Two-Man Race for All the Marbles

I just checked out the BS Bracket challenge and was kind of astonished at what has transpired. We've got two guys/ladies that are in the driver's seat...If UM wins, one of them will win, if Louisville wins, the other shall win:

I'm almost positive that we've never had a champ that was in the 99.9th percentile...but this year we shall.  Not too far down the charts, I see a few names I know; congrats to you guys too! To be in the top 95% in America in guessing who's the champ skillfully predicting the outcome of the tournament is saying something. Thanks to everyone who entered.

I'm not sure why an MSU fan would enter our challenge...nor am I sure why an MSU fan would pull for UM to win it all...if UM wins, I'm sure we'll find out from Spartante86...if L'Ville wins, it'll be dkboilerfan writing the guest post. Either way, the stakes are palpably-high.

Yes, They're That Good

I've chronicled my difficulty with watching basketball this year.  EsPN's waffling lovefest between Duke and IU is enough to make any self-respecting fan have thoughts of never watching a sport they love again.  That atop of Purdue's on-going problems has made this season tough to swallow.  Last night though, I embraced all of it.

The sycophantic rantings of Vitale, the awkward holding of Magic Johnson by the same character of a psuedo-expert, nervous sweating and pacing of an overhyped coach, demonstrative whining of another, unlikable thugs on one side, overly-dramatic posing on the other...this game had plenty not to like.  But, it also was centered around two very good basketball teams so I watched much of it with the volume up (that part wasn't easy).

There are two things honest Purdue fans can appreciate- First, yes, IU looks like the best team in the nation right now.  Their offense, talent and cohesiveness are impressive. Oladipo is a truly great college player that has a quicker first step than about anyone in the nation and is a tremendous defender...plus he's simply clutch. Zeller is a force; when IU needs a stop, rebound or bucket, he generally delivers.  Around those two NBA players, everyone knows their role...Farrell is a star in the making, the girl shot guy can bomb if not guarded and Watford reminds me of Robert Horry (also clutch and steady).

Purdue fans who don't believe IU is the favorite to win the national title are in denial.  They're damned good...and if it wasn't for their fanbase, nervous BSing coach and their uniforms, they'd be a ton of fun to watch...but you can't have one thing without the other right now, so things are what they are.

The Forehead is a tremendous recruiter and great motivator.  He has that team pointed the same (and correct, by the way) direction.  They rightfully have their sites set on a national title.

If you're like my BS counterpart, you might be confident that Crean's in-game nonsense will doom IU...right now, I'm not so confident about that.  Bad in-game coaches have won national titles before...when the right guy gets hot at the right time (i.e. Oladipo) and he's surrounded by players who know their role, good things happen for that team.  Plus, the formula of having two or three NBA players seems to be alive and well for IU.

I'm rooting against this with everything and hoping we're watching IU peak in February...which as we know too well, isn't really worth much at the end of the season.

It's easy to argue with IU fans about the silliness and absurdity of Sweet 16 rings and a coach that parades around the concourse following a win over a barely-ranked team.  It's pretty impossible to argue the validity of a national title...especially one in the debater's lifetime.

Sure, IU fans will continue to ignore the head-to-head count or B1G titles...but I bet most of you feel like I do and would trade about any of Purdue's records for a national title in the modern era.

The scenario we're in stinks...the best we can hope for right now is that IU poops the bed in the tourney and pretty much everybody leaves town.  Half of that scenario doesn't seem likely to me right now...the other half would hardly be salve in the wound.

BS B1G Power Rankings

Last night's festivities in Ass. Hall left Bucky the Badger sitting alone atop the conference.  Bo Ryan has effectively re-focused his team after the loss of Gasser. After some early losses, they're playing some of the best basketball in the nation.

Bo Ryan demands all B1G foes bow before him.

1. Wisconsin
Why does anyone ever doubt Bo Ryan during January/February?  Gigantic white kids love cold gyms.

2. Michigan
A good blend of young firepower, seasoned experience and coaching in Ann Arbor...Trey Burke stirs the drink.

3. Minnesota
They were asleep for the entire first half of their loss in Bloomington...and still almost came back to win.  They're too good to have a half like that again.  You can't underestimate the importance of felon Senior enforcer Trevor Mbakwe to this team.

4. IU
If they had a good coach help them on gameday, they'd be the best team in America...their talent keeps them among the elite in spite of sideline inadequacy.

5. aOSU
To me, this might be the most-flawed team in the upper echelon of the conference...not real big, not real experienced...but very athletic.

6. MSU
Izzo is able to cover discrepancies and flaws with consistent intensity...and their powerful front court makes them a handful for about anyone in the nation.  Speed will end up killing them though...as will an officiating crew that uses their eyes to watch the Spartans under the basket.

7. Illinois
Rugged early schedule has beaten up the Illini and showed that they don't belong in the top half.

8. Iowa
This team plays at a high tempo, and it killed opponents in the pre-con...not so much in the conference. Their schedule has been the worst in the conference; they'll be lucky to leave January with three B1G wins.

9. Purdue
The Illinois game was big for Purdue...but without a couple more games in which the defense comes to play, our Boilers will be in the bottom-third of the conference for most of the season. Tonight's game v. Nebraska is nearly a must-win.

Purdue is showing signs of life as effort and fight has been prevalent in most of the B1G games...But they'll need to get much more efficient off offense in a hurry to get close to the bubble.

10. Northwestern
Wildcats doing what the Wildcats do.

11. Nebraska
They've looked better than the Cornhuskers from '11-'12 at times...at others, they've looked as bad as any team in the nation. Games in the 40s are too frequent for them to expect any post-season play.

12. Penn State
Penn State was pounded into a fine dust by Purdue in a game in which Purdue really did nothing well...Not good.

If CBB Were MLB, Would Purdue Be Considered "Big Market"?

"Hey, you're slippery!"
"Heehee! So are you!"

According to the Wall Street Journal today (and, by extension, an IU-PU-Columbus assistant professor of finance), the Boilermakers would be the 18th-most valuable college basketball program in the land, if CBB programs could be bought and sold like professional franchises. Instead of, you know, just the players being able to be bought and sold in a lot of cases.

I was not surprised to see programs like Kansas, OSU, UNC and Duke on the list. I was, however, surprised to see Louisville at #1, Minny at #10 and Northwestern at #20. 

Check out the rest of the Top 20 below.

Thanks to reader Greg for the heads-up.

Our Look at the Indiana Elite Story

Most of you have probably read the story that was on EsPN.com yesterday that involves the Forehead, and Indiana Elite Coach, Mark Adams...but some of you might not have had the chance to read the details...here are some key aspects of the story:

Indiana Elite: One of the best AAU teams in the state of Indiana, if not the nation for producing D-1 talent.

Mark Adams: IU Alum and current AAU team, Indiana Elite, Coach & Founder of A-HOPE (organization that brings kids from Africa and tries to get them opportunities to play D-1 basketball). Being an IU alum, Adams has (understandably) surrounded himself with fellow Hoosier alums inside of the IE

teams and orgainization.

Drew Adams: Son of Mark and former assistant coach of AAU team, Indiana Elite. In spite of thin resume, he was hired by Tom Crean as Director of Basketball operations and Video production (April, 2010). Prior to EsPN’s article accusing Crean & the Adams family of unethical, if not, illegal behavior, he left IU for the same position at New Mexico (hired by Steve Alford).

Mike Barnett: Board of Directors Member/Coach for Indiana Elite and Lead Position for Adidas’ Grassroots. Grassroots sponsors events and teams and has both men‘s and women’s teams and events that it is involved with. Notably, Indiana Elite is an Adidas team (along with 5+ other teams nationwide). Grassroots also helps organize/sponsor a Spring AAU Super Regional Tournament in Bloomington on campus at IU.

Kory Barnett: Walk-on Senior Forward for Indiana University. Son of Mike Barnett.

Timeline of recent Indiana Elite Players committing to Crean:

Indiana Elite produced Bade, Byrd, Jackson and TJohn. Not all of the talent from IE goes to IU.

Here's my take on all of this:

I know Tom Crean can recruit...and really doesn't need to get deep into the muck, mire and dark underside of college basketball recruiting. But, whether he intended to or not, he's placed himself in a questionable position...and there's more than smoke here. He hired a guy to his staff that was under qualified...and the defense for this hire by many is that it's all about relationships and creating a pipeline for talent.

I don't see any violation of NCAA rules here by IU. But, to me, this is another example of how many IU fans will legitimize unethical activity in the name of winning (make that attempting to win). Many did so in the wake of Sampson's issues saying "they were just phone calls" (their story changed after the NCAA was through with their findings)...and now the talking point seems to be "recruiting is about friendships and relationships...that's all this is". As one of my pals put it it's about "Dirty, slimy, sleazy, disease-ridden relationships", but yeah, relationships none-the-less.

I never saw anything unusual with IU getting Zeller & Ferrell...those always made sense to me. But, some of the others didn't...and Perea, the crown jewel of the class of '12, and coincidentally, the guy in the center of this controversy, was the one that made the least sense to me. It made more sense after reading the article.

Let's keep in mind that Crean has had some solid talent that he's brought to his teams since he's been a head coach. But, top-20 talent is another level and is really difficult to hammer down. DWade was great out of high school, but scared some other schools off because of his academic concerns...so his stock wasn't among the elite. But now, on the legs of back-to-back-to-back awful seasons, Crean has found a way to win the hearts and minds of some of the state's most-talented players (following two years of being persona non grata in the Hoosier state). Plus, and more-notably, in this process, he's snagged two truly-elite players and a couple others that were wanted by everybody.

Whether Tom Crean is shrewd or slimy, you can decide for yourself...we already have our own opinion of the guy.

I'm Looking At You: You're On Thin Ice, Rivals

B-dowd posted this link on Twitter last night, which is Rivals' current college basketball Top 25. Now, obviously, a college basketball Top 25 in May is always fraught with uncertainty, as well as conjecture. Sure, that's normal and completely acceptable.

But then you have rankings like this nonsense and, well, it begins to make me angry.

For thos of you too lazy or uncoordinated to click through and read the story, here are the rankings:

1. North Carolina

2. Kentucky
3. Ohio State
4. Duke
5. Syracuse
6. Vanderbilt
7. Louisville
8. Pittsburgh
9. Memphis
10. Arizona
11. Kansas
12. Florida
13. Connecticut
14. Wisconsin
15. Baylor
16. Alabama
17. Michigan State
18. Xavier
19. Temple
20. Texas A&M
21. Gonzaga
22. California
23. New Mexico
24. Wichita State
25. Mississippi State

Notice anyone missing? How about the team that was in the top 15 all season in '10-'11 and was one of only two teams to take down OSU in the regular season? Isn't this not only disrespectful to Purdue, but also to Matt Painter? And as we've mentioned before, if losing Robbie Hummel last season cost the Boilers 20-ish spots in most polls, shouldn't his return be good for, say, ten?  No? Oh, okay.

Seriously, who wrote this? My wife? Wait, bad example, she won the BS Bracket Extravaganza. So she probably could have done better!

So Wichita State is a better team going into 2011-2012 than Purdue? Is that what you're saying, Rivals?

And if you want to get down into the weeds, it's not just about Purdue being disrespected (again). How about these gems?

Wisconsin at #14 -- You  guys know Leuer is gone, right? I know Jordan Taylor is good, but hey, still having some talented players isn't enough to get the Boilermakers ranked.

MSU at #17 -- This is inexcusable. Absolutely brain-dead ranking. I think even most Spartan fans would acknowledge that with the way this past season went, MSU should have to prove they're not a paper tiger going forward. I agree that you should never count out Izzo and company. But last season was an unmitigated disaster. The Spartans barely made the NCAA tournament and then got immediately bounced in the first round. But they're 17th right now? Disgraceful.

Memphis at #9 -- Memphis barely won their conference tournament. That's Conference USA, for those of you wondering. The conference they finished fourth place in. I know it sounds snooty to look down on C-USA, but hey, it's warranted. The Tigers owned this conference under Calipari and I guess people simply want to rank Memphis high because of muscle memory. They went 10-6 in a truly mediocre conference, then eked out a one point win in the conference tourney final (the only time they led) and then went down in the first round like B-Dowd on a Saturday night. Everyone in the media so badly wants Josh Pastner to succeed and be the boy wonder they all anointed him when he took over. This just in: He's not Brad Stevens, folks. And if Memphis doesn't squeak out that one-point win over UTEP in the conference tourney, they don't make the NCAAs and maybe people do start questioning Pastner. But since they did make it in, here they are at #9. And don't give me recruiting class garbage -- they need to start proving it on the court before any sane person can say they're the 9th-best team in the nation. I don't give a damn if it is May.

Alabama at #16 -- Here's another one where the media just really wants a guy to succeed, so they're going to help him. Anthony Grant has done a decent job there, no doubt, but his next NCAA tournament game will be his first. He couldn't get his Crimson Tide into the tourney, despite playing in the horrendous SEC West, which is basically Conference-USA East. 'Bama's last NCAA foray, in fact, was 2006, six seasons ago, back when Davis was only 12 years old. (I kid, I kid.) Regardless, this Alabama team that everyone wants so badly to see succeed got into the NIT and went all the way....to the finals, where they lost to Witchita State. So yeah, they're still the same team they were. Wake me when they make a tourney.

We also see Gonzaga checking in at 19, still coasting off their upstart success more than a decade ago. Seriously, what has that program ever done? They're not a Cinderella anymore...they don't play in a big time conference...and they don't make Final Fours. But hell yeah, let's keep ranking them year after year because sportswriters like to recycle stories about Mark Few and his upstart band of castoffs from the west.

The top 10 is otherwise basically the usual suspects, although I do find Vandy at 6 kind of hilarious. When last we left Vandy, they were doing what they always do -- not performing up to expectations. The Commodores put together a stellar 9-7 SEC conference record, then flopped on their faces against 12-seed Richmond, which everyone in the world saw coming. Also, just to continue poking with a stick, their last three tourney appearances? First round losses to Siena, Murray State and Richmond. Well-done, Commodores. And for your continued success, let us here at Rivals award you with a top 6 ranking. Enjoy it! May is the only time you'll be ranked this high!

And yes, for those of you trolling our site to hate on Purdue, the Boilers also lost early in the tournament, for which we were quite hard on them. They did not perform up to expectations, for reasons that are still perplexing. However, that said, they lost -- once again -- to a Final Four team. Michigan State, for example, lost to UCLA.

But hey, they have Tom Izzo! He pleads with officials a lot! And he's short and scrappy! And he's a good interview, right media? Yay!

When I rant against the media, I'm sometimes told by readers to not let this stuff bother me, etc., yadda yadda. Well, for one thing, I've already explained why I have an issue with lazy, terrible sports reporting. And in this particular case, we're not talking about Andy Katz' poorly informed opinions, or Dick Vitale's brainless, neuron spasms. We're talking about Rivals, a site that many of us respect for the careful work they do. This top 25 should be put into a trash compactor and then the house the trash compactor is in should be burned down. It's that effing stupid.

Even for May.

Some Solutions to the NBA's Problems

This time of year really makes me appreciate college basketball. Granted, the NBA players that are still playing are actually trying this time of year, which is nice, but I'm just not fond of the NBA game.

I got into a discussion with a friend a few weeks back about the quality of basketball that's played in the league. He thought the pro game was superior, I disagreed. I understand that the athletes in the NBA are amazing and don't doubt that for a second. But the lack of enforcement of traveling, the heavy focus on isolation and individual play, the fact that's is as much of a contact game as football at times all make it seem like a mere cousin of Naismith's original intent...not the same game. Plus, I like the fact that each game means something in college.

As J Money knows, I think baseball, basketball and hockey would all benefit greatly from contraction- not only the number of games, but the number of teams...but I might be the wrong guy to give advice as I don't think any of these three sports produce a product that worth consistently watching. That said, I'll still give it.

These problems aren't what I'm here to address. I want to look at the current rule that no player right out of high school can go straight to the pros (unless he wants to play in Lexington, of course).

In case you don't know it already, I'm an idealist, when it comes to Purdue athletes. I like to focus on the most-positive side of things- it makes it easier to really get behind the kids and the team. Granted, I'm not naive enough to believe there aren't problems behind closed doors for Matty and Co. But, this program has done a very good job at a couple of things- First, the players seem to be good kids are are likable...that's pretty simple, and I think it comes down to the type of player Painter likes to pursue. But secondly, the team is filled with true student athletes.

Look no further than the best top-to-bottom recruiting class Purdue has seen in the past 20 years. Hummel, Moore and Johnson all were great on the court and all have excelled in the classroom. When I talk to the players, I always let them know how much I respect that- I could barely keep a 3.0 GPA and I was just a student. I know these guys have a lot of tools at their disposal that I didn't, but it seems they're still working hard...that's heartening...and it's not the case everywhere.

Despite Painter's ability to win 25+ games with great consistency and stay in the top-25 for most of his time at Purdue, he still hasn't attracted a one...or two-and-done type of player. Some would argue that might be the reason Purdue hasn't been in the Final Four since I was five, but I don't know if that's the only reason. Painter's recruits buy in to what he's selling...and it's not glamorous...that's probably why the players in the program work out so well.

Programs like Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, Texas, Florida and others, find themselves with players who are just passing through nearly year-in and year-out. These kids get tremendous exposure, fast-paced systems to play in, and the precedent shows that if their game is geared for the NBA, they'll be in good position in a matter of months, not years, to be millionaires.

But the NBA's rules leave us with some players that think going to class for another day, let-alone another year, is just too much to bear. So the players scrape by for a semester as students in title only, and that's really all that's needed to get them through their sole collegiate season before heading to the draft. To me, that's a joke and makes the idea that academics in college basketball a farce. But, I don't fault the kids as much as I do the system and schools that allow it, and I'd prefer that the kids wouldn't have to go through the charade of pretending to be students for a few months. So what should be done?

I like the premise of making the kids play at a higher level before they get huge contracts- it's helped the NBA avoid a bust or two, there's no doubt about that. But, the current rule doesn't help the college game too much...and a successful NCAA career doesn't equate to one at the next level.

So my idea is this: Every player that plays in the NBA must turn 20 by December 1 of his rookie season...but, they are allowed to be drafted by a team out of high school in the US or abroad, if they declare themselves eligible. The catch is this: Until they're old enough, they play in the NBADL. They can still get large, guaranteed signing bonuses, like in MLB, but their salaries would be capped while playing in the feeder league at under $200K/year (a significant pay bump for most college athletes outside of Columbus)...once they enter the NBA, their salary would graduate significantly once the team with their rights activates them.

I think this system would help the struggling NBADL gain traction with the fans, it would help college basketball by all-but-eliminating players who aren't cut out for school while making programs, not just teams, stronger. Plus, it avoids the discussion that any rule denies a kid a chance to make a living and in turn, help his family situation.

The other, much more simple and logical option of course, is to re-instate the ability to draft kids right out of high school...but from what I hear the NBA really likes the built-in buffer before kids step on an NBA court...so that idea probably won't be going away soon.

Regardless of the draft eligibility rule, Purdue probably won't be affected directly.

Bracket Don't Lie...and notes on cheating

There's a ton of pressure in those brackets. This pressure can make an old man dance around like a little boy and can make another weep like a baby. We saw a bit of that last night as Kalin Lucas' college career ended. This is a guy who deserved much better than what he got this year- He didn't deserve to have malcontent teammates who were forced to exit, he didn't deserve to watch his teammates crumble in injury time and time again, he didn't deserve to watch his well-respected coach nearly have a mental breakdown in the closing minutes of most games, and he didn't deserve to have his achilles tendon rupture last season. He's a truly great player, but this is a team game and his team's season is now over.

As Purdue fans we can relate too well...as people we can probably relate even more.

And this is far from the only case of heartbreak- Louisville's Knowles rolls his ankle, and at the same time, Morehead State plays a great game...and just like that, a member of EsPN's favorite conference goes down in a heap. A team we all know well, Richmond, out-grits a Vandy squad that was in the top-25 for most of the season as their dynamic duo, Harper and Anderson outclass the 'Dores like they did Purdue back in November. Injuries, unconscious shooting, foul trouble, poor coaching decisions...they all come out in the wash as each team earns its right to play in their next game.

It's funny- when a team wins a big game, you often hear a player say, "It hasn't sunken yet." But, when a player loses, he knows right away what's happened. I think that's an example of what Painter's been talking about for a few weeks- winning makes you soft in some ways. It's like an opiate that numbs your senses and makes you ignore the faults and imperfections of your reality. If that's the case, losing is shoving smelling salts up your nose and having your face forced into frigid water. Immediately, you're aware of the scope of all that's happened around you. A player might even see his entire career, mistakes and failures alike, all right in front of him as he questions what he might have been able to do to change the trajectory of his team's fate. And win or lose, the tournament format simply doesn't lie. The team that's playing the best at that point of the season wins the whole ball of wax.

We've said it one hundred times and we'll say it again- thank God the NCAA lets the teams decide who will play for the national championship...in basketball. Yesterday, I gave credit to CBS for its joint venture with TBS that we've all been enjoying- I was told my praise was misdirected. Fair enough. Congrats to the NCAA for getting this tournament right. The coverage has been excellent and has given the consumer/fan the ability to choose exactly what he wants to watch regardless of when dinner time is, if the local news is on or if a regional favorite is playing.

Now go fix football.

And speaking of fixing things, NCAA, you're a pitiful joke when it comes to punishment. Nice job in botching an open-shut case of blatant disregard for your structure and respect of authority.

Some might think that five games is a suitable suspension for players getting tattoos in exchange for swag (I don't, by the way). But I don't believe anyone outside of the corrupt cabal known as an Ohio State University thinks this punishment is fitting for this case of cover-up in the name of winning, or attempting to win, a national title. Please note, I didn't just say Ohio State's athletic department...that's intentional. The moment Gordon Gee muttered his hilarious quip, "I just hope Tressel doesn't fire me..." It became a university-wide conspiracy to skirt the rules and get away with whatever's possible.

If karma truly existed in sports, the Buckeyes would lose today to UTSA...but it doesn't. In lieu of karma, I'll be rooting hard against the Buckeyes and hoping for their early departure. Being part of the same conference doesn't mean we should look the other way as one of our own cheats its way to success...afterall, Purdue isn't a part of the SEC- but aOSU clearly wishes it was. Sorry fellas, you're too far north.

I've always had a suspicion that Thad Matta skirted the rules to get players to come play for him. And I'll admit, there is still no concrete proof of my opinion. But, there is absolute proof that aOSU, as an institution, will do anything in its power to win. And since that university's administration, its athletic department and its coaches are working along side the NCAA to not stop cheating, I'll keep believing exactly as I do.

So, as always, Go Boilers- today could be the first step in Purdue's quest to earn its first national title in the modern era of the tourney. And after my alma mater, I'll be rooting for whomever is in the path of the Buckeyes, UK Wildcats, Volunteers and UConn Huskies and others to win. While the NCAA doesn't seem overly-willing to completely stop cheating coaches and athletic departments from doing what they do, another team might be able to send them a message...even if it's temporary. While the playing field might not be completely level during the off-season or in the classroom, during the season and subsequent tournament, a good coach can bring a team together to level things up. Here's to one of those programs, coaches and teams, that does it the right way raising that wooden trophy in April.

Go Boilers. Like Matty's squad, I couldn't be more ready for Purdue to play.

Hats off to CBS!

College basketball fans have been begging and pleading for years to be able to see every game, on a real TV without a subscription fee. CBS has finally done it, and for me, it makes this great weekend all the better.

If you have an iphone, check out their app...it's pretty amazing- you can even use it as a guide for where to turn to to see each game. If you're anything like me, it's nearly-impossible to remember the channel numbers as the cable providers have made it as confusing as possible.

Now that we're through the pseudo-first round, we can get down to the real match-ups. Enjoy the day!

(By the way, we don't have any tie-in, affiliation or sponsor relationship with CBS...I just like to give props to people doing things well in college sports- there just aren't a ton of examples I can think of in which I'm just really happy for the way a media outlet handles an event. But this one's right on. That's probably why it will change next year.)

Boilermakers Less Regional-Cover Worthy Than UConn

The college basketball preview from SI is hitting mailboxes and they did, as usual, several regional covers -- six, to be exact.

Six of their top ten ranked schools. Purdue is ranked #6 according to SI. Do you want to guess which school was among the four top-tens that did not get a regional cover? I bet you don't need many guesses.

More cover-worthy were Kansas (1), MSU (2), Villanova (3), Kentucky (5), Washington (9) and UConn (10).

You know what a hotbed for basketball the state of Washington is. Oh, and do you know who beat the Huskies in the tourney last year? I can't remember.

All that said, I'm not really complaining. I just find it entertaining that Purdue gets short-changed all the time from the media. As I've said before, I'm fine with them flying under the radar for as long as possible. If they keep winning games, they'll be impossible to ignore, but for now, it's fine if SI wants to focus on those other schools.

Strangely, I didn't see Mike Brey's nationally-recognized Irish featured on a regional cover, nor did I see any IU covers. IU was really good thirty years ago, too. Did you know that?

Tell Us More About the Awesome Big East

No, seriously. Tell us more! More about how awesome and tough and brutal the Big East is!

Syracuse lost -- at fricking home -- to a D-II school.

That is all.

(Pic lifted from Deadspin.)

Manny Harris's Elbow and Chris Kramer's Nose Have Not Forgotten One Another

As you may recall, the Boilermakers and Wolverines got together on January 31 in West Lafayette and mayhem ensued. Manny Harris elbowed Chris Kramer in the schnozz, Kramer went down and bled with a broken nose (which, according to some, he faked -- hey, he's dedicated to his cause), Harris was ejected, Coach Beilein tried to manhandle the ref and we all generally went bananas.

UM and Purdue fans haven't ever truly hated one another, I don't think, but if it gets crazy again tonight I think that could begin to happen. And maybe a new bitter rivalry will get going.

The Boilers come into tonight's game having won four in a row and with Hummel's back issues constantly in question. One moment he's going to sit out the rest of the season, the next minute he's playing against cellar-dwellars like IU. Your guess is as good as mine.

Since that 1/31 game, the UM squad has gone 3-3, which isn't so bad except that they lost to Iowa on Sunday. They're now 17-11 (7-8 in the B10) and officially a bubble team. Tonight is their last home game of the regular season and then they go on the road to Wisconsin and Minny. So to say tonight's a big game for them would be accurate.

It's also yoooge -- in my opinion -- for our Boilers. Win this game and then hold serve at home against OSU and Northwestern, and then we head to MSU for our showdown. Lose any one of those, though, and the regular season race is over. So tonight's the first -- and toughest -- step to getting to that showdown game against MSU.

I don't expect the Boilermakers to overlook Michigan tonight. Painter will have them ready and will remind them of how lackluster they looked against IU. This Michigan team has already proven they can win -- UCLA and Duke know this -- and they led the Boilers at the half a month ago, in West Lafayette. Crisler should be rocking and the hate that will be leveled at Chris Kramer will be infuriating to Purdue fans, as this guy did nothing but play solid defense and irritate Manny. But the fans will get on him, big time. Fortunately for us, CK seems to play even better when this is the case.

Also, keep an eye out for the new Boilermakers road unis -- the black on black should be cool.

We'll also be experimenting with a joint liveblog tonight, in the spirit of all of us fans getting along. You'll be playing nice in the sandbox with the readers of Maize N Brew, if you so choose.

If the liveblogging technology works and is well-recieved, we'll use it in future games, too, and I intend to liveblog our first round tourney games for those who have to work and will be unable to see it. I'm not sure if it WILL work tonight and I know the staff of Boiled Sports isn't entirely sure we'll be able to be online during gametime, so if we're not... well, play nice. And if the livebloggy thinger doesn't work, well, we're not technical geniuses. But we are handsome, and what more do you want?

Check back at gametime for the liveblog stuff to be up and running.

Early Thoughts on IU

In just two days, our Boilers face off against our theoretical rival, Indiana. And don't you just wish we played them twice this season and MSU just once? I sure do.

As the imagery associated with this posts shows, my line of thinking is that we need to be the Cobra Kai this weekend. No fricking mercy. Because it's not just about a Big Ten win (though that IS critical). This game is the only matchup between the two this season. IU is going to get better before long -- we all know this. And IU has nearly always gotten the better of the Boilermakers when it comes to recruiting. So what if you're a potential recruit, a kid from Indiana, who is watching these two teams? And you see the Boilermakers blow out the hapless Hoosiers in a raucous Mackey.... I would think that could have an impact on a young lad.

That said, I will admit I'm genuinely concerned about this game. Boilerdowd has told me I'm crazy to be worried, simply because IU is just that bad. And I understand that. But they've got little to lose and everything to gain... and we have a LOT to lose. I don't expect the Boilers to come out tight, but they've been slow-starters for two seasons now, and a slow start against a bad team is the one recipe for disaster. Allowing IU to hang around would be terrible, even if the Boilers pull out the win.

So going back to the Cobra Kai, we do indeed need to strike first, strike hard and show no mercy. IU got some wins over the sad Boilermakers teams in Keady's final years and Painter's first one. It's time to rub the salt right back in. And I don't care how bad IU is -- it will feel great, and I'd love to see a 30 point win. As 'dowd pointed out to me, Painter won't do that -- he will not rub it in. And that's a good thing. But I don't think 20-25 point wins are rubbing it in.

Let's show we're that much better. Let's show we really are a top 15 team. Let's demonstrate that the Purdue program is in that much better shape than the Indiana program. Let there be no doubt.

Sweep the leg.

Seth Davis is a Jack

Sure, PSU and IllinoiS did the Big Ten no favors last night with their awesome display of awesomeness in Champagne (maybe I caused this by bashing women's basketball last week?), but I'm still tired of the Big Ten taking shots from people who should know better.

This morning, Seth Davis was on the Dan Patrick Show and he was first asked about the 38-33 Naismith-esque game between the Kittens and the Illini. His response? Why, to take a shot at the Big Ten in general, of course:

"When I saw that, I wondered if they had gone back to the old rules where you had to have a jump ball at center court after every basket. Although that would have maybe been an improvement in the Big Ten this year."

The hell? Frick you, Seth Davis. You and your haughty, ACC-leaning self. He also went on to talk about how those in "lesser" conferences are sometimes in better position for the tourney because they're not grinding out tough games like those teams "in the ACC and Big East."

One of the things I recently discussed with Boilerdowd was how the mass media don't have any clue WHY the scores are generally lower in the Big Ten. It's not that it's weaker -- it's that our conference does this little thing called DEFENSE.

Did anyone watch Duke-UNC last week? There wasn't any defense in that game. They just ran up and down the court, nobody was even getting their hands up on defense, and when you have two teams full of all-American shooters, well, you KNOW they're going to score. And then -- presto! -- you've got a 90-80 kind of game. It's not rocket science.

Oh, and if you still think (and I know none of you do) the Big Ten is "weak," let's take a look at the conference RPI ratings.

Huh. That's funny. It looks to me -- and I'm no Seth Davis-level genius -- like the Big Ten is ranked the #2 conference... ahead of the Big (L)East and mere thousands of a point behind the ACC.

Do you know how long it took me to do that research? Four seconds. Sure, I'm biased, too, but I don't get paid to be knowledgeable on the subject.

But Their Fundamentals Are So... Fundamental

Do you think one Top 25 team should be able to beat another Top 25 by 53 points? No, we don't think so.

Is a college sport legit when this sort of thing happens with some measure of regularity? No, we don't think so.

You can pretend that Geno Auriemma is a terrific coach and that Pat Summit's 1,000+ wins are just as meaningful as Bob Knight's 902. But you'd be wrong.

As a co-editor of mine once said, it's not a "golden age of women's basketball," it's a golden age of a few teams.

Boilers Stave Off Minny At Home

Robbie Hummel and the Boilers stayed in dogfight mode last night as they took down the Gophers from up North.

The Boilers led for most of the game and pulled away in the second half to win by a dozen, continuing their stellar play at home this season and staying atop the Big Ten, merely tie-breaker points ahead of IU and Wisconsin.

Sorry, I am really just vamping here....filling time, you know? Waiting for Boilerdowd to file his report. But he's been sick so it's possible he didn't see this game, either. The problem is, the Big Ten Network sucks ass so badly, I don't get to see many Purdue games despite having a "sports tier" on my cable.

So all I know is what I said above -- Purdue won, Minny lost and the Boilers stay on top in the Big Ten. Granted, that's all that really matters but we all know and love Boilerdowd's butter-knife-sharp wit and analysis.

Even Tubby wants to know what the hell happened.

What the hell happened? Well, at least I'm not being eviscerated by Vanderbilt by 40+.

So How Is This Big Ten Thing Gonna End?

We've all been so distracted by ole Kelvin Sanctions down at IU that we've almost lost sight of a great Big Ten basketball season and what lies ahead of us.

After Sampson is fired on Friday, we'll all be able to get back to business and focus on what truly looks to be a dogfight to the finish. Of course, the league caving in and giving all the money-grubbers the conference tourney they wanted means that it really isn't important where you finish, but at Purdue we really do like adding to our Big Ten championship banners.

After all the hubub of last night's "showdown" between Purdue and Indiana, now the dust has settled and -- surprise! -- Purdue is still alone in first place, albeit by only a half-game now. Point is, though, it's still Purdue's to lose.

The Boilers are 12-2, followed closely by IU and Wisconsin, both at 11-2. MSU follows them at 8-4 and I think we can all agree they're effectively finished.

Here's what those contenders have remaining:

Purdue (12-2) -- Minnesota, Northwestern, @ OSU, @ Michigan. A really tough finish if this was football. It's not, however. I will say we go 3-1 in that stretch, assuming the Baby Boilers play reasonably to their potential. Final record would be 15-3.

Indiana (11-2) -- @ Northwestern, OSU, @ MSU, Minnesota, @ PSU. Those are all winnable games for the Hoosiers, so you have to ask a couple of questions... 1) Will they experience any brainfart/letdowns? 2) Will Sampson's firing have a negative effect on them? I'm going to say the answer is yes to at least one of those, so how many games could they lose? With everything swirling around them, I just don't see them going 5-0 in those games, despite how good they truly are. I'll say they lose to MSU or OSU and win the rest. So they'd go 4-1, for a record of 15-3. And, of course, a head-to-head win over the Boilers.

Wisconsin (11-2) -- @ Illinois, @ OSU, MSU, PSU, @ Northwestern. Wisconsin has swept IU but been swept by Purdue. So what do we make of this team? I'd say overachievers. They're not nearly as good as their 11-2 suggests... although beating this Indiana team twice is impressive. I'll say they also go 4-1 down the stretch, beating Illinois, MSU, PSU and the Mildcats, but being upended at OSU. Final record: 15-3. (Starting to sound familiar?) Of course, now they're in a three-way tie with Purdue and IU and they have the edge on IU but Purdue has the edge on them. And IU, of course, has the edge on Purdue.

So who is in first place? Well, they all are, of course. It becomes a three-way co-champ for the regular season and we all get to hang a banner. And to be honest, I'm not even sure I understand it all. Reader Mo Boiler explains, though:

the tiebreaker is for seeding in the conference tourney (important, i know). The big ten actually has a pretty complicated system. courtesy of Elliot Bloom, Purdue sports information:

"If teams tie then the first tiebreaker is head to head. If multiple teams tie, then its their record against the teams they are tied with. The next tie breaker is your record against the first place team, then second place team and so forth."

Okay, so we'd have multiple teams tied. And the record against the other teams is as follows:

Purdue: 2-1 (2-0 vs Wisco; 0-1 vs IU)
IU: 1-2 (0-2 vs Wisco; 1-0 vs Purdue)
Wisco: 2-2 (2-0 vs IU; 0-2 vs Purdue)

So then if things played out the way I posit above, then Purdue would get the #1 seed in the Big Ten Tourney. I'm not sure how much that would mean but it would be nifty.

I'm not sure what other point I wanted to make so I'm just gonna end here.

Elsewhere in College Basketball

We'll get back to our continuing coverage of Kelvin Sampson dousing his career is gasoline and then merrily smoking a victory cigar in a moment, but for now I wanted to point out two other college basketball stories involving coaches.

This first one amuses me so much. Roy Williams and Coach K are beginning to get a little testy with one another. Williams even used "dadgum" in one of his comments so you know it's heated.

Apparently, Coach K thinks the Heels are being a bit excessive in the way they publicize how injured their stars are and how the team is so depleted by injuries. Well, excuse the hell out of me, Coach, but I have to say that if my team was a top 5 squad despite having lots of guys hurt, I might make comments about that, too. Roy is probably just proud of his men.

Well, either way, Coach Will didn't like it and fired back at the 60-something-yet-curiously-black-haired Coach K:

"Regardless of what somebody else says about they have injuries too, which is a bunch of bunk, so I don't give a crap what somebody else says, but coach their own damn team, I'll coach my team -- in case anybody has heard some statements about that."

Ummmm.... what?

Anyway, the point is these two are pissed and, according to the story, they have a history from back when Williams was at Kansas. They've met multiple times in the NCAA Tourney and back in 2000, apparently the two "had to be separated." From what, hugging? These two almost got in a fight? I will pay anyone $5 who can provide me with footage of this near-fight in the 2000 NCAA Tournament.

Regardless, these two chaps have to settle down a little bit and return to their neutral corners. Before you know it, somebody's $250 silk tie could get wrinkled or designer glasses could get broken.

-------------------------------------------------------

The next story is one showing how coaches CAN just get along. Seems Sweaty Bruce Pearl of the Fighting Sweaters of Tennessee called up Coach Calipari to ask him for tickets.... to the game Pearl is coaching against Coach Cal. Yes, Memphis and Tennessee are #1 and #2. I know, I know, I was as surprised as anyone. I was sure ESPN told me Duke and UNC are 1 and 2.

It is kind of cool, though, #1 and #2, both from the same state and playing one another. The story is amusing as well, with the following:

As of Tuesday, tickets were going for as much as $10,000 on Stubhub. The game's timing has a lot to do with the soaring demand.

Oh, no shit? You mean, tickets to Memphis basketball don't normally command a $10,000 per seat price tag? Thanks for clearing that up....

Calipari has come a long way from his days in the A-10, when he incited other coaches to "kill" him and "kick his ass."

Glorified Mid-Major Purdue Creeps Into ESPN's Power 16

Andy Katz, ESPN.com's humorless, always-puffy-and-sweaty-looking college basketball writer reportedly referred to Purdue a "a glorified mid-major" last week.

Well, that glorified mid-major has climbed into the ESPN.com Power 16, a meaningless ranking that doesn't even mirror the real rankings. So what does this mean? About the same as a nerf vibrator. (I'll let your women explain that to you, guys.)

The Power 16 is voted on by a dozen ESPN bball "experts," and Purdue is currently 13th. But how did each of them vote? That's my favorite part. Let's take a look.

Jay Bilas has us at 11, two behind MSU (who we just beat) and one ahead of IU, who we haven't played with but are ahead of in the standings.

Hubert Davis does not have us in his top 16. Dirty Tar Heel. He does have MSU at #9. Okay.

Pat Forde ranks us 15th and has no other Big Ten teams in his Power 16. He has Drake, however, at number 9. Do with that what you will.

Fran Fraschilla and Andy Glockner both have Purdue at 12.

Doug Gottleib puts us at 16 and he, too, has no respect for the Big Ten since we're the only team he ranked. Also puts Drake ahead of us. Mmmmm, Drakes.

The aforementioned sweaty fratboy (Katz) lists us at 11, with Wisconsin the only other Big Ten team in his mix at 15.

Joe Lunardi, of whom we've expressed opinions on before, has us at a respectable 12, two ahead of his other Big Tenner, Wisco.

Dana O'Neil -- whom I'm not familiar with (male or female? you make the call!) -- has us all the way up at #9. NINE! Wow.

Reggie Rankin, from Scouts, Inc., does not rank Purdue in his Power 16, but does mail in Wisco at 11, IU at 13 and MSU at 15. Definitely some love for the Big Ten, but kind of uneducated love. Kind of like doing a Kinesiology major. (Another one you'll have to think about.)

Mark Schlabach, one of my favorite punching bags, shows some love, putting MSU at 10, Purdue at 13 and Wisco at 14.

And then, wrapping things up, is Dickie V. He doesn't think Purdue is shit. He does, however, like IU, State and Wisco, ranking them at 12, 14, and 15, respectively.

It's interesting to me to see these voters be all over the map. They can't even agree on the top teams, with Kansas being as high as #1 (Hubert) and as low as #6 (Rankin).

That's all. I have no way to end this post. Just sharing. How's your day going?