No Offseason for Matty's Squad

Losing an AP All-American, a four-year starter and one of the best three point shooters in the league isn't an easy thing to swallow for any team...and this is absolutely the case for Matty as the team officially transitions out of the Baby Boilers era.

Some programs and fans think banners should be raised when a team has a Phoenician rise out of the ashes...but Purdue fans don't agree with this idea.  Sure, 2012's Seniors and the class right before were pivotal for the program as they stabilized things so Painter and Co. could take another step forward, but banners are for championships...plain and simple.

A few weeks ago, J and I talked on the Handsome Hour about our thoughts if the program could finally grasp an elusive Final Four in the near future (defined arbitrarily as the next five years).  I said yes, and one of the reasons I think this way is because of the class that's coming on campus in the fall.

Unlike the Baby Boilers five years ago, these guys will be coming into a program with certainty and talent.  Sure, Purdue is not Kentucky, but Purdue is a place where players develop over a four year period and the system works- defense creates offense and everyone busts their ass and is ready for their opportunity, even if they're not regularly in the rotation.  These ideas don't carry a ton of glamour with them- Purdue doesn't, nor has ever scored 80 points/game under Painter...and a lot of guys don't like playing defense that physically beats you up...but Purdue guys do.

This next class, along with the parts already in place might not be sexy to the media and outside world, but, they are a large departure from what Purdue fans have seen in the past five or six seasons...and it all starts with height.

Carroll (Jr), Marcius (Jr), Lawson (So), Hale (Fr), Simpson (Fr) and Hammons (Fr) are all 6'8" or taller...and most will be in a rotation for significant playing time.  In the last four years, Purdue has been knocked out by large Xavier, UConn and Kansas teams in the tourney...and during the season has struggled against big squads like aOSU, MSU and most recently, IU.  Getting bigger is important...but it's only part of the story.

What will this group need to do to compete for the conference title in '13? Here are a few things that I think should be a focus for the guys that are returning.

Senior DJ Byrd says via Twitter that he'll be doing P90X in an effort to chisel himself into a different player- that's probably a great place to start for this team.  With the flood of bigger players, Byrd might finally be able to move away from the block, especially on defense, and play a 2 or 3.  Once he got healthy in '12, his shot became a deadly weapon...and his timing for when he stepped up and hit big shots was just as important.  A leaner Byrd will be a quicker Byrd...and his hard-nosed, red ass demeanor will most-assuredly rub off on his teammates.  As DJ goes in '13, so go the Boilers...plain and simple.

Next up, the other two Seniors on the roster, Anthrop and Hart.  Let's be honest, these two haven't had too many opportunities to play significant minutes.  Anthrop is a former walk-on who benefited from Bade's departure from the team a year ago...and Hart, while having the ability to be instant offense has not been able to stay healthy for long-enough for Purdue fans to know what he's capable of.  A lot of speculation surrounds both guys- Painter is currently pursuing a JuCo player or single-year transfer to make an immediate impact at the guard position...and if Matty's successful in landing someone, it surely wouldn't help Anthrop or Hart's minutes.  Plus, there have been rumors that Hart's oft-injured foot is hampering him so badly that he might not take his final year of eligibility...granted, I haven't talked to Hart to confirm this.  In the best-case scenario though, these guys will be role players.  Anthrop could be a Bobby Riddell-type of guy by providing some stability and guidance as Ronnie Johnson grows into the college PG position over the course of next season. And if Hart can stay healthy, he simply has got to have the mentality to play defense, if he wants to be on the court.  His offense hasn't ever been a problem, but in Painter's system, his defense seems to be a liability.

Next up, if DJ Byrd is 1A for importance to the next season, Terone Johnson is 1B.  Like Byrd, it took Johnson a few weeks, if not months to get healthy.  But when he did, he made his presence known.  Johnson's ability to get to the basket and bulldog defenders with his strength is imperative to the team's success in a year from now...but his ever-improving defense might be more important.  TJohn's defensive progression is pretty comprable to E'Twaun Moore's at this point in his career...and if he can continue on a similar trajectory, he'll be one of the league's best defenders by the time he graduates.  And while his strength is important, getting quicker will make him a better on-ball defender...something that endears players to Matty.  So hopefully, like Byrd, TJohn can come into '12/'13 in the best shape of his life.

Marcius and Carroll are the other two Juniors on the team.  These guys have disappointed some Purdue fans with their lack of rapid progression...but the two power forwards couldn't be more different in the strengths of their game...so, they'll need to work on their games in different ways.  Carroll was not much of a banger in high school and used his ability to shoot the 18 footer to soften up defenses.  In college though, he's been forced to guard 7 footers and fill space in the lane as Purdue simply didn't have anyone else on the roster that could do that in '11/'12.  For Carroll to take the next step he needs to do a couple things- Get stronger, first and foremost.  A few years ago, we saw Bade dedicate himself to the weight room...and while that didn't pay off for Patrick, Carroll's ability to shoot plus a stronger body would do wonders for him and in turn, the team.  Carroll also needs to be able to do the most-simple of things- catch passes in the post...so he's gotta work on having soft hands.  Marcius on the other hand is a big, powerful guy...but he needs to work on his footwork.  We saw that when he uses his size effectively, he can rebound and even score every now and again...but getting quicker and more agile would help Marcius and the Boiler frontcourt immensely.

Anthony Johnson is one of two Sophomores for next season that needs to take a step...and in my opinion, he will be the guy who makes the biggest step forward on the team.  I think we'll see more of AJ at the point in the absence of LewJack...we saw this a bit last season.  Like Barlow before him, AJ's length creates tough match-ups for smaller guards...and offensively, he can do a lot.  We saw him put on a shooting exhibition v. IU in the second half...and for those of you who saw him play at Whitney in Illinois, you know he can shoot from long distance.  He also can drive and hit the tear drop that his pal TJohn likes so much.  But it's pretty obvious what would make him better on defense- strength.  At times this season, AJ was beaten up a bit by B1G guards...that happens with redshirt Freshman.  If he can gain some strength in the off-season, he will make a sizable jump in his effectiveness next fall/winter.

The other Sophomore is the uber-athletic Jacob Lawson.  I think if you watched Purdue last season, you can see Lawson's potential...but the college game was unlike anything he played in HS.  Lawson can block shots- no doubt about that.  But, his poor position on defense forced him to make stupid fouls over and over last season.  On the offensive end, he had a tough time in the blocks battling against bigger, stronger players...and couldn't pop out to hit a 15-17 footer to save his life.  So his off-season will require a ton of jump shots...something he probably hasn't worked on during his basketball career.  He'll also need one-on-one attention and will need to watch film to try to figure out where to be and when to be there, on defense.

His classmate, Donnie Hale redshirted in '11/'12...but don't sleep on Hale.  If you saw him play in the exhibition games and you're like me, you probably thought he was not going to be the guy to redshirt. Sure, he's thin.  But like Lawson, he's a great athlete and can block shots.  But he is much longer than Lawson...and can shoot the mid-range jumper better. I thought Hale might have made an impact that Lawson couldn't last season.  But bulking up a bit would help him greatly.  Along with AJ, I think Hale can make a big difference next season...and after two years of kind of being on the shelf, he should be hungry. His game as a Freshman might be similar to JJ's as a Frosh.

The incoming Frosh class is up next...have I told you that I like these guys? I like the fact that most have a chip on their shoulder and want to prove themselves to everyone...and, I like that these guys hate IU.  Check out their Twitter feeds some time if you think I'm kidding or exaggerating.  They're probably pretty damned sick and tired of hearing about IU's incoming class...they'll have the opportunity to play right away (in most cases) and make a name for themselves.

Ronnie Johnson is TJohn's little brother.  Since he's the third Johnson on the team, he'll need a nickname for this site.  I've got RoJo as my early leader; we'll see if it sticks.  RoJo is small like LewJack, but not as strong or quick...but he can shoot the rock.  Like former Purdue point guard, Alan Eldridge, he's a lefty who's as comfortable distributing as he is shooting.  His shot keeps defenders honest and forces them to play him much differently than LewJack before him.  I think he'll be starting by mid-December if not before as Purdue needs a true point guard.  Johnson will need to work on his strength as B1G defense will be demanding...and Painter wants to get back to pressuring the ball.  If you're looking for a current NCAA player to compare him to, look at Alabama PG, Trevor Releford.

Next up, a guy who contrasts greatly with RoJo, Raphael Davis. Davis plays a bit on offense like TJohn, but has better size.  He can shoot the jumper, but prefers to drive. In the offseason, he'll need to work on his quickness as Purdue's defensive philosophy will be tough for the true Freshman to adapt to...but his meanness will help him greatly on defense.

Jay Simpson comes into Purdue with a ton of different skills- he can run the floor, shoot from long range, play down low and rebound.  A lot of Purdue fans think he might be a prime candidate for a RS season since Purdue will have so much depth underneath...but I think he'll be tough to keep off of the floor. He'll need to work on his cardiac fitness.  He has asthma, and that hindered him a few times in high school...so it's an even tougher battle for him.  He reminds me a ton of MSU's Dancing Bear (before he dropped the weight), Draymond Green, but he's taller than Green was as a Frosh.

The guy that might be the biggest difference-maker before next four years are up is AJ Hammons. Hammons is listed at either 6'11" or 7'0", depending on where you look. But he's got long arms and his shot-blocking stats tell the story about his ability to change a game without the ball in his hands. He's blocked five or more shots with regularity in HS, loves cleaning the glass and is a great space-filler on defense.  His HS team is an all-star squad that is pretty much a couple of guards coming down and either pulling the trigger or driving...so Hammons doesn't get a ton of opportunities at Oak Hill. I look for Hammons to play right away, but not be a starter.  Think old school Boiler, Joe Barry Carroll, when you think of Hammons game.  And similarly to Carroll, Hammons is a laid-back guy who is his own man. Hammons will need to lean out a bit and work on getting from baseline to baseline in college, quicker than he needed to in high school.

One of the best things about this incoming class and the guys returning is that they get to go to Italy this summer to participate in one of those exhibition trips.  This will help them get to know each other and understand what they might need to work on.

Purdue will probably be picked to finish in the mid-lower-half of the B1G next season.  But, without the health problems that last season's team had...and a ton of guys hungry for playing time, I think you'll see Painter's team return to the style of play that was definitive before '11/'12.  Defense is a great equalizer...and I think Purdue's ability to match-up underneath will only help the guys up top as they get back to pressuring the ball.

Is it bad that I'm already excited for next November?

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.

Moving Pictures

Hummel
It seems the Hummel situation changes each week...and this BTN story makes me believe, to a greater extent, that Purdue might get better and better over the next month. That said, if Robbie's back gets bad again, Purdue could struggle mightily, in both tournaments...so Painter's got to manage #4 smartly...



The Future
These two future Boilers faced off on Tuesday night...and I'm pleased in what I see from both in this segment from Lafayette's WLFI.

They both seem scrappy and willing to mix it up on defense. Both have the ability, at least at the high school level, to take over a game offensively. And, they both seemed pretty stoked to be on their way to West Lafayette.

From the video I've watched, it seems Byrd likes to set up the three with drives that draw contact...this change up should help out our Boilers as he comes off the bench his Frosh year. Carroll is a back to the basket player and can create with his soft hands/footwork...I wish he could forgo his Senior season and come back up JJ in '09/'10. Part of me believes he might never get the chance to be JJ's back up because of the meteoric rise of Johnson's game; who knows.