Dare to dream?

This has been a tough basketball season, my friends. Rumors of future attrition, attitude problems, ugly 30 point losses...it's had them all. It's quite a contrast to what Purdue fans have become accustomed to in the last six years.

Hard work, toughness, chemistry, great defense...all seemed to be optional for most of the team for much of this season...that didn't seem right...and the results showed that it wasn't. Purdue fans talked about how far Painter would let the team fall...how he was trying to break them by allowing them to lose, lose and lose again; I don't really agree with that premise- I really believe he was as befuddled as those of us in the stands as to why nothing was clicking.  But after a week of assessment, rest and re-grouping at the hands of IU in Ass. Hall, things changed, as J detailed yesterday.

We had some people ask why we haven't made any predictions about the tourney...I'll be honest- I've never been one to make predictions about the B1G tourney.  Another honest moment- I don't like conference tournaments too much.  Sure, they're fun to watch, especially as teams, horrible teams, like Liberty punch their ticket and others knock you on your arse with unexpected outcomes...but for Purdue fans, the tournament that starts this Thursday hasn't been a ton of fun for us as fans. The championship of 2010 was fun, but that team was supposed to do big things...then lived up to their billing in the BT tourney.  The committee shortly after gave the 27-5 Boilers a four seed.  So forgive me if I don't care too much for the whole conference tourney thing.

This tournament is a different animal than what we've seen the last few seasons...Purdue is expected to win just one game...expectations are low...the pressure is off.  Hopefully, fans and the league in general are all sleeping on one of Matty's worst teams (on paper); but I doubt it.  If they've checked the RPI recently, they might literally miss Purdue...they're waaaaaaaay down the list at 114.

But a few media outlets like the Boilers as a darkhorse; so do I. So let's dream for a moment...

Purdue plays Nebraska in the first game.  The Cornhuskers' biggest win of the season, by far, was that over the enigmatic, Senior-laden Golden Gophers...But that game seemed like a force of nature more than a game, and Goldy just happened to be in the way of a special night. Minnesota has struggled mightily in the second half of the season while Nebraska has fought to get better...so on Senior night, and in the final game in Nebraska's old arena, the Cornhuskers got the W. Sadly for the 'Huskers, the Devaney Center won't travel with them to Chicago...nor will many of their fans. All of their decent wins came in front of a friendly crowd.  A half-empty NBA arena won't be as welcoming, nor will the Boilers.  Without anyone to guard him but a rotund Brazilian, Hammons gets silly and TJohn stays hot.

#7 Purdue 74

#10 Nebraska 59

Next up, the white hottttttt, well-rested Bucknuts play the Boilers.

Byrdy Dancing?

The last time these two met, Ohio State seemed to toy with Purdue...kinda like a bigger kid on the playground, they just wouldn't let Purdue get closer than seven points.  Purdue couldn't stop Thomas' quick release jumper, and let him get comfortable way too often...and Aaron Craft's blush was just right that night as the carrying machine batted RonJohn's hand away and scored 15.  I think both of those guys will still be a tough match-up...and Matta has them dialed in, but they're due for an unexpected loss...and Purdue believes things will be different this time because they are a different team.  RayDay matches Thomas' output, Hammons gets a double double and adds 5 blocks all while Byrd makes it rain in the United Center.

#7 Purdue 69

#2 aOSU 66

The unlikable combo of thuggy size (not quite sure what that is) and a whiny politician of a coach lead Sparty into the semis to play the Boilers next. Hot shooting Gary Harris helped the Spartans slide past Iowa...and Izzo has dominated Purdue of late, both on the court and on the recruiting trail.  The streak ends in Chicago. TJohn plays his best defensive game of the year, cools down Harris while Marcius beats MSU at their own game and muscles Purdue to the next round...TJohn and RonJon seal it with FTs down the stretch (it's my dream, I can write it however I'd like).

#7 Purdue  71

#3 MSU 67

At four wins, Purdue is on their longest winning streak of the season...I guess it's not really hard to believe when you look at the record, but Purdue, at this point in the dream sequence would be in unchartered water and feeling pretty confident. But ahead lies the big, ugly forehead gorilla of the conference, IU.

IU was either #1 in the nation or in the top-5 for the whole dang year.  Not one, but two all-conference/National POY finalist players led IU as the supporting cast was also damned good.  Purdue barely showed a pulse versus IU as we all know too well; if it wasn't for Hammons 30 point game in the first "contest", it'd be tough to remember if any Purdue players even laced them up to play their rivals.

Nobody puts Rayby
in the corner.

The stats and not-too-distant past would tell us this one is a cakewalk for IU...but in the ethereal land where I sleep, things have changed since mid-February.

Byrd/TJohn combine for a masterpiece from long distance as Purdue knocks IU out of the number 1 overall seed for the dance...Sheehey's dunk to win clanks off of the back of the rim as time expires.

#7 Purdue 77

#1 IU 76

If this dream scenario was to play out, Purdue would probably be a 12 seed playing in the so-called first round (play-in round), playing a team like Iona or Virginia.  They'd be 19-16, and miraculously would have salvaged a season made for the junk heap into one that would be remembered and savored for a legendary run.

Purdue has an improbable road ahead of them starting Thursday at 6:30pm...just to get to the NIT.  To get above .500, Purdue must beat the tenth-best team in the nation.

To go to the dance, they'll have to beat #8 and #3 (or possibly #5) as well.  They'll have to best three of the nation's best players along with two of the conference's best Freshman...they'll have to beat three top-10 teams in a four day period, two of the conference's best coaches in March, an up-and comer and a fraud cheerleader great motivator.

It's not impossible...but it's damned close.  It truly would be something that I'd have a hard time believing was anything but a dream following a nightmarish season (at times).

By finishing the regular season the way they did, Purdue gave fans, and more importantly, themselves, a reason to hope for what's on the horizon...if they could even make some noise in the tournament, it might help me enjoy the big dance a bit more than I feel like I will at this point.  I love this time of year, but as much as I love it, I hate Purdue not being a real part of it.

There's typically a surprise story that grabs the attention of the nation during the conference tourneys...The 20 loss Liberty Flames might be the worst team to ever enter the NCAA tournament, but much of the nation doesn't care about this team that will probably be knocked out before 3/21 even arrives. But if Purdue waltzed through this tournament to earn its way to the ball, our Boilers might be the most-unlikely entrant in a long, long time.

Has a switch truly been flipped from mediocre-also-ran to world-beater? One can dream.

What Makes a Team Great?

I've spent way too much time analyzing this year's Purdue squad...why they seem to be getting worse since early January, why this many 4-star players play like a 2-star team and why they simply don't compete at times.

I think the answer to this question has a ton of facets...but have said it before, continuity is the very base of all of team's problems.

All that said the ripple effects of one player's effect on the program have been costly and I'll tell you why.

A few years ago, when Kelsey Barlow was being recruited to Purdue, I went to watch him play to get a first-hand account of the player.  At that point, I didn't understand his recruitment.  He played lazy basketball...he didn't move on offense, was inconsistent on defense and didn't seem to use his length and athleticism effectively-enough on that level. But Painter liked the guy. He probably liked his ability to get under other people's skin...Ironically, that's part of the reason he's no longer on Purdue's team.

At BS, we liked that too...but just as Barlow pissed off IU fans with his antics his Freshman year, Barlow pissed off his teammates at Purdue. If you read him on Twitter, it's tough to tell at times if he's an evil genius, a troubled individual or just an immature kid...might be a little of each.  There's no doubt Barlow could have been very good (if not great) for Purdue had he developed differently...but hypotheticals don't matter...things are what they are.  Barlow didn't buy into Painter's philosophy and never was a fit.

After a few troubled years, Barlow was officially kicked off of the team one year ago this week. The void he left sent Painter scrambling to find another point guard to fill the void...one which he couldn't fill in time.  A few Seniors who were looking to transfer for their final year of eligibility didn't pan out...and this year, Purdue has had one true Freshman PG on the roster and a bunch of shooting guards in disguise trying to direct an offense that has no direction.

How important would another Senior been, especially a versatile, athletic point guard, been on this year's Purdue team? We don't really need to answer that question, do we?

But, Painter simply had to do what he did last winter.  The fallout from the tough decision left Barlow in transition as he sat out a year...and Purdue's program in transition as it had no identity.

Ronnie Johnson leads all Freshman in the nation in assists...that's a pretty good stat. Sure, he has a ton of turnovers and shoots at the wrong times...but he's a Freshman...one surrounded by an incomplete, discombobulated team.

Barlow's loss was and is important...but Barlow's dismissal was overdue. Painter couldn't have had a captain that continued to abandon the team when he was needed most...and more importantly, couldn't have a Senior creating disciples with the same philosophy.  The long-term effects of leaving a player, ANY player, on the roster for four years who is divisive, can kill a program.

The recruitment, signing and subsequent abridged career of one player was/is important...not because that guy was a super star, but because timing is everything.  Purdue's program needs to know what defines it as it moves forward. And everyone who is part of the program needs to be on-board with that definition.

So what makes a team great...or even good?
On paper, the team from '07/'08 was OK...but in three dimensions, they were pretty darned good.  Why?

Here are some things that I believe make teams great.  Nothing earth shattering...and I'm no rocket surgeon...these are just a few thoughts.

DEVELOPMENT
Hard work in the off-season makes a player better and helps build chemistry as everyone focuses on the same goal.

LEADERSHIP
Having players that define the team in positions of earned respect go a long way in making a team a force.  Whose team is it?  The answer to that question says a lot about a team.

BUYING IN
Do players believe the coaches plans and vision for the program? Are they executing these plans, not just in games, but during practice and off the court? Players need to feel like they're fortunate to be playing where they are, with whom they are, right now.

TALENT
Elite talent obviously covers up a ton of problems...but having talented people in the right places; in key areas, makes everyone else better.

CONTINUITY
Do the parts mesh? Much of chemistry is about time together- players that have played together and have been together become cohesive.  Teams that don't have history often aren't teams at all (what we've seen this year from Purdue).  Teams that have great continuity believe in the guy next to them and are willing to play hard for/with him.

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Look at the really-good teams in the nation...and those that are on the other side of the coin.  Teams like UNC and Kentucky have talent, but have a dearth of leadership...so they have no identity.  Leadership doesn't have to come from Juniors/Seniors (but that helps)...but it has to come from someplace; and a coach isn't enough.  Coaches need to put leaders in the position to succeed to help them be a focal point for the guys that need to develop.

Sorry...you probably didn't think you were coming to a motivational site, but this stuff has been rattling around my head for a bit and I wanted to put it down someplace.

Do Not Tell Me "It Can't Be Done"

Whenever we lament the state of Purdue football, someone almost always tries to educate us on our lot in life as Purdue fans. They point out that the facilities are limited, the stadium is among the smallest in the Big Ten, it's a tough place to recruit, there isn't a history of winning, etc., and so forth, lather, rinse repeat. In the end, it can be summed up with "We're just Purdue."

Well, as we've said before here, we reject that out of hand. For one thing, Purdue has competed, and in different eras. The 1960s Purdue teams were a force, culminating in a Rose Bowl win over USC. Then, of course, there was the Tiller resurgence in the late 1990s into the early oughts, where Drew Brees and others carried the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl once again. And less highly-thought-of, of course, was the short era right after that, when Purdue was now considered a major player and high-potential guys would gladly attend. The door was open and the mantra of being the cradle of quarterbacks was reignited -- guys like Kyle Orton stepped in and the pieces seemed to be falling into place. We all know what happened next and it's not worth re-hashing once again... but the point here is that, while the windows can be tighter and harder to open, it can be done.

And that's the issue for me. I'm tired of being told it can't be done or hearing about the limitations our school faces. Limitations only get legs when people begin to rely on them as excuses for a lack of success. This applies anywhere in life, not just in college athletics. There are stories about people overcoming incredible odds all the time and the consistent theme is always rooted in two factors: hard work and perseverance. If you work harder than others and you never stop trying, good things will eventually happen. It's not a complicated formula.

Morgan Burke and the athletic department at Purdue are happy with staying profitable -- it has never been worth it to them to wade into the deep end of the pool and shoot the moon. That would take more money, more risk, etc., and why do that when you're comfortable in the black?

And for anyone who points to the successes they've recently (last 15 years) enjoyed, let's recap once again.

Burke got lucky with Joe Tiller. Tiller wasn't a young, up-and-comer and as Bdowd reminded you all, Burke wanted Bob Davie. Tiller had enough energy left to go hard for a while and he had the cowboy swagger that is absolutely necessary to succeed at a place like Purdue on the metaphorically uneven field that is football.

Burke got very lucky with Matt Painter. Painter, for those who have forgotten, was hired as the associate head coach and successor to Gene Keady in 2004 at the age of 34. Matt had one season as a head coach at any level before coming to Purdue. Granted, it was a 25-5 season at Southern Illinois, a top 15 ranking and an NCAA Tourney appearance season, but it was one season from a very young coach all the same. Most of us look at Painter as the right guy for Purdue basketball now, but it's easy to see how this could have gone the way of Todd Lickliter, for example.

Burke got it wrong with Danny Hope. I think it's fair to say that now, as we've seen four years of middling to excruciating football out of the Hope regime. We've been complaining about the same missteps and inconsistency for four years now. It's fair to give a guy the chance to right the ship, but he's done nothing of the sort and only punched more holes in the hull. But the point of this post isn't to rehash the Danny Hope era.

Back on the theme of not wanting to hear it anymore, let's look at five programs who frankly have the same excuses that Purdue does (or similar ones) and yet find a way to produce success. Nobody here is suggesting that Purdue should be competing for the national title every year -- but how about a ten win season every 10-15 years? How about strings of 7-to-9 win seasons, which suggest you're knocking on the door and with a break here or there might bust through to a BCS bowl game?

The following programs are examples of what Purdue could be doing.

Rutgers

Boilerdowd likes to say that I love Rutgers because I live near the school and occasionally attend games. What can I say? I'm a sucker for awesome campus food and lukewarm fan support of a college football team?

But Rutgers is an afterthought in the minds of most NJ sports fans. Their stadium -- which was renovated in 2011 and is a great place to watch a game -- only holds 52,000 (up from 41,000). And they have almost zero football "tradition," in terms of success on the field. Rutgers went 0-11 in 1997. They went 1-11 in 2002. But then Greg Schiano began building something and just three years later, they were in their first bowl game in 27 years. A year later they won 11 games and rose as high as #7 in the nation. Starting with that 2006 season, Rutgers has won at least eight games in six of seven seasons (2010 was the lone hiccup, at 4-8), at least nine games in four of them and if they win one more this year (they're 9-1), they'll have won double digits twice in that span and are likely to get to a BCS bowl game this year. Sure, sure, it's the faltering Big East, I get it -- but I don't care how you get there... you still need to win the games on your schedule.

Boise State

Yes, we had the Broncos forced upon us for years as the little engine that could and the small-time program that could play with the big boys. For all the fun that could sometimes provide, Boise's success probably did more harm than good with regard to things like the BCS. Supporters of the idiotic end to CFB's season pointed to Boise State as evidence that everyone did indeed get a fair shake. It's nonsense, of course, as Boise has most certainly not gotten a fair shake or a legit chance to dethrone the big guys. When they have gotten such an opportunity, they've cashed in, winning two BCS bowl games (the Fiesta Bowl in '06 and '09).

There is no way Boise has more in the way of opportunity than Purdue. It's Idaho, plus the recruiting ground they are near is also shared with Pac 12 programs like Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, USC, UCLA, Stanford, etc. Bronco Stadium only holds 37,000. Oh, and hey, it's freaking Idaho.

Yet despite all of this, the Broncs have held onto Chris Petersen and are about to have their seventh straight double-digit win season, 10th in their last 11 season and 12th in their last 14 years. I don't care where you play -- that is reeeedonkulous. They have 15 losses in the last eleven years. The point of all this? Success can happen.

Cincinnati

You want something a little closer to home and the midwest? How about Cincinnati? They have below-average facilities according to everything we read, their stadium (Nippert) holds 34,000 and bills itself as the "Wrigley Field of college football" (which maybe means they have drunken fans who like a poor product, I guess?), and they of course have to recruit in the same state as O$U. Yet they just keep winning.

Entering 2012, the Bearcats have won double-digit games four of the previous five seasons. They're 7-3 in 2012 with two games remaining plus their bowl, so ten wins is actually still possible. They've also done all this despite having three different coaches since 2006, as they're becoming a popular team to poach from. With their facilities and conference alignment, it's unlikely that Cinci can make themselves any more appealing for a coach to remain at for more of a career. Yet again, they win games. Crazy!

Northwestern

Let's hit even closer to our hearts. The Wildcats are no football powerhouse, to be sure. There are some who feel they've never truly fit in the Big Ten, what with their snooty, private school image, low enrollment (around 8,000) and smallest-in-the-Big-Ten football stadium (47,000). And yet, Coach "Fitz" has the Wildcats knocking on the door of a -- brace yourself -- ten win season. They are 8-3 this year with Illinois and a bowl game remaining. Sure, they turn back into the Mildcats come bowl season (haven't won a bowl in over 60 years), but they fact remains, they're seemingly always bowl eligible anymore (six straight years and nine of the last ten) and Fitzgerald has won at least eight games three times in his seven seasons. Not incredible, I realize, but not shabby, either.

Fitzgerald is a good comparison in another way, too, in that he has only had one bad season in Evanston, which was his first one, when he went 4-8. Every single other season he's had has been a bowl eligible season. Legendary success? No. But putting them in a position where a few breaks gets them into a conference title game or a top tier bowl? It certainly improves the odds, let's leave it at that.

Stanford

My final example is the Cardinal, a proud school with high academic standards that has managed to become a power player in the Pac 12. Standford has had a lot of mediocrity in their history -- more than Purdue, some might conclude. And yet, with the right coach (Jim Harbaugh), they quickly built a program that not only wins, it wins huge.

Stanford is about to have its third straight double-digit win season, assuming they can either beat UCLA or their bowl opponent. They're also going to play their fifth top-15 team this season, and they've already beaten #1 (Oregon, last weekend), #2 (USC, September 15) and #13 (Oregon State, two weeks ago), while very nearly beating current #1 Notre Dame in South Bend on October 13. That, my friends, is a program on the rise.

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In closing, I'd like to say once again that I do not want to hear it cannot be done. It can be done, my fellow Boilermakers. It can and it should be done. I realize these aren't all perfect apples-to-apples comparisons -- that's why I provided five of them. These are programs that for whatever reason have the odds stacked against them in today's college football landscape, yet find creative ways to be successful -- some to extreme levels that even dreamy fans probably didn't dream of.

At Purdue, we want swagger back. We want excitement back. We want players and coaches who want to be here and who aren't interested in excuses. We want to see effort, preparation and creativity. You provide those ingredients and the fans will show -- as they have before -- that they will come into Ross-Ade and make even that marginal stadium a true home field advantage.

Make it happen, Purdue. We're all ready.

Let's Talk Colts Football for a Second, Shall We?

I'm honestly pretty worn down.  I was up until 3 am last night reading post-game garbage, listening to interviews and recapping my thoughts on what's happening with our alma mater's football program...It's depressing. It pisses me off that I get this upset about it...but I do.

So...

When I got to watch my hometown's pro football team win yet another game this afternoon, it offered me some salve.  I was hoping to have my wounds soothed with an IU or UND loss, but both of those teams seem to be on the rise. I'll take the Colts' victory, I guess.

I predicted six wins for the Colts this season...and many of my friends said I was being a bit generous.  I believe Manning won three his first season as a starter...and that offense had a few offensive lineman that were experienced, Marvin Harrison at WR, Pollard or Dilfer (not sure which) at TE and an OK defense.  This year's Colts roster is a bunch of guys I've never heard of, a few good DEs and Andrew Luck...along with that, they had a first year coach and a ton of moves in the front office.  So obviously, it's going to take some time before this team can win with regularity.  THEN, Pagano was diagnosed with leukemia, so he left his post so another guy who had never coached in the NFL could do the job in his stead.

But Andrew Luck isn't a normal rookie...and this Colts team isn't a normal bunch of no-names.  By the way, I'm still pissed that Luck chose Stanford over Purdue- A few years ago, when he was a recruit out of Texas, Luck's final three were Northwestern, Purdue and Stanford. Purdue lost that sweepstakes...and Stanford became a mother shortly after.

Well, at 5-3, the Colts are officially not horrible...and passing for over 433 yards with two TDs for a rookie QB is rarified air...in fact, Luck is in his own league with that many yards in a game as a rookie.

But, the main reason I'm posting is because of this:

Pagano's postgame speech

I'm a Dad of two kids and generally a softie...so hearing another Dad talk this way choked me up.  I'm not only rooting for the Colts to do well, but praying for Pagano's full recovery.  Sure, I'd like to see the Colts win another World Championship, but I'd love to know Pagano got to dance with his daughters at their weddings.