Let's talk about the kids for a a few minutes...

Parents, Grandparents, big brothers and big sisters and even regular baby sitters know what Matt Painter's going through right now...as a Dad of a 7 year old and a 3 year old, I can empathize.

I refer to my daughter on here as TBD (Tiny Boilerdowd)...she's kind of like her Dad- bullheaded, smart-alecky, and she poops her pants regularly.  OK, on some things we're not exactly alike...she also has blonde curly hair; something I can only dream about at this point.

She's growing up way too quickly, on one hand- uses chapstick and says it's lipstick like her Mom's. She can sing a song after hearing it only once...and sings it over and over...even if she's only remembering 1/3 of it. She has theories on everything- most aren't right, all are pretty entertaining. And finally, she can put her snow boots on herself...and doesn't need your help, dammit.

She's smart and clever enough to try to trick people into doing things her way.  And back to the diaper thing, she knows she's had an accident...right after it happened.  We keep reminding her that her Mom, Dad, aunts and uncles, brother, grandparents and even some of her friends don't wear diapers anymore...but she's not getting the finite details- you gotta prepare before something bad happens in order to have success...you have to train, listen and change habits in order to make something second nature.  But sadly for my budget, I'm still buying diapers...and things have clicked just yet.

The good news is there's been progress...signs that she might not be wearing diapers when she goes to her prom in 14 years. But in the meantime, I'm kinda stressed about this whole thing...something I never thought I'd be- worried about someone else's digestive activity.

Here's the deal, Purdue fans: Our Boilers haven't forgotten how to hit layups...and the guys who used to be able to bomb from distance (specifically AJohnson), haven't forgotten how to shoot.  But like a toddler, nothing is coming easily for them right now.  Everything takes too much thought, too much effort and too much work to be fluid.

We've all thought it...maybe even aloud- Why aren't these guys like the Baby Boilers back in '07?

Well, there are some key differences that we can look at- That team had three guys who shared the point guard duties, and did it very well.  They didn't turn the ball over very often and two of them played hard and consistent on-ball defense.  Grant and Kramer really weren't made to be point guards...but they brought the ball up the lion's share of the time because they knew their role...and Crump, off the bench, was a seasoned option...Purdue really has no one on the roster who's as comfortable running the point, in the college game, as any of the three of these guys were back in late '07.

But probably more-importantly than who's running the point, this team is learning NOW how to play with together.

I'm aware that Davis played in prep school with Simpson...but Simpson was struggling through injury and wasn't getting a ton of minutes at the beginning of the season.  Now, of course, Simpson isn't playing at all...and hasn't been for a few games.  I also know that Davis played AAU with Hammons...but, once again, Davis' minutes aren't even in the top-7 being played on the roster...so the on-court chemistry between these two is a non-sequiter.

Conversely, Moore, Hummel and Martin played AAU together...not for a summer...but for years, prior to coming to Purdue.  It's probably not a coincidence that they clicked right away, and all three were starters nearly immediately.  It's tough to remember, but JJ took time to develop...and Calasan averaged more minutes than he did during his first season at Purdue.

We've already said that this situation the program is currently growing through has to be laid at the feet of Painter due to recruiting misses and poor program fits. But, you could also say some of the blame could rest on the shoulders of the two guys who should be leading this team right now- Byrd and TJohn have been inconsistent...something the young guys, and the greater team, really can't afford to be around right now. But both 21 and 0 had the luxury the last few seasons of playing behind and with some of the legends of Purdue's program in the last 20 years (if not all time). A consensus All-American (JJ), and a pair of second-team all-Americans and perennial all-conference guys (Smooge, Hummel), a four-year starting point guard (LewJack) and the highest-percentage 3-point shooter in the program's history (Smith) might shoulder a bit of the load. That type of firepower allowed both Byrd and TJohn to be accessories...not focal points.

Now, they must be the guys as this crop of young players simply doesn't have the continuity or maturity, at least yet, to carry this team.  We saw versus Illinois exactly what happens when The Leatherman and TJohn lead...the other guys can fall into their roles.

A few weeks ago, Purdue fans might have felt about their Boilers' season; how I feel about my daughter's quest to become potty-trained: a bit hopeless...at minimum discouraged.

The effort looked minimal, the results even worse...things seemed pretty bleak...improvement was tough to find.

developing...

But now, this team is showing signs of life- RonJohn had 7 assists and only 2 turnovers today...all while being guarded by one of the most-handsy best defensive guards in the league...he also had more steals than the former B1G defensive player of the year. Hammons is clearly coming into his own...a bit quicker than I thought he would as he's demanding double teams from opposing defenses on nearly every possession.  And Rapheal Davis seems to be earning more and more minutes, in important junctures, as he's proving to be one of the only guys on the team that can create scoring opportunities for himself consistently.

The kids in '07-'08 weren't normal- they came in and were difference-makers and grew up within a few games, it seemed. The kids in '12-'13 have taken a bit longer (regardless of the reason why), but make no mistake, they're developing...and even gelling a bit, as the competition gets better and the stakes become higher.

The problem is, this team has already dug itself a sizable hole.  The good news is, there's a ton of basketball left to be played...regardless of what their record is, come March.

Just like parents need to learn to deal with frustrations as part of the process of child development, we as Purdue fans have no choice but watch the development for what it is: a process.  And while it's far from ideal, in fact, this season has been pretty painful at times, I'm pretty sure this is all going to seem worthwhile this time next year and thereafter.

Don't wish this time away...you might miss something pretty great.

Boiler Hoops Schollie Outlook

The below scholarship grid was swiped from the Purdue hoops site with the awesomest name ever: Purdue Basketball Blog. Hey, we kid because we love.

But I did think it was cool to see the schollies laid out for the coming years and to see how solid things look right now. It helps to see how good the potential looksfor the 2010-2013 range and helps keeps us all grounded when we think about life after Smooge, Ostrich and JJ.

What this also illustrates is how much of a pothole it creates when a clown like Scott Martin decides he's too far away from his girlfriend's sweet rear (or that Robbie Hummel is getting too much attention) and bails on the program. (What I never realized was what a soulful jazz musician and talented bass fisherman Scotty is.)

Holes are tough to fill, but Coach Matty is doing a great job and the basketball program looks to be in good hands for a while.

Just like Scott Martin's girlfriend's rear.

The Hunter, Once Again?

For much of the season, Purdue has been considered the hunted...the team that should win, the team that's been there. It now has seemingly changed.

I watched the BTT show last night and they focused heavily on the upcoming Men's basketball tournament. I literally heard every team in the conference mentioned as a contender, darkhorse, team that might surprise people or out-right favored team...with the exception of Iowa and Purdue.

No one believes in Purdue at this point, it seems...Is this what Painter needs to motivate this squad? Perhaps.

While I don't think Tim Doyle and Jim Jackson are a braintrust by any means, I know that both of these two are typical media heads...they talk about what's popular- and they're not talking about Purdue...rightfully so, mind you.

Purdue lost three of its last four regular season games and played some of its worst basketball of the year in late February/early March. This comes at a time that Coach Painter thought his team would be gelling or coming together for a stretch run. It is a bit of a mystery, but it seems to me, these problems are easily solved.

Purdue's defense has gone from drum tight, night-in, night-out to, tight sometimes...at the same time, their rebounding reverted back to the early season form- Our Boilers are flat-out getting there cans kicked on the glass. And offensively, they've gone from a team that was inconsistently explosive, to one that seems to have little-to-no firepower.

Perhaps the league figured out a way to defend Johnson to render him ineffective...perhaps the team's offensive confidence has caused them to not believe they can score at will...perhaps some of the guys are tired and have hit the wall.

I think the current state of affairs is a bit of each of the above, but the root of it all comes from motivation and our Boilers making the decision to take what is theirs. From the coaches, down to the last man on the bench, this team hasn't seemed to sieze the day or take advantage of its lofty position. Johnson is a bit of a microcosm of this team- BS' very own J Money has said that when JJ simply makes the decision to not be denied and exerts his will every now and again, he is truly great. He did it last year in the tournament versus Baylor...and he showed he could do it during parts of this BT season. The time is now to sell out to the idea that only great effort, all the time will yield great results. It's now or never.

The hunt is officially on.

0-2

Taking the lead at all in the game at Penn State during the second half was an impressive feat...but in the following minutes, the under-manned Boilers seemed to completely run out of gas...In fact, our Boilers couldn't manage a single point for about 7:00 following clawing back into the game; and Penn State finally sealed the win, 67-64.

Make no mistake, Pringle, Battle, Jones, Morrissey and Cornley all played very well. Purdue had no answer for Cornley, especially in the first half, and both Pringle and Battle seemed to score nearly at will for large chunks of the game. So when an offensively-minded, two-loss team gets a 14-point lead, it's going to be darned-near impossible to win...and it turned out to be just that for Purdue.

The closing minutes of this game were sickeningly-similar to the Illinois loss- rebounding & loose ball opportunities weren't siezed and no one seemed willing to take the shot...EXCEPT, LewJack. He made a lot of mistakes during this game, but the mentality he showed in the closing minutes is why I like him so much. While Smooge couldn't create space between himself and his defender, Grant continually handled the ball sloppily and Johnson couldn't match the muscle of PSU's bigs, Jackson did what no one else in gold and black could or would do- put points on the board.

At this point, any thought of a Big Ten championship or a high ranking should be expunged from Purdue's collective minds. Now, the focus must be to simply get better each game and re-gain the offensive flow that has been completely lost for nearly a month. Also, I don't think it makes any sense to rush Hummel back into the line-up. Back injuries can ruin a season and even a career, so the big picture needs to be kept at the forefront right now for Painter, the Ostrich ad everyone else involved.

Stats by StatSheet.com

The Big Ten is a damned-tough basketball conference this season, regardless of what heads tell you in the media...and this Purdue team without a healthy Robbie Hummel and Chris Kramer, simply doesn't have the firepower to be in the top-half of the conference. I salute the second half effort today, and love the fact that Smith got more involved and Riddell was doing everything he could versus the talented PSU guards...but I felt like I was rooting for the Purdue team of Painter's first season as those two and Green played significant minutes- the effort was there, but the talent is not Big Ten caliber top-to-bottom. Perhaps now, regardless of whom is healthy, Purdue can once again become the hunter, since they no longer will be considered the hunted.


(read posts below if you'd like to see some stream-of-consciousness posting about tonight's loss as it unfolded)

About last weekend...

First off, how 'bout them Eagles? No, not in Philly, but Chestnut Hill's finest. They did what I didn't think would happen until well into the ACC season- they beat one of the best college basketball teams in the last 5 seasons...and did it by building huge leads; in Chapel Hill, no less.
The really great thing about this upset is that the more BC wins, the better Purdue's win looks against them back in November. BC has been on quite a tear since losing to our Boilers. They've won ten-straight since Purdue beat them in NYC...keep up the good work, Rice & Co! Boston College will almost-definitely be ranked next week.

Football Speculation
Hope currently has 20 verbal commitments for the '09 incoming class. Problem for dorks like me is we only know who 17 of them are. If I were a betting man, I'd put a nickel on Sterling Griffin being in that mystery three. I'm also hoping Eric Williams , Julius Forte, Jordan Barnes, Quanthony Fletcher or Sam Barrington join next year's class.

I think it's fair to say that Bryce Brown and Darren Myles won't be Boilers...but wouldn't it be fun if they were?

Regardless, guessing what an 18-year old is going to do is as much of a waste of time as are pre-season polls...Speaking of...

Boilers Looking to Bounce Back
Purdue heads to Happy Valley to play a better-than-expected PSU team. If their shooting woes continue, our Boilers will start 0-2 in conference. Battle and co. gave Wisconsin as much as they wanted in Madison this weekend and have already beaten the vaunted Wildcats...alright, so they haven't beaten anybody. Doesn't matter, they are still a pretty solid squad...and Purdue has struggled at PSU in previous seasons.

Hopefully the week off got everybody healthy because our Boilers are not playing like a good team right now, let-alone a potential Big Ten Champ. All I can say is Matty's squad doesn't deserve any top-10 votes at this time. (Did you guys hear that? I'm doubting you! Should piss you off!)

No Joy in Indy
The Colts season came to an anti-climactic halt as the Chargers once-again beat the Colts in the post-season. It's official- the Colts are the Chargers post-season bitch. Also noteworthy, if you can't tackle, don't cover well on special teams and can't move the ball on the ground, you cannot and will not be a respected team in the League. Now, I'm looking for a team to throw my support behind. A small fee will make that happen.