'The Marcius Game' and cutting down the nets...Basketball gumbo.

I said it on Twitter a few days ago, and I'll expound here today- Dan Dakich is pretty good at his job when he's not talking about IU.

I started liking the guy while listening to the radio in Indy a few years ago and IU was down.  Every time IU would come close to beating someone, a sycophantic IU fan would call him and say they were back.  He'd quickly shut them down and remind them why that wasn't the case with facts- record, last time they had a big win, etc.

BUT, he changed his tune last year and lost all objectivity when talking about IU as they started winning.  So I've learned to enjoy him, but only when IU isn't in the picture.  Purdue's game v. Wisconsin was one of those occasions. If you're a Purdue fan that can't stand the guy because of his antics while talking about the Purdue/IU rivalry, I understand...but he does know basketball when he can remove his heart from the equation.

Let's not forget that he's a former Bobby Knight recruit and interim IU coach...it's probably impossible to separate from that.  BUT, his knowledge of basketball and his sense of humor are entertaining, at least to me, at times.

As Purdue finished off Wisconsin, he had a couple great points:

First, Purdue was much better with Hammons on the bench on Sunday. Marcius' hustle and attitude made the offense and defense work better...and that's all on Hammons, in my opinion.  Hammons is a superior basketball player, but his attitude sometimes comes off as lackadaisical. It might just be his demeanor or it might be a conscious decision...regardless, Painter doesn't seem to like it when it's in full bloom...and Purdue is not as good when #20 is doing his Joe Barry Carroll impersonation.

But when he's good, there's no one on Purdue that's better.  I guess these are the growing pains of a Freshman who is growing into a role; hope so anyway.

Second, Dakich referenced the Wisconsin game as "The Marcius Game".  He said next season, when Purdue is back to where they belong, we Purdue fans will refer to this game as the game in which Sandi took over and made a difference. He's probably right...unless, Marcius can find a way to become consistent.  He's strong, big, works hard and runs end to end...lots of good tools in the shed for 55.  There have been rumors that he might seek to go elsewhere after this season...I haven't heard one credible source to back that up, so I expect Marcius to be back for his fifth year in 2014.  If he wants to avoid Purdue fans referring to that one game as his, he'll have to make some new memories...It'd be great if he joined the line of Rowinski, Sheffler and Riley (big bruising white centers that were forces to be reckoned with) and departed from that of Ten Dam's line (gigantic European players that never panned out).  Time and a few games might tell.

Big Balls?

I didn't see it...I tried to go back and see it, but still couldn't find video evidence.  BUT, Sandi supposedly referenced his lower intestinal fortitude after hitting a few free throws in the closing minutes of that Wisconsin game.  We all know what happened in his action's wake- he went over and shook Matty's hand and apologized for getting out of hand. While Painter didn't love it, Sandi's teammates did...and it showed.

There's no doubt that Purdue wouldn't have been in the position to win that game without DJ Byrd going nutty from deep.  BUT, to beat Wisky's bigs, it sometimes takes a hammer to do it...Sandi's force and clutch free throws cemented the deal.

I don't think we've seen anything close to Barlow's choke sign from a Purdue player in the last few years...but Marcius' alleged Big Ball Dance has some similarities.  But the differences are great too- he didn't direct it at the other team and it wasn't as obvious on TV...nor was it versus IU.  That said, it endears Marcius to me a bit more; he was having a good time playing a kids game...and doing his job while doing it. We haven't seen a ton of that this season.

Victory! (not really)

Cut 'em Down!!

The phrase in entertainment, "The show must go on" was applicable early this morning in Bloomington  as IU kept with their original plan in spite of one pesky detail- they lost the game.

IU was in the driver's seat for an outright B1G title; their first in 20 years.  But, they couldn't seal the deal on Senior night...couldn't beat a team, on their homecourt, that they had shellacked earlier in the season on the road.  Last night's IU loss was like a wet blanket on IU's festivities...well it should have been anyway.

After EsPN cut away from their coverage, IU's Seniors did what Seniors do on Senior night- talk about what they had been through and how far they had come...nothing wrong with that.

BUT, as the crowd thinned, Crean decided they still wanted to cut down the nets. In a sad display of what modern sports have become...and a stark contrast to the Bobby Knight way (in his house, no less), a few hundred people clapped in a half-assed manner as Crean added another trophy to his small-time trophy case.

These nets should fit nicely go along side the Sweet 16 rings from last year.

Last night's post-game stupidity in Ass. Hall is why the "IU Sucks" chant by the Paint Crew makes so much sense, even when IU is good at basketball.  

B1G Race

So here are the standings right now:

As well all know too well, Purdue is an also-ran at this point...But, the interesting part of the puzzle, from a Purdue-centric view, is that Matty's boys will have at least some effect on the race.  An improbable win by Purdue over UM would knock the Wolverines out of a chance to part of the title...they already knocked Wisconsin down a rung this week.  But, this UM team is a much more difficult match-up for Purdue...and who knows how these Boilers will handle a small taste of success.

But we do know that every game effects every other, at this point...And the hard thing about this time of year is I'm forced to root for teams like aOSU, UM, MSU and Wisconsin.

In the grand scheme, my wishes are pretty simple: I want to see IU lose in the tournament before the Final Four...I want to see Oladipo, Zeller, Thomas and Burke all leave for the NBA this year...and I want to see Purdue win a few more games as to have a bit of momentum heading into next season.

BS Predicto: The Other Indiana School vs Purdue

Good times

Panda says:
It is that time of year again when the hatred starts to spew and the message boards are lighting up, must be time for the Purdue Basketball game against that school to the south.  If you haven’t heard yet, that school from the south is pretty decent this year at basketball, at home anyway.  One could argue that this is there first true road environment that they have played in all season, minus Iowa and Nerdwestern.

After their loss to Butler, Tom Crean decided to make the dumbass comment of the year saying that it was a road environment in Indy.  Sure Tom, that 2/3s of the stadium that was wearing red was surely cheering for Butler, just like the NCAA Tournament.

Anyway about Mackey Arena’s atmosphere tonight... It’s going to be deafening. There is a buzz about this game that I haven’t felt since being on campus for the game against aOSU in 2011. The fans are fired up and it would be a great program building win for this team to knock off the number three team in the country.

Show up, get there early and cheer loudly the whole game; I know BDowd and I will be. 

The game itself is going to be a struggle if Purdue expects to win.  Oladipo is going to be the toughest match-up for Purdue.  The cocky guard had a coming out party of sorts last weekend against MSU and with his length and quickness, it’s going to be hard for Purdue to handle him, but he can be contained.

Although some IU fans might have given up on Zeller, I haven’t.  The guy is a stud and might kind of be in a slump right now, but that’s debatable as well.  Crean doesn’t get him the ball enough and that isn’t Zeller’s fault, it's Tom’s lack of basketball knowledge. 

The most intriguing match-up of the night will be Kevin Ferrell against Ronnie Johnson.  Both know each other well and it’s surely a start of another great on the court rivalry among these two.

Overall if Purdue can contain Zeller, Oladipo and Watford while they are on the court at the same time I think the Boilers have a shot at winning this game. The key is going to be getting Terone isolated on Hulls who isn’t a good defender, at all.

I’ve been wrestling with this prediction for a while, but I think Purdue loses a close one.

IU 72
Purdue 68

Bdowd says:
IU's got horses and is as talented as any team in the nation. Period.

As poor of a game coach as Crean is, he's that good of a recruiter...and the fruits of his labor are a well-rounded team that can beat their opponent in a myriad of ways.

Last year, Purdue had no answer for Zeller.  In the game at Mackey, Carroll was doing everything he could versus Zeller...but after getting whistled for a bogus foul as Zeller arm locked Carroll, Purdue was forced to try other things to stop the seven footer. Hummel and Marcius weren't any more formidable that day.  In Bloomington, it was worse- Purdue had to double- team Zeller; that left Roth open for much to long and he made Purdue pay...over and over again.

This year, both teams are different.

Hammons is definitely a bit better of a match-up...But guarding the premier big man in the nation as a Freshman will be a learning experience for Purdue's rising star.  Hulls is no longer running the point, now, IU has a true PG in Ferrell doing the job; his game is much more polished than RonJohn's; at least at this point. But the wings are the toughest match-ups for Purdue.

TJohn will have the nearly-impossible task of trying to slow down Olidipo...then off the bench, Sheehy will probably be guarded by AJ or Byrd.  Both of these guys are tremendous athletes that can play above the rim and shoot from the outside.

Basketball is about match-ups...and I don't like this match-up at all.

aOSU kept Purdue at an arm's length with their talented youth and timely scoring.  IU is a better scoring team...and a more complete one, at that.  We saw Purdue fight for a half versus UM before getting manhandled in the closing ten minutes of the game; I think we'll see a similar outcome here.  Purdue's inability to score will kill them first...and their struggles in transition defense will be their ultimate demise.

Hope I'm wrong...But I would be shocked if my Boilers can keep this one as a single-digit defeat. The only thing that might keep them in this is Mr. Harbaugh's ineptitude. I firmly believe he's one of the worst in-game coaches in the nation.  If Matty can cheat off of his pal's (Brad Stevens) notes from earlier in the season, it could stay close...but Byrd will need to be knocking down his shot.

Forehead's Squad  77
Purdue  62

J says:

In memoriam

Rivalries bring out silliness in all of us. We're lucky at Purdue to have such a truly hated rival -- not every school really has this. Oh, they may think they do, but until you've lived this one or one like UNC-Duke, you don't really get it. And that one is just a bunch of rich kids against another bunch of rich kids.... it's kind of evil vs. evil. This one is midwest, Indiana, where basketball belongs... between those who want to rub decades old titles in your face and those who are proud of their program no matter what.

As for the silliness I mentioned, I find myself thinking that I'd make the tradeoff that I'd give up any and all postseason possibilities for Purdue this year in exchange for an ass-whipping of IU tonight. I really would. And I wouldn't make that trade for any other win, in any other sport. Beat up ND but go 2-10 in football? No way. But here, I'll take it. I hate them. I want them to lose. Them and their ignorant, uneducated, mouth-breathing, parroting fans....and their poor sport, talentless jackass coach.

However, I'm also usually a realist and I don't have a good feeling about tonight. It's not that I think a win is out of the question -- it's not. But Purdue is still a young team making young team mistakes at times and going through odd slumps... like letting Iowa close a double digit lead in the final minutes. I mean, honestly, what kind of lead would Purdue need to have to make you comfortable? What if it was 52-27 in favor of the good guys at halftime? I don't know about you, but I'd still be scared to death. This team hasn't been able to consistently close, so I continue to worry.

The good thing is these guys already hate IU and I love that. They also have very little to lose and IU has everything to lose. If you're IU, you cannot lose to Purdue this year -- because you are going to lose to the Boilers in the coming years. So the pressure is on the goobers in the candy striped pants. Here's hoping AJ Hammons makes Zeller begin to doubt himself -- seeing the lemming fans pile on would be wonderful. And here's hoping Tom Crean makes an ass of himself in the handshake line again. Tom, you're so easy to dislike.

I want to see this all happen, but in my heart I think IU pulls it out. (So this post was a great, rah-rah idea!)

IU 77
Purdue 67

I'll Say It: Raise Another Banner, Tommy!

It's kind of old news by now, but we thought we'd remind you that IU basketball is back! The Movement has done exactly what it was supposed to do...it's brought IU back to the levels of RMK and co, right?

-Big wins? No arguing here-  Beating top-10 teams isn't something that's debatable.  IU beat a few of the best teams in America...at home...and when it counted the most: In December and January.

-Atmosphere? Hells yes! The Ass. Hall is nearly as obnoxious of a place as it was when a red sweater used to ride up the most famous gut in all of the land.

In IU's defense though, the die-hards never left...well except those who didn't like the fact that a minority coach or two was hired...but I digress.

The Good Ole Days are back!!!

-Trophies? Kinda.  I know IU fans are clamoring for the good ole days...and why wouldn't they? Players being head-butted, strangled and berated by their beloved coach...students getting physically accosted by the very same big lug.  Secretaries getting things thrown at them, public property being damaged.  *Sigh* those were the days.

I don't like Tom Crean and his nervous antics too much...and while he's no where near the gameday coach that Knight was, the dude is a badass on the recruiting trail (seriously).  I won't argue that.  And IU fans LOVE their players!!*

-Banners? Some say "YES!" A trophy case that commemorates two wins in the tournament just isn't enough...these guys deserve to be alongside undefeated National Championship teams...AmIright??

Pointing out the inconsistencies of this fanbase, especially in this case is easy for a middle-schooler to do. No Purdue fan, myself or anyone else, can argue that IU's National Titles are not noteworthy...not with a straight face anyway. Winning one national title is difficult...winning five is incredible. Sure, It's ancient history by modern sports standards...and no typically-aged undergrad student in Bloomington was even a glimmer in his pappy's eye in 1987.  But they all talk about it as if they had front row seats for Keith Smart's shot (I actually was watching that game live...on my parent's tube television...through a cable box that included an analog rotary dial). No matter- hats off to the King's head coach and former Hawkeye HC!

I'll encourage all of my fellow Purdue fans to do one thing- at minimum bite your tongue when IU fans start talking about the greatness of last year's squad.  They did, after all, sweep our Boilers.  But more-importantly than that, let them wax poetically about a shot taken in December, or almost beating the eventual National Champ by the razor-thin margin of 12 points. Anyone who's not wearing clown pants, and who has ever watched college basketball, will quickly recognize the stupidity and ridiculous nature of their statements.  Encourage the IU fans to talk...cultivate their delusions. And then, maybe when they step off of their soap box, and give you a moment of quiet, you can mention that Purdue's back-to-back Sweet 16s in the last four years, 3-year sweep of IU, February in which they beat three top-12 teams and how getting beaten by eventual FF and National Championship teams tournament multiple didn't get a banner, special case, or even plaque in Mackey Arena...and shouldn't have.

*Until they're rendered useless by the introduction of a newer and shinier model.

Tuesday Gumbo

The biggest news of all for Boiler fans is that Boilermaker Special #7 got into a wreck near campus late this afternoon.  Rumors say it was outside of Hummel's apt.  Other rumors say the newest Special is actually a drone that is driven from the bowels of campus near the atom collider.

What we do know is that the vehicle that was overhauled last year ran into a police vehicle...and I don't know who was at fault or if there were any injuries.  But, since we know some of the Reamers, and we like them, we're hoping everyone came away unscathed.

*Pre-production addendum- everybody's safe following the minor incident...and even #7 isn't damaged too badly. Sounds like she'll be doing her duties on Saturday around the Black/Gold game.

Defense Gelling

Every report out of practice...from players on both sides of the ball says the defense is playing with more speed and swarming around the ball a lot better than last year at this time...and probably better than the were at any time during the season.

This is great news- as much as we want to see a more-efficient, more-exciting and single-QB led offense, I think this team's success will be defined by how well the defense plays.  The get to play against some pretty good running backs each day...so they're getting tested.  And once the offensive line is healthy, they'll get some tests there too (we'll have to wait for the fall for that).

Coach A-Train
Mike Alstott has taken a head coaching position in Florida.  He'll be coaching St. Petersburg's Northside Christian School- a team that barely fielded a squad in '11...and whose last coach won less than one-third of his games in three seasons at the school.

As always, the former Boiler badass will be doing things in an unconventional manner.

Sorry to bear bad news...BUT...

In spite of IU's Zeller being high on a ton of draft boards, he will return next year to Bloomington...as will the versatile shooting forward, Christian Watford.  Neither player's return is really shocking.

Now, let's be clear here.  IU is going to be extremely talented next season.  Their only real loss is that of Verdell Jones.  At BS, we've said this a lot- we'd love to see some of IU's players in gold and black; some of those guys play hard on both ends of the floor.

But the Forehead has some real problems to contend with in the coming season- how will he keep all of these guys happy? Can he actually focus long enough on the game to realize that dumping into Zeller is a nearly sure-fire way to score?  Probably not...and while having the embarrassment of riches is a dilemma that any coach would love to struggle with, we still think the Clapper is one of the worst game coaches in the conference...So there's always that.

The Forces of Good

I think we've mentioned how much we like the 5 guys (including Hale) that will be new to the roster next season.  We love that they have a chip on their collective shoulder and most seem to have a built-in lunchpail mentality...but this isn't a Purdue recruiting class from the 90s that's comprised of a bunch of role players that are short on talent.  These guys can play...and there are some pretty solid moving parts already in place on Matty's squad...And nothing I've heard from Painter makes me concerned about next year's team.

Here's my first typed prediction for '12-'13:

I think Purdue will have 21-22 wins...make the tournament again and grow up a lot during the season.  While that sounds a lot like this season, it'll look different.  Injuries shouldn't play a defining role- TJohn won't be coming off of a surgery, the starting point guard will be able to practice right away and the leading scorer will be able to go through pre-season workouts.  Let's also remember that Jacob Lawson's off-season workouts were stunted a bit by his ruptured achilles...so if his head's right, that'll go a long way in helping to improve his game as well.  

It should be TJohn or Byrd who leads the team in scoring...and I think Byrd's business-first approach to the off-season will encourage his teammates to stay on task.

There's still a chance that an additional player could be added to the roster in the coming weeks/month...and that someone could decide that they no longer want to play for Matty (no, I don't have any inside info).  But, the core is what it is.

In closing, here is a photo (credit HammerandRails) of a short, fat, white guy in a JJ jersey shooting a jumpshot:

RAINDROP!

IU Says Goodbye to a Legend; A look at Sunday's game

Say goodbye to a legend

Just like it was an emotional Senior Day at Mackey earlier this week, Ass. Hall will have their own tearful goodbye for their Senior class on Sunday...and coincidentally, our Boilers will be in the house that day.

Tom Pritchard and some other IU players will play their last game in one of college basketball's most-noteworthy venues surrounded by fans in pajama pants that will pretend they loved the guy. But if you're reading this Tom, and I know you are, I've got a secret for you- IU fans have never really liked you or the rest of this class...and judging by your minutes, neither has your coach.

But that's not the point of Sunday's game for us- Purdue is looking to improve its seeding at this point...and they're playing with the house's money.  A few weeks ago, The Forces of Good were left for dead by many.  Based on what I saw on the court versus this same IU team, I found it tough to believe that this team could find an identity, on offense or defense, and in turn would not get to the real tournament.

But they did...in a big way.  This team now understands that they too have a formula for success...something they really didn't have in the beginning of last month.  Perhaps it's Barlow's departure and the trappings surrounding it that helped this team bond...but I think differently.

I think the very same IU game, in which the Forehead's squad embarrassed Hummel and co. on Keady Court, was the turning point.  The next contest, at one of Purdue's houses of horrors, aOSU, Purdue looked like a different team.  They played at a high level, played together and didn't back down...a few things they hadn't done much of prior to that.  The shellacking at the hands of the Candy Stripers might have been this team's Wofford moment- a watershed of sorts in which the players began to understand that if they didn't change, and in a hurry, they'd send Smith, LewJack and Hummel away from Purdue with an NIT season.  Why wouldn't the IU game act as a wake-up call?

IU out-toughed Purdue, out-played them and out-worked them...at Mackey.  That's unacceptable.  And while losses at home versus Wisconsin and Michigan and a near-loss versus High Point should have been enough to wake up this team, they weren't.  Injuries, crappy attitudes and effort and poor chemistry wouldn't let that happen. But the light bulb has come one.

Does that mean I expect a win at Ass. Hall on Sunday? Not really...but I like the odds a lot more than I did a short time ago.

IU is a different team at home this year...and really in most other seasons as well.  It's a loud building with ghosts of great teams hanging in the rafters.  Officials love the energy in there...and games in which IU shoots 25 or more free throws than their visitor happen (actually, one of those happened in the last four weeks).

So, Purdue will be playing one of the nation's best offensive teams in a tough venue, and they should enter the building firmly believing they'll be on their own that day.  But the good news is this Purdue team is filled with fighters and guys with chips on their shoulders...the good news is, they're now all fighting for one cause instead of against one another.

Tip-off is at 6:00 on Sunday on BTN.  Gus Johnson will probably be doing the game...that'll be yet another person in the building against Purdue.  But, there's no better feeling for a Purdue player than beating IU in Ass. Hall...this guy knows something about that:

Indiana, You Big Banana, Oh Indiana, To Hell With You*

Sometimes it's easy to remember what you don't like about an opponent. Other times it's harder. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, BS is here to help. In a new feature (and you know how well we stick to new features), we'll help you figger out why you should hate Purdue's next opponent, mainly using third grade playground insults and other such high-brow stuff you've come to love BS for. 


Up today: The Indiana Hoosiers.

Really? I need to do this for the IU game? You need reasons to hate them? No, of course you do not. And while most of these pregamers are meant mostly in jest, this one....well....yeah.

How about the fact that the past is not relevant when you're talking about Kelvin Sampson's violations, firing, and effective gutting of the program; Bob Knight's ignominious shit-canning, choking of players, assaulting of students and faculty; or Tom Crean's abominable record at Indiana? Yes the past is relevant when IU knuckle-draggers want to rub their 1940 national title banner in your face? I don't know, either, but that's how they roll.

IU not only hasn't beaten Purdue in four years, they haven't really been competitive. And that sucks, because this used to be an incredible rivalry and right now a whole generation of Purdue students know nothing of IU other than as a doormat. Granted, that appears to be changing, but it has allowed the rivalry to simmer somewhat from what it once was.

Sometimes teams have representatives of their program who are easy to hate; other times they are less easy to hate. Charlie Weis was a great example. He was so arrogant, so pompous...so it was actually beyond easy to loathe him -- it was fun! The same is building with Tom Crean. The phony enthusiasm, the overrated resume, the goofy-ass faces he makes.... they are all things that make me so glad our coach is not like that.

There's so much more to add... this post could be quite lengthy. So I'll leave it to you. Share away.

7 PM tomorrow, BTN.  

*This headline is the corny opening line of the alternate fight song for IU. When I was a freshman, a fifth year senior I was friends with explained that back in the day, there were alternate versions of each team's fight song that opponents would learn and sing at games. Because they were likely borne of a simpler era like the 1960s, the insults were things like "you big banana." My, how times have changed. I guess dildo doesn't rhyme, though.

Boilers Return to Defensive Roots Beat EMU 61-36 (and notes from the day)

"My Name's AJ.  No one outside of the Purdue family seems to know who I am...but they will soon."

It was a big sports day, and we'll talk about some of the other stories in a second, but first, here are my thoughts on what happened in God's country today.

First off, the problem from the free throw line is officially a trend.  Purdue was 250th in the nation in free throw shooting coming into the game...after today's 52.2% performance from the stripe, our Boilers will most-assuredly be even worse.  Good teams will make Purdue pay for these points left on the floor in the win-loss column, bad teams, like EMU won't be close enough for it to matter.

Coming into the game, I was a bit concerned with EMU's size as they have three players that are around 6'10" in their regular rotation...plus, they play a zone, which Purdue has struggled greatly against in the past few seasons.

The game started well with Hummel scoring on his first two attempts from behind the three point line...and that'll soften up a zone. But, after the first few minutes, Purdue's woes from behind the arc were pretty obvious. The good guys shot 32% from the line, and Smith was only 1-for-7.  But Purdue out-rebounded the outmanned Eagles by 8 and frustrated them time and time again.

Kelsey Barlow only had 5 points, 2 rebounds an assist and a steal...but his defense made his presence impossible to ignore as he completely disrupted EMU's offense time and again.  TJohn had 4 turnovers...but also had three steals. He missed five free throws...but made a couple shots when the game was a bit closer than it should have been in the first half.  He finished with 9 points and is improving, but isn't ready to start; yet.  AJ had another solid game and finished with 7 points and 4 rebounds...and had 0 turnovers while running the point a bit in the second half.  But if you didn't get to see his put-back dunk in the second half, you missed Purdue's offensive play of the year, in my opinion.  Click here for more.

Ryne Smith struggled from three, but still finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 0 turnovers.  Hummel was streaky, but lead the team with 13 points...but his 8 rebounds were my favorite part of his game.  He missed a few open mid-range jumpers, which bothered me a bit to see...but I don't think he's forgotten how to shoot the 15 footer. Byrd played scrappy and seemed to be in the right place over and over again as he scratched and clawed out 6 rebounds...Jacob Lawson showed some finesse around the basket finishing with 7 points, but only 2 boards.  I loved what I saw out of Carroll- only one point, but 5 rebounds...and three blocks.  Plus, he was just more resolute than he had been the last three games.  John Hart saw his first action of the season, playing the final three minutes of the game...but not getting many opportunities to show a whole bunch.

EMU is a pretty bad team, and Purdue treated them as such.  EMU's big men didn't look very athletic and weren't, their guards struggled to find space and shots against Purdue's pressure.  In other words, Purdue did what they should have done versus some of the other sub-par teams they played this year, and left no doubt.  I think the hangover that was around the heads of our Boilers following the X game was flushed out in this one.

Now, Matty's boys get 6 days off before going to Indy to play Butler.  I think the break might be a great springboard for this team as they head toward the B1G season.

Special Note: From what I understand, BTN sent live humans to Mackey Arena to sit courtside and talk about what they saw as cameras rolled and the images were beamed to satellites and homes across America.  That's nice.

Ha-Ha-Ha-Handsome!! Post-IU Handsomeness 2/24

Oh, handsome young men talking about sports. What could be better?

They talk about the mythological power of banners...
And they look deep into the future...

Listen...NOW!!

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

Something of Nothing: Grasping for Rivalry

IU fans, Purdue fans, let's get this out of the way: we've been grasping at straws for a while now.

Sure, the Paint Crew reminds us that "IU Sucks" quite often, which is true. And IU's student section has a few people on Twitter trying to drum up manufactured heat by whatever means necessary. Both sides really want these games to mattter again.

A group of IU's students have made Purdue's 6th man, Kelsey Barlow, the focus of their vitriol. They attempt to mock Purdue by saying "Banner up". Whatever. Much like Fred Glass and his Athletic Department's attempts to create new traditions for their football 'atmosphere', these weren't grown organically and are of little importance...or more importantly, these kids are trying to find something, anything to cheer for that has roots within the reality.

Kelsey Barlow gave the choke sign last season at IU after Verdell Jones missed a few free throws. I thought it was funny...my fellow BSer, J didn't like it. Neither of us thought it was the right thing to do...and neither did the true Freshman, Barlow, in hindsight. But what's done is done.

IU students can't get after Smooge or JJ...probably because they don't want those guys angry because the Hoosiers have no answer for either. Hell, they won't even go after LewJack for the same reason...but get six deep in the rotation- yeah, now you're talking. That's their target.

IU's ugliest cheerleader directs the fanbase

Much like Tom Crean, IU's students and fans can't wait until Purdue's Seniors are gone. Then, in their minds, things will change. This is classic loser speak. It's another way to say, "Wait until next year." That statement in itself is an admission of low-level play.

"Hey, we're not good. But, once you lose your best players, we'll be able to match up with you!"

Ooooh, burn.

Atop that, the clever IU fans have chosen to make fun of "Boiler Up!" by yelling, "Banner Up!" Now, I'm not a fan of the 'Boiler Up' chant simply because it's really a derivative of something from the University of Wyoming. Sure, it makes some sense when you put the phrase in the context of a locomotive building pressure to gain speed and steam...but that doesn't mean I like it. At this site, we generally stay away from that phrase. It could be because we were at Purdue before it existed. But, the phrase came into being a long, long time ago...especially through the prism of a college student's vantage point.

So, IU students are choosing to pile on a phrase that's been around for nearly 15 years...because they couldn't think of anything else before 2011 to combat it? Even worse, their comeback is more-ancient as it references relics from before their birth. But that's all they have. To quote ex-Hoosier player and coach Dan Dakich, "Is that all ya got, IU fans???" And it's a fair question...and we all know the answer:

Yes.

Honestly, like many of you, I'm worried about this game. I don't like when a team has nothing to lose and they're coached by a certifiably crazy person. That's a volatile combo that can end poorly for the team that has won more conference games than can be counted on one hand.

Just like in the grander scheme, IU has no place to go but up. And no level-head Purdue fan can tell you that IU isn't going to get better...not with a straight face, anyway. IU fans tell me that the Hoosiers are getting better. Yet, with four games to play, they still haven't matched last season's massive total of 4 conference wins. They are indeed building something special down there, I guess.

The IU students, Notre Dame football fans, and backwards hilljacks with no attachment to the university are going to pour into Ass. Hall tonight, and will try to do their damned-est to will the Hoosiers to victory tonight against Purdue. But in the end, their efforts won't matter. Their squad has to do the work. And their nervous coach has to scheme those players into a position to win.

Cases in point- Mackey Arena is a tough place to play, just as the Kohl Center. But, those venues are tough for visitors because the teams are tough as nails to begin with...but are edified and empowered when backed legions of ravenous fans.

And until they can not only win, but win with some regularity, this is no rivalry. Rivalry is defined as "the act of competing." Competing is defines as "contending for athletic supremacy." By definition this is no rivalry.
Sure, when you look at it from the IU fans' perspective the last decade of the Oaken Bucket might be a rivalry...but at a 30% success rate? Come on. I think the rest of the world thinks a true rivalry is one in which you just don't know who is going to win. We haven't seen that in this state for a while.

I'm not guaranteeing a victory tonight, by the way. I think IU could win and I don't like a lot about this match-up. But, Matty's a better coach and his team has bought into what he's selling to the point that the sum of their parts are better, regardless of which Boilers are on the floor...And no manufactured anger toward Purdue's sixth man is going to change that.