Lewis Jackson

We talk a lot. Sometimes less is more.

Teammate

Friend

Warrior

Heart

Drive

Boilermaker

Thank you, LewJack. 

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.

Three-Headed Monster Slays Sparty: 86-76

We knew it would happen. We knew Smooge would return to his old form. He showed a bit of it v. PSU on Wednesday, but he showed it all versus MSU tonight. He created his own shot, knocked down the long ball and *gasp* even shot a free throw or two!! It was good to see Moore back at it. But, he wasn't the story tonight in God's Country. The win was a team effort.

Let's look at the supporting cast first, shall we?

Alright, before we address the large, athletic gentlemen on the hardwood, let's talk about the 14,123 who surrounded them. The first thing you guys did is made it a tough ticket for MSU fans to get- nice going! Second, you guys were amazingly-loud and clearly made a difference in the game- If nothing else, you gave the Forces of Good something to look forward after the upcoming short roadie to the land of squeaky-clean BT athletics. Many accounts tell me this might have been the loudest Mackey's been in the last 20 years...that's saying a lot.

Now, onto the playahs, playah.

J's favorite player right now, Carroll, didn't play a ton of minutes, but he helped close the door a couple times on defense. I think the minutes he's getting now will be important during the post season when Matty unleashes JJ defensively. He's destined to get into some foul trouble at that point, and these minutes for Carroll are getting him comfortable playing good competition in various conditions. Even Marcius played a couple of minutes and looked tough battling the sizable MSU PF/bigboy Nix.

Ryne Smith had a couple very good looks from deep. But, my favorite part of his game was his rebounding tonight. He did a great job coming up with key boards in the second half as MSU struggled to get back into the game. He also had a few plays in which he simply sold out defensively...that stuff is contagious.

DJ Byrd did what Purdue fans love of him. He scrapped like an underdog fighter, matched up admirably against bigger forwards, distributed the ball like a guard on offense, had a few timely buckets and made the most of his 20 minutes.

Kelsey Barlow played my favorite game of his this season. His stat line isn't too loud: 6pts, 4ast, 2blk. But, he played with his normal chip on the shoulder, yet had some discipline about him. He pulled the ball back a few times wisely instead of driving into a double-team. He hit some key free throws, he frustrated multiple MSU players as he rotated in on defense and was completely in the head of those guys- specifically Green and Lucas. He also had a thunder slam in traffic late in the second half that tore the metal roof off of Mackey like J ripping into an XL can of Hormel Chili. Mmmm, Mmmm!

Now, let's talk about the stars of tonights really big show.

JJ was pretty quiet for much of the game. Izzo and co. double teamed him and beat on him in order to keep him from making too much of a difference in the contest...and the tactic was effective for about 25 minutes. He finished with 20 points, not enough rebounds and a block. But once again, shot his free throws well (6/7). On a few occasions, it seemed pretty obvious that Matty had instructed him to not go for the block. This resulted in a few easy scoring opportunities for the Spartans. I think this is pretty wise at this point as it keeps him fresh on the offensive side...but there will be a time when he simply must be a difference-maker on both sides of the court again...perhaps Tuesday v. anOSU?

The smallest guy on the court was nothing but HUGE. LewJack out-Lucased MSU's Lucas. His on-ball defense was stifling and frustrating as usual. He shot the ball well from the field (6/9) and from the stripe (7/8). But his pace was amazingly-quick...and he finished amongst the trees, with a ton of contact time and time again. Since the turn of the year, this is all 23 had done: 10pts,3ast,4reb/gm. Not too shabby, huh? But tonight, his 19/2/5 game was a thing of beauty...and was arguably the best game of his career so far.

The game ball, of course, goes to 33. He was nearly-unstoppable for the first 30 minutes of the game. He finished with 26 points, but had 24 with over 11 minutes left in the game. He had 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals to go along with his 9/18 shooting night. He played a very complete game and exuded the confidence that we haven't seen since last decade (see, that's a joke because it's 2011).

For much of the game, Purdue's team effort, solid defense & opportunistic offense kept them up by double-digits over Sparty. In spite of that, Izzo used three time-outs in a 1.5 minute period and had his boys fouling Purdue with over 2.5 minutes left. His effort to extend the game did just that...but I think the real reason you employ this tactic is to shrink the deficit and try to win. Even when it seemed pretty clear that it wasn't going to happen, he kept telling his team to foul and kept calling timeouts. At the end of their effort, Purdue still won by 10 points.

MSU falls to 12-7 overall and 4-3 in conference...they'll surely still be getting first place votes come Monday morning in both polls...at least that's what Vitale tried to convince me of as Purdue was drubbing the Spartans (another quality color job by Dickie V!!).

As for our Boilers, they're in a pretty great situation heading into the game versus the #1 team in the nation. From what the media tells me, they have little chance to win...so they've got nothing to lose. aOSU has a ton of length and creates difficult match-ups for Purdue...and they have so much talent. Perhaps our Boilers shouldn't even show up in the Discount Arena?

Whether Matty will take the entire team or not for the road trip, I haven't yet heard. But, you and I can tune in to watch this David v. Goliath story on EsPN at 9:00 on Tuesday.

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."

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.

Can The '10-'11 Season Start Now, Please?

A pretty likable group...

The sun has risen just fine the past couple of mornings, and I'm still damn proud to be a Boilermaker. As mentioned on this site, it's never a good feeling when your season ends. And, really, there's only one way for it to end where you feel really, really good. And Purdue is closer to that than it's been in a while. The tournament effort to get to the Sweet 16 and then play Duke tighter than they were played to that point was significant (remember, this is a Duke team that was up 30 on UNC in the first half in their late-season matchup). As the clock wound down on Friday night, I found myself immediately feeling and saying, "I'm really proud of these guys."

Oh, but what might have been.

Never A Complete Unit

At the start of the season, a Sweet 16 appearance would have been viewed as a disappointment. We all know how high expectations were. The Boilers had a chance to almost come home for the Final Four, as they did in 1980, and this is all the more driven home now for Boilermakers as we get to watch Butler have those stories written about them. It's hard to have anything but good feelings for Butler, as their students and loyal fans deserve this as much as anyone, but I did say to Boilerdowd this weekend that I'm truly jealous of the Bulldogs. I can't imagine how good this feels for them today.

But getting back to the Boilers, one point that I think is very interesting to ponder is the "what could have been," not from the simple, obvious Final Four perspective, but from what was expected or counted on for this season.


For one thing, Sandi Marcius was expected to be another big body Coach Matty could count on to at least clog the lane a bit, grab some boards, commit some Zoubeks (another word for fouls) and simply spell JJ when Johnson was in foul trouble or just needed some rest. But Sandi broke his foot and it made no sense to burn his redshirt when word was that he wasn't ready.

But let's leave that one alone. How about the fact that the Boilers essentially had the rotation they expected to have for a total of seven games? Seven. And even then it wasn't at full strength, since I'm talking about the games where LewJack was just coming back. The preseason #6 team in the nation wound up not having their regular rotation for almost the entire season. This got obscured by the fact that the Boilers played inspired, focused ball and got out to that 14-0 start. However, many of us saw the need for Lewis Jackson to get back this year, as the team could not handle the press well at all, even from mediocre teams. They needed their PG back.

LewJack returned on January 28 versus Wisconsin, but only played 20 minutes in a game twice before February 24. On that day, Purdue started their game at Minnesota looking, honestly, like they'd figured it out. Jackson was back and was beginning to play significant minutes again, the Big 3 looked comfortable, Moore was on a nice steady run, etc. Things looked good. During that first half, B-dowd and I even commented on how solid they looked in nearly all facets -- something that could not have been said too many times this year up to that point. And then, of course, Rob's knee went, and his teammates looked like they'd seen their puppy get run over.

To their credit, as we all know, they pulled themselves together and went 6-3 (including that Minny game) without Rob. Nothing groundbreaking, but they learned to play without him and they showed resolve and commitment that made us all proud. I've not heard one fan say they felt like the Boilers folded the tent. And think about that, because it's significant.

Lewis Jackson was finally getting up to speed.....and Rob was gone.

We've often said that things have to line up for you to go to a Final Four. Butler had everyone playing their system perfectly (and you can now see why Matt Painter really wanted Gordon Hayward). MSU didn't have to beat anyone higher than a 4-seed. Duke had a bracket full of shorthanded, inexperienced teams to get through. Point is, it has to line up. You need some breaks. I'd say this isn't being a Purdue homer: Purdue got few breaks this year. In fact, the breaks truly went against them.

Was Progress Made?

Have the boys matured further? B-dowd and I discussed this last night and it's unfortunate to think that while they clearly are a good team, they weren't quite emotionally mature enough to handle some things this year. Nobody can fault their effort or, as mentioned, the Sweet 16 appearance. But the way they reacted to losing Rob in the immediate aftermath (curling up into the fetal position for a lot of the rest of the Minnesota game and all of the MSU game) was disconcerting. However, when you compare the way they began the 2008-2009 season, another season considered promising, they did indeed take strides.

In December 2008, we all know how poor the boys looked against Duke. We also all remember the 0-2 start in conference play. The Boilers opened this season solidly, taking down Tennessee in the Virgin Islands, coming back from down 16 in the second half against Alabama, and simply outclassing Wake and WVU at home. But the hiccups remain, including an 0-3 stretch in January, only putting up 44 against MSU at home (Rob or no Rob, that's ridiculous) and being simply embarrassed on a national scale in the Big Ten Tourney against Minnesota. The point? There's a lot of maturing still to be done.

"Help Is On The Way"

Someone on ESPN's cast of misfits said, in the wake of UNC getting absolutely dismantled by Duke at the end of the season, that "help is on the way" for Roy Williams. Not sure how many five-stars he needs to, you know, make the tournament, but it's kind of a silly statement. However, for the Boilers, help is indeed on the way in a number of forms, with the overall theme being depth.

For one, Sandi Marcius should be healthy and ready to bang next year. Patrick Bade will be a sophomore and hopefully will practice rebounding over the summer so he doesn't look like he thinks basketballs are live grenades. And coming to the mix is Travis Carroll, another center to give JJ some rest. You'll never want JaJuan in foul trouble or playing soft as he does from time to time, but if it happens at least Matty will have a multitude of options. And with this size, it will be rare that an opponent will have the definitive upper hand in the post.

Boilerdowd's lust for the Johnson boys is hard to describe. No, I'm being silly, but b-dowd is very excited about Terone and Anthony coming aboard next year, and he's right to be. Both four-star players (for what that's worth), these guys are difference-makers and the thinking here is Terone could (and maybe should) see some time in the starting lineup. He's a thick kid who can play the point or score the ball (hate that term, I sound like Hubert Davis).

Donnie Hale is a power forward coming on board without a scholarship as of right now. He agreed to come to Purdue over his other finalist, Xavier, with no guarantee of a schollie for next season. So unless someone goes pro or transfers, Donnie might be paying his own way for a little while. We'll see how this goes.

One More Year, JJ

Which leads us to a sidebar about going pro. According to Neubert, JJ hasn't ruled it out as of now. Which, I think we can agree, might be a bit silly. We think he'll be back, but if he was a

first round projected pick, we couldn't blame him for going.

However, NBA Draft Express doesn't have JaJuan projected as even a second round pick as of now. In fact, they have him as a second round pick in 2011. So he clearly has work to do. As Neubert puts it so well:

"When he gets the ball around the rim, he's got to be able to score or get fouled 90 percent of the time, rather than getting stripped or tied up."

More Reasons For Excitement About The Immediate Future

Getting back to next year, I know I was thrilled to see the minutes some of the younger guys got in the tournament. Ryne Smith developed some confidence and has now hit some big shots on the biggest stage possible. But even bigger to us was DJ Byrd's postseason. DJ was a DNP as recently as the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Think about that. This is a guy who didn't have double-digit minutes from Dec 22 until the Big Ten Tournament.

He played a total of five minutes from Jan 31 until that Minnesota game in the BTT, including six DNPs. But then he came alive, having his two best offensive days since the first game of the season against CS Northridge, scoring 11 in the crushing against Minnesota and putting up 10 HUGE points (including 2 of 2 from three-land) against A&M.

DJ also played strong defense, never looked out of position or overwhelmed and was even barking at teammates on the floor -- in a good way. If you're looking for an intensity leader to replace CK3, we think you might have him in DJ. (And he needs to keep the intense haircut look; we love it.)

Thanks, But No Thanks, Media-Types

Purdue has the tenth-ranked recruiting class in the nation for 2010. Oh, but only fourth in the Big Ten. Yeah, you read that right. So let's shut your pie-holes, national media, about what the Big Ten lacks. It's pretty effing rugged.

In addition, several scribes were venturing well into douchey territory and seemed to be working hard at alienating college basketball fans. A very smart move when you're a.....college basketball writer. Wait, what?

One of these clowns is Gary Parrish, of whom there is not a single photo in existence where he doesn't look like a complete buffoon. He's now saying the Boilers are going to the Final Four next year, but Gary felt the Boilers barely deserved a top 20 ranking as the season wound down -- not because they were losing games (they weren't), but because he felt Rob Hummel being out made them...a below-average team.... I guess? Hard to understand. We emailed him politely and were given the condescending pat-on-the-head treatment. He's one of the many who can kiss off next year -- as stated before, we don't want your positive remarks, either. You've denigraded Purdue enough that we don't care anymore. You're a lost cause. We know Purdue's not as sexy as slimy Calipari's Cats, and that's fine. We like our program clean.

Keep It Up, Students

There have been periods in Purdue sports history of which we're not especially proud, when students seem to not care at all. While it's perfectly fine to not be a sports fan, it still grates on us because we take this stuff way too serious, by our own admission. But seeing the Paint Crew and their massive numbers honoring the team as often as they do is simply wonderful for two old guys like us.

Camping out in the cold, being creatively supportive during games, singling out guys to thank as the season winds down, road tripping through the night on buses.... we can't possibly name all the ways in which we think the students do an amazing job acting as the 6th man and doing us alums proud. You guys are doing great things and you'll look back fondly on this time in your lives. Keep doing it.

Want proof of how awesome the fans/students are? Here they are at the airport at 2 AM on a cold February night welcoming the Boilers home from Minnesota, where the season took a crushing turn.



That video really gets me. The guys had won a hard-fought game and lost Rob for the season. We didn't know it for sure at that moment but it didn't look good. And yet the screaming for the guys and the chanting for Rob is just terrific. Seeing that smile that Hummel can't conceal is all part of the greatness of it.

Yes, we're going to focus on football in the very near future.... but we keep saying we wish next basketball season could start in maybe a week. Eight months can't pass fast enough.

Choo-choo.

Boilers Pull Upset; Advance to Second Round

"This is totally gonna screw up Digger's bracket!"

Wait, wait, wait. This can't be right. I must be reading this wrong. Purdue pulled off the upset of the mighty Siena Saints in the first round of the tourney?

Hell yes, you bet your sweet ass they did, 72-64.

Sorry, but we -- along with every other loyal Boilermaker -- are fricking sick and tired of our 28-5 squad being minimized and written off. Yes, they played poorly last Saturday against Minnesota. News flash: it's not last Saturday.

Were we thrilled with this performance? No, we were not, and neither were you, in all likelihood. And that's because those of us who are real fans of this team know they're still capable of big things. Rob's absence hurts, to be sure, but with two current all-conference guys, a former all-conference guy and the current Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, it was a little premature to suggest the Purdue Boilermakers wouldn't dispatch a MAAC team. Not a MAC team -- a MAAC team.

The Saints were all but favored in today's game and Brando and Gminski calling the game on CBS really -- REALLY -- wanted to be calling a 13 over 4 upset. Sorry, fellas, to disappoint you, but Purdue doesn't lose in the first round. It just doesn't happen.

The first hald was complained about by Boiler faithful, including us...BUT, while it was not a good half, the good guys were only down three. To try to be impartial for a moment, if nothing goes right for a team and they're only down 3, that's actually a good sign.

In the first half, there was plenty to be concerned about, as Moore played soft, nobody could rebound and JJ seemed to shrink three sizes against a team he could -- and needed to -- dominate.

Boilerdowd and I commented that we hoped Coach Matty got this team's attention at halftime. I think he did.

When the second half began, the Boilers played the game they are capable of playing, dominating defensively, converting breaks, forcing steals and bad passes, grabbing rebounds and asserting themselves with rattling dunks. As I said to b-dowd after the game, wouldn't you love to see them play that way for even one complete half? They'd be up 20+ on almost anybody.

Ryne Smith finally arrived and took the uniform from the imposter who has been wearing it all season. We kid, of course, as we love all our Boilermakers equally, but it was terrific to see Ryne hit a couple of huge threes. That was about it from the bench, though, as the Boilers' starters did an OSU impression, with everyone but Lew getting 31 minutes or more.

Concerns include the one we knew would continue -- without Rob, rebounding is a huge, HUGE problem. Being outrebounded 42-37 by a MAAC school is.... how you say..... not good. The Saints' top two rebounders had 25 combined, but the good news is JJ led all with 15 boards. Let's aim for our boys keeping the rebounding battle close going forward and we'll all agree to call that a win. Agreed?

Special mention to the efforts of the seniors. Keaton Grant started slowly but kept shooting -- and we needed him to -- and knocked down three treys. And, of course, Chris Kramer became Chris Kramer in the second half, stealing balls, getting breakaway dunks and pissing off the opposition. For those who missed it, early in the second half, as Purdue was making a big run, Kramer saved a ball going out of bounds and whaled it off of Siena's Kyle Downey (I believe), who did not care for that. He stepped up towards Kramer, who gave him that patented, Kramer Look of Disdain. We were all thinking it, too: Mr. Downey, trust us, you want no part of Chris Kramer. E'Twaun Moore stepped between the two and saved Downey from becoming a permanent part of the hardwood.

In the end, the game was a marginal performance, except for about the first 10-12 minutes of the second half. In this case, that was all that was needed. In the next game, we'll likely need more than just 1/4 effort, boys. Hopefully, they're pacing themselves. That said, we liked what we saw. It looked like the guys were increasing learning who they are. It's been hard to pinpoint exactly what to expect from this team, especially since Rob went down. Let's hope they've begun to seriously figure it out.

Oh, and continuing our memo to the mainsteam media: We do not want any props from you anymore. We get accused of whining when you slight our program over and over and over. No more. We quit on hoping you wise up. Leave 'em for dead, it's fine with us. And that includes next year. We don't want to hear a damn bit of pro-Purdue out of stooges like Goodman at Fox, Parrish at CBS, Katz at ESPN, or any other similarly uninformed buffoon who hasn't watched a Purdue game all year. Suck it, all of you. We're through hoping for respect. Our boys will force you to not be able to ignore them. Kind of like they did -- again -- today.

Choo-choo, muthas.

This way to the second round, boys!

"You also never know when you’ll have an opportunity like this" LewJack seizes the day.

Unlike some of the players on this squad, #23 has a sense of urgency to him.

About a month ago, LewJack insisted to his head coach that he'd be back in the month of January. Matty seemingly patted him on the had and said it'd probably be more like mid-February.

Lewis was right. On the 28th, he was cleared to play...and on that same night, he did just that.

He said he felt tired in the second half, but it seems like he understands that fatigue goes away quickly as does the opportunity to play on a "special" team.

Naysayers can bark whatever they want about the guy, but he wants to be a part of this team and I think might be a crucial part of the stretch run.

After the game, Painter commented about the embarrassment of riches that he now has as 12 guys might all be able to play each game...but in reality, the bench will probably only go 10 deep game-in, game-out. There are only 200 playing minutes available each game, afterall.

Of all problems a coach can have, this might be the best one to have.

Handsome...Handsome...Handsome...1/27/10

Handsome to the power of three!!!

Will he return this season?

Who you got?

Guitar Zeros

J wants an insider deal

Jacked

I saw a thread on the KHC board about the comparison of Barlow to LewJack...and it got me thinking about this season versus last season.

Lewis Jackson played a lot of minutes early last year...He started almost every game in '08/'09. But, things were very different for Jackson. Every healthy body played significant minutes...Hummel was hurt for a chunk of the season, Kramer was out for a few games, the bench was not nearly as deep. In fact, during a few games last season, Matty only utilized 7 players. This season, 11 players are averaging double-digit minutes...and five more have played in a couple of games. My point is, it's a different season and a different team...but make no mistake, replacing #23's worth in the line-up has been difficult, but a duo of players are doing a pretty good job of it.
Barlow has gotten better each game...and had the luxury of not being forced to play too many minutes too quickly. Wohlford came into this season in great shape and his hard work in the off season has "forced" (according to Painter) the coaches to put him in the game more-and-more as the season progresses.

I'm not sure if anybody here knows LewJack, or any of the other players...or if any players visit the site. But, one thing seems pretty obvious- everyone involved in this situation seems to understand its a team effort. Lewis Jackson's pace and ability to guard the opposition's pointguard on the ball isn't matched by anyone on the active roster. You can't make someone that quick. At the same time, LewJack will never be 6'5" and have a nearly-7 foot wingspan. Both of these guys have tools. And the third part of the equation, Wohlford, seems to play a bit harder than Barlow...and his situational awareness is that of a Senior. It'd be great if Painter had all parts at his disposal, but he hasn't, nor will he for at least two and one-half more months.

I've noticed Jackson trying to help guys on the court get into the correct position from the bench a few times...I've also noticed him looking like someone stole his lunch money a few times. This injury has clearly been hard on him. But, it's created opportunities for two guys that might not have seen significant, if any minutes this season...And Painter's been able to adjust the system according to the strengths of Wolford/Barlow. I'm excited to see both players progress as the BT schedule draws closer and closer. I'm also looking forward to a time when both Barlow and Jackson are available.

Dunk you very much.

This is a big download...but it's pretty fun to watch...Is it wrong that the one missed dunk they kept on the video makes me the most excited for basketball season?

Click Here and Savor the Flavor