The Story Behind The Iconic Hummel Pic

You probably remember this photo from November 2011. After the Boilers narrowly avoided the humiliation of losing on their home court to High Point, Rob Hummel came back out and went back to work on his free throws. You may recall that he missed a couple of crucial FTs late in that game. Never mind that he looked gassed and was just getting his legs back after 20 months away from real games. Rob certainly didn't appear to see that as an excuse and I distinctly remember his reaction after missing the FTs and still winning -- Hummel looked like he wanted to punch himself in the face.

So he shot free throw after free throw, late into the evening. Cliff Brunt, who is working on a fantastic site he calls Indy Sports Legends, writes for the AP and was able to snap that photo. If you click here, you can read his story about that photo, the situation around it, and his thoughts about why it resonated. My favorite part of his analysis is the following:

The photo exemplified everything people already believed about Robbie. Hard work. Determination. Winner. Leadership, indeed.

And that's just it. People need heroes in their lives, even of the sports variety. Sometimes we build someone up because we want them to be the pure, wonderful person we need them to be. Sometimes -- like with Rob -- they even live up to it.

Hummel Appears On Waddle and Silvy

Rob Hummel appeared on the Waddle and Silvy Show out of ESPN Radio in Chicago yesterday to discuss D Rose's ACL tear since he is, after all, the world's foremost authority. Or something. Of course, Rob wasn't already a millionaire when he tore his (twice).

You can check out their podcasts by going to this link. 

We understand Rob going on Waddle and Silvy instead of the Boiled Sports Handsome Hour. You have to work your way up to the big time.

Thanks to reader Sean for the heads-up.

Rob Hummel Continues To Be Awesome

Last week, Rob Hummel was named Purdue's male recipient of the Big Ten's Medal of Honor. While that may, at first glance, sound a little bit made up (or maybe I'm just not as well-versed on the BT's awards as I should be), it's something that has been around for quite some time.

As this article from Purdue Sports.com states, "The Big Ten Conference endowed a Medal of Honor in 1914 to be awarded annually at each university to the student-athlete demonstrating the greatest proficiency in scholarship and athletics."

Even more nifty -- an continuing the tradition of showing us how Rob seems to have that can-do-nothing-wrong style -- is that Rob's dad won the award at Illinois in 1976 as a tennis player. Remember, this award is not only for basketball, but for all athletes.

Rob continues to make us proud and receive well-deserved accolades.

Honoring Rob

At the close of the Kansas game, Steve Kerr said that Purdue should simply go back to West Lafayette and immediately retire Rob Hummel's number. This suggestion caught on immediately on Twitter and now with Facebook page devoted to it. We put out there that at Purdue, we don't retire numbers, as no one player is greater than the team.

Sure, there are numbers in the rafters, but those are specific to All-American selections. Those numbers are not retired. At Purdue, Drew Brees' number 15 isn't retired. Neither is John Wooden's 13. But do you have any doubt that those numbers are theirs? Of course you don't.

I remember I learned of the non-retirement policy when I was early in my time at Purdue and Mike Alstott was wrapping up his Boilermaker career. I assumed they would have to honor Mike with a retired number ceremony at some point, only to see someone take on #40 within about a year or two of Mike's departure.

I'm not suggesting Rob doesn't deserve the honor -- understand that. If tomorrow Morgan Burke announces that the number 4 will never be worn at Purdue again, I'll be right there alongside you all cheering the raising of Rob's number to the rafters. But is it necessary? Would Rob want to be the first number officially retired at Purdue? I can't speak for him, obviously, but my guess is he would prefer not.

Rob Hummel was the ultimate team guy. He wanted Purdue to succeed, he wanted his teammates to succeed and he wanted the fans to revel in that success. He wanted to reward Coach Painter's faith and confidence in him and he wanted to take Purdue as far as possible and very far from the dark days of where they were when he was recruited.

I think how Rob is honored has less to do with hanging a number and more to do with how you -- all the fans -- remember and respect him. He's already honored in your hearts, to put a corny phrase on it. The love I've seen from Purdue fans towards Rob Hummel is astounding. He's a guy who has earned that affection and a guy who -- in a time in sports where you often can't say this -- very much deserves it. Every single description of Rob is the same, from people who admire him from afar to the people who know him so well. He's a great guy, a terrific teammate and a bleeding gold and black Boilermaker. You all know that and you treat him as such. Not as a god, but as a Boilermaker. He makes you proud -- that's how you honor a legend.

So you know each time his smiling face is shown at Mackey, each time he comes back for a visit, if he catches on in the NBA and succeeds.... you know that we will all be cheering it and showering him with not only love and praise...but thanks. Thanks for being the guy we all needed him to be. Thanks for being the guy that Purdue needed at a critical time. Thanks for being so easy to root for it was almost hard to believe.

Given all of that, are symbolic gestures like jersey retirements even necessary? If your answer is still yes, then as I said, I won't argue vehemently against it. But if we have to go a symbolic route, what about something befitting of a guy who did things differently from the typical stars in today's game? Something unique.

What Hummel has been for fans and even members of the media is noteworthy.  But, what he has personified for current and future Purdue basketball players might be more important-  He's obviously a great basketball player who did a lot well and worked very hard and did the little things to become one of the nation's best. He's been a good guy off the court who almost-always had time for fans, especially kids. And lastly, and probably most-importantly, Hummel was a player who fought through adversity, defied odds, never backed down and did it all without complaining. That's being a Boilermaker...In fact, in an ideal world all Purdue players would try to display these traits. So maybe the players should have a reminder close by of what #4 meant to the program at a pivotal time.

I'm certainly open to more ideas and encourage you to share them, but what about an idea like a small "4" somewhere on the court? Along the baseline? Near one of his favorite three-point spots? Or how about, as a team guy, the "4" isn't put in the rafters but is modestly sized and placed on the floor near the Purdue bench? A nod to Rob's legacy at Purdue and what he meant to everyone, with the understanding that he meant the most to that bench of guys?

As I said, I would love to hear other suggestions that are outside the box. Rob was not your typical captain or your typical "star." So why not honor him in a nontypical way as well?

The Morning After

It doesn't feel any less lousy this morning. The Boilermakers still lost a game that they led nearly wire-to-wire. They lost a game where they shot a better percentage -- albeit with a serious dropoff in the second half -- than a presumably much better team. They lost a game where, perhaps most frustratingly for me, they didn't force Kansas to make a play, to win it. Kansas simply took Purdue's turnovers and long rebounds and won the game with breakaways. Sure, they count just as much and the Jayhawks won and move on, but it doesn't feel like it was supposed to end like this.

We all knew there was a good chance that this would be the seniors' final game. But after 38 minutes of basketball, it just felt like it couldn't end now. When you lead a game the entire time and -- to their credit -- find ways to edge the lead back up each time the powerhouse Jayhawks cut into it. In fact, the lead did get to double digits in the second half. And in most years, with a Matt Painter coached team, if I said you had a double digit lead anytime in the second half against pretty much anybody, I think you'd take it.

So many odd things happen in the tournament. Rob goes for 22 in the first half but just 4 in the second. However, that can be credited to Kansas, who while they were outcoached by the Purdue staff, clearly is good enough to go into the locker room and say, "Let's guard Hummel and not let him beat us... let's make someone else beat us." It was a smart approach and it worked.

In other games recently, it might have been Terone Johnson who beat them, and Zero showed with 10 points in the second half, but his teardrop was just not splashing like it has of late. In other games, it might have been the little man, Lewis Jackson, who has gone for 18 (vs St. Mary's), 17 (vs IU), 20 (vs Minn) this season, for example. But Lew's patented high-speed, running layup was just refusing to fall, slowly rolling off the rim at least three separate times. Lew shot 2/11 for the game. How often does that happen? (Not often.)

It could have been Ryne, another favorite of BS. But Ryno was only 1/2 from the floor last night, hitting his only real shot and just missing the last-second prayer that, quite frankly, as about as good a look as Purdue could expect in the situation they were in. Who could have expected that Ryne would have just three points in two tourney games? It's unusual and not something you could have predicted.

Purdue had trouble on the glass all year. Yet here, against two of the better big men in the nation, the Boilers were only outrebounded 35-32 -- damn near a wash. And when you look at the starting five's rebounds for the Boilermakers you see this column of numbers: 9-6-3-8-4. Guys were gutting it out and doing everything they could.

Sandi Marcius, for all the abuse he's taken from Purdue fans, played hard and did what he was asked. Sandi had 11 DNPs in the Boilers' final 21 games. Yet when he was asked to be a body, use his fouls and grab rebounds, Sandi didn't sulk, pout or give a lackadaisical effort. He gave an effort to be proud of, because that's what Boilermakers do.

The effort was recognized on the other side, too, as Bill Self clearly had loads of respect for the Boilers. Interestingly to me also was the way Self's players quite obviously respected Purdue's effort and Rob Hummel in particular. Those guys didn't seem like a great group of dudes but in the handshake line, Jayhawk after Jayhawk stopped Rob to do more than give the typical "good game." He scared them and almost beat them single-handedly and those guys wanted to let him know they respected it. 

I saw some raw emotions after the game last night on the instantaneous medium that is Twitter. I stopped looking after a few trolling IU losers did their usual sad-life, antagonism routine, but before I did -- immediately after the game -- I saw some harsh criticisms directed at a couple guys in particular that I'd like to address here.

Lewis Jackson -- For anyone who wants to batter Lew for those final two possesstions, especially the second to last one where he ended it with a turnover, I guess you're entitled. But the isolation play was called for Lew, a senior who has been as much a part of Purdue's successes over the past four years as anyone. Lew, a senior who has repeatedly shown an ability to use his quickness to get a layup even when, as Steve Kerr put it during the broadcast, the other team knows it's coming.

Purdue had been shooting cold in the second half and the Jayhawks defense had, as mentioned, bottled up Rob. So why not keep it in the hands of your senior leader? No, Lewis didn't come through in that particular moment. But do not let that cloud your memories of all the times Lew has come through and all the games Purdue won in large part due to his contribution.

He's one of ours and he sold out and risked his future back health for the old gold and black. Do not forget that.

Matt Painter -- I don't quite understand this, but there are those out there who seem to think Painter isn't a good coach. Maybe it's the drama we saw last year and the resulting bigger contract dollars. Regardless, if you think Matt Painter "cost" Purdue that game, then I don't think you know a whole lot about basketball. Throughout this game, I kept thinking that if Purdue was indeed able to pull this win off, that I'd be writing about this game as Matt Painter's best performance as Purdue head coach. And you know what? I still kind of think it is.

Matt even got the Jayhawks to change their game. Withey, the 7-foot center, played well below his averages in minutes, points and rebounds, largely because Coach Self and company decided to go with a smaller, guard-heavy lineup at times -- something that we as Purdue fans were fine with.

Coach Matty took the parts that he had at his disposal -- parts that did not match up in any way to the bigger, skilled Jayhawks -- and found a way to make it work. He found a way to get this team to rebound with Kansas. He found a way to get contributions from guys who -- as mentioned -- were no-shows or one-minute players for the past couple of months. If that's not good coaching, I don't know what is.

Boilers Use Johnson Penetration To Overpower Gaels, 72-69

The Boilers did a nice job of recreating their season in handy, capsule form tonight. Starting out well, the Boilers methodically built themselves a lead as the Gaels of St. Mary's refused to believe they should try something other than three-pointers.

Eventually, Purdue fans began to feel a bit comfortable as the game was taking on a look of some of those Purdue games down the stretch, where an opponent would begin to creep back in but then the Boilers would stretch it back out again. And they did do that throughout the second half, until about three minutes remained and the good guys were up 66-55. Then the Gaels churned out a 14-2 run to take their first lead of the game with less than a minute remaining, 69-68. It was happening again.

I think it's safe to say nearly all of us thought about Xavier and Butler and the fact that just minutes earlier, we were smiling inside thinking about Rob, Lew and Ryne advancing in their final NCAA tourney. Now it was suddenly, cruelly, about to be ripped away from them. But at least Terone Johnson had the ball... Terone was a man again tonight, pouring in 21 points and dishing five assists (if this was IU, Jeff Rabjohns would be hyperventilating -- but it's not IU and Terone isn't white, like Jordan Hulls). But then Terone turned the ball over. St. Mary's had the ball and the lead and just over a half minute to go -- it was over for Purdue and that sinking feeling was upon us.

If you're anything like me, it almost wasn't hitting you full force yet -- mainly because the blowing of this lead happened so damn fast. Literally in a span of a few minutes, the Boilers went from up double-digits to losing. Alas it was the only three minutes the Gaels would be able to put together, as they then traveled on the baseline attempting to inbounds it and it came back to the Boilers. And, again if you're like me, you suddenly felt a lot of hope. I didn't think Terone would make another mistake and I knew Purdue had seniors on the floor who weren't ready to go home.

Sure enough, Lewis Jackson took the ball towards the basket and was fouled. He then made two to complete is excellent 18 point night, including 6/8 from the line. Strangely, Lew was credited with zero assists -- the only time this season that has happened and only the third time in all of Lewis Jackson's college games ever. Very strange, but assist crediting can be very subjective.

Anyhow, Lewis made both his free throws to give the Boilers the lead, which the Gaels responded to -- down one, remember -- with a long range three that missed everything terribly and went out of bounds. In fact, it may have injured a cheerleader it was so off-target. As I said, the Gaels were stubborn about that. (Their coach said at halftime that he figured they wouldn't shoot as poorly in the second half as their 1-15 three-point shooting performance in the first. Well, he was right: they went 3-10 in the second.) The Boilers inbounded to Mr. Rob Hummel, who was promptly fouled and I -- like many others, I am sure -- absolutely loved that it was Rob who was striding to the line to take the critical free throws. He nailed them both, as the Boilers shot 83% from the line for the night. Rob was quiet with only ten points overall, but he had those two very clutch free throws as well as a long range bomb of a three in the first half that would have made Boilerdowd proud back in his co-rec days.

The Boilermakers bench was as short as you might expect tonight, with only eight guys getting minutes, with one of those being Travis Carroll, who played just four. Sandi Marcius logged 16 minutes and must have thought Coach Painter forgot he was out there, as Sandi hasn't played that many minutes since November 23, in an 80-37 blowout of Western Michigan. That game versus WMU was also the last time Sandi exceeded his five points tonight. Finally, Sandi went 3/3 from the line, his best performance there to date. That's a good sign of what Sandi should be capable of. Maybe all those who have written off the sophomore as "useless" already were premature. We shall see.

Anthony Johnson also used his penetrating abilities to further excite Steve Kerr, who couldn't stop talking about "Purdue's Johnsons penetrating." It was almost like Steve had a bet with someone or knew a drinking game was being played. Anyhow, AJ had another solid game, with ten points in 20 minutes and made both his free throws.

The Boilers shot 46% overall and 31% from three. Not great, but not atrocious. They were outrebounded by 11, 36-25, which is going to be a serious problem against anyone with size in the second round. Like Kansas, if they're able to advance.

This was a good start to the tourney for Purdue, as on the day several very high seeds went down, the Boilers kept the nation's best first-round first-game winning streak alive at 14 straight now.

Does the train make a stop in St. Louis? We find out Sunday. Until then, enjoy.

Rob Hummel

We talk a lot. Sometimes less is more.

Winner

Joyful

Rebuilder

Fundamental

Icon

Leader

Favorite

Boilermaker

Thank you, Rob.

Boilers Husk the Children of the Corn, 83-65

We often say that good teams beat the teams they're supposed to beat and do it handily. They don't "make it interesting," "not take them seriously enough," "look ahead" or "play to the level of their opponent." They win, simple as that. Tonight, the Boilermakers came into Mackey ready to play and without the cold-shooting doldrums that have plagued this team intermittently this season and won in what felt like -- for the first time in quite a while -- a laugher, 83-65, over Nebraska in the first meeting in either football or men's basketball between the new conferencemates.

It wasn't that Nebraska quit. No, they kept fouling and calling time outs in the final minute despite being down about 20, much to the disdain of the basketball-savvy crowd in Mackey. And Doc Sadler brought his debonair (for Nebraska) style into Mackey and prettied the place up. But tonight the Boilers were just too much and it was fun to see.

They came out strong and never let up. The lead got into the mid-20s before shrinking back to 14 in the second half and I will admit for a few seconds I thought, "No, they can't let this one slip back to a close game....can they?" And I was right...they couldn't. They were just too good for the Huskers on this evening. 

The Boilers outrebounded the boys from Lincoln, 27-20. Incredibly, there were only ten offensive rebounds recorded...in the entire game...by both teams combined. Purdue had eight, Nebraska the other two. It helped that our Boilers shot 55%, including 45% (on 13 of 29) from deep. To their credit, Nebraska scored at a 52% clip from the floor, yet couldn't make this a close game. It might have had something to do with the free throw situation; Purdue had 15 tries from the line, making two thirds of them, while Nebraska only went to the stripe three times the entire game.

The Boilers spread the scoring among five guys who got into double figures, with Rob Hummel leading the charge as he played his second-to-last game at Mackey (how's that grab ya?) with a season-high 29 points on 56% shooting, to go along with 7 rebounds and a couple of blocks. Rob definitely seems to be feeling it right now and may have finally gotten his conditioning to where he needed it in recent weeks. That's a good thing, as is the resolve of a guy who won't be ready for his college basketball career to be over in a few weeks. Anyone else remember how hard Brian Cardinal played in his final games in 2000, pushing the Boilers nearly to a Final Four? I'm just saying.

Addition by addition

DJ Byrd made a triumphant return, pumping in 15 points on 5-8 shooting beyond the arc. He also had 4 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Not a bad 28 minutes off the bench. I'd say this guy is focused right now and maybe his suspension has made his determination to lead even more rock solid.

Anthony Johnson didn't shoot well, scoring only one point, but he did have 4 assists and 2 steals. TJohn, however, started the game and again seemed to feel comfortable out there, putting up 11 points on 5-7 shooting (though still just an abominable 25% from the line) with 5 rebs, 3 assists and a steal.

LewJack played a very nice game, as well, though I didn't feel as though I noticed him as much as I usually do. Maybe that sounds silly, but it felt "quiet," even though Lew put up a tidy 13 points, 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal. Another guy we'll surely miss. And speaking of that, the third senior -- Ryne Smith -- also chipped in with 50% three-point shooting and 12 points.

Nobody got into any foul trouble to speak of, with the high foul counts for Purdue at....2. DJ Byrd played 28 minutes and didn't record a foul. The game just moved along as the two teams didn't play the kind of "Big Ten basketball" that narrow-minded media types like to imply is always played in the conference, but instead played an offensive-minded game that featured high-percentage shooting and quality passing. Imagine that.

In typical Matt Painter fashion, the bench is getting a lot shorter now as we head towards March. Matt tends to settle in on the guys he trusts in these moments, saddles 'em up and rides them to the finish. Just seven guys had double-figure minutes; nobody else had more than one minute of play. When you couple this tendancy of Coach Painter's with the loss of Kelsey Barlow, it's understandable why he would load up the minutes on these guys to see now if they can handle it. It's important to know who your horses are as you head towards single-elimination time.

While this recap is all-rosy, it's worth noting that Nebraska is just not a very good team. Bo Spencer has had a really nice season, but otherwise this is a patchwork team that is struggling in the basketball-serious Big Ten. It isn't the Big 12 anymore, where as long as you were okay with being pasted by Kansas twice a year you could still have a respectable season. And yet, they took down Clappy's Crew. So there's something (okay, a lot) to like about that.

The Boilers are now 18-10 (8-7), with three games to go. At Michigan, home vs PSU and at IU. Win two of those and you're guaranteed to be over .500 in the Big Ten and have another 20-win season. With the focus and comfort level I'm seeing out of these guys right now, I'm encouraged. I don't know if I'm ready to use the ol' cliche about them "peaking at the right time," but I'm definitely inching closer to it. Sure, this isn't the talent-laden group from last year or the year before, but it's a group that has been through quite a bit of adversity together. Does that bring a group together at the right time? It might.

Choo-choo.

Byrdless Boilers Battle and lose to MSU 76-62

It's tough to beat MSU when you've got a full roster...it's tougher when a starter and sixth man aren't available.  The effects of this week's suspension and dismissal seemed pretty obvious, especially in the second half, but the guys who could play fought hard.

In the first half, the Spartans were having their way with the Boilers underneath.  Granted, it's a bit easier to dominate the offensive end when your bigs are allowed to throw high elbows and travel to get position.  After the second or third time Payne and Nix had mauled their way to the basket, Painter got very animated with this lousy officiating crew...I was pretty sure he'd earn himself a tech...but never did.  I think a tech would have been in order and might have been a good way to make the team understand he was doing everything he could do as they fought to overcome the long odds.  But it didn't happen, and it might not have mattered anyway.

After Hummel had a Hurculean first half, scoring 18 points, the Boilers led by three- 38-35.  Much of the first half the good guys were down by 3-5 points...but fought and clawed and scratched were on top after the first 20 minutes were complete, but the second half was a different story.

Purdue's ability to make the extra pass to set up the open shot, that we've seen the last few games, was gone.  Then, as our Boilers languished for around 7 minutes without a made shot from the floor, some old crap crept back in...missed layups and bunnies and a few missed free throws for good measure.  Not Hummel nor Smith, Jackson nor either Johnson was hitting shots...partially because of MSU's defense, but also because of poor shooting and shot selection.  Finally, Painter brought AJ in and he kind of went off.

A three, followed by another three and a drive that finished with a teardrop got MSU's lead down to single digits, but that was it.  After that, Purdue couldn't seem to get inside of ten points and MSU salted it away.

Hummel's game was a monster, in spite of awful shooting from three (1-9).  He finished with 24pts, 15rebs, 3ast and 3blks.  He was moving well, following his shot and fearless in the big fat trees.  Along with Hummel, AJ showed some why I had been so excited about the guy prior to the season- He finished with 10pts, a rebound, assist and steal.

Jackson played as tough as Hummel at times...selling out (as usual) and closing down passing lanes on the other end.  He finished with 15pts, 5ast, 2reb and 2stl.  Fellow Senior, Ryne Smith shot well at times and finished with 10 points...but had a couple forced threes during that drought in the second half...but in the first half he drove a few times like I've never seen and was effective in doing so.  Following the game, Smith, Jackson and Hummel were all asked about the suspensions and dismissal.  The most noteworthy response by far was Smiths-

"I think we're gonna come together as a team better...Honestly, I think it's addition by subtraction.  DJ's gonna come back in full force, he's a great player for us. Tell you one thing, when he comes back on Wednesday night, he's gonna come back full force...I'll tell you that much."

First off, I'm pretty sure Byrd is one of Smith's best friends on the team.  You could tell before the game by Byrd's body language that he was pretty pissed to be in the situation he had put himself in- Good.  He messed up, regardless of the reason or intention (which I don't fully know or understand), and he deserved to be suspended. His suspension hurt his team.  I hope he comes back looking to make up for lost time on the court.

I like Byrd a lot...I think he's a pretty good guy, and I think his punishment fit crime.  Now he can move on and hopefully help his teammates by earning a spot in the tournament and doing a bit of damage.

On the other hand, Smith also referenced Barlow's dismissal as "addition by subtraction." This pissed a lot of people off on the message boards and on Twitter.  I don't have a problem with it.  Barlow is no longer his teammate and has clearly been a massive distraction for at least two seasons.  I'm saddened for his family...but he also got what he deserved...in fact, I think he was given too much grace the more I hear about what he had done in the past year off the court.  I have no reason to believe he can't go on to do something noteworthy for another program as he is very talented...but I hope he doesn't just go someplace that doesn't care about his insurrections. Instead, I hope he actually sees that his dumb decisions have consequences...He surely hasn't gotten to that understanding yet.

Now, is Smith's assessment that this team will be better without Barlow accurate? If I had to judge by what I saw today, I'd say no.  Barlow had been playing great basketball and was a key cog to the team's brief resurgence.  But, the season is not over and there are at least four more games left.  I think there's a lot to be said about team chemistry- who knows what Barlow's departure will do for the team.

Guys like LewJack, TJohn and Hart were all pretty good friends with Barlow, from what I understand...so while some might feel better about Barlow's antics no longer being a part of the team, others still might just miss their friend.  We'll have to see how it plays out.

What we did see today, once again, is that when this team is playing well, they can play with anyone...in spite of glaring weaknesses.  Carroll, Hummel, Marcius and Lawson all struggled with the size and strength of MSU.  The good news is, in the next three games, our Boilers won't play anyone with a frontcourt like that again. But the up and down Wolverines at home on Senior night will be a bit of a mother, I'm sure.

Next up though, Matty welcomes back Byrd to the team as the Boilers host Nebraska at 6:30 on Wednesday.  Nothing's a gimme, but Purdue must win the games they should and maybe beat someone they're not supposed to in order to get into the dance.

_________________________________________
Quick note to the Paint Crew- First off, those of you that were there today were great, as usual. BUT, there seemed to be a ton of PCers that were AWOL.  That kind of stinks...and I expect more from you guys.  Rally the troops and fill the section for the last two games- Rob, Ryne and Lew deserve it.  Next, I hear the B1G told you guys not to single out specific players (i.e. Dawson).  Screw that. Dawson singled himself out the last time Purdue played them as well as during his recruiting process and deserves what he gets.


If Delany and co. want players not to be called out, they should make sure there's a deterrent for players not to do as he did in E Lansing.  Instead, they rely on you guys to do that.  Bull crap.

Huge Win in Champaign: 67-62

It's pretty simple- if this team plays two halves of basketball, they either win or are in the position to win at the end.  The Forces of Good did just that today and held on for the five point victory in The Assembly Hall.

I never like watching Purdue go into a game in which a team has been backed into a corner...and Illinois was flat-out trapped coming in.  Like Painter said about his squad a few weeks ago, Illinois needed to fight to change its situation...and they did.  But, by the time they figured out the importance of the game, Purdue was up big.

Illinois fought their way out of a 13 point hole that they had put themselves in...but couldn't get over the hump.  The closest they got to the Boilers was a two-point deficit...twice...in the final five minutes.  But Purdue finished.  Perhaps Illinois just tired themselves out while coming back...or maybe this Purdue team has figured out how to finish again.

This was a game that the Boilers would have surely lost earlier in the season...Big lead cut down to a slim margin...high pressure environment...we've seen it before; but it felt differently.

Unlike the other games that put Purdue in this situation, the defensive intensity was there...the effort was there...the smart passing on offense was there...and at the end there was another game in the left column.  As a team, Purdue out-rebounded the taller, more-talented Illini 31-26, and the team that deserved the win got it.

Bruce Weber came out in his orange jacket and the game started out with a thunderous dunk by Illinois' resident headcase, Myers Leonard.  But the Boilers showed that substance over style almost always wins.

Hummel worked like a rented mule on the defensive end, guarding the 7'1", soon-to-be professional basketball player, Leonard...and frustrated him pretty soundly.  During more than one deadball, you could see Leonard chirping like a baby bird...but it didn't matter.  Not only did Leonard not score a whole bunch, he didn't even get the chance to shoot very often.  But it wasn't just Hummel that was playing big on defense, but Travis Carroll was sound as well.  His box score doesn't tell a fair story for what he did today for Purdue...but the fact that Carroll can clamp down Leonard the way he did today and in Mackey earlier in the season must drive Leonard nuts...gotta love that. Big. Ugly, Effective.

Let's get back to Big Shot Rob for a moment.  He and Jackson's two-man game helped Purdue put this one away...and he made big, difficult shots, pulled down key rebounds and looked like #4 from yesteryear.  He let the game come to him...and it did.  He finished with 19 and 11 in another high-minute game (37).

Jackson was back in the starting line-up today...and had an up and down game.  He had two of the best stop-and-go drives I've seen this season as he toyed with Illini defenders to get to the rack.  On both cases, he finished the play and didn't even end up hammered to the ground. He finished with 13 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds.  His fellow Senior class member, Smith, started on the bench for this one as Painter continued to play with the starting line-ups based on what he thought might work instead of a formulaic starting five.

Who wants it more?

TJohn had an efficient night- 12 points, 6 assists in just 23 minutes while shooting 50%.  His teardrop proved to be difficult for Illinois to stop. DJ Byrd hit a few more big shots, as we've become accustomed to, while going 3/6 from three, and earning 13 and 5 in just 25 minutes.

I don't know if a ton of Purdue fans expected victory tonight in spite of Purdue coming into this one with a 6-game winning streak over the Illini...but it seemed that Painter and Co. fully expected it. I said it after the loss to aOSU- This team will be defined by its work ethic and effort at the end of the season...Tonight's victory showed just that.  Next up, Purdue gets to welcome Class A Asshat talented Freshman Branden Dawson and co. to Mackey Arena.

I'm looking forward to being part of the crowd for this one...and I'm pretty sure Matty and the boys are excited about this one as well.  Time to protect Mackey again, gentlemen.


Sidenote:
Gus Johnson sucks at his job.  People who don't see that he's an attention whore from the same mold as Dick Vitale, Ed Hightower, and Kim Kardashian need to look at when and why he gets excited during games.  Teenage girls are exempt from this criticism...everyone else has no excuse.  He used to be better at calling games; at this point, he is a caricature of himself.

Must Win in Champaign? Think Again.

With 16 wins on the board and at least seven games remaining, it's tough to call anything a must-win coming out of the best or second-best conference in America...but we're getting closer to must-win territory.

Some great news has been coming out of God's country in the last few days- Hummel and LewJack have been practicing more...and the effort the last few games might have something to do with practice...not a game...practice.  Who knows if these guys got healthier as Matty used some different motivational tactics or they see the end of their college careers quickly approaching...but whatever the case may be, it's the right time for these guys to be playing at their highest level.

J talked yesterday about Purdue's lack of success versus ranked opponents...and that chart really shows how our Boilers have wilted time and again versus the better teams in the conference.  BUT, I don't think there's a must-win on the docket until Nebraska.  If Illinois continues to struggle, the four-team race for two NCAA spots out of the B1G will continue.  Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Northwestern seem to be fighting for the last two spots in the dance out of the conference if all of these teams continue to play inconsistently...head-to-head, they only play each other in two more games.

Purdue plays Illinois tonight on the road.

Northwestern hosts Minnesota on the 18th.

But games between these four and Nebraska, PSU and Iowa might be the contests that decide who's going. All three of these teams have been in the 100s nearly all season...and bad losses are probably more damning at this point than good wins are helpful.  Purdue has already dropped a painful one, as we all know too well...so their magin for error is slim.

But, the Boilers beat Minnesota in their lone contest, swept Northwestern and will at least split with Illinois.  These four teams all currently fall between 42 and 59 in the RPI (NU 42, UI 47, PU 54, UM 59)...far from guaranteed range.

On the flip side of bad losses are the good wins.  In this conference, hell, in any conference with officiating as it is on the road and hostile environments getting more hostile down the stretch, hosting one of the elite of the conference probably lends itself to the best opportunity to snatch a victory.

Northwestern hosts UM and aOSU, Illinois hosts UM, Purdue hosts MSU, Northwestern hosts UM and aOSU and Minny hosts MSU and IU.

Sure, the conference tourneys can all open or close down at-large slots in a hurry depending on their results...but all of these teams really control their own destiny...and most-importantly, our Boilers are far from a long shot as it stands right now. And while they've been in nearly everyone's projections for the tournament, they don't even resemble a lock; even at a high seed.

And speaking of conference tourneys- if these teams finish in the same cluster as they are now, a pair of them might meet in the first round of the B1G tourney...but there are far too many variables in front of us to project that tourney at this point.

What you can be sure of is that if Purdue can play two good halves in just three or four more games on their remaining schedule, they'll probably be in...But that's a pretty sizable but since Matty's squad has only played three or four complete games all year.  When you think of that, it's pretty remarkable that they're even in this conversation.

Tonight the good guys will be going to the spaceship...so Tune in to BTN at 8:30, where Weber fights for his job and Purdue's Seniors fight for their post-season lives...BTN will probably have real people on the sidelines and in the production truck to cover it.

Boilers Earn Pivotal Win over Northwestern: 87-77

Mackey was pretty dead tonight...but the telecast just didn't really tell the story; or should I say, the Paint Crew makes it seem like Mackey is the madhouse, even when it's not.  There were a few hundred empty seats...and a few thousand seats occupied by human-shaped lumps of mashed potatoes.  The three home losses have clearly taken their toll on Purdue's fanbase...but that doesn't make the lack of enthusiasm right, in my opinion.  I generally like my fellow sec. 102 patrons...but man, getting this crowd excited tonight was too difficult; and the game gave the fans plenty to cheer for...or against.  Let's start with the positives, shall we.

Coming off of an 84 point offensive explosion versus one of the nation's-best teams, The Forces of Good played a first 15 minutes that looked a lot like the first 15 minutes of the IU game- tons of missed lay-ups and short jumpers...but Hummel, Smith and Byrd pulled the struggling Boiler offense out of the crapper with some sharp shooting off of crisp ball movement to end the first half.

In the second half, we saw David Jonathan Byrd (goes by DJ) go batty on the Wildcats as he continued the trend of kicking ass in the blocks on defense while filling it up on offense.  He finished with 20 points, hit all of his free throws (5/5), and added three rebounds and 4 assists. He also used four of his fouls wisely without fouling out in spite of spending most of the game in the painted area.  For the second-straight game, Byrd's so-called Dad was on TV...but I'm pretty sure that DJ is really just a clone of his "father" as his Mom seems to be pretty darned good looking...and I can't see any resemblance to her, honestly. While DJ's Mom is pretty, his game might be prettier right now.

Look Who's back!

His pal, Robert John Hummel (goes by Rob or Robbie) looked like the guy we fell in love with a few years ago- he finished with 27 points (while shooting 50% from the field and from three), went 12/14 from the stripe as he helped salt away the game, added a healthy 9 rebounds and a couple blocks on the night. When he's missing his shot, he's clearly jumping or leaning to the left...but when he's knocking it down, it's pure.

Friend of BS, Handsome Ryne Smith (some people call him Ryno) also helped rekindle our love for him...but not in the way you might think he did.  Sure, shooting 4/7 from three is nice...real nice actually...and adding a career high 7 rebounds along with three assists isn't too shabby either.  But Smith stuck his nose into a conflict at the end of the first half that I'll talk about in a bit.

Lewis Jackson IV (known around West Lafantastica and elsewhere as simply LewJack) didn't start the game and seemed to be struggling with on-ball defense a bit...but he fought through injuries to deal out 8 assists along with 4 rebounds and 5 points.  His fellow point guard, Barlow played stifling defense (at times), and asserted his will again; something that Purdue fans have grown to love to see.  If this guy could figure out how to do it game-in, game-out, he'd be all B1G, or better.  He finished with a near-double-double...10 points, 8 rebounds.  Terone Johnson had 11 points and four rebounds on a few of the patented tear drops and an important three...but had my favorite play of the day as he dove into the crowd to save the ball...tweaked his backa  bit...popped out of the crowd and scored moments later.  This was one of the few moments of the night in which all of Mackey showed its appreciation.

The effort in the closing three minutes was solid as Purdue put the game away- Our Boilers showed moxy and a bit of a chip on their shoulder at times; something they simply must do in the coming games if they have any chance of making it to the dance.  They hit 72.7% of their free throws...and out-rebounded Northwestern by 13 in spite of using a small line-up most of the night. The only true PF that played in the game was Carroll...for only three minutes.  Let's remember that NU had 14 more rebounds that the small line-up Boilers in Evanston a few weeks ago.

Now let me talk about a few things that aren't as positive as the above.

We all know that referee Mike Kitts has been known to make bone-headed mistakes, but he and his crews are quickly becoming some of my least-favorite, stripe shirt-clad blokes on the circuit. Kitts, like many of his counterparts have the perverted idea that people are there to see them.  We're not...in fact, I'd love to see a B1G game in which I don't even notice the officials; it doesn't happen.

Today's theme for Kitts' braintrust was pointless meetings.

After Drew Crawford swung a high elbow at Barlow, Crawford and Barlow got into eachother's faces.  Predictably, NU's resident D-bag, David-ay Curletti* jumped in...because that's what goons do.  Ryne Smith, probably feeling like I do about the psuedo-Euro, Curletti, quickly came in to level the uneven conflict.

All of this happened within feet of an official and directly in front of Purdue's bench.  After a long meeting, they ruled the elbow wasn't a big deal, gave Barlow the reach-in...and double (cop-out) techs to Barlow and Crawford.

I like Crawford...the son of an NBA official, by the way...but he was whiny and clearly frustrated tonight. His antics should have had him disqualified in the first half.  Instead, he wasn't ruled out of the game until his second tech at the 1:25 mark.  This play was another doozy.

The baseline official called a charge on Crawford as Byrd was set in his path.  Crawford reacted by spiking the ball down...which got him automatically ejected from the game (coincidentally, it was his fifth foul).  Crawford was allowed to stay on NU's bench after the ejection (that's against NCAA rulebook sec. 23, articles 1 and 2**).

Another meeting came at this point.  The final ruling after the meeting was that the official at the top of the key over-ruled the charge and made it a block...and the tech stood.  While the officials met and had their tea party, NU got their third un-charged timeout of the game as this crew seemed to encourage the Wildcats to take two-to-three minute TOs during their meetings...oddly enough, Purdue's coaches didn't get the same advantage.

I don't like officials...and I'm not a big fan of Curletti either...but you guys already knew that.

Alright, back to the important stuff.

-John Shurna is a good and ugly ball player...in the line of ugly and effective players like the 80s Boston Celtics.  His off-balanced shot is very effective and his length makes him a tough match-up.

But, Shurna's 30 points seem to be another example of Purdue's defense struggling to shut down good long-range shooters.

-Northwestern had won three-straight games and climbed into the #36 position in the RPI poll.  Their 15-8 record made them a nearly-mirror image of Purdue on paper. So Purdue's second win over the Cats was very important for Purdue's NCAA tourney chances.  That said, there's a lot of work left to do.

9 B1G teams are candidates for at-large bids...and it looks to me like 7 will make the tourney.  Illinois, Purdue, and Northwestern have 9 losses...Minnesota has 8...Michigan has 7.  Purdue is now 4-1 versus this group.  And on Wednesday, Matty's squad goes to Champaign...and the other four teams will all play another team in the group at least once each before the B1G tournament...a lot can still happen.

Coming together?

-Ryne Smith having Barlow's back might be a bigger deal than it seemed to be when it happened.  Rumors have swirled about a dust-up between the two last Spring...and while NO ONE I know can confirm if there was any conflict, Smith might have put to rest an idea that this team lacks continuity and chemistry...and in the process helped to galvanize a team that seems to need to take a step forward together.  This play was an example of why I like this year's fiery Senior class...Hopefully the fight we've seen in the last two games is a sign of a new trend not a mere exception to the sometime-heartless efforts we've seen far too often this season.


*It looks like I'm not the only one who is annoyed by Curletti.  He's no longer a starter, his minutes have been reduced and Carmody and Co. were chewing on him a lot today.  Good for Carmody and his assistants.


**Section 23. Ejection
Art. 1. Ejection is the act of dismissing an individual from participation in 
a game because of a specific infraction of the rules.
a. In addition to being disqualified, an individual who is ejected shall 
leave the playing court and floor area and report to his or her team’s 
locker room until the game is over.
Art. 2. The following shall result in automatic ejection:Rule 4 / definitions 69
a. Committing a flagrant personal foul or flagrant technical foul;
b. Incurring the maximum number or combination of technical fouls

Boilers Survive in Evanston and Advance to Bye Week

People seem to have a short memory...but mine is differently.  Whereas many Purdue fans saw this game as a slam dunk, all I could think of was how Evanston was a house of horrors for Matty's teams...and this year would be no different. Hell, even when the forces of good prevail in their shortest roadtrip in the conference, it's never easy...and shocker, this one wasn't easy.

The preparation for the Wildcats must be torture for Painter...it forces him to put Purdue defenders in *gasp* a zone...and I'm sure it's a pretty crappy one. Painter seems as opposed to zone defenses as I am to diets formal attire.

So as Purdue came off of a few days of practice versus what is surely one of the worst zone defenses in America, they had to play Northwestern's extended 1-3-1...and their confusion and lack of ability to attack it showed.

Let me take that back, LewJack and TJohn did a pretty good job at attacking the gut of the defense, but the opportunities were few...and Purdue, predictably, shot like rubber dog doo for much of the contest.  The half time score was a painful 22-26, with the good guys holding the lead because of AJ's last-second three.  But Hummel, Smith, Byrd and pretty much everyone was struggling to put the ball into the orange ring.

Before I get into any details any further, lemme say a few things about some unimportant things.

First, I've heard people call the Welch-Ryan Arena a glorified high school arena.  Let's be honest, there's nothing glorified about that place. The site lines are bad, it's got some sort of black pipe hanging across the court, it's tiny and their recently stain job to the court is nasty-bad.  I liked it in renderings...and throw up a bit in my mouth each time I see it on the television now. It makes a HD picture look like bleached out video from the 80s or before.  None of this changes the fact that it's a tough place to win.  It's a lot like Cameron Indoor Stadium...without any of that pesky history to get in the way of outsider's opinion of it.

"Another Bang-up job, B1G officials!"

Next up, the fact that Davide (David-ay) Curletti was still in the game when the clock hit triple-zero is a huge indictment on the crappy job the B1G officials do.  Sure, Curletti got sick of spelling and pronouncing his name during his childhood over and over...so he developed a chip on his shoulder, but he was flat-out playing like a douche today.  He threw a high elboy into Smith's chin, threw elbows at Hummel and Carroll and grabbed Hummel, TJohn and others over and over.  I always gave the guy a pass since I figured he didn't speak English...he looks European, his name is Euro...but no, he's from Michigan...and his jerk style of play has everything to do with him being a punk on the court and nothing to do with his pseudo-Euroness.  I'm sure he's the salt of the earth when he leaves the violet-stained court, but he's unlikable when in purple...and will make it easier for me to root against NU as they continue their tourney 0-fer this season.

Not everyone on that squad is a jackface though...I kind of like Crawford; and the dude just killed Purdue today.  And Shurna looks like a 7th grader, but can fill it up...but this team, with its lack of depth and un-Big Ten-like athleticism, should be beaten a lot in the conference...and it turns out they are.

They had a running start coming into conference play- 10-2...but since they entered their own house of horrors, the B1G, they're 2-6...but they almost stole one today.  Carmody called this a must-win for the 'Cats...and Curletti, Shurna, Crawford and Marcitullio all played like it was.  At the same time Purdue played drowsy and struggled.

One of the tri-captains in particular, Hummel continued to grind and struggle to score. But for the second-straight game, he was the center of a small line-up.  The end result is he's not getting the opportunity to get after as many loose balls as usual...he finished with only 3 rebounds. Marcius and Lawson didn't take off their warm-ups...and Carroll only played 11 minutes; so this was a small Purdue team.  Byrd is back to playing the power forward role on defense- which I think is a pretty natural place for him.  But the story on the day was TJohn's ability to get to the middle of the zone and stay under control.

Boilers Hold on to victory -58-56, in Evanston.
(serious question- is back part of the ball?)

TJohn finished with 14 points on 60% shooting (only 25% from the stripe, of course).  He also had 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and just one turnover.  He continues to raise his level of play...and make ignorant Purdue fans eat their words- bite by tasty bite.  For some reason, many thought he should've come into God's Country and averaged 10-15 pts/gm...but like almost everyone, it's taken him time to get comfortable.  And also, he WASN'T HEALTHY AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SEASON! He looks healthy and nearly in shape now.

LewJack gutted out 8 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals...Byrd had 12 & 4...and both Barlow and AJ were pretty productive in limited minutes.  Smith had an un-Smith like day, not only shooting poorly, but not getting many rebounds (2) and only registerring 1 assist.  Hummel's play was tough to watch at times...but his sizable shot in the closing seconds over Curletti was the dagger, possibly on the Wildcats NCAA tourney-seeking heart.

It wasn't pretty...in fact, it was damned ugly...but a digit in the left column is something this team desperately needed.  And Big Shot Rob returning right before a bye week might be exactly what this team needed to see to remind them that they belong in the NCAA tournament this spring.

I hope this game can be viewed as a turning point of sorts for a team that still has no defensive identity...but we won't know that for at least another month.  What we do know is that the shiny tan Forehead and his minions will be bringing their stench squad to Mackey one week from today. After that, they travel to Columbus for a tough one, then back to Mackey to play these Wildcats once again.

A Quick Second Look at Last Night (and special note)

I had sinus surgery yesterday...and my doctor said I should stay calm, not get my heart rate up and take it easy for a few days.  As my head got clearer and clearer due to the anestesia lifting, I kicked off my forced down time by watching my Boilers play an important one v. UM...here are a couple of things that I saw that seem like big story lines.

It's good to see the boys playing with heart...they must do it from here out.

-Seniors returned and played the way we thought they were capable of playing.  Smith had some big shots and was great away from the ball, Hummel shot himself out of the slump, and LewJack played huge...again.  Jackson has been the the most-clutch player on the team all season as teams can't seem to find an answer for his quickness and ability to get the ball into the teeth of the defense.

All that said, once again, the guys that everyone's looking at to finish the game couldn't knock down a shot down the stretch.  But, I don't think that's the reason for the loss.

The Boilers gave UM double digit leads in both halves and had to fight back twice to tighten the game...that's difficult on a team with healthy players...it's drudgery for a team with perpetually-weary legs.  The end result was a four minute period at the end of the second half in which Purdue simply couldn't stop Michigan from scoring time and again.  A team system based around stingy defense without even an OK defense is doomed to lose.

-Barlow's low minutes were because of the flu...glad to hear it wasn't something off the court that forced him off the court; he is needed.

-In his stead TJohn and AJ played some key minutes with TJohn starting.  I actually like what I saw out of AJ more than the game that TJohn played...but Matty disagreed with me.

-I said it coming into last night's game that Purdue needed to win six of the remaining 12.  While a ranked UM coming off of a loss is no gimme, this game was very winnable.  Purdue matches up better with UM than they do aOSU, IU and Northwestern.  Northwestern's disciplined 2-3 doesn't give opponents as many chances at lay-ups as does UM's 1-3-1.  Purdue will need to shoot lights out to be Northwestern and really didn't to beat UM.  IU has more length than anyone in the league...except aOSU.  Matty's scratching and clawing to find a way to stop the bleeding underneath...yesterday, we saw Hummel effectively play center for a half. Lawson still is trying to find his way on defense, Carroll struggles verus centers with good footwork and seems to not love contact when on offense and Marcius' lack of quickness hurts him.

-The UM series in the last 25 years has been one in which the away team has had pretty good success...and particularly, Purdue has been able to win at UM when they needed it most.  This season quickly becoming one in which a win in Crisler might be paramount.

-Novak reminds me of a shorter Christian Laettner...not because of the way he plays.

-The next game is v. Northwestern.  This one bothered me back in November before I knew how badly this Purdue team would be struggling in January...and that Northwestern would be fighting, gasping for its fleeting NCAA tournament lives.  Like seemingly everyone that Purdue's played the last month, Northwestern is coming off of a loss, so they'll be hungry.  In fact, they're coming off of two losses, like Purdue...something's gotta give.  And in the B1G, with a crowd that is right on top of the court and awesome, consistent officiating, it's usually the road team.

-I refuse to call it a must-win...but the next game, like the last is imperative.  10 regular season and at least one B1G tourney game left to win six...and there are some barriers in the way.

Illinois will want to bludgeon Purdue as revenge for the loss a few weeks ago. Northwestern's zone is cryptonite to Painter teams.  IU and aOSU have the two most-talented starting line-ups in the B1G, especially offensively...and our Boilers have struggled when faced teams that score in bunches.

-I heard a rumor about what's been happening in one of the player's personal life that was sad and painful just to hear, let alone live. This guy is a key contributor...and at times he's looked mentally not there.  Now, I understand it. If I can find proof of the story I heard, I'll pass on details as to not leave this dangling...but I doubt I'll ever have enough hard info to put it here.

Unrelated...but much more important:
A good guy named Ed, who has become a friend of ours via e-mail, texting and a handful of events had his Dad unexpectedly pass at the end of last week.  He's one of the biggest Purdue fans I know and has been generous to the site time and again.

J and a few fellow BSers had a chance to meet him at the Drew Brees golf outing last summer, I haven't yet been able to put a face with the name and virtual interactions.  But, I still feel connected to the guy because of our common passion for our Boilers. His Dad's story saddens both J and I for multiple reasons...so I'm writing today with a heavy heart.

God bless you, Ed- You, your Mom and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Boilers Gut-Punched In West Lafayette, 66-64

Just out of reach.

The snazzy silver unis did not bring the needed magic tonight, as the Boilers fell to Michigan at home, 66-64. It was an exciting game, with end to end action and not a whole lot of defense being played, and a total of only 21 free throws shot between the two teams. Kind of an unusual Big Ten game, by usual standards. In the end, though, it was a bad ending for the home team.

For the first time in two years, the Boilers have lost multiple home games at Mackey. For the first time in seven years, Michigan has a win in Mackey. And for the first time in five years, the Boilers have seven losses before the end of January. I'm sure I could come up with more, but it's depressing me, so I will stop there. It's a year of too many non-good firsts-in-a-while for the Boilers and the road is getting more and more difficult.

Before Saturday against Michigan State, I assured B-dowd and others that the Boilers were making the NCAA tournament. I pointed out that at 14-5, if the Boilers went even .500 in their remaining dozen games, they'd be 20-11 (10-8 in the Big Ten). That would surely be enough, and doesn't even include potential Big Ten Tournament wins.

Well, they're 0-2 as they begin that final dozen games and so now ten games remain, with six wins needed to get to 20. Why 20? I just think the committee likes 20-win teams from power conferences -- especially the best conference. I am certain that a 20-win Purdue team gets in without a sweat. So now the tall order is 6-4 down the stretch. And while I know there are many of you thinking this team is veering sharply towards an NIT berth, there is still plenty of basketball to be played, and one thing I've learned from watching competitive Big Ten ball is that you just never know. Teams that look unbeatable are suddenly toppled, teams that looked left for dead rise again. And this year is particularly nutty in the conference. So I am not ready to give up, especially given the effort we saw from the leaders tonight.

Rob Hummel and Lewis Jackson came out and played incredibly solid games. Rob shook off his career-worst performance in East Lansing over the weekend to put in 16 points, grab 5 boards and dish 6 assists. Lew fought through his continuing back issues to lead the team in scoring with 17 points. LewJack also had 8 assists and went 6-8 from the floor and 5-6 from the line. Lew came to play and looked positively despondent when the Boilers came up short.

Nobody else on the team broke into double digits, with Ryne coming the closest with 9 points on 3-8 shooting. Terone Johnson continued his staggeringly atrocious FT shooting (currently at 33%) and Kelsey Barlow played nine minutes and was held scoreless. Awesome. 

Once again, the Boilers had stretches of lethargic play, poor rebounding and completely ice cold shooting. However, the bright spot was the Boilers 17-4 run that took them from a 44-34 deficit to a 51-47 lead. Mackey was noticeably loud (and all credit to the Paint Crew for that noise as the old people in view of the sideline camera were sitting motionless, as per usual), the Wolverines were reeling and the good guys were looking as excited as we've seen them in quite a while. This run was where DJ Byrd his his two threes, Ryne hit a couple of his and Rob seemed to be everywhere. I will say, it was nice to be on the positive side of the come-from-behind run like that.

Unfortunately, though, the Boilers found the crevice again and fell through it, failing to make a field goal for the final four minutes of the game. Incredible. I don't know how you fix this weird streakiness or at least find a way to get points when things have gone cold...but you need to if you're Matt Painter. Otherwise, an NIT berth will become more and more likely.

Here's to February 29th, Senior Night, being Rob, Lewis and Ryne's last game in Mackey and not some meaningless "tournament" game in March.

Do The Boilers Have A Leadership Problem?

Step forward, young men...

Coming into this season, we were excited about the prospect of this Senior class leading the Boilers for '11 & '12. Ryne Smith's ability to get under the opponent's skin, Lewis Jackson's hard-nosed bulldog mentality and Rob Hummel's mental toughness and ability to do so many things well seem like a great foundation for a basketball team. However, poor conditioning, inconsistent effort and nagging injuries have put Painter's squad in a position that's unfamiliar to Boilers (at least during the past few seasons). Things are very uncertain as the home stretch of the season begins to come into view...and this team's identity is hazy at best.

Speaking with my esteemed co-editor this weekend, I noticed that he was more irritated than usual (not enough fiber, perhaps) about Purdue basketball. We discussed the lack of effort at certain times this season, how the team looks listless at times, etc. It got me to thinking the above headlined question -- does Purdue basketball have a leadership problem?

It's a question that would have seemed unthinkable in recent seasons. Purdue has soft-spoken but definite leaders in recent years. JJ and E'Twaun weren't in-your-face guys, but they were true leaders-by-example. When the game was on the line, those guys wanted the ball and more often than not, they came through. There was also a fire in their bellies, as evidenced by a number of times when Moore would be seething even after a game for something that happened on the floor. One of b-dowd's favorite Moore videos was a clip posted to YouTube after the Boilers' won a tourney game and all the way up the tunnel, E'Twaun was quietly dag-nabbiting how a guy had swiped him. Easy to admire.

As this season dawned, we openly expressed our concerns about the fact that too much might be expected (or needed) from Rob Hummel. The guy was coming back from two ACL injuries, hadn't played a game in 20 months and was now the most seasoned veteran on a team with lots of young guys. He was going to be looked to by his coach, his teammates, the media...even opposition...as a guy who represents Purdue and the Big Ten and, in the words of some, what's right about college basketball.

The season then got rolling and I know that I, for one, was pleasantly surprised at how well Rob slipped back into character. He shot well, rebounded aggressively, led the team in scoring average and generally seemed like the leader and captain he was needed to be. Rob was like a coach on the floor and there is no doubt that Coach Painter relied on him as such. This was never more clear than in a home game where Anthony Johnson appeared to miss an assignment and then, when barked at by Rob on the court, mouthed off right back to #4. Hummel and Painter appeared positively furious with AJ and he sat for some time, the incident even appearing to impact his playing time in the next game or two.

However, also early on there were concerning signs. Rob wasn't hitting his free throws at his previous 90% rate. He was getting frustrated on the floor, especially as missed shots (by him and others) mounted and the Boilers blew large leads in devastating losses to Xavier and Butler. And his conditioning has seemed outright poor, at times causing him to appear winded and further unable to take his ideal shots.

None of this is to criticize Rob. It's more of a concern. We're beyond thrilled to have him back on the court and representing Purdue, but that doesn't change the fact that something does not seem right with this team. Games get away from them, whether it's blowing huge leads to lose games, or never getting into rhythm and almost appearing to give up (see MSU). As b-dowd pointed out to me, once their shooting was clearly cold and MSU began to put some distance between themselves and our Boilers, it looked like Purdue wanted to be just about anywhere besides East Lansing.

Those sorts of things are hard to define, with regard to how you correct them. Poor shooting, from the field and the line, are endemic problems and ones that sound simple enough (practice more!) but it's not always that simple, mainly because these guys are young men and there's also the "in your head" element. Such as, you know, when your coach mixes it up with the opposing student section.

Matt Painter is a coach who anyone who reads BS knows is well-loved here. For as much as we often wring our hands when Coach Hope is faced with football program decisions, we've often found ourselves on the opposite end of the spectrum during the winter, completely trusting "Matty" as he makes decisions affecting the basketball program. Is it time to cease the blanket trust and begin asking questions? I'm not sure. But I do know that the focus after a 25 point shellacking from an MSU team that is good but isn't that good shouldn't be on how idiotic students of a rival school insulted the honor of one of your players. Sure, it was classless, but....so what?

Lewis Jackson is a floor leader and gives his body up willingly for the betterment of the team, but he's never had to be a vocal leader. Rob Hummel continues to soldier on, though his frustration is becoming apparent and his body language has certainly taken a turn for the worse. Ryne Smith is a talented shooter who appears prone to bouts of under-confidence. And Coach Painter is now bickering with students during road games (who, make no mistake, will never forget that they got under Painter's skin).

The road does not get easier from here onward. Is there time for the Boilers to toughen up (both mentally and physically) before it's too late?