It's only natural to think about Rob being healthy now and then. It's okay, too. It's a little selfish, but it's not a terrible thing to dream. And early in the season, I said that as much as I wanted to look forward and see what this team could do as constituted, I did admit that no matter what happens, we'll always be able to say, I wonder what would have happened with Rob. Basically, anything short of a national title and it'll be possible to wonder that.
However, I've begun to honestly change my thoughts on this. I still see clowns like Goodman tweeting after the OSU win "Just imagine if they had Hummel." Why, Jeff? So they could have beated OSU by 20? I don't get it. This team is playing as well as anyone in the country right now....yet people like you are still saying "what if they had Hummel?" How much more could they be winning right now? How much more dominant could they look? Seriously.
Let's consider things for a moment. What might be different right now, had Rob not torn his ACL for a second time in October?
Would JJ and E'Twaun be the players they are right now?
I'm not suggesting Rob being healthy would make them worse, so let's understand that right now. But let's also understand that there is zero doubt that these two simply looked at the situation and immediately understood what they had to do. Down 1/3 of the trio, they needed to cover that gap, be it in points, leadership, minutes, whatever.
Would JJ be a player of the year candidate? Probably not, simply because he would be ceding some of his points and rebounds. Would Smooge have had that monstrosity of a game vs OSU? Probably not, for the same reasons. Again, Rob wouldn't have stunted their growth, per se, but he would have changed the distribution of responsibilities.
Would Ryne Smith be who he is right now?
Sure, Ryne comes and goes, but would he have had that hot start to the Big Ten season, including four straight double digit scoring games plus three games with five or more treys made? I don't know, but I kind of doubt it. Purdue needed a third scoring option in those games and Ryne didn't have Rob to defer to, so up the shots went...and down they fell. Kind of makes the tandem of he and Rob firing away next year sound delicious, doesn't it?
Would Kelsey Barlow be playing as much?
With Rob in the lineup, where does Kelsey fit? I guess he's spelling LewJack still, but that's about it. Does he develop as a player as he has if Rob is there? Again, do not misunderstand -- I'd love to have a healthy Hummel. But there are side effects of his absence that are going to ultimately be good for the development of guys like Kelsey.
Does Terone Johnson redshirt?
Going down the depth chart, how much would Terone have played? Would it have been more prudent just to redshirt him? And if the answer is yes, while that's nice in terms of having him around longer, he loses all of what he has gained this year. As many people say, by this time of year, freshmen are no longer freshman. We've seen TJ go through the growing pains of learning the college game, adjusting to the speed, feeling his way through conference play, etc. And now we're seeing him hit big-time shots. Think about how valuable that experience might turn out to be in the tournament this year and for years to come.
Is the resolve this team has shown there?
There is absolutely no doubt, this team was marked for great things this year with Rob. Everyone was saying so, with top five preseason rankings a certainty. Then it all changed and Purdue's season reportedly went with Rob's knee. Now, I'm not saying the team would have been less focused, but I think it's reasonable to think they might have....expected...to be great. With Rob's injury and the resulting media remarks about Purdue, I think our boys got pissed. They'll never fully admit it, but they hear what gets said. They know they were absolutely left for dead. One of my favorite recent digs from another site was that we "manufactured the chip on Purdue's shoulder." This is one of those remarks that simply underscores ignorance. We didn't manufacture anything. We simply report what we see.
So would this team be this focused? I honestly don't know. I have faith in Matty and the boys and I think they do a great job of keeping things in perspective and staying the course and keeping their eyes on the prize. In the past it was making the tourney. Then it was winning the conference. Now it's a lot more than that. And whatever you thought might happen back in mid-October, you couldn't have asked for things to be in better shape than they are at this moment.
The train is coming, folks. Choo-choo.
21 comments:
Good way to look at it.
They way we've been playing the last couple weeks, I'd put our current active roster up against any in the country and believe that we can win on a neutral court.
Basically, the injury to Rob hurts this season, but since it happened in the first practice it was the ideal time so the team could adjust in practice instead of mid season on the fly.
Also, sets up next season well with a starting lineup of Lewis Jackson, TJohnson, Ryne Smith, Robbie, and Big Man X(one of the 3 dopey white guys, my vote would be Carroll, or one of the incoming freshman).
Barlow and DJ Byrd would be two guys first off the bench or could mix into the starting lineup.
Next year I think we will still be near the top of the Big 10 with leadership from Robbie and Jackson. I think TJohnson and DJ Byrd make big offensive leaps next year with more touches on the offensive end.
I should stop looking ahead. I love the way this years team has stepped up. Alot of the pieces around the 2 seniors can be exchanged and depending on who is hot that night and bodies can be rotated in and out to keep fresh defenders on the court who can give max effort and pressure.
As much as I would have loved to watch Hummel finish out his college career with JJ and E'Twaun, I think his injuries are actually going to benefit the program as a whole. Like J Money points out, Barlow and Smith took some serious strides this season. I'm much happier that we're seeing TJ come around this season rather waiting until next year when we'll really need to start leaning on him.
I also think LewJack has had the opportunity to become much more of an offensive weapon instead of just a drive and dish guy.
All of that on top of having Rob's talent and leadership next season to guide a group of young but now experienced players.
It all leaves just one question- would you trade one a possible National Championship for the long term benefits that Hummel's misfortune have presented?
I'd trade anything for an NCAA title. I truly believe last year we would have hung that banner if it weren't for the injury to Hummel.
This team has totally impressed me these last couple of weeks and I do not see why we can't bring that title home this year. Of course everything needs to play out right to get good matchups and Purdue must play very well in the tourny, but I think we have as good a shot as anyone in the country to bring home that title.
Hopefully my prayers are answered and Purdue no longer is the Chicago Cubs of college basketball.
If you're saying that giving up on the possibility of one title to yield the possibility of many more titles down the road - I would still say no. You have to get the first one sometime - and that will yield success on the recruiting front for years to come.
The "What Ifs" lead to the "What Are To Bes" and I think that Hummel will not get back to his pre-injury level of performance. He'll be good, and he'll contribute a ton, but I doubt he'll get back to the level he was at before he tore up his knee the first time.
From someone who has had work done on his knee, it takes a long time to gain 100% confidence in that knee again. Even if the knee is completely repaired and strong, it is the mental block to not be afraid to do everything all-out.
That said, I think the team will be in a good position next year. I would look for at least one of the new comers to contribute as much or more as TJ is this year. I think a heathy Byrd gives us a whole lot more next year as well.
I feel like I'd rather have one truly loaded team that should be able to beat just about anyone on a neutral court, but then that's what we had in '88.
And it doesn't matter, of course. Rob's not coming back until next season, and even then he may be less effective than before the Minnesota game last year. He isn't here, and Painter will have to make do with the guys he's got ... they're certainly coming together at the right time.
But I'd still like to see College Hoops 2K12 with a healthy Hummel on the Purdue roster. (Except I think I have that backward ... I think they released those games with "current" rosters rather than last season's rosters. And who knows if they'll do another college game until the lawsuits are settled?)
Don't forget about Anthony Johnson. This kid can flat fill it up. I think he will be the surprise of next year.
If Hummel had been able to stay healthy, would:
1) Keith Smith get a sixth year?
2) McBurse have stayed?
3) Purdue not found a replacement LB Coach?
4) Spring practice start Wednesday?
I'm not sure, but as good as the Boilers have been playing, there's a lot of football news slipping into the cracks.
Oh, and the Boilers DO look legit heading into tournament season.
My verification word was "cleetri" as in "Only 9 months until Football Season - cleetri."
What if Kyle Orton doesn't fumble against Wisconsin in '04?
That one still stings...So much so that I am embarassed to say that in 2006 I ran into Kyle Orton at a bar in Chicago and after much drinking (we were there for the Purdue - ND game), I proceeded to tell him how much he let me and the fans down that year and walked him through all their losses that year (like he didn't know). Not one of my prouder moments. But...he did apologize to me, say that he felt bad about how many people he let down. And then proceeding to get pictures and even asked us to go to the next bar with him and his friends. So, ever since then I have had a soft place in my heart for him. I mean really, he should have told me to F-off! :)
What if Kyle Orton doesn't fumble against Wisconsin in '04?
The national championship still would have been USC vs Oklahoma, as they were 1 and 2 from beginning to end. Running the table would have been close to unrealistic, anyways. There was more NFL talent on the 2000 and 2003 teams and we lost 4 games both of those years. There still could have been a meltdown in '05, which was accelerated by the OT loss at Minnesota. 2004 knocked us down, but 2005 completely buried us as a football program.
What if IU never fired a good coach and hired a cheater?
We would have never found out that Tom Crean was such a clown. And frankly, I'm glad we got to find out.
@ Boiler_Ditsor
Please do not ever compare Purdue Basketball to Chicago Cubs Baseball. Purdue's last Final Four was in 1980 while the Cubs last World Series was in 1908. A bit of a difference.
...and finally, the big question. What would it be like right now, if Rob had not gone down the first time?
THE CHICAGO CUBS OF COLLEGE BASKETBALL??
You've been watching waaaaay too much ESPN.
Every year 65 teams play in the NCAA tournament. And every year there are 64 "losers."
I hate that All Or Nothing Attitude.
Current LewJack with a solid consistent jumper/3-point shot will be unstoppable next year.
But, I have the highest of hopes for the team THIS YEAR! Please continue to play better than most thought possible. Hail Purdue!
Why not an "all or nothing attitude"? What the hell do we play for if not for Championships?
At least the Cubs have won a World Series.
I want nothing more than Purdue to win a NCAA title in basketball - it has been a long time coming.
Yes it hurts to compare Purdue Basketball to the Cubs, but it's the truth.
Go Boilers and Go Cincinnati Reds!
If Robbie had stayed healthy (everyone else too) then we'd be number one right now and the darling favorite of all the "experts". But reality is what it is and I'm proud of this team and what they've accomplished. I also think we'll all be happy next year watching Hummel & Company open the newly renovated Mackey... Don't be surprised if next year's team is only sitting on 5 losses March 1st as well. I believe in Painter's system and we are going to be winning consistently for a long, long time.
What we do know is everyone returning next year is a little bit better for having the extra playing time.
@Boiler_Ditsor
If you are going to count the Cubs 1908 world championship than you might as well count Purdue's 1932 national championship.
Also, the Cubs (outside of maybe the last decade) are consistently bad while Purdue basketball is almost always competitive.
I do count their 1932 Championship.....but it's not an NCAA title.
So a pennant against 15 other teams is more important?
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