Boilers Run out of Gas In Spite of TJohn's Heroics

Best shot of the night: Three Purdue legends, GRob, Cardinal and Keady
enjoying the game together

As a fan, I wondered if Purdue would take any of the momentum from the Wisconsin game into tonight's game...one guy did...but the rest...not so much.  Sandi started Purdue off right by scoring our Boilers' first 7 points...but in that same period, TJohn and RonJohn seemed to be sleep walking.  The good guys had an astounding amount of turnovers in the first four minutes. Lazy passing and head down dribbling gave Michigan gift after gift...and UM jumped out to an early lead.

Purdue was down by 12 at the half way point of the first half and UM was in control.  But after a lil' time on the pine, TJohn's head got screwed on straight, Chooch continued to spark the Boilers and RayDay showed again what might be next season. Within four minutes of gametime, it was a four point deficit...in four more minutes, Matty's boys had the lead.

Purdue was playing a higher level of basketball for the second-straight half versus one of the nation's best...with a lot left to play for.  Wisconsin was a better match-up for Purdue; kinda always have been, the way they slug teams into submission, but UM's horses; at least two NBA players on the current roster, seemed shocked by Purdue's effort, active hands and tight defense; something that had been lacking for much of the season.

After the four point halftime lead became 12 at nearly the midway point of the second half, UM gained composure and calmly started chipping away.

Marcius' ability to get difficult rebounds and come up with loose balls, Davis' big play capability, RonJohn's vision and quickness and TJohn's will tonight were noteworthy.  But when Marcius rolled his ankle badly, Purdue lost steam...and as UM's athletes started making plays and big shots, you could feel the air go out of the building a bit.  Much like in the first UM game, Michigan took it at Purdue and started getting calls...specifically, Burke drew a ton of fouls in the closing minutes; some legit, some simply protecting the All-American. But Purdue wasn't helping itself and just couldn't keep up with Burke's quickness.

Much like Purdue's first half, Michigan fought back and took the lead in the closing minutes; around the 4:00 mark in fact...Purdue got it back seconds after. But one minute later, Michigan took a lead that they didn't relinquish. TJohn did everything humanly possible to keep it close, and unlike the game in Crisler, poor officiating and general adversity didn't cause Purdue to fold like one of J Money's fine Italian made suits.  Instead, it was at least interesting until the closing moments, but UM's Burke did what he did v. MSU earlier in the week and simply closed the game out by making plays.

Final score: 80-75

I'll be honest, seeing and hearing a raucous Mackey Arena and a Purdue team that fights is good for my soul.  My son's basketball team's schedule forced me to give up my tickets to tonight's game...but as Purdue played yet another good game, I bargained with the basketball gods- I'd sacrifice being there if these guys played like this each game. Sure, my attendance, or lack there of had nothing to do with it, but it felt like it did (I also couldn't make the Illinois game).

Hammons continued to struggle.  A few weeks ago, if I told you that Marcius rolling his ankle would be a killer for this team, you'd call me as crazy as Tom Crean after a Red Bull.  But Marcius' injury was huge because Hammons had that same look in his eyes that he had v. Wisconsin; distant, tired, passionless.  The dude has more talent and God-given gifts than anyone on the team, but can't put together a five minute run of solid effort right now; tough to watch. His sub finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds...in the same amount of time (18 mins) that he got 5 points, 4 rebounds.

Byrd's up and down season continued- after his most-complete game and definitely his best half of the season, he went 1-7 from the field and finished with just 3 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. UM double teamed him a lot and made shutting him down a focus of their defense...and it almost killed them. As they sagged off of 21, TJohn was going crazy: Game high, career high, 32 points on 12 of 17 shooting (3/5 from deep), and he added 7 rebounds and 3 assists.

His brother played pretty damned well too and matched one of the nation's best PGs' quickness at times.  He had 7 assists and just one turnover...but the TO came in the closing minutes as he looked for his brother on the left wing in an attempt to tie the game.  I really wanted to see Byrd get a shot as UM had started focusing on TJohnson, especially since Byrd had just hit his first three, but it didn't happen.  Te'Ron's assist:TO ratio the last two games has been 5:1...definitely showing growth.

RayDay doing the little things...

RayDay had a great closing 10 minutes of the first half and was one of the catalysts of the comeback.  He finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, a steal and a block.

I asked, wished actually, for Purdue to give themselves something to build on for next season...and they've done that the last few games.  They've shown that the scrappiness is still alive in the program, that there is talent in the stable and that there is a reason to be, at minimum, cautiously optimistic for what's coming late next fall.

With this loss, Purdue drops to two games below .500...so an NIT birth is a bit of a pipe dream.  Purdue is now locked into playing the 11:00 am game next Thursday versus either Minny or Illinois...their second round opponent is still very much up in the air depending on what happens this weekend (I believe*).

Next up, Minnesota at high noon on Saturday.  Hopefully Byrd can get back on track and go out with a big game on Senior Day.

TJohn's Herculean effort not enough

*Read Z's post from earlier for more info

Credit AP's AJ Mast and Getty Images for all photos

Heartless in Chicago

Wow.

I thought Purdue might come out a bit flat v. Northwestern following the IU game, but day-um, that was painful.

The day started well as Hammons was late to catch the team bus...so Painter didn't start him.  Good for Matty...that was the right thing to do.  But, I'm not so sure he did anything else well as he prepared his team for the fighting purple cats.

A few weeks ago, I caught hell as I told Purdue fans that an NIT bid was still in doubt...and that Purdue needed to handle its business versus the lower part of the conference- do you who mocked me now see what I was talking about? Purdue stands at 11-11...deep into the hundreds in the RPI and is coming off of a shellacking at the hands of North-fricking-western.  The NIT is a dream, at this point.

We've been defending Painter under the guise that this year is a rebuilding year.  But let me ask myself a question- Hey Bdowd, if you had never seen a Painter team before this season, what would you think of him as a coach?

We're doing fine!

Well, I'm glad you asked, self.  Purdue starts two guys who are supposed to be solid...a Junior and a Freshman...they have plenty of size...but are short on experience.  Their point guard play is shaky at best, and it's tough to run a motion offense without solid PG play...BUT damn, that team is horrible on defense and they might be the one of the worst offenses I've seen in the B1G in the last three seasons.  He really doesn't look like he knows what he's doing this season.

Agreed...glad we had this talk.

Now no one is saying that going through a divorce isn't tough...but I'd guarantee you that Painter would just glare at a member of the media for bringing his personal life into the equation.  That said, it's kinda tough not to, right?  We've NEVER seen a Painter-coached team display this little effort and this little heart in consecutive games.  We're now in unchartered waters and our boat has gaping holes.

I actually understand how a young team can get the crap beaten out of it by one of the elite teams in the nation (maybe not by 37 at home).  But I don't understand how that same team can't even compete at Northwestern. Hell, Northwestern's students barely showed up...they don't like watching this Northwestern team play...but that didn't matter to Purdue; they just made one of the worst teams in the conference look like a world beater.

Whatever Painter has been doing isn't working with this team...and the only time we saw effort out of this club that was respectable today was when they extended and *gasp* played a trap.  Whatever it takes to get guys to work on defense and on the glass, Painter needs to do because the offense isn't going to get better at this point, so defense needs to create opportunities.

With little emotion or sign of effort, Hammons scored 19 points, had 13 rebounds and 3 assists. The sad thing is he is clearly the best player on the team, yet he's so green that this can't possibly be his team at this point...and it's kind of a good thing it's not since he can't do the little things like arrive on time.

AJohnson was my favorite player to watch today...because he actually tried.  He probably had friends and family at the game since he grew up near by; hopefully they come to every game from here out because it was refreshing to see him putting it all out there. He finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Byrd somehow scored 12, had  rebounds and 5 assists...BUT, he looked listless like most of his teammates and had at least two three pointers blocked. His fellow upper classman starter, TJohn had no stats worth mentioning...but looked put out to try to hard today in Evanston.

It's almost like the young guys followed the lead of Byrd and TJohn...and just went through the motions...hmmmmmm.

If those guys aren't going to try or care, they shouldn't play.  And if Painter can't find anyone other than Carroll, Marcius, AJohn, Hale and Anthrop to play hard, than so be it.  Could it get any worse than losing at home by 37 and getting crushed by Northwestern?  I doubt it.

I've been looking ahead in three game chunks to see if Purdue can improve its chances to make the NIT...this team needs to look ahead no further than the next practice because, at this point, they don't look like they belong in the B1G.



(oh yeah, the final score was 75-60)

Focused on Northwestern, Boilers lose Heartbreaker to Hoosiers

The title was a joke...I kid to stop myself from angrily drinking.

Tonight was historically-bad: The 37-point loss was the worst loss EVER in West Lafayette for the Purdue basketball team.  That's right, not the worst just at Mackey, but in any building by a Purdue team at home (I believe they've played in four gyms on campus).  That's rarified air...and it's the stuff that isn't taken lightly by the old alums.

IU is good, very good...I detailed my thoughts on that yesterday afternoon, as did my fellow BSers.  We all thought Purdue would lose...and the match-up was a bad one for our Boilers.  But we had no idea Purdue would lose this way.

Painter coached a lousy game. RonJohn played his worst game at Purdue. TJohn forced the same garbage in the lane time and again. Byrd was emblematic of this Purdue team: his inability to create his own shot made him a non-factor.  The ONLY positive play I can remember him making was a desperation heave from about 24 feet.  Good stuff all around...

Wait, that sarcasm is actually extremely unfair.

AJ Hammons was a beast last night.  He was looking forward to playing against a big time player, and he rose to the occasion. As Purdue's guards wilted, Hammons was tough on both ends of the floor. He played one of the best centers in the nation head to head and beat him soundly.  But, the guys surrounding Zeller were on another level.

Another bright spot was Carroll's play as Hammons sat due to early foul trouble- he hit a couple big shots...and was rewarded by playing hardly any minutes after that.

Purdue as played some bad games this year...but I don't know if I've ever seen a Purdue team look this overmatched, overwhelmed and outclassed.

This game is a fault line in the Matt Painter's time at Purdue. In a year or two, we might be saying that this was the defining moment of his demise OR the lowest point before Purdue's hard climb back to where the program should be.  No, I don't think I'm overstating- this wasn't an anomaly, this was an historic failure that had been in the making for a few years. While IU, Michigan, Michigan State and aOSU have been hitting home runs on the recruiting trail, Painter and his staff has been striking out more than not, until recently...this game is the neon sign over those recruiting misses.

We'll have to wait and see how the team reacts to this...this is a massive test.

Sports are cyclical...I get that.  Purdue won six-straight versus IU...IU has now won three straight versus Purdue. The IU players that were dismantled by Purdue teams, time and time again remember those games.

Purdue players and coaches better not forget this one as they move forward.


*Note: this post was quite a bit longer when I first posted it...but even hours after the game, I was still too angry to have any objectivity; if you read that and thought it wasn't congruent with what I usually write, I agree with you...and apologize for its original contents.

That said, I hope to never see a Purdue team, in any sport, lose like this again.

Heartless in the Heart of Dallas

I hope these uniforms don't make it back from Texas...but this is a pretty sweet shot.

Danny Hope wasn't on the sideline, but he watched the game from the stands.  Even with Higgs at the Helm, the Boilers looked eerily similar to the team we saw versus Wisconsin, Michigan, Penn State and Minnesota...a team without the ability to beat good (not even great) teams.

Make no mistake, Purdue was overmatched versus the 7-5 Cowboys.  Okie State fought through adversity this season, being forced to start three quarterbacks during the year...yet they were able to beat five bowl-eligible teams. Purdue had a relatively healthy season, yet squeaked into a bowl from the weakest Big Ten in memory. Purdue squeaked into the the Little Caesars Bowl...but found themselves in Texas anyway...and it showed that our Boilers belonged in Detroit from the get-go.

The final score was 58-14...but it felt much worse.  If nothing else this game was a reminder to those who were on the fence of why Danny Hope had to leave.  Heading into the game, OJ Ross, Ricardo Allen and other veteran Boilers expressed confidence in their opinion that Purdue would win easily as the Boiler defense would handle the Cowboys' offense.  That wasn't the case...not even close.  But everyone earned this loss.

One of OK State's many TDs.

Purdue had five turnovers on offense- three fumbles and two interceptions.  On the other side, the defense allowed 5.2 yards/carry...and allowed two quarterbacks to play close to perfect. OK State could pretty much do whatever they wanted on offense and at the same time, Purdue's offense lacked pop and executed poorly, with one exception- Akeem Shavers played a great game until he went down injured late in the game.  The Texas native had 14 carries for 93 yards and four receptions for 54 yards.  I haven't yet heard how severe his injury was, but it was a knee...and it looked pretty bad.

If Purdue wasn't down two coaches and everything went their way, they probably still would have lost.  But with a makeshift coaching staff, this Boiler team had no chance.  The blood letting started early and didn't stop until the game hit 0:00.

A few things were noteworthy to me as I watched this Purdue team play its final game before Hazell starts his time in God's Country:

-Webster's fake punt from the endzone in the first quarter was a "what-the-hell" play call that looked like it might foreshadow a fun caution-to-the-wind game.  Turns out, not even a second successful fake punt would matter as the game was simply out of hand from very early on.

-Tommie Thomas scored his first TD of his career- Good for him.  We've become virtual pals with #12 via Twitter and love seeing him succeed. He's been a good ambassador for the university and the program.  It's great to see that type of guy get a moment in the sun...even if that sun came via an out-of-hand game at a cloudy, cold bowl locale.

-We don't like calling out players, but OJ Ross' fumble after the catch in the second half was easily-avoidable.  The guy typing this post played Freshman football in high school, and I know that you should cover up the ball as you prepare to get hit, especially when facing two defenders.  Instead, Ross was careless with the ball and it changed a Purdue first down to six points for OK State.  Gabe Holmes also didn't do a great job securing the ball.  Both of these guys are extremely gifted...and both deserve to be benched by the next coach if they can't get the details right.  They have all of the potential in the world- speed, size and strength...but without mental toughness, they'll perpetually be just what ifs.

-The team looked visibly out of shape...something I can't remember seeing in the last four years.  A couple guys who I had never seen with soft midsections looked to be on the Boilerdowd diet and exercise schedule.  Sure, the holidays are filled with gatherings that include delicious cookies, big meals and egg nog for many, but you hope that's not the case for our Boilers.  This didn't seem to have any bearing on the game as Purdue was simply dominated.  An extra pound or two didn't make it happen.

The Darrell Hazell Era began when Oklahoma State was the official champ of the Heart of Dallas Bowl...and not a moment too soon. I'll be rooting for him to get one more victory before he starts looking for houses near my favorite college campus.  But when he trades in his golden rod Kent State shade of gold for the metallic beige of his new employer, he'll have his work cut out for him.

Years of sunshine being blown up the backsides of Purdue's players have left him with a difficult project...This Purdue team, as it stands now, needs schematic improvement, attitude and mental adjustments and personnel shifts.  They looked slow today, but they're not a slow team.  They looked weak at times, but it's not a team of weaklings.  What they were today was what they've been the last few seasons- an ill-prepared squad with unrealized potential.

I'm not sure Hazell has a full rebuild ahead of him, but it should definitely a large-scale remodel...and I'm already excited for the Spring game to see the early changes.


*Please note, my headline isn't questioning the heart of the individuals on the team...but it is pointing to the team's collective heartbeat and cohesiveness.


Happy New Year, everybody.  I hope your 2013 is blessed and prosperous!!  Thanks for reading the site.

Raphael Davis Show Comes Up Short in Indy

Raphael Davis led the Boilers with a game high (and career high, for that matter) 21 points in just 18 minutes...but the 23 point deficit that he and the Boilers had dug proved to be too much to overcome.

Frustrated.

In shockingly-familiar fashion, Purdue went nine and one-half minutes with just one bucket to start the second half.  But a few minutes after one of Matty's rare technical fouls, Purdue began running and Davis started scoring...in bunches. In one stretch he scored on five-straight Purdue possessions...and had about 2/3 of Purdue's offensive output in the second half.  He drove into the teeth of UND's bigs, hit jumpers AND hit free throws.  Maybe more important that that, he played with a ton of energy and was the perfect compliment to Ronnie Johnson's up-tempo style.  Purdue has no option but playing the faster pace, in my opinion...and they showed their collective inability to shoot, yet again.  And if you can't shoot, you gotta drive...and you can't let defenses set up.

You know it's a lousy season when a 13 point lends some excitement...but there's been so little to cheer for this season, just an interesting second half versus an OK opponent is a soothing salve.

This team is still struggling to find continuity and an identity outside of having a pitiful offense and inconsistent defense...so the hustle plays that we saw flashes of this afternoon in the first half, and the high energy offense that was on display for about six minutes in the second half could prove to be a turning point of sorts. Will they lead Purdue to the post-season? I doubt it...but they might help our Boilers find their way to what's coming next season.

This is a pretty bitter pill for a guy like Byrd to be forced to swallow...but after two games that will help Purdue claw its way back to .500, they'll be rudely welcomed into conference play by three-straight ranked opponents; two of them in the top-10.

Not only is Purdue more down than they've been in the last seven seasons, but the B1G seems to be better, top-to-bottom than it's been in nearly 20 years.  In order for Purdue to complete, let-alone be above the lower third of the conference, they'll need Davis...or somebody to play huge nearly every night.

Byrd played a solid game, scoring 13, pulling down five and stealing the ball three times. RonJohn had 15 points and three assists and Hammons struggled against UND's bigs, but finished with seven points and four rebounds.  But AJ wasn't the only one who struggled against UND's defense- Purdue turned the ball over 15 times and had five shots blocked. Our Boilers also struggled rebounding the ball for only the second time in the season. BUT, they hit their free throws; 74% of them...that could be a big deal, if they continue to do that.

Now, I hope I'm wrong, and this team gels and figures a lot out versus the next two opponents...But if I was a betting man, which I'm not, I wouldn't be betting on Matty's boys playing into the third week of March.  Hope I'm wrong...and if I am, I'll gladly admit it on this very site.

A bit more salve...
I got to watch the game with my pal Ed who came all the way from Tejas to see his Boilers play in today's contest...that was fun, but the highlight of our afternoon was probably watching IU lose to Butler.

We've said it before, this IU team is awfully good.  They've got slashers, shooters and the best center in the nation.  BUT, Tom Crean's in-game nervousness and inability to effectively use #40 knocks the Hoosiers down a rung or two.  Conversely, Butler's Stevens is a good witch who can take a handful of brass and make it shine like gold.  Butler plays hard all the time...and smart almost all of the time.  And while they don't have anywhere near the individual talent that IU has, he had a better team this afternoon in Indianapolis.

The atmosphere in Banker's Life was pretty damned electric for the upset as Purdue fans joined Butler fans to cheer against the forehead's squad.  This is why this event is superior to the old Wooden Classic- odds are, one or two of these four teams will probably be solid, if not better, each season...and everyone in the place loves their team, and hates at least one of the other three playing.

I'm already looking forward to next season's Crossroads Classic...but in the meantime, I'm excited to see these Boilers get better now.

Painter's Pups Pasted in Overtime

This game can be broken down into four distinct sections:

First 26 minutes:

Purdue shoots around 30% from the FT line, misses a ton of gimmes, misses second chance shots and digs themselves a hole that looked like it wouldn't be overcome...I believe they were down by 10 at the end of this stanza.

Next 12 minutes:

After having their mettle tested by a hostile crowd, one-sided officiating and atrocious shooting, Purdue fought out of the hole.  The play that made me think Purdue would win was a fight for a loose ball that started on the baseline and ended up near half court with Byrd calling a timeout while surrounded by three Nova defenders.  Nova continued to ratchet up the physicality...but not by playing tough defense, but by handing out cheap shots after plays were over.  A play that showed this- After a big three by Byrd, a Nova forward ran into him and took out his legs...no call.  I honestly don't blame Villanova for making it into a brawl...if the officials allow it, do it.  And since they couldn't get back into the game any other way, they were resourceful.

During this period, Purdue took the lead, extended it to eight and were keeping 'Nova at arm's length (around 5 points) in spite of continued struggles from the FT line.  Even with missed second shots from the stripe, Purdue's defense kept them in the driver's seat.

The Ref's Big Moment in the Big Apple:

After Terone Johnson was forearmed in the face, the officials didn't think the foul was flagrant nor should it be reviewed...that was around six minutes remaining in the game. Please keep in mind that this officiating crew stopped play around five times to review other issues.  Not only were they bad at calling the live game, they were bad at reviewing video.

With around four minutes to go, one of Nova's forwards intentionally tripped RonJohn as he broke a trap in the press.  An official begrudgingly blew the whistle as Johnson's awkward fall forced the issue.

Then, this officiating crew's finest hour came.

Taking it for the team...kinda.

With the bright lights of NYC on them and a national TV audience watching, these clowns grabbed the spotlight and put on a show.  As Byrd was trapped in the corner about 80 feet from the Purdue basket, he tried to protect the ball by bringing it high.  He was not only charged with his fifth foul, but also a flagrant.  The result was a four point Villanova possession and a loss of a possession for Purdue.

No one will debate that Byrd shouldn't have gone into the corner...but the officials literally took the game out of the players' hands and decided it for themselves in the closing minutes.

Both AJ and Byrd fouled out in regulation...and the foul differential at that point was nine, in favor of 'Nova.  Hey, that happens...and it especially happens when a team's on the road and they're young...but there's no excuse for the inconsistency with which this game was called.

Eye is part of the ball.

The Big Letdown

After Purdue fought back to turn the tide, the game went into overtime...and Purdue was toast.  Perhaps they were already exhausted from the last comeback or the youthful squad just didn't know how to handle the pressure...regardless, Purdue was beaten badly in overtime...both on the scoreboard and on the court...as Purdue never really challenged in the extra 5:00 period.  Good guys lose 89-81

Byrd had 16, 5 and 5...RonJohn had 12 points, 9 assists as he continues to impress...TJohn had 13, 4 and 4...and Hale had 11pts and 6 rebound. After that, a ton of guys continued to contribute.  And while Lawson might not be filling the stat sheet, I don't know how he stays out of the starting lineup much longer.  His energy isn't being matched by anyone on the team right now.

To be Fair...

Now, whenever a team shoots 57% from the FT line, they're killing themselves...and making victory much tougher than it needs to be.  I'd say this problem is officially an epidemic.  It reared its ugly head early last season and is back, yet again, early this year.  This must be rectified and in a hurry.

Purdue also shot just 22% from behind the arc.  But honestly, they weren't shooting much better from inside the lane in the first half.  If Matty's boys hadn't put themselves such an awful position, they would have never needed to storm back.

What we're seeing is the process of maturation...and it's painful.  This game was a microcosm of what the pre-conference has been and will probably continue to be- periods in which the young guys look overmatched followed by flashes of brilliance.

In a young season, Purdue has two losses already...and in the next 9 games before the B1G season begins, Purdue will play 4 potential NCAA tourney teams...so it doesn't get much easier.

In order for Purdue to make the tournament, they're going to need to grow up quickly.  The good news is, they can get this rotten taste out of their mouths tomorrow night at 5:00...as they play Oregon State this time, once again in MSG.

I guess it's a good thing it's only November. While this one had the feel of a game in March, there's still a ton of basketball to be played and plenty of opportunities for this team to begin forging an identity.

Boilers Leave No Doubt v. PSU

According to Purdue players and coaches alike, this afternoon's game v. PSU was an important one.

The high expectations of camp and the early season weren't completely out of reach as Purdue could still take a step forward for the program, by winning out.  Seven wins for this team would be pretty solid...A bowl in Texas instead of Detroit wasn't out of the question, and Purdue's player's coach would surely earn another extension by leading his squad to a 7-5 season.  So our Boilers were playing for their coach...playing for pride, and playing for this Senior class.  All of those motivators seemed to matter little this afternoon in God's country.

Robert Marve's speech earlier this week was the stuff of legends...but Purdue's subsequent play was not.  It wouldn't matter if Marve was at QB or Drew Brees was behind center...Nord and Hope's gameplan and play-calling was uninventive, uninspiring and flat.  The game crept along at a snail's pace (at least for Purdue fans).

Purdue wasn't behind by much...then was behind by a few scores...then was completely out of the game.  Lousy spacing, defensive schematic breakdowns, poor tackling, awful execution and vanilla, predictable play-calling put Purdue in a position that we're all familiar with: the prone position.

Make no mistake, this PSU team is just OK.  They're not great...but Purdue made them look like a juggernaut this afternoon.  I was looking for a spry JoePa on the sidelines...and KiJana Carter to break the huddle...but all I found was a mediocre QB and a slow, plodding RB...who kicked Purdue's ass time and time again.  The end result was another thrashing: Purdue 9 PSU 34.

Purdue's defense couldn't get a stop when they needed it...and the offense was no better.  At one point, our Boilers were averaging under 3 yards/pass attempt...that number swelled to 4.6 with TerBush's strong effort in relief of #9.

Back when J and I were students, we just waited for the moment when Purdue would be out of the game...today, that moment came pretty early in the game as Purdue didn't put up much of a fight after midway through the second quarter.  The familiar two yard out was back in force on offense...and on the other side of the ball, Purdue looked like they were trying to catch a jack rabbit, but to no avail.

I still believe that these players are capable of much more than what we're seeing...and we have proof: UND is still undefeated and Purdue took them to the edge of defeat.  Same goes for anOSU. But games like last week, this week and both the Wisky and UM games make even the most-faithful Boiler doubt that anything's left in the tank.

Shavers averaged 8.1 yards/carry...but Hunt was the guy that Nord went to as the game was slipping away. Edison had a couple uncharacteristic drops, but still finished with 93 yard receiving and a TD...but he was forced to catch the ball with his back to the defense and his feet in cement...not by his design, mind you.

The sad thing is, Nord, Tibesar, Gibbony, Hope and company probably haven't reached the bottom yet.  Purdue travels to Iowa next week.  Iowa is not good...they're sub-.500 and they lost to IU today...plus, Purdue hasn't won at Kinnick since I was in high school...and many of Purdue's players weren't born, at that point.  What I'm saying is that I'm not counting on things to change next week, or for the remainder of this season, sadly.

Watching college football for me is tough right now.  As I type, Oregon is scoring with regularity...K State is enjoying a resurgence under a guy that looks like my grandpa...and college football is still fun for some fan bases.  But, it's not much fun for Boilers right now.  In fact, it looks like Purdue isn't even playing the same game that many teams, like Sumlin's Aggies and others, are playing right now.

Mercy.

One of Purdue's really good fans came up from Texas this weekend to watch the game in the nice seats in Ross-Ade.  He didn't buy the seats from a scalper, but he purchased these years ago...and due to work and life, he doesn't get to go to many, but keeps supporting his Boilers with his time and wallet.  The reward for his long trip was his Boilers laying a gigantic egg on the RA prescription athletic turf.  Fans like this guy I'm talking about, our pal, deserve better...hell, Purdue fans in general deserve better than what we saw today...and what we've seen this season.

The coaches didn't give the players the tools to win today, and the players repaid them with a lackluster effort, especially after the first quarter. This putrid blend of lousy effort and worse planning has helped create a nearly-unwatchable product clad in vegas gold and black this season.

37,500 seats were sold for the game today...and by the middle of the third quarter, about 25,000 die hards remained in their seats...I wasn't one of them.

My brother, a fellow Purdue grad, turned 35 yesterday.  We celebrated his birthday at his home with an open house...during a four or five our span, 20-25 Purdue grads, along with their spouses and kids came through his house...and none of them seemed to indicate that they were too bothered by missing the game.  Some even left their seats in RA empty while celebrating my brother surviving another year.  Most of these men and women graduated during the Tiller era...But, the early oughts are a distant memory at this point, and in their place, the late-80s seem to have taken their place.

Hopeless...Again.

"...take this from a guy who remembers Burtnett, Akers and Colletto quite well- The bad ole days are here again.  There's simply no denying it..."

Man, today started out with a ton of promise.

It looked like it might be a perfect day for football- Around 50 degrees and only a 40% chance of rain.  Friends and family all sitting together for the game...and right away, Purdue was on the board.

On the first offensive play of the game, the pocket held up, TerBush went through his progressions and Edison's vertical route yielded instant results.  Purdue was up 6-0 two plays into the game.  A moment later it was 7-7...and then Bucky began to do what they do against Hope's Purdue's squads: manhandle them.

As Wisconsin flexed its muscle, they took the lead...and Purdue floundered...and a few drops of cold rain began to fell.  Wisely, I headed to get a few ponchos...as I did it, Wisconsin scored again. Robert Marve came in...and had similar results as TerBush- both were running for their lives and getting few positive yards.

As the half drew to a close, the rain began to fall...and with it, Purdue's hopes of conference or even divisional relevancy seemingly washed away.  It was only a 10 point differential...but it felt much worse...turns out, it was.

Purdue couldn't move the ball on offense and wasn't a speedbump for Wisconsin on the other side of the ball.  Sure, Ball did what he does- slap Purdue defenders around...but the walk-on Frosh QB, Stave, did just enough to keep drives going as he found Wisky's tightend time and again.

But like UM the week before, Wisconsin didn't really need a QB with a functioning ball joint in his throwing shoulder...the just needed to keep it on the ground. As J already told you, they smartly did.

Tim Tibesar told Purdue fans, as did Nord, as did Hope, that Purdue was mere inches away from success last week.  I called 'bullcrap' then...and in advance...I'll call it again for their comments to the press this week.

That defense is not close to being one that garners respect from the rest of the mediocre B1G conference...and the offense's production is now comprable to that of the Purdue team two years ago that utilized a pair of true Freshman QBs who shouldn't have even been playing in the conference. Oh, and Gibboney's punt team had another one blocked.  Neato.

This one stings...and for the second week in a row, I actually regret going to the game...and I'm not the only one who's thinking that way based on Twitter exchanges and message board posts.

Like a lot of you, I have two kids.  I really want both of them to have the passion for Purdue sports that I have...but my son was miserable today.  Sure, the rain didn't help, but before the rain was falling, he wasn't enjoying himself...and neither was I, quite honestly.  I loved spending time with my family...but could have done that back home...and had a better time while doing it.  My wife, a fellow Purdue alum goes to a game or two a year (a few years ago, she was a season ticket holder)...but this year, the one game we were going to go to together now looks like it'll be a tough sell.

Guys like Edison, Johnson, Hunt, Shavers and others deserve our support...no doubt about that.  And guys like Marve, Bolden Henry, Gaston and Russell who are fighting current and previous injuries should be playing in front of more than 500 fans.  But, make no mistake, fans deserve more too.  People that plan their lives around Purdue sports and spend hard-earned money in an awful economy on sports entertainment should be entertained; at least a bit.  And if they can't be entertained, they should be able to get behind a bunch of young people who are selling out for one goal.

But, for the second-straight week, Purdue wasn't prepared to play in a college football game.  And unlike last week, some of the players seemingly gave up...And that's something I've never seen from a Hope squad.  Hope's players' coach mentality and nothing-but-good-vibes tactics didn't pay off this week...It didn't even come close, in fact.

I talked to a guy who played on the team last year after the game...and he was shocked at the lack of heart the team displayed.  He thought, like I did, that they looked beaten very early in the first half.

If Danny Hope can no longer motivate a team, he's as worthwhile as your fancy smartphone in Ross-Ade on gameday*.  Not worth much at all.

Homecoming has, once again, become a reunion with a football game in the background which you try to ignore...And take this from a guy who remembers Burtnett, Akers and Colletto quite well- The bad ole days are here again.  There's simply no denying it (as J said earlier).  The sad thing is I didn't leave RA angry today...but kinda apathetic.

When teams are bad, they look slow, perpetually-young and overmatched. When teams are bad, inclement weather feels worse to fans and the players alike. When teams are bad, people stop working their games into their schedules, and more-importantly for Morgan Burke, their budgets.

Sadly, Purdue's no contender; not even close. In fact, my Boilers aren't even a competitor any longer.



*(Sidebar- neither my phone, nor my sister-in-law's phone could even get the weather or send texts for much of the game; she's on Verizon, I'm on ATT.)

A Tale of Two Tournaments: Boilers Underwhelm

The Schreiber-led Boilers had high hopes coming into the NCAA tourney- First 40-win season, First B1G title in over 100 years, First NCAA tourney since '87, First B1G POY ever...lots of firsts, lots unfamiliarity.  And when the chips were down, honestly, this team looked like they weren't quite ready for primetime...But a team out of the MAC, the hottest team in college baseball, answered the bell...fought through adversity and ran through the Purdue-hosted Gary regional without having to play the extra game.

But, didn't this plot feel eerily similar to something much closer to our hearts at BS? It did to me.

Before I go any further, let me give some background.

I know many of you reading have a hard time believing that my words have any credence. Afterall, I'm a self-admitted baseball loather.  In the summer, DVDs of old Purdue football victories, the occasional golf major and IndyCar races scratch my itch for sports excitement.  I typically wait until September to care about baseball.  But, I don't dislike baseball because I know nothing about it.

I played the game from the time I was 7 through 17.  I played Babe Ruth, where I was actually pretty good, played high school ball and coached Little League for 5 seasons.  I loved playing the game...and coaching as well...just the watching makes me sleepy.

That said, I went all fairweather for the Boilers and watched as much late-season action as BTN would bring to me...And here's what I saw- a team that didn't pitch great, made quite a few errors in the field and, in the clutch, simply couldn't get the job done.  Hell, how many stranded runners did we see in the final two games of the season alone?

Back to my original point- we've been through this before.

Back in '11, Smooge and JJ were two of the best players in the conference, if not the nation.  Much like these Baseball Boilers, accolades were handed out on a weekly basis as those Boilers came up with big wins, on big stages against big competition.  Same goes for Schreiber's bunch this year.  When they needed hits, they found them. The dramatic comeback v. UCLA and the big wins v. MSU when they needed them come to mind right away.

Purdue's 2012 baseball team, like the 2011 basketball team was one of the best in the nation...and the post-season flame-outs don't change that fact. Both teams were highly-ranked and both played on extremely-high levels.  BUT, both teams also backed their way out of the regular seasons v. Iowa...lowly, hated rival, Iowa.  The baseball and basketball Hawkeyes aren't coached by an icon like Ferentz...and their records show it.  So losing to either of these teams, at home or in Iowa is kind of inexcusable for the cream of the conference.

Now, one big difference between these two teams is that the baseball Boilers won the B1G tournament...and did it while going through IU. But, IU's baseball team isn't like the hardwood Hoosiers.  That said, winning the B1G tournament for this year's Boilers was a great accomplishment...but I don't think the players thought of that as their end goal.

So when they got the #1 seed in their regional, I'm pretty sure they thought there was more meat on the bone for this season...and it looked like there might be after the first game v. Valpo.  Granted, Valpo played a pretty horrible game, errors mounted, helped Purdue move runners and stay alive in innings that were dead...and the Boilers advanced easily.

Similarly, Matty's squad played a low seed, St. Peter's in their opening round of the tournament in 2011...and St. Peter's looked shocked and overwhelmed by Purdue's ability...and they were swamped...So Purdue would move on.  It looked like Purdue would play college basketball blueblood, Georgetown in the next round.  G'Town, had been ranked as high as top-10 earlier that season...but finished their BE schedule with a whisper and received the 6 seed in Purdue's bracket.

Similarly, Kentucky was a highly-ranked team for most of the season in 2012...but wasn't given the privilege of hosting the regional this year.  But the Wildcats seemed to be Purdue's main hurdle to making the Super Regional.  But Kent State had other ideas...and they moved Kentucky to the loser's bracket just as VCU had cleared the Hoyas out of Matty's squad's way a year earlier.

So it was set.  Purdue v. Kent State...Purdue v. VCU...and our Boilers would be playing with the nation's best and in a conversation that everyone thought they belonged in to begin with.

But, VCU overwhelmed a sluggish Purdue defense and played with more energy than a team that had been defined by hustle and effort.  Similarly, Kent State, peppered the struggling Boilers with hit after hit...Purdue's pitching that had been strong and well-coached all season, was overwhelmed as their ace was kept in the game a few pitches too long.  The strength that had defined both teams during the regular season was no where to be found...and Boiler fans in the United Center and Gary's Steelyard alike were both left cursing as they watched the games slip away.

VCU went on to make an improbably trip to the final four...and the fuel to their confidence might have been beating the mighty Boilers.  Kent State earned its way out of the regional by knocking off two of the nation's best...who knows when their run will end. But the point is, Purdue's is over.

I won't go as far as to say the regular seasons don't matter.  Both teams provided a very enjoyable run for the fans as they won, won and won some more.  But, when the chips were down, neither team could step up.

A few years ago, my brother who is a fellow Purdue alum pointed something out to me- You really can't blame the media for giving Purdue no respect.  Time and again, very good Purdue teams in football, basketball and now baseball have taken great regular season success only to crap the bed in the post-season.

We can talk about key injuries...whether it's Glenn Robinson's back in '94 or Rob Hummel's knee in '11...and those factors were important. We can site valiant efforts in a loss like Hummel's herculean game v. Kansas or Shawn Phillips super-human defensive effort v. Georgia in 2004...but both ended in heartbreak.  Facts are facts...so until Purdue can break through and win a January 1 bowl (or better), get into the Final Four or get to Omaha, it's tough to argue that our Boilers are anything other than a regular season monster and a post-season pansy.

I don't like this any more than anyone reading this...in fact it makes me a little sick in my stomach when I think about how some of these truly great teams never got to hoist the trophy at the very end of the season...but right now, things are what they are...and there's only one way to change the future.

Just win.

Season Over

Coming into this one, I read, watched and studied the same material that Painter and co. did...to a lesser extent of course.  And I saw a bloodbath as imminent.

5-start talent backed up by four-star talent and superior size at every position.  This team reminds me a lot of aOSU, but a bit of a caricature of them in that they are so physically-strong.  And Purdue's struggle all year has been against physical, talented and large teams.

But Matty and company had a good plan and fired every bullet in the chamber at the 'Hawks...and it almost worked.

J and I talked away from the site about how it would take someone throwing the team on their back to win this one. To no one's surprise, #4 played like he did versus aOSU a few years ago at Mackey and went crazy in the first half...but got bottled up by great defense in the second half.  But, it was more than just Hummel that kept Purdue in the lead for most of this game.

That said, Hummel's 26 points, 9 rebounds and a block were huge.  I'm not sure if Hummel's knee had been sore coming in...but tendonitis wasn't an issue in this one.  Hummel played frenetically away from the ball, and with surgeon-like precision with the ball.  In the one-on-one battle with Kansas AA, Robinson, he won...but I'm sure he would have gladly traded stats for another game in the left hand column.

Here are some things that stood out to us:
-Marcius started...played hard and pulled down 6 big rebounds in 16 minutes. Ryne Smith came off the bench. Carroll and Lawson also played in an effort to match-up with the Jayhawks.
-We've been begging and pleading just for a tiny taste of zone defense for years from Matty.  Tonight we got to see it.  Sure, it kind of looked like they had never played the match-up zone before...but this showed how much gutting and grinding the coaches really did in their preparation for the contest.
-Purdue's scrappy, frustrating defense that we thought we'd see this year returned for this game...and that bodes well for next season.
-Byrd finished with 10/3. TJohn had 10/8...and LewJack had 5 pts, 5 ast, 4 reb.

All of this and a Purdue team that was selling out time and again led to a one-point lead, 59 seconds on the clock...and Purdue ball.  Purdue 60 Kansas 59. I knew it would take perfect execution or tremendous luck for Purdue to win...Purdue got neither.

After a timeout, Painter ran an isolation play for LewJack, but Kansas' defense made it two defenders v. LewJack.  After the ball was knocked away, Kansas finished on the other end quickly and had a one-point lead. Purdue 60 Kansas 61. But Purdue would have another shot.

Purdue used another timeout and had :24 seconds to make something happen.This time, the offense made much more sense...and Hummel got a good look from the right side...but it didn't fall. After a defensive rebound, Kansas got another runout and finished again...Purdue 60 Kansas 63.

Purdue used the final 2.4 seconds to get the ball in Smith's hands who took a runner from about 29 feet.  It banked off of the glass, hit the front of the rim and fell to the ground.  Final: Purdue 60 Kansas 63.

Season over...and the same goes for Hummel, Smith and LewJack's careers in gold and black...and that's what stings.  For some reason, bidding these guys farewell is really hard for J and I...but we've loved watching them for the last 4/5 seasons.

Purdue's players looked crushed as they walked through the line with Kansas after the game.  I don't think there's any doubt that they thought they should have or could have won...but it didn't happen.

Painter wanted a team in the middle of the season that would fight hard; at that time, he didn't have it.  But, by mid-March, he had found one that fought hard and consistently.  Perhaps if the team we saw play tonight had existed back in December, they wouldn't have had to play Kansas in the second round...but, this group was playing their best basketball this evening...and if nothing else, they went down swinging.



"Ever Grateful. Ever True."

Boilers Knocked Out of B1G Tourney: 71-88

It's tough to play an NBA-ready team when you don't get paid to play...Purdue demonstrated that tonight, as aOSU showed how much better they are than Purdue. The end result was an easy 20 point win.  Purdue fought, clawed and scratched for about 30 minutes...and would make runs at the Buckeyes, but couldn't get over the hump.  Then, the floodgates opened and Purdue couldn't do much to stop it.

I watched this game on mute as I can't stand to hear Gus Johnson kiss Jared Sullinger's ass for two hours...on top of that, I get angrier and angrier as I watch Purdue players getting elbowed high, cleared out and held just to have the whistle blown on the guys in black and gold.  Turns out, Matty feels the same way I do...and tonight, he earned a rare technical foul after watching Smith get dragged down by Sullinger followed by 0 putting his hands in Smith's face.  Good for Coach Painter...but probably bad for the team at the end of the day.

Back when Keady would get a tech, it seemed to light a fire beneath the team...this team isn't used to this type of demonstrative behavior...so it seemed to kind of freak them out.  But I'll repeat, I'm happy to see Painter showing that type of emotion...and dammit I can't stand the way officials protect Sullinger.  And speaking of techs, one of aOSU's 4 6'9" PFs got called for a foul...bumped into an official, yelled at the official and received nothing for his poor behavior.  Oh well. None of this would have changed the outcome of the game...but all of it pisses me off.  I've said it before, I don't root for Matta's squad in the tournament...in fact, I don't root for aOSU very often...it'll be no different this year when they receive their two seed.  Here's to watching them bow out prematurely again.  Since the rules won't let them lose in Columbus, perhaps they can get knocked out in Pittsburgh in the round of 32 by somebody like Drexel...one can dream.

But back to tonight's shellacking.  There were some good things- Byrd shot well again- had 20 points...and did an OK job at times defending Sullinger and his forcefield. TJohn played well yet again, scoring 15 and played very good, high energy defense.  LewJack was fearless as usual, driving into the tall trees...playing through pain and scoring 10 points...but more importantly dishing out 10 assists.  Hummel struggled offensively with aOSU's length, couldn't get into much of a flow and finished with 6 points, but a team high 10 rebounds. Smith had a couple big threes that looked like they might be important...but didn't matter as aOSU squashed Purdue.

Purdue was out-rebounded by 12...the Buckeyes blocked 6 Purdue shots and simply man-handled Purdue.  I didn't think Purdue would win as I knew aOSU would give Purdue their best effort; something they don't do each game. But for the first half, Purdue staved off the inevitable beat down by doing the little things...in the last ten minutes of the game, none of it seemed to matter as the high percentage shots were unstoppable and Purdue seemed physically and mentally beaten.

Honestly, I don't know if I care too much about the loss...other than the fact that I wasted two hours watching Sullinger's entitled whining at the officials.  Purdue was an 8 or 9 seed coming in...Wishful thinking said they could play themselves into a 6 with a win.  But as Purdue fans, we should all know better- the committee cares little about Purdue's B1G tourney successes or failure for that matter...I'm just hoping that LewJack's wrist isn't hurt too badly that it'll hamper him at all on Thursday or Friday.

Now, we await what the committee has to say...I do hear Portland and Albuquerque are beautiful this time of year; we'll see if Matty and co. get to take a familiar trip out West in the next week...regardless, I'm glad this team will be in the dance at all-  I wasn't so sure about their chances just weeks ago.  I hope these Seniors fight like they always have and make some noise where ever they land; that's all I can ask.

Also, I hope all four teams remaining in the B1G tournament lose next round...and since that's not possible, I guess I'll be pulling for Michigan...kinda.

The selection show is at 6:00 on Sunday afternoon- Greg Gumbel, Greg Anthony and some no-talent asshat will be hosting the festivities.  Make sure to participate in the BS Bracket Challenge starting shortly after the pairings are set.

Embarrassed in East Lansing: 83-58

The telecast began with Hummel getting off of Purdue's bus and complaining about what had transpired over the previous 18 hours for our Boilers.  They had been held on the runway at Purdue's airport due to icing, poor visibility and lousy weather for three hours.  After that wait, they decided to drive up early this morning to East Lansing. Hummel said it was like nothing he had been through at Purdue...and his game in East Lansing was nothing like what we've come to expect.

He played sloppy, couldn't hit a shot and his body language told me after the first few minutes that it wasn't going to change.  Painter decided to only play him 22 minutes as the deep hole got deeper and deeper for the Boilers. He finished with two points on 0-11 shooting while grabbing a very respectable six boards...but Rob wasn't the only Purdue player as stuck as their chartered plane the previous afternoon.

Smith went 1-6, Byrd was 2-11, AJ was 1-7 and TJohn was 2-5.  The two point guards, Jackson and Barlow were the only two who seemed like they wanted to be there- LewJack hurt his back (it looked like badly), but still came back to try to squeeze more out of his beaten dominative frame...he finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal; Barlow had 6 and 4.

In the first 15 minutes, both teams shot like dog crap...and Purdue's effort kept them in it.  On one possession alone, Purdue had four offensive rebounds...but as MSU started hitting shots, Purdue's defense got worse and worse.  Once again, this Purdue team seems to think that it's offensively good enough to not play hard defense and to run a half-assed motion offense...and the end result showed just how good of a team Matty's squad is when they don't play with heart.  I'll take that back, the final score should have and could have been worse, but MSU's all-white final five players including walk-ons and cheerleaders helped Purdue climb into the upper-50s.  Had MSU kept their foot on the gas and Purdue's starters stayed in the game, it probably would have been 90-something to 40-something.

Gene Keady's best quote was, "It's not who you play, but when you play 'em."  And MSU coming off of two-straight losses is not a team you want to play if you're Purdue...hell, they're not a team anyone wants to play.  But Purdue looked and acted fatigued and heartless.  That could be because their heart and soul simply isn't there right now.  We've watched Hummel squeak into the low teens during the B1G season time and again by digging deep and finishing as strong as possible...but this afternoon was different- he didn't seem angry about the effort or the score, he just wanted the game over.  While I watched, I felt the same way.

I'm the first to admit how happy I am that #4 is on this team and is able to play basketball at all.  What he's gone through in the past few seasons isn't deserved and isn't fair...but it is what it is.  His pal, Dreymond Green came into MSU with a similar skillset and similar size...but a physique that looked like it belonged on a Weight Watchers commercial.  His laziness in high school and early college yielded him healthy knees though...and he's been able to finish his career playing his best basketball due to being in the best shape of his life...Good for him.

The story for one of the best Purdue underclassmen EVER is not the same, sadly.  Sure, there's a lot of basketball yet to be played this year; but what have we seen that tells us it's getting better? I for one have a hard time seeing it.  J said that he has a hard time seeing a scenario in which Purdue doesn't make the NCAA tournament...I'm the exact opposite.  The schedule is brutal from here out. Sure, this team will shine a few times at Mackey before this season is over, but they simply must do it versus the top teams in the conference to make an impact on the tourney committee.

Painter didn't have budget to get Fife to become a Boilermaker
(same might to be the case for Dawson & Harris*)

Hey Paint Crew- make a note: Branden Dawson is a jerk...he showed it again today in East Lansing by talking trash to Painter on more than one occasion.  Maybe that's why he didn't end up at Purdue- because he's not a good fit and he just doesn't like Painter...or maybe the fact that Matty never seems to get near the shady underbelly of NCAA basketball recruiting has something to do with it.  Whatever the case may be, I'd like Dawson to never win at Mackey Arena...and I think that's a real possibility.  But effort like what we saw today from Matty's squad will not make that a reality.

Versus Xavier, Alabama and now MSU, Purdue seemed to be nowhere near as talented as their foe.  And  on top of that, in each of those games, the old trademark defense and motion offense both failed miserably due to inconsistent, if not shoddy, effort.  Purdue allowed MSU to make 3/4 of their shots (before the scrubs came into the game) in the second half...teams NEVER win games when that happens.  Regardless of travel issues, talented blue chip opponents and tough road venues, what we saw today out of Purdue is inexcusable.

The good news is our Boilers play in three days back at Mackey.  The bad news is the opponent just beat MSU and will probably be a top-15 team.  Painter's teams typically don't lose back-to-back games...but they've unpleasantly surprised me over and over again this season; who's to say that it won't happen again?

One thing we do know: There are at least 12 games left in the season (11 on the schedule, 1 in the B1G tourney) and I think Purdue needs to find a way to win half of them.  Coincidentally, six of those games are at Mackey.  Seems to me at this point, that Purdue must protect the home court to make the dance.


*My perspective on Izzo changed quite a bit in 2010 when he was suspended for a game for a secondary suspension.  He didn't seem angry about the violation, but that the NCAA had the gall to hold him accountable for breaking a rule.  That coupled with rumors over Branden Dawson's recruitment in the summer of '10 make me like the guy less than I used to...but that's natural since Painter simply doesn't win recruiting battles agains the uber-successfull Izzo.

Embarrassed in Sleepy Valley: Boilers Lose 65-45

Each time I watch a game that takes place in Happy Valley, it's either break or there's a blizzard outside; at least that's what it looks like. Tonight was no different as Purdue made the trip to the most-quiet, least-attended venue in the league...and pooped the bed.

Shooting 32% from the field while allowing an opponent to shoot 43% is a recipe for disaster. Getting out-rebounded by 10 is playing with fire. Hitting a quarter of your threes and allowing an opponent to hit half of theirs? Craziness.  Purdue did all of this tonight...but at least their freethrows (high five?).

Hummel, Jackson and TJohn looked listless in this one for much of the contest. Lawson and Carroll looked overmatched.  Purdue has lost big under Painter before, but never can I remember a game in which a team that is not good simply dominated his Purdue team from start to finish. After the Butler game I said this team might struggle to make the tournament if things didn't change...the team that drew that comment due to poor play in the second half at Conseco was at the Bryce Jordan Center tonight for 36 minutes.

We all know Purdue struggles against teams that play really disciplined, hard-nosed zone.  Tonight, they struggled against a team that played an OK zone.  No one looked to drive, no big men carved out space while bodying up PSU's forwards and Purdue hardly ever pushed the ball to thwart PSU's effort to set up the zone...and on the other end, simple high screens created chasms in Purdue's defense and gave PSU open look after open look.

Purdue Gives Away Another. This Time Butler is the Recipient

I've gotten to see Butler play in person twice before today...and a few times on TV.  In each game their lack of offensive fire power coupled with ill-advised three upon three spelled their doom.  I feared they would have everything come together versus Purdue and in the closing minutes, they did just that while beating Purdue on a tip-in (with 1 second left) 67-65.

I was in Conseco...surrounded by ex-IU fans (read as Butler fans), current IU fans (read as Notre Dame football fans) and Purdue fans.  The atmosphere had the feel of an NCAA regional in which your favorite team is the highest seed- No one beside your brethren is rooting for your squad.  With Purdue holding a 10-12 point lead for much of the first half and early in the second half, I thought this one would be good for Purdue.  As Butler rallied to shrink the lead to just four about eight minutes into the second half only to watch Purdue push it back to double digits, I thought this was going to be a nice afternoon.

But, just as in the Xavier game, Purdue seemingly wilted and disappeared as Butler started hitting perimeter shots...and the once-vaunted Purdue defense seemed to be a spectator as much as I was as they watched the game slip through their hands.  I haven't watched the tape to know who was guarding Butler's shooters down the stretch...but it didn't seem to matter.  Stigall, Woods and Fromm all seemed to hit a shot or two when Butler needed them most.

Purdue had chances...plenty of them.  LewJack missed some very important free throws in the closing minutes that might have changed the outcome, Hummel looked tentative in the closing minutes, especially on offense, and Smith simply didn't get open to take shots.  On top of the Seniors, Butler shut down Barlow's ability to drive as time and again, Butler's unimpressive bigs physically beat Purdue into the loss column.

Butler's youngins under the basket outshined Purdue's as once again Carroll and Marcius struggled.  Specifically, Carroll finished with Zero points, Zero rebounds and Zero blocks in five minutes of play.  Marcius played a pretty solid first half, but didn't do much of note in the second. One thing I liked is that Painter didn't pull Lawson out of the game with four fouls as he simply must learn to play in foul trouble as he is Purdue's most-consistent power forward at this point.  His 7 rebounds and 2 blocks were critical...but I don't remember him pulling down any in the last few minutes as he played shackled by fouls.

I think Painter is at a critical juncture...and something must change for this squad.  Hummel, TJohn and LewJack's lack of consistent practices are showing down the stretch of recent games.  The team can't seem create space on the scoreboard and finish strong v. bad (or mediocre) teams like Western Carolina, Miami and Butler...and they've looked dead tired versus good teams like Alabama & Xavier.  I'm not sure if that means AJ and Barlow should play while TJohn and LewJack are shelved in an effort to get them healthy over the next 11 days.  Or maybe DJ Byrd must be thrust back into playing a PF role again like last year. I don't claim to have the knowledge of Painter and his assistants...but as an outsider, I have noticed some bad trends that aren't going away...and that's bothersome.

For the first time this season, I'm not sure if Purdue can make the NCAA tournament simply because the same issues are arising time and again.  Purdue's glaring lack of physicality and athleticism under the basket will be exploited by not just the elite of the conference, but teams like Minnesota, Illinois, Northwestern and Indiana...let alone Wisconsin, aOSU and MSU.  And at the same time, Purdue's weary legs in the backcourt might continue to have problems rotating and fighting through screens.

Have I mentioned Purdue shot 58.3% from the free throw line?  Oh yeah, they did that too...again.  That and going 6-for-29 while only scoring 19 points in the second half is a recipe for disaster...and it yielded just that: a loss to a sub-.500 team on a neutral court.

Next up, Purdue gets one more local team before heading into the B1G.  IPFW comes to Mackey on Tuesday at 6:30. It'll be aired on BTN (if we're lucky).

Offense Disappears as Boilers Lose PR Championship: 56-65

The last few games, the defense lacked fire, intensity and effectiveness, but the ability to score made up for those problems.  This evening, Purdue's defense got closer to what they had been the last few seasons, but the half court offense was atrocious.

The 15th-ranked Crimson Tide played tight defense that I'm sure Matty appreciated. Their defense and athleticism took away Purdue's transitional game which had helped the Boilers put big numbers recently.

In the second half versus Temple, Purdue found the ability to hit free throws again. But today, Purdue's problems at the free throw line reared their ugly head again as Purdue left 8 freebies on the floor and shot 58%.

On top of the free throw shooting woes, Smith lost his hot hand as he shot 1-5 on the day as he struggled to find space.  LewJack led the team with 8 rebounds and also had 8 points.  Barlow played a solid game finishing with 11 pts, 5 reb, 3ast and a steal.  Hummel struggled mightily to score from the floor, but finished with 17 points due to his perfect 6-6 night from the free throw line.

Jacob Lawson showed some flashes of brilliance while blocking a shot, pulling down a few rebounds and not allowing Bama's Green to bully him while battling for a jump ball in the second half. AJ had 8 points and a couple of assists and rebounds...but struggled a bit with Bama's guard speed...but so did Purdue's team, really.

As a team Purdue shot just over 23% from three, and 35.7% from the field...but the credit should go to Bama as they contested every shot.

EsPN seemed to be in love with Alabama, and that doesn't say a ton since the network already has vested interest in their conference.  But, they're a team that deserves to be in the top-20 and Purdue played them tough for about 30 minutes.  Purdue won't play a team of their caliber again until they visit X in the first week of December.  So hopefully before then, they'll be able to figure out a few things and improve as a team.

I fully expect this Purdue team to get better as the season goes along.  But, if they don't find a forward who can consistently crash the glass and can't figure out the secret to free throw shooting, their progress will be stunted.  I believe Painter said he'd re-evaluate the Hale redshirt situation after the trip to PR...I'm still rooting for Donnie to play this season as I think Purdue will struggle against athletic frontcourts with Carroll or Marcius in the game. But I'm sure the coach knows more than I about this situation.

Last thing about Bama, let's remember this team had gotten beaten by Purdue two-straight times in the last two years.  The first coming in a close game in Tuscaloosa, the second coming in a not-so-close one last year in Mackey.  They were pretty motivated to win v. our Boilers...and at this point in the season, they're just a better team.  I'd love to see Purdue get the chance to play them in March so they can compare notes again.

Next up, Western Michigan comes to Purdue on Thanksgiving Eve at 7:00.  It'll be watched by hundreds as the BTN screws Purdue, yet again, and banishes the Boilers to the interwebnets.

Methinks the BTN sucks and I miss watching early season games on WTTV.  Why have overflow channels if they're never used? Why tell us that every B1G home game will be televised when it's not?