sorry fellas, you're too far north.

I've always had a suspicion that Thad Matta skirted the rules to get players to come play for him. And I'll admit, there is still no concrete proof of my opinion. But, there is absolute proof that aOSU, as an institution, will do anything in its power to win. And since that university's administration, its athletic department and its coaches are working along side the NCAA to not stop cheating, I'll keep believing exactly as I do.

So, as always, Go Boilers- today could be the first step in Purdue's quest to earn its first national title in the modern era of the tourney. And after my alma mater, I'll be rooting for whomever is in the path of the Buckeyes, UK Wildcats, Volunteers and UConn Huskies and others to win. While the NCAA doesn't seem overly-willing to completely stop cheating coaches and athletic departments from doing what they do, another team might be able to send them a message...even if it's temporary. While the playing field might not be completely level during the off-season or in the classroom, during the season and subsequent tournament, a good coach can bring a team together to level things up. Here's to one of those programs, coaches and teams, that does it the right way raising that wooden trophy in April.

Go Boilers. Like Matty's squad, I couldn't be more ready for Purdue to play.

A Handsome Look at the Tourney Field: HH 3/16/11

These handsome fellas get focused for the dance...

They talk about having faith...

They discuss tattoos...

And look at what makes an FF possible.

Tune in...Right now!!

(forward to the :47 second mark for the broadcast...get this- we had technical difficulties! [I know, hard to believe])

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

Poking the Hibernating Bear

Even before this afternoon's news of Barlow's suspension, I was thinking about this post...but for a different reason.

We, and the rest of the Big Ten, know how good Purdue can be when focused- they are a group that causes shot clock violations regularly for opposing offenses. They can erupt at a moment's notice and turn a nip-and-tuck score into an insurmountable deficit. They are a team that is as happy playing a half court game as they are pushing the pace and forcing the issue. And when their resolve is there, they strike fear in about any team in America...but then there's the listless Purdue that we've seen a few times this season.

Back in November, they showed up in Chicago versus Richmond. Almost the whole game, they were in neutral. The result was Richmond's PG/SF combo looking like Stockton and Malone. Nearly two months to the day, later, that sluggish squad showed up again. Hung over from the College Gameday atmosphere, the Buckeyes had Purdue beaten in mere minutes as a 0-0 game was out of hand before halftime was reached. Bad Pete didn't show up again until March...after a nearly-perfect February. And it was a different game than some of you are thinking, in my opinion. The first half of Senior night was pretty sickening. Purdue allowed a hot-shooting Illinois team to run out in front and take a big lead. But, thanks to some big shots by the Seniors and an electric Mackey Arena, Purdue earned a closer-than-expected victory.

The next two games were shockingly-lousy as Purdue allowed the 10th-best team in the conference to absolutely control them...then allowed MSU to earn its way back into the NCAA field by showing up the top-10 Boilers in their own game: toughness and 'want-to'.

If you're a Purdue fan, you've may have thought about why they ended the season that way, but it doesn't take the analysis of Bobby Knight to figure this one out. The basketball adage goes- Good offense is often the result of talent and skill...Good defense and rebounding is almost always a result of hustle and will. Purdue's hustle, its heart and its motivation were AWOL in the last two contests...but we've seen this before.

Last year, Purdue was body slammed out of the BTT as they put on an exhibition of exactly what a major college basketball team shouldn't do v. Minnesota. They followed the game up with a solid performance to start the NCAA tourney v. Siena. In '09, they ended the season in East Lansing with one of the flattest second halves of basketball of that season. They followed that up by tearing through the BTT and winning their first such crown, then winning two more games in the dance.

The point is, we all know that Painter-coached teams are resilient...and that's without additional motivation. So I loved reading this article about St. Pete's from NJ.com. If you follow us on Twitter, much of this is review for you...as it set the interwebnet ablaze with fired up Boiler backers...but it's still good to get this word out as much as possible prior to Purdue's 7:20 tip-off v. the Peacocks on Friday (on TNT).

Let me re-set the stage: On one hand you have a team that was top-10 in the nation for much of the season. This team boasts of two of the best players in the nation (according to media and coaches alike) and one of the best coaches in all of the land as well. The other team has some solid players, three Senior starters and earned its way into the dance, after upsetting Iona in its conference tourney. In my opinion, it'd probably be best for both teams to just respect the other prior to the game and let their performance do the talking.

JaJuan Johnson agreed saying, "We're playing against a St. Peter's team that won their conference...last year we played Siena, they're from the same conference. Obviously, they have to be a pretty decent team."

Now, St. Peter's had other ideas.

6'7" F Ryan Bacon said this of the aforementioned All-American, POY candidate, Johnson, "I'm embracing the opportunity (to guard him). He's not Superman."

5'11" PG Nick Leon continued putting the Boilers in their place by saying, "We're not focused on matching up on them. They need to focus on matching up with us." He'll have the the chance to guard and be guarded by Lewis Jackson.

I guess there's nothing wrong with talking trash if you can back it up...and the Peacocks will have their chance to do just that when they play the lowly Boilers from someplace in the midwest. Afterall, the 143rd-best team in America (according to the RPI) has plenty to be proud of. Their star shooting guard, Wesley Jenkins summed up St. Peter's current pre-NCAA tourney position quite succinctly. "...you have to go through hard times first, and now, we're on top."

I don't bet on sports, especially Purdue sports. But if I was a betting man, I'd probably put down a shiny dime or two on my Boilers for this Friday. They might have eased their way out of the regular season as they drifted to sleep, but I think it'd be pretty foolish to doubt their focus or resolve in the final games of JJ and Smooge's careers. And some might think the loss of Barlow will hurt the Boilers greatly in the tourney...and it might sting a bit. But, I can promise you that his absence forces this team to be more businesslike as they prepare for their next game.

Matty, Moore, Johnson and company are pretty damned good at what they do. But, when they're doubted, when they're disrespected, and consequently, when they're angry, they're nearly unbeatable. I think a few proud Peacocks have made big mistake and awakened a sleeping monster. Soon, they'll live with the consequences of their actions.

Cover your face and head, Peacocks.

Barlow out for Tourney

Barlow chokes his post-season away

Gold and Black is reporting that Kelsey Barlow is out for the NCAA tournament due to suspension.

Barlow is an important part of the rotation and would have surely been helpful versus longer, more athletic teams (read as Georgetown), especially on defense. While I was ecstatic with the idea of an angry Kelsey Barlow playing the trash talking Peacocks, I'm even more pleased that Painter has decided to hold up team rules regardless of the timing. I don't think many teams or coaches in America would make this decision, especially on the eve of the tourney. In fact, I know teams in the BT that wouldn't discipline their athletes for larger, more egregious errors.

Hats off to Matty. Note to Kelsey: Get your head screwed on straight...you'll be needed next season. Plus, Purdue fans love your killer instinct, your huge upside and the fact that you're widely-disliked around the league.

With every problem comes opportunity. So now, will it be Terone Johnson whose minutes will increase and production must increase as well? Will John Hart find his stroke and get back into the rhythm we saw earlier in the season? Regardless of whom steps up, someone...or multiple players have to make up for the 19+ minutes, 5 points and nearly 3 assists per game that #12 provided.

A Beautiful Body Catches the Committee's Eye (and notes)

Leading up to the selection of this year's NCAA tournament, we heard that the last ten games of the season wasn't as important as the entire body of work. But, as a Purdue fan, you couldn't help but wonder how important the last two games would be in the minds and hearts of those who decided our Boilers fate.

I've tried to think about what happened in Iowa City and then Indianapolis...I've looked at it passionately and in a completely-biased manner and tried to separate myself and view as an outsider might. The latter led me to ask one main question:

-Does a team that plays dominant defense simply forget how to play that part of the game?

The answer of course is no. And I believe the committee thought the same way. As a result, JJ, Smooge and Co. take one more step forward and land Purdue at a 3 seed just two hours North of West La La in Chicago. In my mind, it couldn't be much better the way Purdue finished.

I've heard it said that instead of being overwhelmed by the scope of the entire tournament, it's best to break it down to a few smaller weekend tourneys. So here's Purdue's first tournament this coming weekend in Chicago:

This mini-tourney looks pretty winnable to me. Obviously, Georgetown jumps off the page right away as the team in the way of getting out of the weekend, but before the second round, Purdue will play a team that I have never seen play a game. If you're like me, you want to get a little educated before Friday...so here goes.

Knows nothing about Purdue

St. Peter's College comes to the big dance by way of the MAAC, like Purdue's first round opponent in last year's tourne, Sienna (they miss Coach Fran, by the way). They've been to the NCAA tournament twice ('91 v. Texas, '95 v. UMAss) but have never won a game in the tourney. They finished in the upper middle of the conference, but obviously won the conference tourney (they upset Iona in the Championship). As little as I know about them, their coach, Jon Dunne, might know about the same about Purdue.

"Hopefully the staff has started watching film already, because we know nothing about Purdue"

That sounds like a good start for Purdue. Dunne's team thought they'd be a 15 seed and that they'd be playing UConn, UNC or another team that they had actually watched on TV...but instead, they end up playing some small school that no one knows about from Indiana (where is that anyway??).

St. Peter's Wesley Jenkins

They started off the season 0-3 as their leading scorer, Wesley Jenkins, couldn't play due to injury for nearly two months of this season. They don't have a win versus an RPI top-50 team and their best win of the season was their final game of the MAAC tourney as they beat the 70th-ranked Iona Gaels.

Their starting line-up has a pair of 6'7" forwards, one of them, Ryan Bacon, leads the team with 7.5 reb/gm. Their PG, Nick Leon, leads them in assists (3.1/gm). The guy who might create the most problems for Purdue is the 6'2" Wesley Jenkins who is a four years starter. Along with Jenkins, the Peacocks start two other Seniors and a pair of Sophomores. Their rotation is typically 8-deep and their Seniors play more than anybody.

They consider themselves a "scrappy" team that isn't fun to watch...something we Purdue fans can appreciate since Matty's squad has looked like that from time-to-time. They're a stout defensive team as they allow only 59.9 pts/gm (12th)...but at the same time, they struggle offensively scoring only 61.4 (315th).

We'll give our opinion on the match-up as the week progresses...you can draw your own conclusions for now.

Purdue ended the season with a CCR of 9.7.

Other Notes

Purdue is 11-5 versus the 9 teams they played during the season that made the tourney. And judging by MSU's seeding (10), they needed the throttling they gave to Purdue on Friday to get into the dance. The highest-seeded tourney opponent Purdue played is of course the number one overall aOSU Buckeyes. The lowest seeded is the 14th seeded Sycamores from ISU.

The most-surprising snub of this year's bracket to me is St. Mary's. They had wins over St. John's and Gonzaga, and were ranked for big chunks of the season. But a low RPI (45) and a ton of teams in that range probably forced them out.

From the Purdue family, Kevin Stallings Vandy squad got a 5 seed, Lavin's St. John's Red Storm landed at 6, Weber's Illini got a 9 seed. Cuonzo Martin's Missouri State team will be hosting Murray State in the NIT.

My favorite matchup of the entire first round is Kentucky v. Princeton. I love it when the tourney committee gets creative in their matchups. Go Tigers.

Join the BS Bracket Extravaganza!!

A look at the numbers v. MSU

I didn't want to my post-game wrap-up to get dominated by stats...or have a focus on the individual...so here's a supplemental analysis of tonight's performance:

JJ scored 21 points. But in the process shot below 50%...not because he wasn't shooting well in the post, but because he was 0-3 from behind the three point line. He finished with nine rebounds...it just felt like less. He had one block, but was beaten in the blocks quite a few times in the second half.

Smooge had the quietest 17 points I can remember. In fact, I was shocked to see his final point tally. He also had four assists and three rebounds. And while he drew fouls and got to the free throw line, he only shot 66% from the charity stripe. The defense that we've been spoiled by from Smooge simply wasn't there as he gave a ton of space while MSU ran a weave time and time again.

If you visit here regularly, you know that I'm a LewJack fan. Well, I've gotta be honest, Jackson played an lousy game. He didn't push the ball enough, only had three assists to go along with two rebounds and two points.

His fellow point guard, Barlow, played poorly too. He had a few ill-advised shots, three missed free throws, one point, one assist, one rebound and one steal to go along with his one turnover. Plus he had two bone-headed plays (one on defense, one on offense) that were absolute momentum killers.

Terone Johnson played for 23 minutes...but did so quietly. Same goes for DJ Byrd and Ryne Smith (with the exception of one shot, that looked big at the time). No one really was a difference-maker in the supporting cast.

I might sound negative, but if you watched the game, you probably agree. Purdue played poorly as a team...and for the second-straight game, really deserved to lose.

Handsome Hour: March 10, 2011

The handsome duo you love to love is happy it's March.

They talk about Purdue's heritage in the tournament...

And look at how things have changed.

Listen...NOW!!!

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

What's Next?

JJ towers above his peers**

Last night Matty and Co. cleaned up on BT Awards Night.

Of course JJ and Smooge were named as members of the All-Conference squads by both the media and the coaches, and Painter was given the COY Honors for the second-straight season. But there were some surprises.

The hotly-contested POY race between JJ, Sullinger and Taylor went to Johnson. I think everyone could see validity in any of these guys getting the award...but Purdue's #25 swept the coach's and media's polls. I was a bit surprised at that- I thought the coaches would give it to JJ and Sullinger would receive the media award since he's been a national media favorite since he got on campus in Columbus...and rightfully-so. But, the guys that cover the BT, night-in, night-out thought the Indianapolis native and late-bloomer JaJuan Johnson was the right guy for the honor.

I think that's a tip of the cap to his consistency and his ability to simply carry Purdue as other players grew into their roles and Moore slumped a bit. It also might be a bit of appreciation by the media for the four-year player. Regardless, he's a good pick, a good representative of Purdue, as is Moore.

Atop the POY award, JJ was named the Defensive player of the year...and this surprised me as much as no Purdue backcourt player being on the All-Defense team. Moore and LewJack were drum-tight all season...but Craft and Lighty are just as good of a tandem, if not better...and there are only so many spots on these squads.

LewJack's ability to change the pace of a game didn't go completely unnoticed though. He named as an Honorable Mention All-Conference player. If Wisconsin's Taylor decides to go pro (which I don't think he'll do), and Jackson continues to mature and improve, he might be a first or second-team All-BT guy in '12. If his work ethic has anything to say about it, he'll get more recognition next season. Not bad for a guy that some Purdue fans simply didn't appreciate for the first few seasons on campus. I think now, even the biggest Jackson-doubter would admit he's as important as JJ or Smooge to this team.

Painter receiving the coach of the year award didn't surprise me. What did was the gnashing of teeth and tearing of robes by aOSU fans demanding a recount and pleading for their guy to get the nod. Anything less than a BT Championship from that talent-laden squad would have earned him the worst Coach of the Year award from me...but hats off to him for going away from the zone defense. Why he didn't do it sooner is still a head scratcher for me. Let's keep in mind they have four sure-fire NBA players on the team (Sullinger, Lighty, Buford, Diebler) who will be in the league, three more who have a good chance of playing in the league (Lauderdale and Thomas) and a guy who, regardless of what he does as a pro, will be an All-Conference player year-in, year-out for the remainder of his time on campus.

Hats off to Matta for building one of the best rosters in the nation and managing them brilliantly. His reward is a #1 ranking and #1 seed- I think Painter would gladly trade his award for that position...but, I don't think he'd trade Purdue's roster for anyone's right now. The two are made for eachother.

I've resigned myself to the fact that JJ is merely an also-ran in the National Player of the Year Awards as Fredette or Smith seem to be the two in that race at this point. And the same goes for Matty as Lavin, Fisher and Brey have done a tremendous job capturing the hearts and minds of the masses during this season. If I were to pick outside of this year's Purdue family, I think Fredette and Lavin would both be excellent choices. You can't really argue with Fredette's numbers or Lavin's turn-around. But, all Purdue fans remember October well and can't forget the 20+ drop in ranking position after Hummel was re-injured. The yo-yo effect of our Boilers being bounced down and then clawing their way back up has to be worth something...and maybe we've already seen that.

In some ways, getting this crap out of the way now is a very good thing. Honestly, I didn't like seeing and hearing Purdue's players and coaches commenting on the awards they had earned. My thought was all the back-slapping might have deter them from focusing on the 're-teaching', as Painter called it, of the defensive principles that were seemingly-forgotten prior to the Iowa contest. Regardless, we know this team is resilient and hope they have their best focus of the year in the coming few weeks.

Let's all be honest for a second. As much as it pains me to say this, the media has been generally-fair to Purdue in '11*. The Forces of Good have been getting love from lots of national outlets...but they earned this respect by tearing holes in their competition in the month of February and doing so in dramatic, noteworthy fashion. Who knows what we'd be talking about today had Painter and Co. not wet the bed in Iowa City...but what-ifs are unprovable. No one can argue with results. A win, is a win, is a win...especially in the tournament format. Our Boilers have a tremendous opportunity to move the program forward and make thunderously-loud statements to the nation about the state of this program.

Back in late January, we were hopeful and optimistic. Now in March, Purdue fans should be confident and excited. This team has a chance (to quote Matty) to be 'special'. Awards are nice, but are really a bi-product of success. As this team and the coaches have said all along, championships are the end goal.

*Even Davis & Goodman have chimed in lately...I credit a ground-swell campaign by Purdue fans via Twitter for helping them see the light.

**Credit SI & Andrew Hancock for the tremendous photo

Poll Dancing 3/7/11: Still work to be done

I'm still hoping a two is a possibility for the dance, and according to the computers, it looks like Purdue is right in the thick of that discussion...but the humans have us just out of that position.

AP

9

Coaches

9

KenPom

4

RPI

8

Sagarin

7

The BTT is once again important for Matty's squad unless they plan to land at 4 or 5 once again. To me, it seems a two seed makes the likelihood of this team taking the next step much more likely.

Hardworking Hawkeyes Humble Boilers 67-65

Painful.

It was Senior Day at Carver Hawkeye Arena and only one player was honored, but he played inspired...and so did the rest of his team. Jarryd Cole has played well against the Boilers in the past- he did so last season, but this was his best game versus our Boilers. He finished with a team-leading 16 points and 10 rebounds. The Hawkeyes seemingly wanted to send Cole out in style...and they did by giving the beleaguered Hawkeye fans a reason to cheer in a rebuilding season.

All season, we had given Coach Fran and the Hawkeyes a ton of credit for being better than their record...sadly, we saw proof of their improvement at the worst-possible time.

On the 50/50 plays, Iowa won almost all of them. If the Hawkeyes needed a rebound...they got it. Fran's squad played like they were the ones looking to cinch up a high seed and close locale for the NCAA tourney...and their opponent acted as if grit and guts were optional on this Saturday evening.

Purdue's effort was atrocious. Its defense was uninspired and the effort on the glass was lax at best. Just as we ask for our favorite team to get credit when they hold a team down and force them into a game they don't want to play, Iowa deserves the credit. They made Purdue look un-Purdue like...and the fellas in the black uniforms better not miss this: Purdue is not talented enough top to bottom to not play as a cohesive unit.

Matty's boys pride themselves on being a team that has someone step up each contest in unexpected ways...there was none of that today. In fact, even the guys you expect big things from wilted and disappeared.

You look at the stats and might say, "No one was helping Jackson and Johnson." But the truth is everyone on Purdue failed at some point in this contest.

With over 13 minutes left, JJ had 20 points...he ended with 22. The shots that are typically-automatic for him weren't falling. His 12 boards and 2 blocks were good, but down the stretch with Purdue needed to grab one of Iowa's missed shots, he couldn't come up with the ball. Plus, the help defense that Purdue seems to funnel toward Johnson seemed to fail on the backside quite a few times in the game.

I liked what I saw from Jackson at times today. But, it was clear that the hand injury knocked him down a rung, at least for a portion of the second half. He didn't push the ball, which is critical in this system and Purdue got very few easy run outs. He finished with 13pts, 4reb, 4ast, 4stls, but it wasn't enough.

Byrd, Smith, TJohn, Hart and Moore finished 5-of-23 from behind the arc. It seemed that after Jackson, no one was willing to shoot anything inside of 20ft. 9in. But why? Once again, it was a lazy looking offense. In fact, with just over a minute left and Purdue down by 2, Purdue missed two threes, got both rebounds and looked like they were going to shoot another three...so Painter signaled for a timeout. After the timeout, Byrd shot and missed a 24 footer...I'm hoping Matty didn't draw that up.

Moore was on the bench for a long stretch (around 10:00) in the first half due to foul trouble, but he didn't do a whole bunch outside of his 13 points when given the opportunity. His usual ability to make his teammates better through rebounding and dealing the ball simply wasn't there as he finished with 1 board, 1 assist and 1 steal.

Barlow wasn't in sync either- he finished with 4 points, shot 2/5 from the stripe, had 2 turnovers, 0 assists and 3 fouls in his 14 minutes of action.

And Barlow wasn't the only one to struggle at the free throw line. Purdue shot an uncharacteristic 58.8% from the line and left at least 7 points on the floor. So even while getting whipped on the glass (47-32) and not coming up with hustle plays, they still could have won had they hit their free throws.

Purdue got exactly what it deserved in Iowa City: A loss. But now, the fallout and ramifications of this loss will probably be pretty severe. Judging by what we've seen the past few years, people will more than likely remember this game, not the 7 wins in a row that led up to it. This upset was the front story on EsPN.com, and rightfully so...and it'll probably be at the forefront of the tourney committee's minds a week from today unless Purdue does something to erase the memory.

On Twitter people were asking if this loss is an important, and possibly-positive moment, for this team. We don't know that, and really, we can't say what it is in the long view for weeks. After the game JJ reiterated this point by saying,

"A lot of people will say it's a bad loss, but it's a matter of how we respond to it to see if we can turn it into a good loss."

But, right now, it stinks. Painter often says that teams don't play "on edge" enough as their winning...and that definitely was the case today. Everyone from the coaches to the players did not take the Hawkeyes seriously and because of that, Purdue's standing the college basketball world is now much different than it was this morning. Hopefully they regain the chip on their collective shoulder that made them great in the month of February.

Friday Gumbo

If you're anything like me, it's kinda tough right now to look ahead to spring football. But, I alway love hearing reports out of spring football practice and get excited about the Black/Gold game. Sure, last season and this off-season haven't given us much to write home about- A season that ended with IU taking back the bucket, tons of major injuries that still aren't healed coming into the spring, a couple of coaches getting hired by Hope and quickly leaving West Lafayette and finally, Keith Smith being ruled ineligible by the NCAA for no good reason. These things are enough to make the sunniest of optimists feel a bit blue. But Hope said getting on the field was exactly what the team needed...and that the team just needed to be playing again...even if that's just drills, walk-throughs and formations.

I said this a lot last year- I don't like the way this coaching staff (and Tiller in his last few seasons) control information out of practice. I think opening up at least part of the practices to the media breeds positive feelings for the fans unless there are recurring discipline issues (a la those last few JT-coached teams). But it's probably not going to change, and we have to deal with the limited access and second-hand accounts of the team...and everyone's looking at the same Hope interviews, and a couple of hand-chosen player quotes for info...but a little is better than nothing, I guess.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I like Danny Hope's personality and generally-positive outlook. I think I'd really like having a beer with him. But, I think he's way too silver-tongued. And seasons like the last one make the norm quickly become painful for fans. But there is info to be gleaned from Hopes happy talk. Here are a couple tidbits:

-The offensive line looks like it's in better shape than last year in every way. They're physically-fit, deeper and more-experience...so the coaches don't have to spend as much time going through basics as they did in the spring of '10.

-Marve and Bolden are only going through drills without contact and won't see full action until the fall.

-Nord has Henry as the #1 QB...and Henry is throwing the ball better than last season at the end because his finger is healed. TerBush is also throwing well. Hopefully Purdue will have a QB behind the center that allows them to pass more than they run in the fall, regardless of whom ends up starting.

-Ricardo Allen was good...wants to get better and sees Kerrigan's departure as only more reason that he must improve. When talking about his fitness level, work ethic and overall technique as a corner he said, "Last year was just last year...and I gotta get better." Sounds like a captain...even as a Soph.

Hats off

We didn't talk about this a whole bunch when it happened because it was kind of veiled in confusion, but BYU's suspension of Brandon Davies was flat-out ballsy and respectable. On Twitter, we had multiple people ask if everyone thought BYU would suspend Fredette had he broken the moral code. My answer is an unequivocal, "Yes." That institution is consistent...and its athletes know what they're getting into when they sign their LOI to play or the Cougars. Judging through the prism of BYU's game v. UNM, I'd say they'll land at around a 4 or 5 seed simply because they're not the same team without Davies. That said, with Fredette on the roster, they'll be dangerous because you never know when he'll score 60 or 70 points...he'd better actually for their sake.

On a related note, I understand much of their moral code and agree with the principles within it...but how is drinking a cola a punishable offense? I seriously don't get this even a little bit.

Zo

I had a minor medical procedure today, so I'm incapacitated moreso than usual. But the silver lining is I am watching early conference tourney games. The Valley tournament had Cuonzo Martin's #1 seeded Bears facing Matty's old team, #8 SIU. Martin's team was down for the entire game, before taking its first lead in the final minute- they won by two and advanced. I'd bet they'll play with more urgency in the next round. But, his squad handled being down by as many as 9 with just minutes left, in a very cool, calm manner.

It was a fun one to watch and a great way for me to kick off (perhaps) my favorite week of the year.

Miscellaneous Rankings

According to Rivals.com's power rankings, Moore is the #2 shooting guard, Johnson is the #2 center and Painter is now the #1 coach in all of NCAA basketball. These rankings are hard-earned and deserved. One problem I have with their lists is their consistent belief that there are at least 25 point guards in America that are better than LewJack.

Purdue's Composite Computer Ranking current holds at 5th. Keep in mind, that average is still that high in spite of the laughable RPI having both SDSU and BYU (after its 19 point loss v. UNM) both ahead of the Forces of Good.

Building Block Boilers

Business took me to the Northeast a few days ago, and as a result, I haven't been able to post. Now, J is on one of his many junkets, so he isn't available to post. We'll back to full strength in the very near future. But, as I have before, let me suggest something again, if you feel like you can't get enough BS- follow us on Twitter and FB- the links, as always, are in the margins. And even when on the road due to work or pleasure, we try to post content at those two places.

One last thing, before we get into the tasty content you're craving, get a Mission Houston shirt if you haven't yet pulled the trigger. They're flying out of the BS warehouse right now...and sizes are starting to run out. Plus, is a top-5 team playing amazing basketball not enough to have you looking at flights to Houston? What we're seeing isn't an idea conjured up by Purdue fans- this team is officially a contender.

BB
Over four years ago, we started this site because we thought it'd be good to use some of our energy about Purdue Sports in a productive manner instead of sending out mass e-mails to our friends and families at the top of each week. When the site began, Lil' Boilerdowd was under a year old...and the infant Boilerdowd wasn't the only little one one the BS staff's collective mind.

I did a search, and found the first time we used the term Baby Boilers was in November of 2007. Painter's team looked thin and needed a ton of help, so JJ, The Ostrich, Smooge and another freshman were forced into significant minutes right away...and they answered the bell. Sure, growing pains like losing to Wofford at Mackey stung, but it was clear by mid-season how special this group of three really was.

Moore wore all-black shoes and black socks while the rest of the team wore white Nikes with a black swoosh. He was poised and skilled, but needed some work on defense. He calmly handled hostile crowds and pressure situations...almost as if he's a machine.

Hummel looked just old enough to drive, could do a lot well, wasn't afraid to shoot, but got in a ton of foul trouble, especially when battling on the glass. But, his combo of length, shooting ability and hustle made him an impossible match-up.

Johnson was lanky and long, very raw, but could leap as well as any big man I had seen in W. La La. And from the very beginning, he seemingly loved getting pushed around in the tunnel by his teammates like a ragdoll.

But these three Baby Boilers quickly lost the name as they earned all-conference honors and the national press began to notice them. Big shots and big wins became something that Purdue fans came to expect from this core group...and these Baby Boilers were simply Badass.

That hasn't changed. This core of three has fought through injuries and adversity and seems to love defying popular opinion or prognostication. Whether the media was picking against this team in an early NCAA tourney game to lose to a media darling or they were picked to finish below Izzo, Ryan and Matta's clubs, this team loves defying the odds...and plays with a chip on their collective shoulder.

Sure, these guys can score...but defense has been their calling card. Skinny JJ turned into one of, if not the premier shot blocker in the nation. Laid back Smooge became an on-ball defender who frustrates some of the best offensive players in the league, game-in, game-out. They've bought into Matty's persona...and this class reflects him as well as he reflects them. After Painter struggled through some players that didn't really have his identity, the class of '07 represented a turning point for him as a recruiter...and a greater pivot for the program.

Boilers to Men

This morning, I caught up on some of the great videos posted by the Paint Crew and others on Youtube that honor this class. These make me nostalgic as I remember all the games that I watched in person, or where I was when they beat Wisconsin back in '08 all the way up to MSU in '11. It's tough for an emotional person like myself not to get a lump in his throat as you think about how much fun this run has been...but I'm quickly tempered when I hear Painter say this, "We're sad to see them go...But we still have a lot of basketball to play."

And just like these players believe in Painter's defensive philosophy...they believe they're not done...not even close- and neither should you and I. So let me take (and distribute) some advice that I read on Twitter and elsewhere: Let's hold on to the rest of our emotion until the season's over...in Houston.

Sure, the ice-cold on-court assassin, E'Twaun Moore couldn't help but be moved to tears by the outpouring of appreciation by the uproarious 14,123 in attendance on Tuesday night...but he gathered himself pretty quickly to finish the job at hand...he knew there was business he had to attend to.

There will be plenty of time to reminisce in April.

One last thing
I love this class because they put Purdue back into the elite of the Big Ten and brought the Boilers back to the national consciousness as a basketball program. But what I really love about this group, this team, is that they're leaving an amazing legacy. The guys that are coming in to campus in their wake are the next piece of puzzle and have a great model to follow...They've won more games than any class in the history of the program...and they've done it with class and were true student athletes. But the best news might be that the future is stunningly-bright, even after these two icons, 25 & 33, ride off into the sunset.

Playing The What-If Game

One of the easiest things to fall into when looking at any sport is the "what if" game. What if Butler's heave goes in at the buzzer last year? What if David Tyree doesn't catch the ball against his helmet against the Patriots? What if Kyle Orton doesn't fumble against Wisconsin in '04? What if IU never fired a good coach and hired a cheater?

It's only natural to think about Rob being healthy now and then. It's okay, too. It's a little selfish, but it's not a terrible thing to dream. And early in the season, I said that as much as I wanted to look forward and see what this team could do as constituted, I did admit that no matter what happens, we'll always be able to say, I wonder what would have happened with Rob. Basically, anything short of a national title and it'll be possible to wonder that.

However, I've begun to honestly change my thoughts on this. I still see clowns like Goodman tweeting after the OSU win "Just imagine if they had Hummel." Why, Jeff? So they could have beated OSU by 20? I don't get it. This team is playing as well as anyone in the country right now....yet people like you are still saying "what if they had Hummel?" How much more could they be winning right now? How much more dominant could they look? Seriously.

Let's consider things for a moment. What might be different right now, had Rob not torn his ACL for a second time in October?

Would JJ and E'Twaun be the players they are right now?

I'm not suggesting Rob being healthy would make them worse, so let's understand that right now. But let's also understand that there is zero doubt that these two simply looked at the situation and immediately understood what they had to do. Down 1/3 of the trio, they needed to cover that gap, be it in points, leadership, minutes, whatever. 

Would JJ be a player of the year candidate? Probably not, simply because he would be ceding some of his points and rebounds. Would Smooge have had that monstrosity of a game vs OSU? Probably not, for the same reasons. Again, Rob wouldn't have stunted their growth, per se, but he would have changed the distribution of responsibilities.

Would Ryne Smith be who he is right now?

Sure, Ryne comes and goes, but would he have had that hot start to the Big Ten season, including four straight double digit scoring games plus three games with five or more treys made? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it. Purdue needed a third scoring option in those games and Ryne didn't have Rob to defer to, so up the shots went...and down they fell. Kind of makes the tandem of he and Rob firing away next year sound delicious, doesn't it?

Would Kelsey Barlow be playing as much?

With Rob in the lineup, where does Kelsey fit? I guess he's spelling LewJack still, but that's about it. Does he develop as a player as he has if Rob is there? Again, do not misunderstand -- I'd love to have a healthy Hummel. But there are side effects of his absence that are going to ultimately be good for the development of guys like Kelsey.

Does Terone Johnson redshirt?

Going down the depth chart, how much would Terone have played? Would it have been more prudent just to redshirt him? And if the answer is yes, while that's nice in terms of having him around longer, he loses all of what he has gained this year. As many people say, by this time of year, freshmen are no longer freshman. We've seen TJ go through the growing pains of learning the college game, adjusting to the speed, feeling his way through conference play, etc. And now we're seeing him hit big-time shots. Think about how valuable that experience might turn out to be in the tournament this year and for years to come.

Is the resolve this team has shown there?

There is absolutely no doubt, this team was marked for great things this year with Rob. Everyone was saying so, with top five preseason rankings a certainty. Then it all changed and Purdue's season reportedly went with Rob's knee. Now, I'm not saying the team would have been less focused, but I think it's reasonable to think they might have....expected...to be great. With Rob's injury and the resulting media remarks about Purdue, I think our boys got pissed. They'll never fully admit it, but they hear what gets said. They know they were absolutely left for dead. One of my favorite recent digs from another site was that we "manufactured the chip on Purdue's shoulder." This is one of those remarks that simply underscores ignorance. We didn't manufacture anything. We simply report what we see.

So would this team be this focused? I honestly don't know. I have faith in Matty and the boys and I think they do a great job of keeping things in perspective and staying the course and keeping their eyes on the prize. In the past it was making the tourney. Then it was winning the conference. Now it's a lot more than that. And whatever you thought might happen back in mid-October, you couldn't have asked for things to be in better shape than they are at this moment.

The train is coming, folks. Choo-choo.

New Big 3 Do It Again as the Boilers win big in East Lansing, 67-47

I'll admit when I'm wrong...and loyal readers, friends, Boilers, countrymen- I was wrong.

Following the Wisconsin game, I didn't see a way Purdue would end the BT season with any fewer than 4 losses, but now it looks like nearly a lock...and I thought I was being optimistic. But this team has grown up and learned a ton in the month of February, and now, they are officially rubbing elbows with the nation's elite.

While MSU wasn't 'resurgent' like some in the media were calling them, they were playing well- and isn't this just how it's gone this year for our Boilers. Give 'em a white-hot opponent, they can cool them down in a hurry. And MSU, while maybe not white-hot, quickly went from very warm to frigid at the cold, heartless hand of Matty's boys...and perhaps Purdue completely put the Spartans' hopes of an NCAA tourney out of its misery in the process.

The BT officiating was simply horrible early in the second half as Purdue racked up 4 fouls on one MSU possession and nearly everyone, with the exceptions of JJ, Smooge and LewJack was flirting with foul trouble. But once the officials calmed down, Purdue defense began turning Sparty miscues to bucket atop fun-to-watch bucket.

Jackson played the role of Kalin Lucas better than Lucas himself. Sure, Lucas ended with a ton of points, but LewJack made everybody better who was clad in a black uni with gold trim. He dealt 7 assists to go along with 16 points, 5 rebounds and a steal. He worked in traffic versus MSU defenders with ease...even Lucas couldn't stay with the waterbug-quick Jackson.

No one benefitted from 23's play more that JJ, who was extremely-efficient on the day, scoring 20 points while going 8/13. But that's only scratching the surface on the chubby stat sheet that JJ filled up. He terrorized MSU players with 7 blocks (I actually counted 8) as he completely took Sparty out of their gameplan. It didn't matter if it was a guard or power forward, JJ was tossing shots like J Money at a bachelorette party. BUT WAIT...THERE'S MORE!!! Johnson cleaned the glass against MSU by grabbing 17 boards. On the national stage Johnson demanded that he be considered for POY and nearly-guaranteed his spot on the consensus AA squad.

Although he didn't shoot the ball great, Moore was just below his season average scoring 17 points and adding three assists. He played like the game was very important to him as you could visibly see him fired up on more than one occasion...we've said it before, he's at his best when he's angry.

Foul trouble kept Byrd and Smith out of the game for big chunks, but Smith was still a difference maker as he had three steal that turned the court around quickly. Byrd never got into much of a rhythm and only played 13 minutes...rest might be the best thing for him as he struggles to get healthy. Barlow, TJohn and Smith all had a three-pointer each and Carroll grabbed 4 boards in 21 minutes.

Purdue beat MSU on the glass, 33-32 (always a good sign for Matty's squad), and held their opponent to just 9% from behind the arc...this is the 8th time this season Purdue's held an opponent under 20%. Honestly, outside of Lucas doing everything he could to will MSU back into the game, this one wasn't much of a contest. Purdue simply dictated the pace and broke Sparty's spirit much like they did the Illini in Champaign a few weeks ago.

I said it on Twitter, I can't remember a better three week span for Purdue basketball in my life...sure, the 1994 team's run between the win in AA to the Final 8 was pretty great, but gauntlet that Purdue has just cleared puts them in an amazing position for the tournament. They've all but locked up a 2 seed and now have a 1 in their sights. Granted, it'd probably take a BTT championship with a win over aOSU to get it done, but it's possible. I for one think anything after the first win the tourney is really gravy...and I'd rather the team get healthy and stay hungry for the main course rather than ruining their appetite on bread sticks and potato skins of the league in the BTT.

Neato stat of the day: Purdue has matched its win total from the same point in the season from last year...and, is one game better than they were in conference at this stanza. Not bad for a team left for dead by the media in October. Matt Painter should be Coach of the Year, and it's as ludicrous that he's not in the discussion as it is that JJ isn't a serious player in the POY talk.

Next up is Senior Night in God's country as two of Purdue program's most-pivotal players of all time will be introduced on Keady court for one final contest. Tip-off is at 7:00 on Tuesday for the short turnaround game...Tom Crean is angry Purdue has to play two games so close...but I don't think the short time span will hurt this spry Boiler bunch too badly. Due to business in the Northeast, I cannot attend, but Mrs. Boilerdowd will be representing the BD family in W. La La. I hope to hear the Boiler faithful in Mackey 1000 miles away as you collectively and whole-heartedly thank #25 and #33 for representing Purdue so well while winning a few games along the way.

Choo choo, muthas.