Class of '13 Dominos Falling...

Basil Smotherman became the third big timer to verbal to Matty in the now loaded class of 2013. Smotherman is the son of his HS coach at Indianapolis Heritage Christian...never a bad thing to have a coach's son on board- those guys are notoriously heady and hard-working.

You might say that this class is starting to look like that of '07...I'd counter by saying this one is even more talented, at least at this point in their careers. Let's remember JJ was still a largely-unknown commodity and Hummel's game was not as widely known. Plus, those guys weren't Sophomore verbals. They all came much later in the game.

We've said it before, you shouldn't get too excited about a verbal from kids that are barely driving...or not driving yet. But, Scott, Stephens and Smotherman all seem like they just want to be Boilers. Because things tend to happen this way, I wouldn't be at all surprised to hear about a fourth verbal in the coming weeks...that would complete the class...that's quite a contrast from the struggle of '11.

So far, Purdue has 3 top-50 recruits for that class and Smotherman is 26th on their chart. Could we see the first McD AA for Purdue in a long time come from this class? It could happen, but let's also remember that these guys are probably not full-grown yet, so the next two years can change things quite a bit.

Future Boiler...With Authority!

Most of you know who Rafael Davis is...in case you don't, you should. He's coming to play for Matty in a few years...and is enthusiastic about his play (he's number 23).

What the Hale's the deal?

Many of you already know the name Donnie Hale. He's been a Purdue target for a while...but an apprehensive guy. I know, I mock the early commitment often as the 10 and 11 year-olds make their decisions to play for whomever. But, the reason some guys have to decide so early is because schollies are at a premium.

The same was the case for Hale. Purdue's '10 class was already filling up this time last year. Travis Carroll and Anthony Johnson had decided they'd be Boilers...and another commitment from Terone Johnson a month later made it seem like Hale had lost his opportunity to play at Purdue. As a result of the scholarship situation changing, Painter seemed to back off a bit...but stayed in contact with Hale.

My friends at Xavier told me it was a done-deal that Hale would be a Musky. He had received an offer from Miller, but the offer was no longer on the table after Miller left X. Last weekend, Hale went to Xavier's camp to showcase his abilities...and instead of receiving the offer, Xavier decided to hold off on the 6'8" forward.

While I don't completely understand the NCAA's rules on oversigning, I know coaches like Matta and Calipari have made their living oversigning talented classes. I believe, at this point, Hale is an oversign...which makes this such a good deal for Purdue. If either JJ and/or Hummel decide that '09/'10 is their last season at Mackey, there's room for Donnie...if not, he'll end up in prep school for a season (a la Sandi Marcius, Brad Miller, Chad Austin and others).

From what I've heard, Hale is still raw offensively...still not much of a threat to shoot the ball outside of the lane and lacks strength to compete in the Big Ten, at least out of the box. He's in the top 150, according to Rivals (135, but fell a bit recently). Rankings are funny, they create stars and sometimes snuff out a bright star...and it seems not much has changed for Hale, and that might be the problem. I don't know if he's progressed physically as much as many of the other players in the Rivals 150...but it seems, he's still tremendously athletic despite his lack girth.

At this point he reminds me of a shorter JJ coming out of high school. And I'm not suggesting he'll have the increase in ability that Johnson has had, but many backed off of Johnson because of his lack of strength out of Franklin Central a few years ago. And I've heard from more than one source, JJ has grown at least two inches since coming onto campus.

Aspects of Hale's game and mentality remind me of are, another JJ, Justin Jennings and his team mate Herb Dove. I believe Herb was 6'5" and Jennings, 6'6" (but can't find their info right now), so both were quite a bit shorter than Donnie. Neither was a particularly good shooter, but both played above the rim...both were pretty lean (especially Dove) and both were good defenders.

Regardless if Hale's a role player at Purdue or flourishes and surprises the experts, I'm glad he stayed in state and decided to play in the gold and black.

Welcome Donnie Hale!

Official Ruling on Jeff Robinson

Purdue PF commitment and Indy Lawrence North product, Robinson, has been officially ruled out as a Boilermaker for at least the next two seasons. Academic problems led Purdue to deny his entry into the university...so the class is back to four incoming Freshman...it's almost as if Matty (and everyone else) knew this months ago.

Here's my opinion on the guy- I don't know much about him, but here's what I do know: He was a back-up center in high school...and while he backed up one of the better prospects in the Midwest, he was still a back-up. Plus, I've heard from a couple of sources at LN that the kid had a work ethic problem in the classroom. The last time I heard a similar account of a Purdue recruit, it went in a similar fashion.

I wish none of these kids ill will...but I also don't want to see guys like this playing at Purdue, until they can figure out how to make grades. Let's be honest, it gets no easier, really in any way, in college. Those guys need to work hard on the court and off the court, for them to succeed and for the team to find success. I really hope, in two years from now, Robinson has got his academics on track and his game matches that success...and he ends up in West Lafayette. But, if I was a betting man, I'd put a shiny quarter on the guess that this ship has sailed.

Thursday Gumbo

The mood about Robert Marve on a few of the Purdue boards has changed because of this article...The way I look at this stuff is it's a pretty big crapshoot. Marve could come to Purdue and be a world-beater, but he could also come in and be beaten out by the unheralded & underexperienced TerBush or Henry. But, competition is paramount for making any team better, before they even hit the field, so I'm a proponent of Marve coming to Purdue.

What I'm not a proponent of is a guy dragging this process on and on...So make up your mind, young fella- either way it's not the end of the world or the second coming of my savior. It's just a kid who seems to be fickle looking for greener pastures. Hope it works out well for him- and if he decides to go to Tennessee as a walk-on, I hope their signing makes up for the lack of schollie.

(oh snap, no he didn't)

I kid Vol fan...gimme a hug.

Rafa
In basketball "news", a Freshman in high school has decided what he'll be doing in four years.

Raphael Davis has verballed to play with Matty and Co. in four years.

I'm told this is a big deal...but I've never seen the kid play, never seen a video of him and didn't watch a ton of eighth grade basketball in '07-'08. Don't get me wrong, I'm really happy that Raphael likes coach Painter and wants to be a part of the Purdue family in 3+ years, but the last time I remember a Freshman verballing to play for my Boilers, he ended up playing in Bloomington and finally Alabama.

I know this is what basketball recruiting is/has become...but if this guy is as good as some sources believe, he'll have a stack of offers up to his waist by the end of his Soph season...and will have all sorts of impropriety heading his direction as the Calipari and Floyd-types of the college basketball world slither into the picture. Let's hope that neither Worldwide Wes nor any other mythological college basketball mobster falls in love with Raphael in the next few years.

The way I see it, the only way to get these kids to stick to their word is make sure they'll be surrounded with other guys who will be part of their class...Patterson, Teague and Smith-Rivera all come to mind. In my opinion, it's sad that I know the name of four high school Freshman players off of the top of my head.

What I think we all want are guys that will go to class, not get arrested and want to be at Purdue...as Purdue wins more and more games, finding talent that fits that bill should become easier and easier. I don't want to hear about any dealings with crooked AAU coaches and $50 handshakes in West Lafayette; that stuff's not worth it.

Indy
The track opened up today for practice after a few days of it being closed so they could rest the pavement (I guess)...and the radar looks clear. Hopefully guys like John Andretti, Servia and others can find speed...I'd also love to see someone from another circuit get in a car and try to put in some laps in the 11th hour like it was back in the 80s...I know I'm dreaming.

A Look at Kelsey Barlow

Indianapolis Cathedral's Kelsey Barlow in action.

From the video, he seems to be a point forward of sorts with great vision and court awareness. He's also deceptively-quick. I've seen him play in person twice, and thought he looked a bit lazy at times, but very athletic. I still think he will back up Hummel next season at small forward, and possibly Smooge at shooting guard, at times.

He's got long arms and can do a lot of things well...I'm hoping Painter and Co. can motivate him they way they've pushed Smooge to become a very good defender...and like Moore, Barlow will probably have the look of moving in slow motion at times...as he blows by a defender. He's a bit of a tweener, but his length might make him an all-conference-type of player by the time he leaves West Lafayette.

Thank you to Rivals GBI for the video...

He Should Fit Right In...

Purdue's struggles with injury and long flu bouts have been well-documented this season. Sounds like DJ Byrd is so amped to be part of the Boiler squad that he's been emulating Painter's squad's oft-depleted style.

Byrd joins the infirmary.

Surprise: Purdue signs another guard for next season

John Hart...Another defensive stopper?

In a move that a lot of people are questioning on the message boards, Matt Painter signed another guard to next year's class...The third in the incoming class. Many thought Painter would try to pick up another big a la Chris Reid & Nemanja Calasan last season.

I'm not one to doubt the coach that found diamonds in the rough like Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer...So, if Painter thinks he's a good fit, I'll take him at his word. Plus, with Grant and Kramer's frequent injuries, a high-energy athletic guard might be just what the doctor ordered. Hart's no slouch, he's just been a bit under the radar. The Beech Grove Senior averaged nearly 19 points a game and was all-metro, all-county and all-city in quite a few publications.

From Painter's description, he reminds me a whole lot of a guy I knew during my time on campus...Herb Dove. Perhaps he can take the alley oop from Lew Jack a la Roberts to Dove in the 90s. I'm hoping so; we haven't seen that type of play in a few seasons. I'm hopeful that this isn't a signal that Lewis Jackson is going to be a victim of the NCAA academic clearinghouse. Let's keep our fingers crossed that all three of the incoming class make it to West Lafayette.

Help Is On The Way: Ryne Smith

Yeah, he looks like he's 13, but he's a ball player. Ryne Smith, like Lewis Jackson, is a signee for this year's class for the Purdue basketball Boilermakers. And, like Jackson, Smith is a top-150 player according to Rivals (#106). Unlike LewJack, Smith isn't flashy, isn't an internet sensation and doesn't have a whole bunch of hype around him. Smith is a shooter who averaged over 17/gm. in high school and Painter likes his ability to score "around 25 feet". Painter also really likes the fact that Smith "Eats, drinks and sleeps basketball..."

Why? Well, he's the son of a high school coach. That's seems like it's usually a good place to start if a team is looking for a heady player. While I don't know if Smitty will make the instant impact* that Jackson will, I do think he'll be important. In the mold of Matt Waddell, I see him coming in for limited duty during his Freshman year and throwing a few 20+ foot daggers at opponents. Regardless of his role, I'm looking forward to seeing how a pure, spot-up shooter fits in this dynamic Purdue offense.

*Please note, I didn't think Hummel would have instant impact in the '07/'08 season.