Barlow chokes his post-season away
Gold and Black is reporting that Kelsey Barlow is out for the NCAA tournament due to suspension.
Barlow is an important part of the rotation and would have surely been helpful versus longer, more athletic teams (read as Georgetown), especially on defense. While I was ecstatic with the idea of an angry Kelsey Barlow playing the trash talking Peacocks, I'm even more pleased that Painter has decided to hold up team rules regardless of the timing. I don't think many teams or coaches in America would make this decision, especially on the eve of the tourney. In fact, I know teams in the BT that wouldn't discipline their athletes for larger, more egregious errors.
Hats off to Matty. Note to Kelsey: Get your head screwed on straight...you'll be needed next season. Plus, Purdue fans love your killer instinct, your huge upside and the fact that you're widely-disliked around the league.
With every problem comes opportunity. So now, will it be Terone Johnson whose minutes will increase and production must increase as well? Will John Hart find his stroke and get back into the rhythm we saw earlier in the season? Regardless of whom steps up, someone...or multiple players have to make up for the 19+ minutes, 5 points and nearly 3 assists per game that #12 provided.
12 comments:
It's not the points or the assists that we'll miss. It's the athleticism and the length which allow him to be a high quality defender.
On offense, he's a liability.
Going to miss his defense on the ball. Especially with his wing span. Seems to me that he hasn't been all that focused the past few games. Not as good on the D, lots of stupid turnovers that he seemed to be growing past in late January to February play. Tough loss, but hopefully Johnson or Hart will be able to fill his role.
This is why I love Matt Painter as the Purdue head coach. Winning done the right way.
So what did he do?!
ughh, dammit! ok, i'm over it. please step up terone and play like you played in the HS tourney. please return to form john hart.
i'm going to stay positive and hope hart plays like he was left of the game roster or something. if he catches fire from 3 wow, that could be something we knew wasn't even a possibility from kelsey.
hart has to play and maybe he will be the secret ingredient. he plays "d" with a lot of energy but needs to watch the hand contact to stay in games.
more travis carrol too maybe.
ok, DAMMIT! i'm not really over it. why kelsey, why?? we NEED your defense.
alright, really i'm positive someone will fill his shoes, somehow.
why can't ryne find some more attempts and drain they three ball?
Really curious about what really happened. "conduct detrimental to the team" is a phrase I'm tired of hearing. I guess it doesn't matter. THIS SUCKS!
All things considered, it could be a lot worse. Barlow's a good player off the bench, but he's coming off the bench. It's better than, say, LewJack skipping curfew or something like that.
This could be a LOT worse. While we will certainly kiss his defense, he is nothing more than a frustrating liability on offense. I think we will have better flow without him. Hats off to Coach Painter. We need to run an honest program first. Hopefully, we can make a run to Houston. If we fall short of the final four, it won't be because we didn't have Barlow. I have no idea what he did wrong, but I hope he gets it figured out an straightens up. BOILER UP!
I meant miss his defense. Stupid autocorrect.
We will miss his defense, we will really miss his trash talking, but we won't miss his turnovers.
Let's face it, GDB has always brought a mixed bag to the table (a dash of brilliant assists, hard-nosed D; sprinkled with TO's, dumb fouls and clanged FT's). More minutes for LewJack and possiby TJ, could help the flow of the offense; and we ony lose when we don't score 70 points.
Matt Painter is no Jim Tressel.
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