Ding Dong...

A year ago, I wrote a post about how IU was going to be very good in '12/'13...and it pained me.

When I saw that IU was the pre-season #1 in both polls, it smarted.

When Purdue floundered and IU played some of the best basketball in the nation, it flat-out sucked...And the media piled on and pretty much took college basketball away from me for a few months; I couldn't stand to watch morons like Vitale tell me how good Crean was at his job.

Four players on IU's starting five were on the three All-conference teams...the fifth was on the all-Frosh squad; and it was kind of tough to argue with it.

As the Naismith Award lists were trimmed, and trimmed and trimmed, IU had 2 of the final 8 players on the list...and finally, IU still had one of the final four players on the list.

But tonight, IU's movement was flushed out of the tournament...and the accolades and hype matter little.

The only upset that I had in my bracket that I was sure of, was tonight's game...and for once, my logic was sound. Cuse's zone created havoc for IU. Hulls' poor defensive abilities kept him on the bench...this eliminated a scoring threat that might have been able to break the zone.  And, of course, a guy who has won a few games, Boeheim, out-coached the Forehead.  Crean made no effective adjustments...He tried to get his guys to run to keep the Orange from setting up their defense, but as the pace picked up, Cuse's offense looked better.

I've said it before and I'll say it again- there were some guys on IU's team that I would love to have seen in gold and black...but Sheehey has never been one of those guys. So seeing him whimpering on IU's bench as time expired warmed the cockles of my cold, gray heart.

Fellow BS co-founder, J was pretty confident back in January that IU wasn't a legit national title contender...I disagreed adamantly, especially after watching them beat the crap out of our Boilers...but he didn't think they were built for the long haul in the grueling NCAA tournament; and I still don't understand why.

This IU team was healthy, experienced, has slashers, shooters, a great big man, team speed and athleticism, amazing chemistry and a decent bench...with the exception (of course) of the guy who was supposed to be sitting upon it...and instead was always pacing in front of it.  But as we all know, it doesn't take a ton of coaching talent to wrangle and organize one of the most-talented groups in the nation.

Illinois and Kansas fans alike have lamented that Bill Self isn't the greatest coach...but he has a national championship. Boeheim has been accused of being inflexible and unable to adjust on the fly...but with a few AAs, he got the Orange a national title. Steve Fisher and Jim Harrick rode the coattails of great players to earn a ring*.

But, a truly great IU team, with seemingly all of the parts needed to earn the crown couldn't get it done this year. So once again, I can enjoy college basketball and take a bit of a deep breath.

I'm blessed to live in my parent's basement to be self-employed...so I can generally stay away from bars and restaurants when the situation is like it's been the last few weeks in Central Indiana.  But this evening, my wife, kids and I met my brothers, their wives and kids for dinner...and it wasn't a good seen. Nearly everyone had a flipping IU shirt or hat on. Some of them were real fans and alums; good for them (kinda)...but most were wearing gear that they had bought this winter. The good news for those clowns is that they'll be able to put away their shirt and/or hat until next November...and won't even have to wash it.

For a storied program that a true basketball genius once led, success used to be measured by National Titles and little else.  But, the new look IU fan told us nearly two years ago that they were back.  They believed they were there because Crean had recruited a few guys that RMK could have only dreamt about- two five star players, a handful of four stars and success was all but assured.  Last year, IU had 20+ wins and made it to the Sweet 16.  Crean built a trophy case, had rings made...and IU fans shouted from the hills of Southern Indiana that they "were back!!"

This season was the next logical step: A B1G title and another sweet 16.  True success, I guess.

Funny thing is, in '09 and '10, Purdue averaged 28 wins, had a B1G championship and two Sweet 16s.

No trophy case.
No rings.
No talk of the program returning.

Oh yeah, and Purdue lost one of their best players to a torn ACL just a few weeks before that second tournament...but the past is the past.

Now, this season is over for both Purdue and IU...so we can look ahead for a moment.

Will Purdue get back to contending for the conference title? Who will transfer (if anyone), who will improve during the off-season?

And for IU, how will they replace their Senior leaders? Who will go pro?
If I were a betting man, I'd put a quarter on Oladipo leaving...and IU returning just two of its starting five...but at this point, my guess is worth no more than the IU fan's who assures themselves that the only guys leaving are the Seniors.

No matter.

Ding Dong, the wicked witch from the South died as Tom Crean's Diet Coke-fueled PR/hype machine ground to a halt in the sweet 16.



*No, not a sweet 16 ring.

Tuesday Gumbo

The biggest news of all for Boiler fans is that Boilermaker Special #7 got into a wreck near campus late this afternoon.  Rumors say it was outside of Hummel's apt.  Other rumors say the newest Special is actually a drone that is driven from the bowels of campus near the atom collider.

What we do know is that the vehicle that was overhauled last year ran into a police vehicle...and I don't know who was at fault or if there were any injuries.  But, since we know some of the Reamers, and we like them, we're hoping everyone came away unscathed.

*Pre-production addendum- everybody's safe following the minor incident...and even #7 isn't damaged too badly. Sounds like she'll be doing her duties on Saturday around the Black/Gold game.

Defense Gelling

Every report out of practice...from players on both sides of the ball says the defense is playing with more speed and swarming around the ball a lot better than last year at this time...and probably better than the were at any time during the season.

This is great news- as much as we want to see a more-efficient, more-exciting and single-QB led offense, I think this team's success will be defined by how well the defense plays.  The get to play against some pretty good running backs each day...so they're getting tested.  And once the offensive line is healthy, they'll get some tests there too (we'll have to wait for the fall for that).

Coach A-Train
Mike Alstott has taken a head coaching position in Florida.  He'll be coaching St. Petersburg's Northside Christian School- a team that barely fielded a squad in '11...and whose last coach won less than one-third of his games in three seasons at the school.

As always, the former Boiler badass will be doing things in an unconventional manner.

Sorry to bear bad news...BUT...

In spite of IU's Zeller being high on a ton of draft boards, he will return next year to Bloomington...as will the versatile shooting forward, Christian Watford.  Neither player's return is really shocking.

Now, let's be clear here.  IU is going to be extremely talented next season.  Their only real loss is that of Verdell Jones.  At BS, we've said this a lot- we'd love to see some of IU's players in gold and black; some of those guys play hard on both ends of the floor.

But the Forehead has some real problems to contend with in the coming season- how will he keep all of these guys happy? Can he actually focus long enough on the game to realize that dumping into Zeller is a nearly sure-fire way to score?  Probably not...and while having the embarrassment of riches is a dilemma that any coach would love to struggle with, we still think the Clapper is one of the worst game coaches in the conference...So there's always that.

The Forces of Good

I think we've mentioned how much we like the 5 guys (including Hale) that will be new to the roster next season.  We love that they have a chip on their collective shoulder and most seem to have a built-in lunchpail mentality...but this isn't a Purdue recruiting class from the 90s that's comprised of a bunch of role players that are short on talent.  These guys can play...and there are some pretty solid moving parts already in place on Matty's squad...And nothing I've heard from Painter makes me concerned about next year's team.

Here's my first typed prediction for '12-'13:

I think Purdue will have 21-22 wins...make the tournament again and grow up a lot during the season.  While that sounds a lot like this season, it'll look different.  Injuries shouldn't play a defining role- TJohn won't be coming off of a surgery, the starting point guard will be able to practice right away and the leading scorer will be able to go through pre-season workouts.  Let's also remember that Jacob Lawson's off-season workouts were stunted a bit by his ruptured achilles...so if his head's right, that'll go a long way in helping to improve his game as well.  

It should be TJohn or Byrd who leads the team in scoring...and I think Byrd's business-first approach to the off-season will encourage his teammates to stay on task.

There's still a chance that an additional player could be added to the roster in the coming weeks/month...and that someone could decide that they no longer want to play for Matty (no, I don't have any inside info).  But, the core is what it is.

In closing, here is a photo (credit HammerandRails) of a short, fat, white guy in a JJ jersey shooting a jumpshot:

RAINDROP!

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.

Something of Nothing: Grasping for Rivalry

IU fans, Purdue fans, let's get this out of the way: we've been grasping at straws for a while now.

Sure, the Paint Crew reminds us that "IU Sucks" quite often, which is true. And IU's student section has a few people on Twitter trying to drum up manufactured heat by whatever means necessary. Both sides really want these games to mattter again.

A group of IU's students have made Purdue's 6th man, Kelsey Barlow, the focus of their vitriol. They attempt to mock Purdue by saying "Banner up". Whatever. Much like Fred Glass and his Athletic Department's attempts to create new traditions for their football 'atmosphere', these weren't grown organically and are of little importance...or more importantly, these kids are trying to find something, anything to cheer for that has roots within the reality.

Kelsey Barlow gave the choke sign last season at IU after Verdell Jones missed a few free throws. I thought it was funny...my fellow BSer, J didn't like it. Neither of us thought it was the right thing to do...and neither did the true Freshman, Barlow, in hindsight. But what's done is done.

IU students can't get after Smooge or JJ...probably because they don't want those guys angry because the Hoosiers have no answer for either. Hell, they won't even go after LewJack for the same reason...but get six deep in the rotation- yeah, now you're talking. That's their target.

IU's ugliest cheerleader directs the fanbase

Much like Tom Crean, IU's students and fans can't wait until Purdue's Seniors are gone. Then, in their minds, things will change. This is classic loser speak. It's another way to say, "Wait until next year." That statement in itself is an admission of low-level play.

"Hey, we're not good. But, once you lose your best players, we'll be able to match up with you!"

Ooooh, burn.

Atop that, the clever IU fans have chosen to make fun of "Boiler Up!" by yelling, "Banner Up!" Now, I'm not a fan of the 'Boiler Up' chant simply because it's really a derivative of something from the University of Wyoming. Sure, it makes some sense when you put the phrase in the context of a locomotive building pressure to gain speed and steam...but that doesn't mean I like it. At this site, we generally stay away from that phrase. It could be because we were at Purdue before it existed. But, the phrase came into being a long, long time ago...especially through the prism of a college student's vantage point.

So, IU students are choosing to pile on a phrase that's been around for nearly 15 years...because they couldn't think of anything else before 2011 to combat it? Even worse, their comeback is more-ancient as it references relics from before their birth. But that's all they have. To quote ex-Hoosier player and coach Dan Dakich, "Is that all ya got, IU fans???" And it's a fair question...and we all know the answer:

Yes.

Honestly, like many of you, I'm worried about this game. I don't like when a team has nothing to lose and they're coached by a certifiably crazy person. That's a volatile combo that can end poorly for the team that has won more conference games than can be counted on one hand.

Just like in the grander scheme, IU has no place to go but up. And no level-head Purdue fan can tell you that IU isn't going to get better...not with a straight face, anyway. IU fans tell me that the Hoosiers are getting better. Yet, with four games to play, they still haven't matched last season's massive total of 4 conference wins. They are indeed building something special down there, I guess.

The IU students, Notre Dame football fans, and backwards hilljacks with no attachment to the university are going to pour into Ass. Hall tonight, and will try to do their damned-est to will the Hoosiers to victory tonight against Purdue. But in the end, their efforts won't matter. Their squad has to do the work. And their nervous coach has to scheme those players into a position to win.

Cases in point- Mackey Arena is a tough place to play, just as the Kohl Center. But, those venues are tough for visitors because the teams are tough as nails to begin with...but are edified and empowered when backed legions of ravenous fans.

And until they can not only win, but win with some regularity, this is no rivalry. Rivalry is defined as "the act of competing." Competing is defines as "contending for athletic supremacy." By definition this is no rivalry.
Sure, when you look at it from the IU fans' perspective the last decade of the Oaken Bucket might be a rivalry...but at a 30% success rate? Come on. I think the rest of the world thinks a true rivalry is one in which you just don't know who is going to win. We haven't seen that in this state for a while.

I'm not guaranteeing a victory tonight, by the way. I think IU could win and I don't like a lot about this match-up. But, Matty's a better coach and his team has bought into what he's selling to the point that the sum of their parts are better, regardless of which Boilers are on the floor...And no manufactured anger toward Purdue's sixth man is going to change that.

A Rebuilding Comparison

In 2005, Matty inherited a Purdue basketball program that was in pretty bad shape. Coming off of a 7-win season, Painter looked to rebuild. His two best players were both forced to redshirt the first season due to injury. His resulting roster was comprised of walk-ons, a football player, transfers, some guys who wouldn't be playing anywhere else in the league and a couple guys that belonged in the BT. In his first season, Purdue went 9-19.

Over the second and third seasons, Matty lost 6 players to transfer. Attrition forced fan favorite, Bobby "Buckets" Riddell, the 5'9" Lafayette native and walk-on, to not only play significant minutes, but start for part of Painter's second season.

Painter, of course made a splash with the Baby Boilers class that included JJ, Hummel, Smooge and another guy that gave Purdue a top-10 recruiting class nationally. This class and Matty's plan helped restore Purdue to the top-three of the league by year three of Painter's tenure in W.Lafayette.

Tom Crean inherited a team decimated by academic and disciplinary problems in Spring/'08 following Kelvin Sampson's resignation. Like Painter, Crean was forced to using walk-ons and transfers his first season. Along with a few carry-overs, his first class was a good recruiting effort in an abridged time- no super stars on paper, but some solid players. That class included Dumes, Jones, Roth, Story & Pritchard.

The next season ('09), Crean brought in a monster class that included three 4-star recruits, 2 high 3-star recruits and a couple of project players. This class was rated top-5 in the nation.

With that strong class as a lynch pin of his rebuilding plan in Bloomington, Crean is now in his third season in Bloomington...But the media is still telling us that the talent disparity with the rest of the BT is too much too overcome for IU to possibly compete. We told you following the game in Mackey that we weren't buying into that story...and here is a bit of evidence to back up what we've been saying...you make up your own mind.

Ho-Hum...Boilers Beat Who-Who-Hoosiers 67-53.

Crean attempts to push...his team toward victory in Mackey

J pointed this out earlier today- this was a game that Purdue's expected to win...a game that the media expects to be easy for Purdue. Honestly, it was a must-win for Purdue as the schedule gets tougher in the coming week. And the Boilers handled their business by keeping the pesky Hoosiers at an arm's length.

To illustrate the point- Prior to the game, Purdue's radio affiliate had Brent Mussberger talk about his thoughts on the game. The host said something along the lines of 'throw the records out...rivalry game...blah blah'. Ole Brent came back quickly saying that he didn't think IU really had much of a shot because of the talent and depth disparity. So like we said, it's a lose-lose situation.

Make no mistake, this isn't the mid-90s. You can't throw the records out. In the 90s it might have been the first place team versus the 5th place team. Now, it's the number two team in the conference v. the last place team. Purdue should win games like this and they did it...in unexciting fashion.

Moore played well, but still is not himself. The more I watch him, the more I think there's a nagging injury he's struggling through. He shot below 50%, yet again and had a few shots that were way off. His on-ball defense was very good, as usual. But on the other side of the court, he still struggles selling the idea that he's being fouled when he drives. I think much of that comes from the way he finishes- he tends to fade away instead of going strong to the defender. He ended the day with 25 points 8 rebounds and two blocks.

Happy Birthday, 25!

And speaking of blocks, Purdue ended the day with eight. Not surprisingly, four of those came from JJ. Johnson, like Smooge, had some awful looking shots though. Plus, he took a few that were a bit forced as he tried to establish his perimeter game in the second half instead of taking it at Pritchard (who is pretty awful). JJ finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks and shot well from the stripe as usual (7/8).

LewJack was one of the four players that guarded Hulls on the evening. Coming in, Hulls was shooting just under 50% from behind the arc. Tonight, Purdue took that away from him as he went 1-5. Atop of using his quickness on the defensive side, Jackson shredded IU on secondary fast breaks a few times and had some nifty finishes while avoiding contact. He finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds...but his pace really kept IU on its collective heels for chunks of the game.

Ryne Smith didn't shoot too much, but played a solid 26 minutes, had 3 assists and 2 steals and took a couple of big charges. I like what I saw from both Byrd and Bade. Byrd doesn't hesitate to shoot the ball when given space, he's fearless when battling larger bodies on the glass and sees the court well. Bade only had two points, but added three rebounds and set high screens well and was active without the ball in his seven minutes of playing time.

Barlow and Johnson were two of my favorite players tonight, because they both seem to play with a chip on their shoulder and tend to like sticking their noses into the middle of trouble. Neither scored a bunch, but Barlow's eight rebounds, four assists and three steals were integral in frustrating IU and keeping the lead at an uninteresting 6-9 points for much of the second half.

Granted, there were a couple noteworthy moments of the game...both involved Barlow:

-Jordy (what adult would go by Jordy) Hulls throwing a high elbow during a dead ball after Barlow had frustrated him. While no technical foul was called, the official did give Hulls a good talking-to...so hats off, BT officiating!

-Barlow had one of the best passes of the season as he fired a breaking ball between two IU defenders to Smooge, who finished with an easy dunk.

Other than that, it was kinda business-like.

ENERGY!!!!

Tom Crean was Tom Crean. He paced, he clapped, he drank, he turned around and clapped to his team, he was on the court, he paced some more. I've watched IU quite a few times and I can't get over how annoying his sideline mannerisms are. And in his defense, he finally has IU playing with some energy on defense. But without Watford for a few games, Crean turns to one of the worst D1 big men for significant minutes.

I'm always impressed with Verdell Jones, and he was once again solid versus Purdue. But, Barlow matches up with him better than a season ago, so he was wrangled a bit. Hulls is a consummate IU player- sure, he has the shooting mechanics of a girl, but his girl shot is effective. He's Steve Alford, Dane Fife, Neil Reid and any number of other scrappy (read as white) IU guards all rolled into one. But that's kinda where it stops with tradition. IU has some very good athletes- Oladipo, Rivers, Watford (injured) and Sheehy are uber-talented. And Elston, while he is used as little more than a goon at this point, was a 4-star guy out of high school.

What's my point? My point is IU should be better than they are. The excuse of attrition is tired and old. While IU's fan base is OK with Clapping-Crean rah-rah-ing his way to sub-.500 in-conference records, I'm not buying it. There are plenty of tools in Bloomington (not just in the stands) at The Forehead's disposal. If used correctly, IU would be NCAA tourney-bound this season. Let's remember, Matty led a team to the NCAA tournament in which he needed Bobby Riddell to play significant minutes. No matter. My point is I'm not really surprised IU has beaten a few respectable teams...I'm more surprised that they're a sub-.500 team overall this late in the season.

The game in Bloomington will be a lot different than that in Mackey. They won't be fighting for a post-season birth, in my opinion after falling back off the tracks. Instead, they'll be playing in their own one-team invitation for all the marbles (in their opinion). Hopefully, Matty and Co. are ready for that atmosphere.

Looking Ahead

But, in the meantime, the most-brutal three-game stretch of the season is ahead of our Boilers. The very beatable Illini host The Forces of Good on Saint Valentine's Day Eve at 1:00pm on CBS. Historically, this is a tough contest for Matty...but, Smooge plays well in Champaign, and JJ is probably due for a good game and Tisdale won't be able to do much about it.

While March isn't in sight just yet, it's not too far off...and Purdue's March, in my opinion, will be defined by their performance in February. It's time for this team to win a couple more big games.

Alright Forehead, I don't ask for much...

I don't ask Bloomington for much...in fact, I don't think I ask the cream and crimson for anything...but I'm making an exception this evening. Coach Forehead and your band of merry yes-men...Do me this one solid- beat the Spartans.

I know, I know, they're bigger, stronger, faster, more-athletic, more-experienced and much better-coached than you guys...but anything is possible, right? Crean has led IU to improvement-upon-improvement...wins over the always-respectable...uh...OK, nevermind, but wins, none-the-less...too many to focus upon individually right now. Dwayne Wade-type efforts have led to the BTN to remind us about IU's improvement each contest...and the never-say-die attitude so bravely-espoused by the Forehead himself has been the topic of conversation ad nauseum. Now's the time to see how much fight Dumes and Co. really have in them.

It really isn't beyond imagination that IU would beat MSU. I mean, these Hoosiers are a tough bunch...I'm rooting for the underdog, tonight...Go get number two, Hoosiers!!

Granted, none of us here at BS thought a Big Ten championship was in the cards after the rocky start to the BT season, but it's not an impossibility, yet. The only way a regular season banner can be earned in East Lansing this coming weekend for the black and gold is if our rivals to the South step up this evening in Ass Hall.

I warned you guys!!
Sorry for abandoning my post over the past few days...J and Tim did very well without me. But the UM game was predictable and painful. The motivated Wolverines were in control most of the game...and played like their post-season lives depended on it...Too bad they couldn't have played with a little-less-urgency as they did the very next game. Purdue and UM have a long and storied past of urinating in eachother's Fruit Loops; this season is no different, it seems.

aOSU Redux
Not much to say about this one other than, something something best-served chilled. The quote of the post-game goes to Thad Matta. He told his team after the game, "I brought boys to a man's fight." While he's absolutely right, that might not be the best motivational tactic for a bunch of former blue chips who have never been told anything but how great they are...Oh well. The nuts do look like they're in pretty good shape for the NCAA tourney though; you can't say the same for the Wolverines who seem to be the seventh team in line for a six-team gig.

My favorite photo from the game comes from GBI's Tom Campbell:
Green looks as happy as a school boy...what's the story with the one guy in the gray sweatshirt? Did Green steal his girl? Who knows. What we do know, is Buckets and Nemmy better get some love from the Paint Crew on Thursday. Make it happen, yo! Perhaps a smattering of people with buckets on their heads with eyes cut out? Or young co-eds with the Serb flag painted on their upper bodies a la the World Cup? Get creative.

I'm excited about Wednesday night- here's to the Paint Crew making NU pay for even pretending to believe they belonged competing with our Boilers. Hopefully, Senior Night proves to be a decided advantage, because NU has played very well on the road at times this season.

Post-Season Awards
Coach Painter has been named as a finalist for one of the COTY awards. That's good- he's deserving. But, I don't think he'll get the nod. If I was voting, I'd put Painter in third after Brad Stevens and Mike Montgomery...But, I'm not voting.

That leads us to another discussion- Who on this year's squad will receive accolades? I think JJ, Hummel, Smooge and The Ostrich will all get some love...and maybe even LewJack. But, I think JJ will be the only out-right All-Big Ten player. We'll know soon.

Seems like the right time for this move...

I hope he sees the court...

Forehead making big moves!!

The Forehead Following in Sampson's Footsteps

This is silly.

Seriously, dude can't count past ONE?

And IU, of course, will self-punish, once again...ahhh, the dreaded self-punishment. While I don't think Crean is a cheater, shouldn't he be a bit more careful...with the telephone?

Is it still a rivalry?

Before you jump down my throat for asking the question, hear me out.

This is what I think of when I ponder Purdue v. IU:
I am not as old as some of our regular visitors, but I'm old enough to vividly remember watching this live:

There was fire back then...Years later, that inferno was still ablaze:

Don't get me wrong, I still burn for IU, just not white hot. But, I remember how angry I used to get just watching the Ass Hall crowd (versus ANY opponent) as they reacted to their hero's rants and demonstrations. Their hand motions, matching red sweaters and disbelieving faces any time there was a foul on Alford, Bailey, Evans, or any one of the identical big men during the early 80s/90s (ref. Lindeman, Eggers, et al). But that changed.

I watch IU now on TV and am not bothered...and really, I haven't been too upset in the last few seasons either. It all started years ago as Keady overstayed his welcome and had a tough time beating Knight in his closing seasons...then the passion got weaker as Mike Davis was hired- I liked the guy...I liked even more that IU fans didn't like him. But his tenure all but squelched the rivalry...IU beat Purdue like a drum most contests, Keady was a shadow of his former self, then Painter inherited a mess, and most of IU's players weren't Indiana kids. That trend continued briefly under Sampson...with the exception of a few guys. But, the fact that the sweaty-pitted, blue oxford-wearing cheater was there reminded me of how I used to feel about IU.

The sleeping hillgiants had been awakened! The same people that would say, "Bobby graduates his players, and coaches the game the right way..." during the latter years of Knight's time in Bloomington were now saying, "Kelvin made some mistakes, but has changed...he's the right guy for the job..." as his first cell phone insurrections (in Bloomington) started...Those blind loyalists continued, "What's the big deal? They're just phone calls!" As the NCAA sniffed ever closer to the once pristine program. Then, all of a sudden he was gone...and with him, many of the thugs that he had brought in to play in Bloomington...at that time, the lemmings told us "I never liked that guy."

But now, the right guy has the job. I've heard some say, "I believe in Tom Crean's plan." They believed so much, that they gave him a contract extension before he had stepped onto the hardwood of Ass Hall. His first recruting class was alright...and have not looked much better than just that yet. But, the yesmen in Bloomington have started to murmur once again..."Tijan Jobe is a diamond in the rough...he's going to be special.

"Tom Pritchard is like Brian Cardinal, only stronger."

And finally, after IU's lone conference win, "Matt Roth is the next Rick Mount."

Seriously??? Yes, it was said on the message boards...and not by just one, but many agreed. I thought it was a joke...granted, it was, but it wasn't intended to be one. This is why the rivalry is still alive- stupid people. They're not going anywhere either...they're still wearing their cream and crimson in the winter, and their blue and gold in the fall.

If you're offended by this, you're one of the tools that I'm talking about. No reversible jacket wearer has an excuse that I'll accept.

Not all of you IU fans are this way...some of you guys are alright. First off, you don't see IU basketball as a stand-alone institution...you're an alum or loyalist of the university...hats off to you- you're far too rare. You understand that while it might seem this way, the sun does not rise and set on the forehead of Tom Crean. You can admit when things are bad, and you can be happy and don't have to gloat when they're good. But the mentality and inflamatory statements of the blindly-loyal fan will stoke the gray embers of a rivalry like this when the coals are all but cool to the touch. This rivalry is not dead, it's just quiet for now.

A flare-up between Chris Kramer and DJ White reminded us of the days of yore...and verbal battles between the tag-team of Painter and Weber against the shady Sampson made a few flickers of flame evident. But I have a feeling the contrasting styles of Matt Painter's non-argumentative sideline demeanor and The Forehead's geiser-like temper might help re-ignite old flames. And IU's pipeline of talent is beginning to flow...and the classes that Painter has brought in and will bring in are good.

This year, will probably be fun and give us something to look forward to. Sparks are nearly guaranteed to fly as the hostile Paint Crew bears down on the young Hoosiers as Purdue's defense attempts to suffocate the Hoosiers at the same time. Next season, it'll be even better...and by 2010/'11, Purdue will have around 7 four-star players on the roster, and IU will have around 5 highly-ranked guys and a well-established system in place that''ll make everyone better. Plus, familiarity breeds contempt...and we're going to re-acquaint ourselves with the Hoosier fans once again, after two-straight seasons of just one meeting. It'll be nice to get things back to where they used to be...the way they should be.

Tom Crean -- Fashionista

It's hard for any coach to look cool -- apparently. Many of the coaches around the NCAA wore sneakers with their suits and just looked, well, goofy. As we pointed out, Matty Painter went with a casual look but wore, as Boilerdowd put it, "blousy pants with fifty pleats."

Down in Bloomington, though, apparently Coach Crean overslept and came to the game in his jammies, only throwing on a red shirt three sizes to big for him. Seriously, what was up with this look?

Boilerdowd got a text on Saturday saying, "Does Crean realize he's coaching a Big Ten game and not a practice against Athletes in Action?"

"Coach, I can't take you seriously in that outfit."

"Did you see what coach is wearing??"

It is good, however, to see Terry Hutchens getting some work:

Hats off to you, forehead.

Tom Crean kicks out four of his own

In a move that I applaud, Coach Forehead has decided to cut the malcontents loose and move IU's program forward. This is a move, that in complete seriousness, I respect immensely.

So here's the skinny- The promising, oft-injured and completely thugged-out ex-Hoosier Eli Holman had a meeting with Crean yesterday. According to a few accounts, the meeting ended with Holman pulling a Bob Knight and hurling a potted plant at his new coach, cursing at him and ultimately, the police escorting Holman out of Ass Hall.

Both Armon Bassett & Jamarcus Ellis are both gone as well...Crean has decided to back up Dan Dakich's decision of booting those two bright lights of the college basketball world. They, supposedly, told Dakich to F**k himself when he told them to run after they missed a meeting following the end of the season.

Thomas leaves Bloomington following his last final, last night

In a move I completely disagree with, DeAndre Thomas will be gone as well. What Thomas didn't have in talent or heart, he made up with in girth. We will miss, young man.

So now, what are the Hoosiers left with? Here's what you got:
6'4" G Jordan Crawford
6'2" G Brett Finklemeier
6'7" F Brandon McGee
6'7" F Kyle Taber
(dont feel bad if you only know one of the above...no one else knows 'em either)
Plus five newbies, thus far- Nick Williams (3-star shooting guard with offers from Marquette and Arkansas), Tom Pritchard (3-star small center with offers from PSU and Miami of OH), Matt Roth (3-star shooting guard with offers from Notre Dame, St. Louis and Bradley), Devon Dumes (high JC recruit shooting guard with offers from aOSU, Alabama, Arkansas and others) and walk-on Daniel Moore of Carmel, Ind (I've seen him play...good shooter, but he's short for a Big Ten shooting guard- think Crispin).

I think they'll sign one more or start having open tryouts...It's going to be tough in Bloomington for a season or two, but Coach forehead has made the right decisions to start his stint in Ass Hall.

Creaning House?