Boilers Close Out Pre-Con with Win over IPFW 77-52

Question: Would you rather give up the game you love or wear this every time you play it?

For weeks, if not months, we've been hearing that Purdue needs a third scorer...well, one finally emerged in tonight's easy win over IPFW at Mackey Arena: E'Twaun Moore.

I mean JJ is going to get his points...so is DJ Byrd. So, it's nice to see Moore chipping in and picking up the slack. Right?

Like you, I'm pretty sick and tired of hearing the groupthink by the media that covers Purdue basketball. And I'm a firm believer that the third option by-committee will be enough if guys are willing and ready to take shots. We saw tonight how deadly Purdue's offense can be, even if for a few minutes, if multiple players understand their role on offense.

Our Boilers had a 9-point lead as they entered the second half, but after a five minute burst to

begin the second half, the game was over. Purdue's stifling defense combined with an offense that had purpose. LewJack and Smooge found JJ in creative ways. JJ demanded the ball and made a bunch of different shots. Smooge and Jackson both created opportunities for themselves and Byrd simply shot well and took good shots. Terone Johnson also got in on the act before tweaking his shoulder while diving for loose ball. I haven't heard anything, but it didn't look too serious.

This game started out like so many this season (and in previous seasons)- Purdue struggled to get into an offensive rhythm and looked a bit lethargic on offense. But, they forced IPFW to look even more out of sync. Some people think that's a bad habit to get into. But, I'd argue that it's a worse habit to rely on offense to carry you- that goes away...effort on defense, once it's the norm can be counted on time and time again.

Hart's return is now just week's away and Purdue doesn't play for another seven days...so the offensive options should look even better in the near future.

Here are a few things that were noteworthy tonight to me:

-JJ continues to feast on undersized bigs. But, unlike last season when he did the same thing, he seems to be more assertive and is absolutely more-dominant than ever. He finished with another double-double 24/13. But, the high-level of effort we've been witnessing might be the new norm for the potential All-American. He was a force, yet again.

-E'Twaun didn't light it up...but that didn't stop him from changing the game. He finished with 9 points less than his season average, but he was tough on defense as he had 5 steals and 1 block (I think he actually had another he didn't get credit for). And on the offensive end, he fed the beast and finished with 6 assists to go with along with 5 total rebounds.

-LewJack played very smart and had 8 points...but as usual, that's not the story. This is: 8 assists, 0 turnovers. Honestly, that, and his on-ball defense, is really all that's needed.

-DJ Byrd got hot from behind the arc and didn't really cool off. He was 5-of-7. If you visit here regularly, you know that I love his effort and we saw that again tonight. He finished with 15 pts, 3reb, 3ast and a steal.

-Barlow only had 3 rebounds, but he was generally disruptive to IPFW. I think we're going to see him dominate a game this year in multiple facets...If he decides it's important-enough to put the effort into it. I love his upside.

Next up: @ UM in 7 days.

sidenote: Lil' Boilerdowd had a problem with this game before it started. He thought the opponent's name was simply wrong- "They should be called PIFW...Purdue's better than Indiana."

Boilers Escape Blacksburg With a Win 58-55

As the closing minutes wound down in regulation, Lil' Boilerdowd assured me, "They're gonna win...they won't lose two in a row." The wisdom of a four year old proved correct as he and JJ seemingly willed them to victory in a hostile environment in the BT/ACC challenge. This was only Painter's second victory in overtime while at Purdue.

Once the clock hit 0:00 for the third time of the night, the Big Ten had a commanding 6-3 lead with only the Duke/MSU game left on the docket. Northwestern, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, aOSU and Purdue are all victors, at this point. For those keeping score at home (disregard this, EsPN), the BT has won two-straight of these made for TV extravaganzas.

But Purdue's portion of the pie was made difficult by lousy shooting. JJ made more field goals than the rest of the entire team...and shot at a higher percentage as well. He went 11/24...everybody else, 10/34.

T. Johnson and Smooge both fed the beast and finished with four assists. Moore finished with 14 points as well, but was struggling all night to find rhythm. VaTech's guard-heavy line-up and zone defense proved difficult for Purdue to counter...and the fact that Purdue players who weren't wearing #25 simply couldn't shoot only compounded Matty's squad's usual problems v. zone defense.

This game was similar to the Richmond game in the fact that Purdue struggled scoring the basketball. But, it was much different in the way Purdue played defensively. But, our Boilers were once again out-rebounded handily...tonight by 13.

But this game might be easier to figure out than Richmond. While JJ was dominant, finishing with 29 points in 44 minutes, Purdue's other bigs only totaled 6 minutes- Bade and Marcius played 3 each, Carroll didn't play. The good news of course, is that JJ scored at will, especially in the first half when he decided to post up. The bad news is he went away from that for minutes at a time and forced 18-plus footers regularly...he went 1/4 from behind the arc.

Byrd who finished with 8 rebounds, led our Boilers on the glass. He played tough defense and played through a stinger of some sort after taking a moving screen to the shoulder late in the second half. Knight (who was doing color for the game) spoke of how the shoulder injury took Byrd completely out of the offensive flow...but he didn't think that hurt Purdue as DJ was 0-5 from the field.

Barlow played great on defense and helped to hold Delaney, VT's lead scorer 12 points below his average. Jackson had an efficient day offensively going 2/2 and finishing with 5 points. But, unlike in the previous game, he looked sound defensively and made very good decisions with the ball.

This game felt a bit like the Alabama game last season...but, unlike the 'Bama team, VaTech had a crew of clowns on their bench that acted like they were playing their way into the Final Four tonight...on multiple occasions, the ref had to get them in their seats and off of the court. Atop of the exuberant bench, the crowd was lathered up. In fact, it felt like a fight might break out in the second half and VaTech really wanted it and things got a bit chippy a couple of times. The Hokies needed to avoid their third loss of the season, but couldn't because JJ was so dominant.

While I was glad Johnson was back to playing with a purpose, I'm still bothered by Moore's lack of production...but even moreso, at this point, the overall lack of shot-making ability by the rest of Matty's squad is just painful. Purdue's offense versus zone defenses has been shaky even going back to Keady's era...but these Boilers seem to settle for the three pointer waaaaay too often. And that's especially bad since they don't shoot it well.

This win was important for a number of reasons, but this team is clearly a work in progress and needed it. The depth we saw in the early seasons has all but evaporated- Painter doesn't seem to have enough faith in the big men to play them except in tiny spurts. And the backcourt, outside of Moore, can't score when they face solid defense.

Terone Johnson, John Hart and DJ Byrd have to score for Purdue to have a chance to stay near the top of the league. And more than just one guy has to rebound with a purpose. Let's Hope Purdue doesn't keep listening to the media's perpetual reminders that Hummel is the only person on the roster capable of doing these things...but it kinda seems like that's exactly what they believe. By the way, unlike scoring, rebounding is a choice...the scoring will come, in my opinion, if Purdue starts banging a bit more.

Next up, Alabama comes to Mackey on Saturday afternoon.

The BS Men's Basketball Shirt -- Get one NOW!

Here they are, the long-awaited Boiled Sports shirts for the men's basketball season.

For those who had the luxury of getting a Marve-lous shirt earlier this fall, know that these shirts are of the same high-quality (and we're actually not being sarcastic -- they're really nice shirts) and material.

They are black (uh, obviously) and we have both mens and womens cuts available on our ecrater site.

The front of the shirt:

Quoting our fearless leader Matty Painter, "Our goals haven't changed." And "The mission remains the same."

The back of the shirt:

Featuring a mission patch designed by the handsome men of Boiled Sports (well, really, B-dowd, but I like to take credit for things he does). The patch features and Indiana-to-Texas basketball graphic, captains Smooge and JJ as well as Commander Matty and "Mission: Houston 2011." 

Think how awesome this will look in Mackey Arena this winter. Get yours now for $18, including shipping to the United States. We ship several times a week so you can almost always expect yours within a week. However, if you have an urgent need (and yes, sometimes people do), you can send us a note and we can arrange something for you. 

CHOO-CHOO, muthas!!

What if...

With the headline, you might think I'm asking the question "what if" in reference to what if Hummel was healthy...but instead, I'm asking, what if Hummel hadn't recovered quickly and was deemed unable to play this season before this morning's injury had occurred? Our perspective would be different, no doubt.

For one thing, we wouldn't have had to experience the punch in the gut that we all felt in the early afternoon and might feel right now. Morgan Burke summed it up best, I think.

"As soon as it happened my stomach, it's still upset. I've got a knot in my stomach that I haven't had in a long time and that's just because I love the kid and hate to see it happen."

Precisely. I've met Rob a few times quickly...no real connection to him other than I really like him and the way he plays...and like so many other Purdue athletes, he was really nice to my son last spring. That's always endearing for a Dad. So I was as excited for him as anything else as he prepared to play with his pals one last season before heading to the next level. But plans seldomly go the way they're supposed to go.

So back to an alternate perspective.

Hypothetically, if my alma mater was heading into any other season returning TWO Wooden Award candidates, two former all-Frosh team players who were both starters, an instant-impact true Freshman and more frontcourt size and talent than they've had in five seasons and some guys who are much-improved (according to rumors), my outlook might not be too bleak.

Universally, people that have seen Johnson play in the last month-or-so say he's a different guy...a better player. A guy who averages over 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks/game wants more out of his game. He took the criticism given to him by the NBA scouts and didn't whine, but decided to get stronger and use it constructively. How many more points, rebounds, blocks per game will his workmanlike summer yield? How much does it help a guy to guard and face NBA all-stars day-in/day-out for over a month? We'll see soon.

The other big time talent...the forgotten guy on this year's Boilers has done OK, I guess. He was All-Big Ten First team, All-American third team and Academic All-American second team last season. He led the Boilers in scoring, has become a defensive force in the last two seasons...and some of the media think he's one of the top defensive players in the nation. He's not sexy to the media...but feared by his opponents. And he just quietly does his job- whatever's needed, he seems to do.

Patrick Bade, D.J. Byrd, Lewis Jackson, Ryne Smith and Kelsey Barlow all dedicated themselves to getting better months ago...their offseason work has just become more-important as their responsibilities will all likely increase in the wake of today's news. I always say sports are a microcosm for life. As we've seen with Rob Henry's emergence on the football field and what will be expected from Barlow, Bade and others this coming basketball season- like the boy scouts tell us, we simply must always be prepared. No one knows what's coming next.

I'll also say that Matty is a damned-good coach who seems to be able to squeeze a lot out of teams who look tapped-out from time-to-time. Remember, our pals in the media left Purdue for dead last season coming into the NCAA tourney...Purdue only went to the sweet 16 after most heads predicted Purdue to bow out in the opening round to Siena. Some of those same schmoes in the media have already dropped Purdue in their worthless pre-season polls from a top-3 team to an also-ran that's barely in the top-25. All that matters little at this point.

So, it seems our Boilers are once-again a team that few believe in...an underdog. This isn't a role that many of us thought our Boilers would be playing this season...but it's one that Purdue fans and players alike know well.

I think big things are still coming this season for our Boilers. I'll detail what I think can and will happen to make this season something to remember in the weeks leading up to the season. Here's to the forces of good making believers out of everybody.

I'm going to go ahead and call it: JJ to Return

Nothing from him officially...but too much says he's coming back.

Now, you can start talking about Purdue as a serious contender in '11.

Take Off the Gold-Shaded Glasses For a Moment

Let's all be logical, for just a minute...I know it's tough when emotions are involved, but this needs to be done.

JaJuan Johnson is a damned-good basketball player. In fact, he's feared by many fanbases and players alike, not only in the BT, but throughout the NCAA ranks. We've seen him go toe-to-toe with great big men and come out on top. We've seen him block shot after shot, while infuriating the opposition and changing the course of a game. Hell, even in his most-recent game for our Boilers, he recorded 23 points, 5 reb, 4 blocks and 2 steals...versus the eventual national champion.

The guy's good, no great. And, he's been good for three seasons for our alma mater. That's worth something to me. He deserves a bit of understanding, in my opinion, and more than that, deserves support.

On top of being a good guy on the court, he's been spotless off of it. From my friends on campus, to donors, no one has a bad thing to say about the guy. And, on the few occasions I've actually talked to him myself, he's been great. He's part of the Purdue family...and he's one of the foundation stones of the new era of Purdue basketball, let's not lose focus on that.

On the message boards, on this site, on Twitter and elsewhere, there's been flat-out vitriol directed at 25, the guy my 4 year old son and others call JJJ...and I don't get it. He's one of us, he's a Boilermaker. He's a late-bloomer- he wasn't on any recruiting radar as a Frosh or even Sophomore in high school. He's worked hard, become more skilled and has earned the right to take some time to make sure he's making the right decision.

I'll admit it, the imperfections of his game have infuriated me at times. Don't think I don't see those. I'd love for him to be meaner, more-aggressive, mentally and physically-stronger and more-consistent...but, in my opinion, his best basketball is in front of him. And just like the rest of his game is rounding into shape, he'll get bigger and stronger...and even mentally, he'll become better. Hopefully we'll get to see some of that next season.

When I got out of school back in 1997, I played hardball in my first post-hiring interview. I got the company who hired me to pay me just under $40k...I felt like it was a pretty good deal. And most of you who read this have been or will be in a similar situation. Sure, you might be one of the lucky ones who made $50,000/year right after you got your undergrad degree, but we're all in a similar boat. This is where we really can't relate with JJ.

His decision won't make him or lose him a few thousand dollars in his first year out of school. The stakes are higher. He knows that, his family knows that, and get this, Matty knows that. None of them want him to do something he'll later regret, either way. It is possible to go to early, but this year is muddier as the players and the owners try to figure out whether they're going to settle their labor agreement without a stoppage. No one knows what's on the other side of the next agreement, but many current players, agents and future players are anxious about what's coming. This plays into JJ's difficult decision.

Where does Johnson stand in a talented draft class? The year someone comes out can change their perspective and help them make their decision. And while we as Purdue fans might have become spoiled by JJ and notice the flaws in his game, tons of people in the know are pretty-enamored with his combination of athletic ability, length and ability to shoot it to 20 feet...kind of a deadly combo. His shooting ability creates match-up problems, especially at the 4, where he should probably be playing anyway.

Another HUGE factor is being close to his pal Rob this and last season. He's watched Hummel get hurt not once, but twice and probably because of that, understands how fragile and tenuous someone's physical value as a basketball player can be. Plus, from what I gather, he's pretty good friends with Evan Turner who also had a serious injury this season that probably made Turner wonder if he had made the correct decision in returning this year.

Turns out for Turner, coming back was a very, very wise and lucrative decision. I think Turner wanted to come back and win a BT title- he did that. Sure, they fizzled-badly in the NCAA tourney, but his standing as a player and prospect was only aided in this year's campaign.

But for every Turner, there's a Harangody, or worse Butler-type player...Like I said, this is a tough decision.

So before you badmouth the guy again, ask yourself a question- Does negativity endear us as fans to JJ? It surely doesn't help. Whether or not he reads this site, GBI or others, the word spreads fast, and his friends might. We're still people, so is he...his exploring of this option doesn't make him stupid in any way. If you can't understand the gravity of what he's pondering, your intelligence should be in question.

In my opinion, there's more than one way this can go and still have it end positively for all sides...but there are variables in the equation that NO ONE on this earth can foresee. For selfish reasons, I think it'd be great if he'd return...but we'll all have to wait a month or so to know if we get to enjoy one final season of watching number 25 with Purdue on his chest.

Either way, I'm rooting for his success...and anyone else on the roster who might or might not be going through the same thought process. Not all players do, but the guys on this roster deserve such respect.

Congrats, JJ

JaJuan was named Big Ten Player of the Week, averaging 20 points and 8.5 rebounds this week as the Boilermakers won two games in convincing fashion to move to 21-3 on the season.

With Syracuse and West Virginia -- both of the Big East -- losing home games they probably should not have in the past few days, coupled with Purdue's strong performances, the Boilermakers should find themselves at about #4 in the nation when the polls are released later today.

It's a nice time for JJ's game to be peaking.

Choo-choo.

Handsome Hour Season Two Premiere!

J & Boilerdowd are back...and it's like they never left.


The handsome duo is closer than ever in spite of the adversity of the past week. And they ask some difficult questions...

They ponder, "Who would win in a duel, Tim Tebow or Lewis Jackson?"

If you were going to face two menacing chaps in a prison-style fight in a dark alley, who would you want on your side?

How long will it be before we see the real JJ again?

How delicious is T-Mill?

These answers and more....

The Robbie Hummel Show

If you've been nosing around the interwebnets looking for updates about the World University Games team that Hummel recently made, you've probably heard a lot of what you already know.

Robbie Hummel is a good basketball player. SI, Sporting News and others speak about how solid Hummel's game is...and everything I've read talks about his shooting ability.

I think the repeating theme seems to be that even his bad shots are good shots. He hast the ability to square his shoulders when his body is going another direction and even his missed shots are not too far off. That makes everybody's job easier. But what really makes his team mate's jobs easier is the fact that he comes up with rebounds that no one else seems to be able to...he's smart with the ball and knows where everyone on the court is and what they're supposed to be doing.

Now, more and more attention is being placed on Hummel, the NBA prospect...and his size, length and skill are reminiscent of a lot of the Euro players that have thrived in the league. And while no one in their right mind would ever tell a player not to go pro if high pick is a possibility, I'm going to again ask a question to the Purdue fan-

What scenario makes the Ostrich going pro worth while?

My belief is that if our Boilers has the season that I think they will, JJ, Robbie and a couple others will have NBA scouts swoon. So, what do you think?

Is this possible?

That's the question asked over and over by fans and media types during this time of year- Is it possible for this player to jump to the NBA early? Is it possible for this coach to head for "greener pastures" even as the program he's built is thriving...and so on.

Is it possible that we're in a dead 5-day period, but there is so much excitement? Oh yes, and it's this way each season.

While anything seems like a possibility at this time, my advice is to temper your giddiness. Some of these moves have Purdue involved...for instance-

With UK canning Billy Gillespie, it looks like it's nearly a done deal that "Teflon" John Calipari will take over in Lexington. And while IU now understands the dire straits that can be brought about by hiring a former cheater, the Wildcat faithful don't care and want to win, at any cost right now. The NCAA's microscope will be more focused on a program like Kentucky than say...I don't know...Memphis. This is a crown jewel program for the NCAA. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the NCAA doesn't kill the cash cow; but it will make sure its leader isn't leading there long if he's doing things that clearly violate NCAA rules. So, UK fan, beware of the things you whisper in Santa's ear, because Christmas morning is only one day...there might be a lot of clean-up following the reception of your gift.

Purdue's wrapped up in this conversation in the fact that Indianapolis, class of 2010 product, 5-star small forward, Dominique Ferguson, really liked Billy Gillespie, and Purdue was in his final-2. Websites and talk radio alike (in the Indy area) is abuzz with the possibility of Ferguson opening up his recruiting and Purdue becoming invoved, once again. And, Matty Painter saying, "We need another Glenn Robinson..." might have been a very calculated move following Purdue's exit from the NCAA tournament.

But, with another Glenn Robinson comes a bunch of potential problems, it seems. I'm not saying every 5-star McDonald's AA player comes with baggage (or only arrives with bags of cash), but I am saying many do...and the fact that this kid comes from a high school program that has done some things that use every inch of the rule to make sure an EIGHTH GRADER will be playing for their program, come ninth grade, only makes me more bothered by this prospect. If a kid wants to play at Purdue, great...but I know Matty's smart enough than to make any questionable deals, or to play ball with a kid's AAU coach or Dad just to get him in black and gold...at least, I hope that's the case.

With Calipari gone from Memphis, perhaps Kelvin Sampson will make his move to be reinstated by the NCAA and get another head-coaching job...or Quinn Snyder wil make his way back to the NCAA...you never know.

Some other rumors floating around are that Pitino or Tubby Smith is heading to Arizona (Smith was also rumored in connection to UVa's job)...To me, Pitino seems like the guy there.

On the player side of the rumor mill, names are popping up every day who will be turning pro. You heard about the smartest guy in the world, BJ Mullens throwing his name into the NBA ring...and another HUGE name, DuJuan Summers will head to the league after accomplishing everything possible in the NCAA game...same for Nick Calathes whose Gators went all the way to the NIT following his fantastic season in the rugged SEC.

Players like the above make me want to beg our guys to wait until the time is right to bolt for the league. JJ is still mentioned by CBS as an undecided...and if his Mom isn't in his ear about staying for another year, I can guarantee you a shady agent is in his other ear about leaving.

Gentlemen, stick around, the best is yet to come...if the team does as well as I think they can next season, you will also be doing quite well...

The press had it wrong as they hyped Purdue as a pre-season top-10 team; they were a year early, just like most of the guys who are leaving college to play in the passionless cesspool that is the NBA.

Sunday Poll

-Steve Curry made a good NCAA tourney run last season that nearly propelled him into the lottery of the NBA draft (let's be honest, he probably should have left after last season).

-Carmello Anthony left Syracuse after just one National Title season for the Orange(men).

A great NCAA tournament run can make a solid player into an overnight high NBA prospect. So, let's say one of Purdue's talented Sophomores gets on a hot streak. What would the team have to achieve for you to be A-OK with his hypothetical departure?

Big Ten Awards Handed out...

And of course, JJ was All-Big Ten...I'm kidding of course- Very few people predicted his meteoric rise coming into this season...but with his skills, the sky's the limit. Congrats, Mr. Johnson!!

Smooge, Ostrich, Kramer and LewJack also received some props...but like the entire team this season, I would think most of these honors aren't exactly what we expected from this bunch.

Here's to BT tourney MVP honors or NCAA all-tourney honors for one or two of our Boilers.

Sic 'em, fellas.

Upon Further Review...

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

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

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

I think she actually just spray painted her legs

Big Time Atmosphere, Big Time Win

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

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

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

Paint Crew killed it tonight

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

Stealing Money

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BUCKETS!!!!

Paint Crew and Purdue fans love Bobby "Buckets" Riddell. He walked-on as a Freshman and played a lot of minutes without a schollie as David Teague and Carl Landry recovered from injuries...but since that season, he hasn't played a whole bunch. Sure, he'd get in during garbage time, or grab a few minutes here and there, but really nothing too significant.

But tonight, the 5'8" (or so) Lafayette product lit up the Lions by hitting his first four shots; three of those being behind the arc. He ended the game with his career high 13 points (5-7 shooting) . Atop that, he had 4 assists, 2 rebounds, a block and a steal. Pretty solid line. But two other guys had good nights as well. First, another Senior, Nemmy, scored 14 points (4-6 shooting), 3 rebounds, an assist and a block. The other half of the twin towers probably had the best game...JJ continues to add wrinkles- long jumpers, turn-arounds, post hooks, and tonight a dribble-drive from outside of the arc. His double-double seemed effortless as he finished with 14 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 assists.

The guy who, according to the box score, was quiet, but actually played a big role was LewJack. He was guarding Talor Battle for most of the contest...Battle finished 0-7 with 0 points...only 18.2 off of his norm. LewJack finished with only two steals, officially...but I counted three; and he was disruptive all game. He also had 5 assists (but 3 TOs)...I hope the Anti-LewJack Assn. (ALJA) can see that this guy is promising...and he's progressing each game. Just remember when you come around, that Boilerdowd will still be driving the LewJack bandwagon, and there's always room for more aboard this bus!

While Smooge didn't have the offensive explosion that I was anticipating, he did begin to shoot himself out of his slump, and finished with 10 points. Kramer shot the ball a lot, for him (4 times), and finished with 5 points...but most interestingly, he guarded Cornley in the second half (he only gives up 2 inches and 35 pounds on PSU's #2). Grant and Green were extremely quite; Green only played 7 minutes. Hopefully they both find ways to contribute when called upon, because they will both be needed during the stretch run.

Make no mistake, my fellow Purdue alums and friends, while Buckets' line is fun to talk about, team defense was the story in this game. We've seen Purdue really ratchet down on a few teams this season- Davidson, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa and PSU, earlier tonight. Following two lackluster defensive games, Purdue returned to form and held the Lions to under 37% shooting; teams don't win too often shooting below 40%...and the magic number of 64 once again proved to be pertainent. When Purdue opponents score less than 64 points, Purdue's record is 18-0, this season.

This game is important for a lot of reasons- But the the biggest probably that it shows these guys that they can win without the Ostrich...something they desperately needed to do for their own psychee. I have no reason to believe we'll see Robbie playing in Iowa...so that means, he'll have rested for 17 days when Sparty comes to West Lafayette to face the new look Boilers...who knows if he'll play or how much, but I don't know how Painter's team can beat Izzo's squad without the services of Hummel.

Another important aspect of tonight's win is that it allowed the team to rest. An 8-man rotation was utilized, and the bench actually responded as Moore got in early foul trouble. And inspite of Purdue's normal extended man-to-man, no one seeme tired at the end of the game. Did anyone notice Purdue playing a type of zone defense tonight at the end of the first half? I know Painter doesn't like zone, but this switching man D closely resembled what I'd call zone.

Stats by StatSheet.com

defense feeds offense...Boilers put it away in the second half

Purdue hearts Iowa this coming Saturday at 4:05.