Purdue versus UConn -- Sweet 16

No, I don't know what happened to Husky's face there, but it appears to be melting off.

So tonight -- in less than an hour -- the Boilermakers tip off against unbeatable UConn. First things first -- we won't be hosting a Cover it Live event here for various reasons, but we love that there's community among Boilermakers so if you're looking to babble amongst yourselves, either use our comments here or go over to Hammer and Rails, where Travis will either host a CiL forum or at least a commenting thread.

Now, about the game.

The general consensus is we have no chance. Sure, we've been playing coy all week but we're not really making much up -- it's assumed that Purdue will lose. And I guess odds are, our boys will lose.

But the games aren't played on paper! You can't measure heart! Hustle doesn't show up in the box score! A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush! (Sorry, I got carried away.)

Truth is, yes, UConn is scary good. They've also been on a mission since you know they heard the media chirping about how maybe they shouldn't have been a #1 seed. They proved their point in absolutely dominating their first two games. But then again, we're not a bottom-half seed. And a lot has happened since the last UConn game.

I'm not usually a big believer in "distractions" having a marked effect. The better team will usually still win. Will Calhoun have other things on his mind? Maybe. But I don't think the players will. If UConn loses, it will be because Purdue outplayed them. Not because they may have had recruiting violations or because of "karma" or "nonsense."

So here's the deal -- if both team's play their games, it'll be tight but I would have to favor UConn. If Purdue goes through one of those spells where they turn into ice-bucket shooters, then it's got the potential to be a double-digit loss. Scratch that, it will likely be a double-digit loss if that happens. UConn is way too good for Purdue to be able to withstand a poor shooting night.

This game for the Boilermakers needs to be like the blowout win over Michigan State. We need to overpower them from the start. The boys need to play with no fear and no hesitation. They need to shoot, shoot and shoot some more. Shooting is off? Shoot until it's back on. And get back on quick. Robbie needs to fill it up, E'twaun needs to be feeling it, CK needs to be playing his customary defense and JJ needs to be a manchild. Is all this a lot to ask? Sure. But is it unreasonable? No way.

No sitting back. If they race out to a 10-14 point lead like in each of the first two games... no mercy! Pour it on! Try to win by 30! It obviously won't happen but if you strive to pummel them, just maybe we'll be able to stay an inch ahead. This is the kind of team that, down 20, you would still fear.

We need our boys to get some bounces tonight, no doubt. But if we get a few of those bounces, and they play like we have seen them play, then tonight you may see one of the biggest wins in the history of the basketball program.

Time to Boiler Up.

So you're saying there's a chance

In the eyes of the media, the unstoppable juggernaut that is UConn basketball cannot be stopped by the lowly hand maiden Purdue Boilermakers. Well, that's not what the computers say. Sure, they're still underdogs, but with the average score after 10,000 simulations being 72 - 67 with UConn winning, it's not exactly the defenseless going against the jack booted oppressors here.









In 14% of the cases Purdue actually won the game by more than 10 points. That's not bad. I've been keeping an eye on how well these simulations work, and at least in Purdue's case they've been darn close to reality. Let's just hope tonight the reality is in the 37.1%.

Is UConn a good team? Definitely. So is Purdue though. ESPN has Purdue being the worst team in the Sweet 16 while they have UConn being the second best. No one is giving Purdue a chance here. That should definitely inspire them. They seem to perform best when they're counted out. With all the distractions around UConn at this time, as well as their surely inflated heads, something unexpected can happen tonight.

Game on.

BTFU!

Peering Into The Windows of UConn

So while doing my usual porn-surfing this afternoon, I decided to look into what UConn blogs are out there and to see if they're giving us any ammunition -- that is, mocking Purdue or taking them ultra-lightly. I didn't necessarily find that yet, but what I did find was, well... take a look.

At UConn Huskies Basketball, they've located a YouTube clip of a Purdue...student, I think. She's surely hot, but I don't think she represents Purdue quite the way we might like to be represented.



"This is Purdue's bell toweerrrrrrrr.... it's kind of like the center of Purdue's campus..."

*wince*

"The rule is you're not supposed to walk underneath it, or you'll fail your next three tests... or something like that...."

*holds head*

At least she sort of knows part of the fight song. And is hot.

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Over at The UConn Blog (imaginative name, by the way -- do you think this guy's kid is named "Son"?) they have a Q&A with Travis from Hammer and Rails (whoever that is).

If you read us at all, you know we are allies with Travis, but I have to give him some ribbing for this exchange... when asked what Purdue's weaknesses were, Travis went with:

Rebounding, Free throw shooting, and general shooting have all been bugaboos at times.

Holy crap! What else is there? If ever you wanted to encapsulate the mind of a Purdue fan, there you go. We may be in the Sweet 16, but we're weak everywhere. (You know we love you, Travis.)

The Pressure's on the Big East

The Big East had a good weekend in the NCAA tournament- Only one invitee (West Virginia, playing in Minneapolis) from the mega conference was knocked out of the tournament. And while I don't think anybody can debate that the conference is good, is it fair to crown 'em before the dance is half-over?

It's been well-documented that the Big East, with all of its talented teams has some serious problems that might help contribute to a perception of strength. Multiple teams in the top part of the conference only had to play the other top-third teams once...and atop that, as strong as the top of the conference was, there were some lousy teams which played like little-more than bye games for much of the conference schedule.

Winning 25-plus games in a major conference is a difficult task, don't get me wrong, but it's no reason to coronate a team as an automatic Final Four entry. I too found it difficult to predict anything short of a Big East dominated Final Four, and perhaps I've been mildly brain-washed, but there's still a lot of basketball to be played...and much to be decided.

To further reference Dennis Green, it's not the time to let these teams off of the hook.

The homecourt advantage enjoyed by so many of the top teams in the nation is gone as many move to truly neutral sites. Connecticut enjoyed playing just a four hour drive away from home in Philly, 'Nova played at the same site, just 23 minutes away from campus. Pitt played four hours from their home court in the first two rounds, Louisville played two and one half hours away. Syracuse, Marquette and West Virginia were the only three Big East teams that were a flight, instead of a drive away from home and while the Orange(men) battled through a tough 'Zona State team, Mizzou ended Marquette's season in Boise and WVU couldn't outlast an A10 opponent on a neutral site in round one.

So, the soap-boxing by the CBS and EsPN pundits will not cease as long as there's reason for them to do so...But teams like Purdue, Xavier and Oklahoma can possibly help diminish the talk to a low-roar by beating their respective Big East opponent. The pressure is now on the members of the greatest basketball conference ever to see if they will live up to their billing and make this year's tournament into nothing more than the Big East Invitational.

As for the other 11 teams still dancin', I guess it's just the Big East's world and you're all just renting space, until it's proven otherwise.

Not a Chance.

So, our favorite team gets to face one of the best teams from the best basketball conference ever...in the wake of the Huskies two decisive victories in which they looked like they might be playing some of their best basketball of the year. Man, nothing's going our way right now.

Hall of fame coach...All-Conference, if not All-American Center...and blue chip players surrounding their big man.

Hey, at least this is a chance for Purdue's team to see a new part of the country...

UConn doesn't need to read the press clippings, they should already know they're one of, if not the best team in America...and Purdue is just a boring, slow, unathletic team in the most plodding, unexciting conference in America.

Woe are we.

(speed of lightning, roar of thunder...)
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