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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

developing...

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

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

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

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

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

End O' Season Handsome Hour

The Handsome Duo is back...and they're kicking ass and taking names...

And talking about Elizabeth Hurley, of course.

Listen, Love, Learn...Get Handsome!

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

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."

Seniors (and Co.) earn 20th win of the season v. PSU

Boilermakers.

I had kind of a rough beginning to my week...and I was looking forward to Senior night tonight at Mackey.  The event is a bit of a Bar Mitzvah- and it's different than football's Senior day, at least for me as the players seem closer and more approachable.  Since I've got two young kids, I try to take them down to meet the team during the season after games...in the process of doing so over the past 4(5) years, I feel like I got to know these guys.  That, on top of post-game meetings, other personal interactions have propelled me to really feeling invested in this year's Senior class. It's kind of a bittersweet night for me...but must have been an amazing culmination for them.

My wife has had a crush on LewJack for years...so watching and listening to him talk glowingly about his teammates, coaches, Mom and girlfriend after the game made Mrs. Bdowd like the the guy even more.

Ryne Smith has been a favorite of ours around the site for years because it seemed that we were always just a step or two removed from him due to some mutual friendships with #24.  Plus, we've had some interactions with him that were unrelated to basketball that helped us get to know the guy away from the court.  He's a funny, down-to-earth guy who is like many of my friends at Purdue...but he was regularly featured on national TV making it rain; I guess that is kinda different.

And of course, Hummel has been gracious on multiple occasions with my son over the last five years after the games...and LBD isn't the only one.  Each time we were on the court after a game, 4 always seemed to have enough time for fans.  His heart-breaking injuries pushed me to pray that Rob would have an ending to his career on his terms...and at a high level.  And while his basketball career, and even his Purdue career aren't over, his play is making it increasingly-obvious that he has a ton of great basketball ahead of him.

Let's talk a bit about that-

In the last six games, Hummel has averaged nearly 24 points and 10 rebounds.  Tonight, he had 26 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. He absolutely was killing PSU before ever touching the ball on many possessions by carving out space and asking for the ball.  On the defense, he played aggressive, hard-nosed basketball while playing the four or five all night.

LewJack struggled on defense v. Frazier early and didn't take many shots in the first half.  But in the second half, his defense got stiffer and his offensive pace was unmatched by PSU's defense.  He went 6-6 while scoring 12 points, and added five assists and 3 rebounds.

Smith started off slowly.  He looked like he was feeling it in the early minutes as he bombed away from three...but his shots weren't falling. In the second half, he got hot as he hit three-straight threes and added 3 assists.

The Seniors weren't the only ones who played well.

TJohn and DJ Byrd both scored in bunches.  Agent Zero (should we starting using that?) gashed the defense and finished with his tear drop...and hit 4-6 from the line.  He finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.  Byrd had 14 and 6...8 of them coming in a 10 minute span in the first half.

Along with Johnson and Byrd, the team shot its free throws well (81%) and in the second half completely put the clamps down on the Lions on defense.

This game was astoundingly-different from the contest in Happy Valley back in early January. The only similarity is that Purdue started both games shooting poorly.  But in this one, the ship was righted before the half...and in the second half, our Boilers stepped on PSU's collective throat by making the extra pass, not accepting the open three and playing as a unit, not a just a bunch of college-aged dudes dressed alike.

While the defense got weaker and more apathetic @PSU, the intensity and effectiveness surged with each minute that passed in the second half.  And like in most games in which this team plays solid defense, the fruits of their effort showed in the final score- Good Guys 80, Pennsylvania State University 56.

Beating one of the worst teams in the conference is what Purdue is supposed to do.  And just like in the Nebraska game, Purdue simply took care of business and left little doubt who was the better team...something this team consistently struggled to do only 60 days ago.

Matty talked to the crowd and the Seniors after the game...and the one thing that stuck out to me was how he stated that he thinks this team is far from done with its season.  I have no problem believing it either.  Since losing Barlow, The Forces of Good are 3-1.  They have gone from a bubble team to a team that's almost-surely going dancing, and now have 20 wins over all and are three games over .500 in the toughest conference in the land.

I wanted a couple things at the beginning of this season- I wanted Hummel to be healthy and playing (check). Second, I wanted them to get into the tournament (almost-check). Finally, I wanted to see what these guys could do in the tournament if they were peeking in March.  In spite of a rocky road, Purdue's Seniors have led this team to exactly where I thought they'd be when I looked ahead to the season- Between 20-22 wins...and there's potentially a lot more basketball to be played- not a bad place to be at all.

Next up, Purdue will head to Ass Hall on Saturday to play Clappy's Crimson.  I didn't like this game when I first saw the schedule...and I still don't as the Hall is a tough place to win.  BUT, as purdue continues to put together complete games, they are showing themselves as a completely-different team from that which was beaten up by IU in the second half, just 25 days ago.

Senior Images and videos

Some good stuff in here...always interesting to see this stuff months later.
As Smith talks about at the end, these guys love seeing Mackey full and loud...if you're not planning on going and you're close by, I hope you feel crappy about it- these guys deserve a good send off.

-Smith has always been a high-effort guy and has improved steadily to become one of the best three point shooters in the league while being solid on the glass and dealing out assists.

-LewJack has fought through multiple injuries and rounded his game out, especially in his shooting, all while being a leader since stepping foot on Keady Court.

-Hummel has been one of the driving forces for making Purdue one of the most-respected teams in the nation over the past five seasons.  Like Jackson, he paid the price for the program with major injuries.

All three are playing some of the best basketball of their careers...let's hope the best is still to come for them. Regardless, they owe PSU, and should make them pay for the loss in Happy Valley, tonight in Mackey at 6:30.

one last time.

Boilers Make it Tougher on Themselves by Losing to Wisconsin at Mackey

To win at home is a must in college basketball.  Purdue needs ever victory it can get, especially this season, as March gets closer and closer. Coming in, the Forces of Good had won 26-straight at Mackey...and I expected the place to be fired up and ready.  BUT, I also expected Wisconsin to be playing like they had to win.  My expectations became reality, but that's where it stopped.  Once again, Matty's club found creative ways to lose this one.

Coming into the game, Wisconsin had pretty much only died by the three, at least during the B1G schedule...but Painter and everyone else knew that wouldn't stop them from shooting it.  So they came out with guns blazing...and Purdue responded by not defending the three; makes a ton of sense.  At the same time, our Boilers couldn't buy a basket- they were driving, getting good looks and missing lay-ups and shots from 12 feet and in time and again.  At the 12:43 mark, Wisconsin had staked its claim that Mackey would be their home court as they effectively quieted the crowd by jumping out to an 18 point lead.

Against PSU, that's all it took- a sizable lead, and the spirit of the Boilers seemingly was broken.  Tonight that wasn't the case, but the end result was still a loss.  The Paint Crew was thunderous as the defense turned up the pressure and forced Wisconsin into bad shots or no shot at all, and at just under the 9 minute mark, it looked like the game might turn- Purdue had cut the lead to 12 and Byrd was fouled on a three pointer; the always animated, if not whiny Bo Ryan took umbrage with the call and was teched up- the result would be Byrd would get 5 free throws.  In typical 2012 Purdue fashion, Byrd, Purdue's second-leading free throw shooter by percentage, hit 2 of 5.  And that disgusting free throw shooting monster wouldn't die there.

At the end of the day, Purdue had left 10 points on the floor in the form of missed FTs.  On top of that, they missed five or six lay-ups...and to me, that's the game...plain and simple.  We can over-analyze this team until we're depressed or numb, but the fundamentals just are nowhere to be found with any consistency on this squad- and that's with everybody- from Senior leaders to newbies...and that's maddening.

There were some good things tonight- Terone Johnson hit 6-of-8 of his free attempts, and it helped him score a team high 16 points...along with 5 rebound, 4 assists and just one TO, that's a pretty damned good game.  He didn't shoot great from the floor...but unlike many of his teammates he seemed willing to take the big shot; and that said a lot to me.  Granted, a couple of the shots were way out of the rhythm of the offense and resulted in easy buckets off of long rebounds, but I'm glad he's looking to score.

Barlow had a solid game, both offensively and defensively.  He was frustrating the Wisconsin guards, after making the decision to play defense (like the rest of his team), took pretty good shots, hit his free throws and passed the ball well.  He finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Hummel had an OK game and ended with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal...but never seemed to assert himself.

Travis Carroll had 8 boards, while leading the team in that category...Smith was rushed at times, but had a couple of shots that looked like they might help bring the Boilers back into the game...and Byrd had an effective game at times, but didn't get a lot of open looks. I'm not quite sure what happened to Jackson, but after scoring the initial points for Purdue in the opening minutes, he didn't score again and only played 20 minutes.

Wisconsin played like a team with their backs against the wall...and unlike Purdue, they don't seem prone to giving away 20 point leads; which is good for them, and was bad for Purdue on the night.  Purdue made runs, would get it down to three or five points, but then Wisconsin would go on a run and make it as tough as possible on the Boilers.

A ton of people predicted Wisconsin to be in the top-3 of the conference, and I just assumed that with Taylor returning and Bo Ryan's painful to watch, yet effective system, the Badgers would be up among the elite.  But, watching them in person, it makes sense that they have three early losses.  Purdue allowed them to shoot over 80% from three in the first half; that's good, if you're into that sort of thing...but as a team they seem to accept the three way too often as they don't have a Jon Leuer-type of guy to go to on the team...but that didn't stop Berggren from looking exactly like him from the upper ring in Mackey.

Sidenote: I'm pretty sure Berggren is really just another guy from that white goon guy cloning machine that Wisconsin has been using for the last 15 years.  The problem with clones, as the movie Multiplicity reminds us, is they get less and less like the original as time goes on...and Berggren is no Brian Butch.

But, as unimpressed as I was with the Wisconsin team as individual players, Ryan did what he usually does and had them playing well-enough to win...this time knocking Purdue down another rung by beating them 67-62.

Defending homecourt was of the utmost importance for this team that needs as many quality wins as it can get...but like they've done all season, they seem unwilling to take advantage of situations that present themselves and just love the struggle.  Matty's squad only played one of the teams in the conference with 14 or more wins on the season...in the final 12 games, they'll play 7 games against the conference elite.  At 13-5, you can decide for yourself what the forecast for the post-season looks like, but I'd say it's pretty bleak. This Purdue team still has no offensive identity and sadly, doesn't know what it wants to be on defense either.

After a weekend off, Purdue welcomes Iowa to to Mackey next Tuesday at 8:00.

Freethrows, DCs and Luck (Tuesday Gumbo)

We've talked about Purdue's free throw shooting woes once or ten times this season...and from the look and feel of it, things aren't getting better.  Matty's squad shot in the low-mid 70 percentile range for much of the season last year.  This year, it's been the upper 50s to low 60s...a notable and shocking drop.

College Basketball Stats by StatSheet.com

Hummel is the best free throw shooter on the team and he's down about 11% from before his injury (79%). Worst on the team is, of course, Terone Johnson. His shooting percentage is down a whopping 22% from last year's 55%.

The fact is that these guys haven't forgotten how to shoot free throws, but there's a mental disease in the line-up and it needs to be cured. The problem is, I don't know the cure...nor does Painter based on what I've heard him say.

Last Saturday, Butler played a game at Hinkle fieldhouse. and their starting point guard, Ronald Nored was 0-6 from the line in the first half.  Out of frustration he decided he needed to have some additional practice between halves.  The problem was that Butler's practice gym was full of alums and boosters eating hotdogs and popcorns and drinking soft drinks.  So they made space for him:

Nored working on free throws as a few friends watch

Perhaps the new Brian Cardinal Court can help Terone and Co. break the slump in the near future? I don't think the John Purdue-rs will be using it on gameday.

(Credit The Janitor's very own Twitter acct. for photo)

Defensive Changes Looming
GBI has been reporting for a few days that there are imminent changes coming to Hope's coaching staff on the defensive side of the ball.

Former LB coach, Phil Elmassian has moved on, again. This time to UMass to be the DC there. And current DC, Gary Emanuel will be replaced soon. The details of the change are still pretty hazy.  I'm not sure if it was Hope's decision, Emanuel's or Burke's...but I agree with it.  Purdue's defense looked like it should have been the strength of the team coming into the season.  But in spite of being an experienced and relatively deep group, the defense allowed the most points EVER on a Purdue defense v. Wisconsin (and it could have been worse) and was plagued by costly penalties at the worst times.  And like the rest of the team, was frustratingly-inconsistent. Statistically, things weren't good either- they were 9th in the B1G in total defense and scoring defense, 9th in rushing defense and red zone defense, 10th in pass defense and 7th in third down conversions allowed and sacks.

I don't know if Emanuel will still be on staff, but I would guess not.  Regardless, here are a few guys that I'd like to see in the hopper for the next DC:

Kirk Olivadotti is a Purdue alum; graduated while I was on campus in 1996 and played receiver for Colletto...don't hold that against him.  Currently, he's coaching the LBs at Georgia under Mark Richt. He's also coached in the NFL for the Redskins.

Terrell Williams is the one that got away...but who can come back home. He coached Purdue's D-Line from '06-'09 and helped develop Mike Neal, Ryan Kerrigan and Alex Magee.  He's currently in a bit of limbo as he was on the last T A&M staff, also as DL Coach, and Kevin Sumlin is making decisions on his staff as we speak.

Wild Card?
I doubt he's interested, and he's really not qualified...but that hasn't stopped Purdue in the past.

Wouldn't it be fun to see Rod Woodson in the gold and black again?

Armchair Draft
With the lousy football season behind the Indianapolis Colts and the draft ahead, the organization has already started making moves.

After months, no years of egotistical comments to local media, the ex-football genius, Bill Polian has been canned...and his son as well.  The last five years have been pretty horrible for the Colts from a personel decisions standpoint.  Perhaps the senior Polian was worn out or was allowing his son to make most of the calls; who knows.  But, the old formula doesn't seem to be working anymore.

Rumors are swirling about Caldwell's future, but I don't know how the Colts can bring him back in the wake of the lack of adjustments made to the Colts' gameplan following Manning's injury.

I'm watching Andrew Luck play his final college game as I'm writing this and I know Kiper and everyone else calls him a sure bet; there's no doubt he's a tremendous talent (by the way, Purdue was in his final three along with Northwestern), but there are no guarantees in the NFL.  There is a guarantee that his worth is substantial.  As a half-assed Colts fan, I'm rooting for them to trade the pick if Manning improves over the next 60 days.

I've heard the Colts will get between three to five picks for the rights to get Luck...and the Colts have plenty of needs. Here's who I'd like to see them get:

Justin Blackmon (OK St.)- the Colts need a big time receiver, regardless of what they decide to do with Reggie Wayne
Landry Jones (OK)- If he decides to leave...and is still around
Alfonso Denard (Neb)- The Colts need a shutdown corner badly


Crazy Talk
I'd like to see Justin Siller get a camp contract and have the opportunity to play H Back behind Dallas Clark. Sure, it probably won't happen, but Siller's ability to do about anything on the field along with his football IQ make him a good risk for the Colts to take.


CCR
Matty's team won't be ranked in the top-25 any earlier than mid-January in all likelihood.  In the meantime, The Forces of Good are 32nd in the Composite Computer Ranking.

Happy 2012, everybody!

Slumping Boilers Slide to 4-0

I watched Purdue's game this afternoon in Puerto Rico versus Temple...and later, saw highlights of the game and the score on EsPN.  The really funny thing about the coverage is that it didn't seem to match the scoreboard.

The Forces of Good beat the Temple Owls 85-77 in a wild game in which Purdue showed some defense (unlike the last contest). But the defensive prowess that has struck fear into Boiler opponents over the last few seasons is not on par with the offense...but the good news is the offense seems pretty formidable, and has shown plenty of different weapons thus far.

Today, it was LewJack's turn to lead the way, but it didn't start off that way.

The always lousy, Doug Gottlieb, started the game noting that Jackson would struggle against the large Temple guards...and he wasn't very effective on the offensive end...for a half.

But the Little Man's disease that Lewis (and I) have suffered through our entire lives woke him up in the the second half, and he went crazy.   Not only was he effective on the drive, which we're accustomed to, but he also created his shot well from the mid-range with mastery and had a couple fade-aways with defenders in his face that were beauteous.  When the game was over, Jackson had 26 points, hit 10 of 11 fieldgoals (I believe all were in the second half), along with three assists and a steal.  His previous career high was 19.

Big Shot Rob was solid, but quiet once again- had 20 points (one below his season average) but only had a handful of points in the second half seemingly giving the floor to the hot-handed Jackson.  He also got back on track from the free throw line, going 6-6...along with six rebounds.

Purdue had the lead for much of the game, but wasn't able to put a ton of space between themselves and the Owls...and when the lead would flex to 7 or 8 points, Temple would fight their way back into the game, but the competitive nature of the game wasn't what made the game riveting.

In the first half, the refs were letting the teams play and not using their whistles a whole lot. But when Ryne Smith received an elbow that landed on the throat and chin from a Temple forward, the officials changed their style for the next half. The result was a second half that left both teams at the free throw time and time again.  And what was the bugaboo for Matty's squad in the last couple games was a saving grace in this one.  Purdue went 24 for 25 from the stripe in the second half after going 3 for 8 in the first.

Kelsey Barlow got involved in the whistle-happy action (predictably).  After Temple guard, Fernandez fouled Barlow (his fourth foul), Barlow threw the ball into Fernandez's chest, so he returned the favor.  It earned both a technical foul...subsequently, Fernandez's fifth foul.

Minutes later, Temple's starting center also fouled out and it looked like Purdue would win going away...but Temple's Moore kept it close by scoring as Purdue guards couldn't deter him down the stretch.

In spite of Moore's game-high 27 point, the good guys will be playing Bama ('banana') or Witchita State on Sunday night at 8:00 pm on EsPN2.

I know the nation doesn't really doesn't care about lil' ole Purdue...and Purdue is surely damned if they lose, but still damned if they don't win with enough style to please the pundits.  But I like some of what I'm seeing and think progress is being made.  We've said it since last Spring- this team will be good this season, but has a lot of learning to do in the coming weeks and months. And right now, I think they're doing just that.

Positive PR: Boilers Win Nail Biter v. Iona 91-90

Not at the game

In the Caribbean the warm breezes and beautiful views force you to take a deep breath and just take it easy...usually, you visit the islands to get away from your fast-paced life back home and rest.  That wasn't the case on this business trip for Matty and Co.

In previous season's under Painter, hard-nosed, low-scoring, grind-it-out victories have been the norm for The Forces of Good.  But for the second time this season, this Purdue team has scored over 90 points...and this time, the allowed 90.

Iona is a squad that won 25 games last season.  They have a player named Glover who is on the Naismith watch list who averaged nearly 20 pts/game and over 10 rebounds. On top of that, they have a guard named Lamont "MoMo" Jones who started his college career in Arizona after being a 4-star recruit out of high school. Jones started for the 'Cats last season averaging 9/2 and was granted an NCAA hardship exception after transferring to be closer to his Grandma.  After these two, the Gaels were comprised of a bunch of fast, athletic players who look to run at every chance, and today was no exception.

If Purdue missed a three, Iona used the long rebound as an opportunity to start a fast break. If the Boilers made an errant pass, they'd pay with a fast break attempt...thankfully, Purdue didn't have a ton (7) of turnovers, and at the same time, forced 12.

Rob Hummel had a generally-quiet game...he'd go long streaks without getting the chance to get involved on offense, but he finished with a team-high 24 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists and a block.  He looked frustrated a bit in this game at times too, but nowhere near how he looked v. High Point.  Plus, with his squad down by 2 points and just seconds left, Hummel hit a sizable three to give Purdue a one-point lead that they held until the end of the contest.

Ryne Smith started the game where he left off in the last game hitting big three after three in the first half.  He finished with 15 points (5-6 from three), and maybe just as importantly, filled the sheet with 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals...one down the stretch that helped Purdue win.  But, like his fellow Senior and 90% free throw shooter, he didn't hit a charity shot- he went 0-2 while Hummel only shot one free throw (0-1).

LewJack matched up well with the athletic Gaels using his quickness time and time again to drive past Iona's different defensive looks. He finished with 17 points, 3 rebound, 3 assists and 2 steals, while only turning the ball over once.  He got into foul trouble about mid-way through the second half...or his numbers would have looked a bit better.  Where LewJack looked very plebeian in the last game, this afternoon, he looked more like what we expected- he was clearly one of the quickest players on the court, with and without the ball, and Iona had a very difficult time matching up with him. Plus, unlike most of the Boilers, he shot his freethrows well, finishing 4-5.

Barlow played with flashes of brilliance one second and made maddening decisions a few seconds later...or in other words, was himself.  When he's in the right frame of mind, he's tough on both ends- making good passes and fighting through defense with contact.  But, he took some ill-advised deep shots that Iona took advantage of (above).  He did have arguably, one of the most-important shots of the game-  After a first half in which Purdue struggled to stay close, Barlow nailed a half-court jumper that looked smooth and effortless as if it was 15 feet...it tied the contest at 50.  He finished with 14 points, 7 rebounds,  4 assists and 2 steals.

Hummel, Carroll and Lawson had the tough task of guarding Glover and they held him in check most of the game.  Carroll didn't make a ton of noise offensively, but was pretty solid doing the dirty work- In 24 minutes he had 2 points, 6 rebounds and two steals.  Lawson seemed to gain Painter's trust during the game since his quickness and leaping ability helped him match up.  He finished with 3 points and 5 rebounds...but didn't get official credit for a steal at the end of the game that he quickly turned into two points.  He also seemed to look more sure of himself and his role as the game wore on.

Byrd returned from the last game when he didn't play one minute to play six generally-quiet minutes. But, one of the most-tenuous moments of the game was when Iona's Ridley threw a high elbow into Byrd with just a few minutes left in the first half...Byrd jumped up and got into Ridley's face before walking away...EsPN moron analyst, Doug Gottlieb said it was a play that should have been allowed as it's part of the game for a player to clear space after a rebound...the problem is the guy was trying to clear space above his own shoulders which NO ONE is coached to do because it doesn't protect the ball.  Ridley looked like he might take the game over until Lawson began bodying him up and playing physical with him.

Marcius only played two minutes as he didn't seem to match up well with the quick frontcourt of Iona. AJ and TJohn had solid days- In 16 minutes, AJ had 8 points, 3 rebounds an assist and steal.  TJohn, played 20 minutes, had 6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.

If you didn't get to see this one and are worried because Purdue played another tight game versus a non-AQ conference foe, don't think that there's a trend happening here.  Make no mistake, this was a different game all-together.  High Point played a packed-in zone that Purdue didn't seem willing to test as the good guys hung around the three point line.  This game, Iona played a full-court press, man-to-man, match-up zone and standard 2-3...and Purdue did a great job, at least on the offensive side of the court handling the different looks and staying under control.

The old halfcourt defense that we became accustomed to in the past few years is no where to be found simply because JJ isn't in the lane to clean up the mess...and Kramer's been gone for a few years.  Lawson showed a bit of why he shouldn't be redshirting this season, especially on the defensive end of the floor and might take more and more minutes, depending on the situation. At the same time, TJohn, Hummel and LewJack are still working their way up to full lung capacity; and it'll happen in the next few weeks...but today showed some good things in that Purdue can run if they need to, and once again finished out a game they could have lost.  The only really bothersome part of today was how Purdue missed a ton of free throws down the stretch, leaving 9 points on the floor and only shooting 55%.  Plus, they're not drawing enough fouls on the drive, in my opinion.

I think playing, and winning, close games like this, especially this early in the season is a big positive- This game kind of reminded me of the Richmond game last season and that didn't end well, but at least today did.

Next up, Purdue will play Temple tomorrow at 1:00, again on EsPNU.

Purdue's Temporary Mascot

Courtesy of reader Patrick, we give you Perry, the Torn ACL-ephant.

If we don't laugh, we'll cry.

Turning Point: 2007

Is JJ a slam dunk to leave in May?

As Purdue fans, we're nearing the eve of a very-impactful decision for Purdue's basketball program- I'm speaking of course of JJ's decision to stay or go. I have an opinion on what's going to happen like the rest of you, but I'm not sure talking/writing about what I guess might happen does any good for anybody...so I'm going to wait and see.

But, through my black and gold prism, I can only think about how pivotal Johnson & company's class was and is...but it wasn't just that way for Purdue.

In the mid-00s, the BT had lost a bit of its moxy as a conference. One or two good teams seemed to rise to the top each season and make noise in the dance, but the old Big Ten was a memory. The Big Ten I'm talking about was that of the early-90s and before. A league that was respected and feared by the nation. A league that produce a ton of talent that played at the next level and plenty of All-Americans.

Sure, MSU and Izzo continued to do what they do, but that wasn't the case for the storied programs in the league for the most part. Wisconsin's Bo Ryan coached masterfully, year-in, year-out, in that dogged, beat-em-up style that I've grown to hate, and EsPN chose to focus upon. Granted, Ryan's clubs were dominating the league in the early 00s...they seemed to fill the vacuum left by shriveling powerhouses.

But, it seems the league, from top-to-bottom (with a few exceptions), has turned a corner. Talent is flooding into the Big Ten, and energy seems to be nothing-but-positive for the basketball league. Purdue's got another very good class coming in next season...but, this top-10 ranked recruiting class is fourth...IN THE LEAGUE.

On top of that, the coaching talent is ridiculous...things are good in the soon-to-be-larger league...and getting better.

But, I think we should take a closer look at the class of 2007. In my opinion, it's the most-important recruiting class for the conference in 15 years. This group raised the bar for the league and made the conference, once-again, an absolute mother from top-to-bottom.

Let's first talk about some guys who never made the impact in the league many thought they would.
Jordan Crawford came to IU with another tremendous talent that wasn't there long, of course, Eric Gordon. Both were highly-touted, and both showed why, right out of the box. But, as the house of cards that Kelvin Sampson built, collapsed around him, Crawford headed out of town to Xavier. Gordon was clearly a one-and-done player from the get-go...and he went to the league. Crawford took his game to Xavier where he was an impact player...as he helped X continue to do what it seems to do nearly-every season- make noise in the tourney.

Another 5-star, like Gordon whose team didn't have the success that some thought they would was Koufos at aOSU. Koufos was good-enough to leave for the NBA draft after one season...but didn't seem good-enough in the BT to hold his own among the league's best.

Next up, let's look at some of the rock-solid performers who have seemingly started ever since they arrived on campus.

At Northwestern, Thompson has taken advantage of opportunities. A solidly-built player as a Freshman, he had the ability to drive, shoot and score as defenses sagged away from him to give attention to the Cats formidable frontcourt. Plus, he's a very-good defender.
Allen at MSU has been solid for most of his career and seems to have always been a guy who steps up when he's needed. He's surrounded by talent in East Lansing, but made big shots even as a Freshman...and this continued most-notably this past post-season in the stead of Lucas.

Corperryale "Manny" Harris is a scorer and has filled it up since coming to Ann Arbor as a Frosh. The only reason he's not in the next group might be a perception issue. He's struggled a bit with attitude issues- most-recently earning him a single-game suspension from his coach in '10, but he doesn't seem to be a guy that "makes the players around him better"...but he's pretty great in his own right.

Minnesota's Blake Hoffarber was a bit of an icon in the state before he even set foot in the barn for his high school heroics...and as a Frosh, he was a hero, yet again...for Goldy this time. But he's played a lot of minutes since his first year in Minneapolis and has only gotten better each season.

McCamey at Illinois is another guy who's right on the edge of my next group of players...but doesn't get the nod because of his lack of consistency as a Freshman. That said, he's made a lot of big shots and was physically-ready to play in the Big Ten as a Freshman. Hell, he seemingly-killed Purdue everytime the good guys played Illinois the past few seasons...either with his shooting ability or passing.

Like McCamey, JaJuan Johnson is nearly in my next group, but he didn't seem to be quite ready for the bright lights...especially early in his Freshman season. Sure, he's thin now, but he was a twig in the late-fall of '07 and had trouble with the big bodies of the league. He figured out how to use his lack of girth to his advantage as the season progressed and he became a shot-blocking monster and finisher on fast breaks.

The next group of players are those that were receiving league or national accolades as true Freshman and have simply improved each season.

Battle at PSU has done everything possible to try to help elevate the Lions' chances of making an NCAA tournament. He has unlimited range and can create for himself and has made the other guards around him look great as he's drawn the tougher defender each season. But, defections, injuries and poor coaching have kept his teams out of the tournament...he'll be remembered fondly by PSU fans for helping lead them to the NIT championship...but no one else will remember that outside of Happy Valley.

Michigan State's Lucas has started since he got on campus and his quickness reminded me a lot of Illinois' Dee Brown as a Frosh. He's quick with the ball, smart without it, a great defender and probably an even-better leader. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't be returning to the league next season had he not ruptured his achilles. Hopefully he finishes his career strong as he deserves to not be physically-hampered in his final season on campus.
And speaking of painful injuries, Evan Turner fought through a big one this season (what, you thought I was going to talk about someone else?). With his long arms, ability to play a number of positions and amazing play-making ability, I was shocked Turner returned after last season. In high school, he was over-shadowed by his HS teammate, McCamey, but in college, this late-bloomer has been simply-great. He rightfully-earned the National POY awards from multiple sources as he carried the Bucks to a BT championship.

Lastly, but surely not least are the final two members of the Big Three. Moore came into Purdue in the shadow of Eric Gordon as many of the national media saw him as a poor-man's version of IU's prized recruit. But, those who watched him play in high school knew him as a different guy. And Matty, and others, knew he could play defense...something Gordon seldom decided to do. Each season, Smooge has gotten better defensively. And offensively, he seems to iron out a wrinkle or two in his game each off-season. But, his demeanor is what I've always loved about the guy. He's unflappable...always has been...and loves the ball being in his hands in big situations.
His pal Rob has gotten the most media attention since arriving on campus...and some think that's why the Big Three wasn't the Big Four, starting their Sophomore season. In high school, he was always known as Martin's right-hand man...but in college, things changed. The Ostrich made a splash as a Freshman as he made big shots time and time again and always seemed to be in the right place at the right time...We learned as the seasons progressed, that this knack wasn't luck, but instead, it was Rob's motor that had him filling space, moving without the ball and simply understanding how the ball would come off of the rim. His knee injury at the end of last season seemed to be more painful for the Purdue faithful than for Hummel as he quietly toughed through yet another large injury. Like Lucas at MSU, he deserves to go out with an rousingly-successful Senior season...but he deserves it more (you didn't expect this post to be bias-free, did you?).

Perspective's a funny thing. Down in Bloomington, they might not have the same view that we do in God's Country of the past three seasons. And, I think it might even be fair to say that my view of the greatness and importance of the Big Ten's signing class of 2007 is shaded by what I've gotten to witness in Mackey Arena for the past three seasons...but there's no doubt the Big Ten is trending back toward its greatness of decades past...and this group of players can lay a large share of the claim to why its occurred.

The really great thing about next season's Seniors is that, regardless of which players decide to pursue the money, their final chapter in the Big Ten is not yet written.


(also ran: UW Leuer, Nankivil Illinois Davis, Tisdale MSU Summers)

Can The '10-'11 Season Start Now, Please?

A pretty likable group...

The sun has risen just fine the past couple of mornings, and I'm still damn proud to be a Boilermaker. As mentioned on this site, it's never a good feeling when your season ends. And, really, there's only one way for it to end where you feel really, really good. And Purdue is closer to that than it's been in a while. The tournament effort to get to the Sweet 16 and then play Duke tighter than they were played to that point was significant (remember, this is a Duke team that was up 30 on UNC in the first half in their late-season matchup). As the clock wound down on Friday night, I found myself immediately feeling and saying, "I'm really proud of these guys."

Oh, but what might have been.

Never A Complete Unit

At the start of the season, a Sweet 16 appearance would have been viewed as a disappointment. We all know how high expectations were. The Boilers had a chance to almost come home for the Final Four, as they did in 1980, and this is all the more driven home now for Boilermakers as we get to watch Butler have those stories written about them. It's hard to have anything but good feelings for Butler, as their students and loyal fans deserve this as much as anyone, but I did say to Boilerdowd this weekend that I'm truly jealous of the Bulldogs. I can't imagine how good this feels for them today.

But getting back to the Boilers, one point that I think is very interesting to ponder is the "what could have been," not from the simple, obvious Final Four perspective, but from what was expected or counted on for this season.


For one thing, Sandi Marcius was expected to be another big body Coach Matty could count on to at least clog the lane a bit, grab some boards, commit some Zoubeks (another word for fouls) and simply spell JJ when Johnson was in foul trouble or just needed some rest. But Sandi broke his foot and it made no sense to burn his redshirt when word was that he wasn't ready.

But let's leave that one alone. How about the fact that the Boilers essentially had the rotation they expected to have for a total of seven games? Seven. And even then it wasn't at full strength, since I'm talking about the games where LewJack was just coming back. The preseason #6 team in the nation wound up not having their regular rotation for almost the entire season. This got obscured by the fact that the Boilers played inspired, focused ball and got out to that 14-0 start. However, many of us saw the need for Lewis Jackson to get back this year, as the team could not handle the press well at all, even from mediocre teams. They needed their PG back.

LewJack returned on January 28 versus Wisconsin, but only played 20 minutes in a game twice before February 24. On that day, Purdue started their game at Minnesota looking, honestly, like they'd figured it out. Jackson was back and was beginning to play significant minutes again, the Big 3 looked comfortable, Moore was on a nice steady run, etc. Things looked good. During that first half, B-dowd and I even commented on how solid they looked in nearly all facets -- something that could not have been said too many times this year up to that point. And then, of course, Rob's knee went, and his teammates looked like they'd seen their puppy get run over.

To their credit, as we all know, they pulled themselves together and went 6-3 (including that Minny game) without Rob. Nothing groundbreaking, but they learned to play without him and they showed resolve and commitment that made us all proud. I've not heard one fan say they felt like the Boilers folded the tent. And think about that, because it's significant.

Lewis Jackson was finally getting up to speed.....and Rob was gone.

We've often said that things have to line up for you to go to a Final Four. Butler had everyone playing their system perfectly (and you can now see why Matt Painter really wanted Gordon Hayward). MSU didn't have to beat anyone higher than a 4-seed. Duke had a bracket full of shorthanded, inexperienced teams to get through. Point is, it has to line up. You need some breaks. I'd say this isn't being a Purdue homer: Purdue got few breaks this year. In fact, the breaks truly went against them.

Was Progress Made?

Have the boys matured further? B-dowd and I discussed this last night and it's unfortunate to think that while they clearly are a good team, they weren't quite emotionally mature enough to handle some things this year. Nobody can fault their effort or, as mentioned, the Sweet 16 appearance. But the way they reacted to losing Rob in the immediate aftermath (curling up into the fetal position for a lot of the rest of the Minnesota game and all of the MSU game) was disconcerting. However, when you compare the way they began the 2008-2009 season, another season considered promising, they did indeed take strides.

In December 2008, we all know how poor the boys looked against Duke. We also all remember the 0-2 start in conference play. The Boilers opened this season solidly, taking down Tennessee in the Virgin Islands, coming back from down 16 in the second half against Alabama, and simply outclassing Wake and WVU at home. But the hiccups remain, including an 0-3 stretch in January, only putting up 44 against MSU at home (Rob or no Rob, that's ridiculous) and being simply embarrassed on a national scale in the Big Ten Tourney against Minnesota. The point? There's a lot of maturing still to be done.

"Help Is On The Way"

Someone on ESPN's cast of misfits said, in the wake of UNC getting absolutely dismantled by Duke at the end of the season, that "help is on the way" for Roy Williams. Not sure how many five-stars he needs to, you know, make the tournament, but it's kind of a silly statement. However, for the Boilers, help is indeed on the way in a number of forms, with the overall theme being depth.

For one, Sandi Marcius should be healthy and ready to bang next year. Patrick Bade will be a sophomore and hopefully will practice rebounding over the summer so he doesn't look like he thinks basketballs are live grenades. And coming to the mix is Travis Carroll, another center to give JJ some rest. You'll never want JaJuan in foul trouble or playing soft as he does from time to time, but if it happens at least Matty will have a multitude of options. And with this size, it will be rare that an opponent will have the definitive upper hand in the post.

Boilerdowd's lust for the Johnson boys is hard to describe. No, I'm being silly, but b-dowd is very excited about Terone and Anthony coming aboard next year, and he's right to be. Both four-star players (for what that's worth), these guys are difference-makers and the thinking here is Terone could (and maybe should) see some time in the starting lineup. He's a thick kid who can play the point or score the ball (hate that term, I sound like Hubert Davis).

Donnie Hale is a power forward coming on board without a scholarship as of right now. He agreed to come to Purdue over his other finalist, Xavier, with no guarantee of a schollie for next season. So unless someone goes pro or transfers, Donnie might be paying his own way for a little while. We'll see how this goes.

One More Year, JJ

Which leads us to a sidebar about going pro. According to Neubert, JJ hasn't ruled it out as of now. Which, I think we can agree, might be a bit silly. We think he'll be back, but if he was a

first round projected pick, we couldn't blame him for going.

However, NBA Draft Express doesn't have JaJuan projected as even a second round pick as of now. In fact, they have him as a second round pick in 2011. So he clearly has work to do. As Neubert puts it so well:

"When he gets the ball around the rim, he's got to be able to score or get fouled 90 percent of the time, rather than getting stripped or tied up."

More Reasons For Excitement About The Immediate Future

Getting back to next year, I know I was thrilled to see the minutes some of the younger guys got in the tournament. Ryne Smith developed some confidence and has now hit some big shots on the biggest stage possible. But even bigger to us was DJ Byrd's postseason. DJ was a DNP as recently as the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Think about that. This is a guy who didn't have double-digit minutes from Dec 22 until the Big Ten Tournament.

He played a total of five minutes from Jan 31 until that Minnesota game in the BTT, including six DNPs. But then he came alive, having his two best offensive days since the first game of the season against CS Northridge, scoring 11 in the crushing against Minnesota and putting up 10 HUGE points (including 2 of 2 from three-land) against A&M.

DJ also played strong defense, never looked out of position or overwhelmed and was even barking at teammates on the floor -- in a good way. If you're looking for an intensity leader to replace CK3, we think you might have him in DJ. (And he needs to keep the intense haircut look; we love it.)

Thanks, But No Thanks, Media-Types

Purdue has the tenth-ranked recruiting class in the nation for 2010. Oh, but only fourth in the Big Ten. Yeah, you read that right. So let's shut your pie-holes, national media, about what the Big Ten lacks. It's pretty effing rugged.

In addition, several scribes were venturing well into douchey territory and seemed to be working hard at alienating college basketball fans. A very smart move when you're a.....college basketball writer. Wait, what?

One of these clowns is Gary Parrish, of whom there is not a single photo in existence where he doesn't look like a complete buffoon. He's now saying the Boilers are going to the Final Four next year, but Gary felt the Boilers barely deserved a top 20 ranking as the season wound down -- not because they were losing games (they weren't), but because he felt Rob Hummel being out made them...a below-average team.... I guess? Hard to understand. We emailed him politely and were given the condescending pat-on-the-head treatment. He's one of the many who can kiss off next year -- as stated before, we don't want your positive remarks, either. You've denigraded Purdue enough that we don't care anymore. You're a lost cause. We know Purdue's not as sexy as slimy Calipari's Cats, and that's fine. We like our program clean.

Keep It Up, Students

There have been periods in Purdue sports history of which we're not especially proud, when students seem to not care at all. While it's perfectly fine to not be a sports fan, it still grates on us because we take this stuff way too serious, by our own admission. But seeing the Paint Crew and their massive numbers honoring the team as often as they do is simply wonderful for two old guys like us.

Camping out in the cold, being creatively supportive during games, singling out guys to thank as the season winds down, road tripping through the night on buses.... we can't possibly name all the ways in which we think the students do an amazing job acting as the 6th man and doing us alums proud. You guys are doing great things and you'll look back fondly on this time in your lives. Keep doing it.

Want proof of how awesome the fans/students are? Here they are at the airport at 2 AM on a cold February night welcoming the Boilers home from Minnesota, where the season took a crushing turn.



That video really gets me. The guys had won a hard-fought game and lost Rob for the season. We didn't know it for sure at that moment but it didn't look good. And yet the screaming for the guys and the chanting for Rob is just terrific. Seeing that smile that Hummel can't conceal is all part of the greatness of it.

Yes, we're going to focus on football in the very near future.... but we keep saying we wish next basketball season could start in maybe a week. Eight months can't pass fast enough.

Choo-choo.

More From JJ Productions

If you don't follow us on Twitter you may not be seeing all the great videos JaJuan Johnson keeps posting featuring the team. On Saturday, coming back from PSU and winning the Big Ten co-championship, the Boilers were in a fun mood. Check it out.



I absolutely LOVE the way these guys rip on each other and just seem to be having so much fun. This is probably not uncommon on good teams, but seriously, how great is it to see each of them taking a good-natured shot at another? Ripping Lew for his passing, KG taking ten years go get to 1,000 points, etc.

Good stuff. Keep laughin', boys. All the way to Indy.

Derailed?

Is the train off the tracks? Hold on a second...

If you're reading this, then you probably already know. And if not.... where the hell have you been?? It's anarchy! Blood running through the streets! Fire and brimstone hailing from the sky!! Dogs and cats..... LIVING TOGETHER!! Mass hysteria!

Alright, have we all calmed down a bit?

We know that Rob Hummel is done for the year and likely the beginning of next year. But he's going to be okay. He's a smart kid, he's a hard worker, and he's come back from fractured vertebrae. His future is actually in fine shape if he rehabs as he should and none of us have any reason to believe he won't.

But let's get back to being selfish and ask what this means for this season.

There seem to be two camps as of right now. In one, there are people who basically feel the season is essentially over. They're not quitting as fans, mind you, but they just feel destroyed and punched in the gut and think that advancing a round or two is all we can hope for.

The other camp is the group that seems to be pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and saying, "No, we're good. We will persevere!" But you almost feel like these people are trying to convince themselves.

Let's state it clearly here -- this is a bad blow, yes, but the season is not ruined. We assure you. The Boiled Sports guarantee (it's worth so very much).

Losing Rob Hummel is a huge blow to this team. However, his injury and absence can be dealt with and this team still can still win the Big Ten and make the deep NCAA tourney run we all want.

What does it mean for playing time, starting spots and expectations? Glad you asked.

Playing Time

Mr. Bade, get limbered up, son. Because you're going to need to give us some minutes. No, we can't count on young Bade to replace Rob Hummel, but as Boilerdowd said on our show last night, Bade is the one who most resembles Hummel in the physical sense. His length is similar, he can do some of the curling and he can rebound. If Bade gives us 8-10 minutes a game of this and stops looking like a scared kitten, that's a nice start.

Keaton Grant is alive. We've seen it the past few games and we saw an incredibly promising sign last night. KG hit three yooooge shots late in last night's game, including the game-winning with seven seconds left. And if you watch the replay, you see the level of confidence with which he fired that shot. This very well may be the KG of old, or at least a reasonable facsimile of him.

LewJack and Barlow should see their minutes increase as well, which does not worry us one bit.

Starting Spots

How monumentally fortunate are we that Keaton Grant was bounced from the starting lineup in favor of Kelsey Barlow earlier this season? Had that not happened, Barlow would not have the experience or confidence he now has. Yes, it's terrible to lose Rob Hummel out of the starting lineup. But when you're able to take a senior off the bench who is used to starting (KG) and plug him back into the starting lineup, well, that's about as good a scenario as you could ask for, right?

Replacing a junior leader with a senior leader with skills is not a bad thing. In addition, it might be time to have LewJack start the games and use Kelsey off the bench. Your starting five would then look like this:

Johnson (Jr), Moore (Jr), Kramer (Sr), Grant (Sr), Jackson (So)

I'll go to battle with that starting lineup any time.

Expectations

Do we need 20 ppg from Keaton? No, we do not. If we can get 10-15 out of him consistently, that would go a long, LONG way to helping fill the void. Lewis Jackson is ready and is all the way back. JJ is capable of taking over games, as we have seen, and is truly indispensable. And E'Twaun Moore will step up his game to whatever level the Boilermakers need. I have never been so confident in a guy's ability to respond as I am in Smooge's.

Chris Kramer has to play defense as Chris Kramer can. The guys need to stay out of foul trouble and understand they have a slightly shorter bench. Is this the kind of group that can understand this and rise to the occasion? I think so, and I say that without hesitation.

Are any of these things that I have put forth crazytalk? Am I asking JJ to score 30 a game? Are we talking about Smooge shooting the lights out all the time? No.

Here's a big one: Are we asking guys to do things they have never done before?

No, we are not.

So when you begin to believe again (if you haven't already), do so with confidence. No, losing the Ostrich is not a good thing and we'd never pretend it was. But he's going to be present and spurring these guys on. And we have Coach Matty who knows how to prepare his guys. They will not look shell-shocked any longer on Sunday. And if they beat Michigan State, the train is fully back on the tracks again.

Keep the faith, everyone.

Krushed Orange

"Man, I am glad we practiced our free throws..."

When you watch a game without the sound and with other distractions around you, it changes your perspective. This is how I watched today's game, from a bar after a round of golf (yeah, it was almost 70 in Houston today). What became apparent to me was that the Boilers didn't play their best game, but they showed the mettle of a championship kind of team but doing what I feel like we've written before -- slowly grinding an opponent into submission, winning 75-65.

After the first half, once again the Boilers were trailing. Illinois was playing hard, inspired ball and the Boilers looked somewhat out of sync. JJ never got going today, winding up with only five points, shooting a lovely 10% (1-10) from the field. Yeesh.

However, as the game is winding down, you look up and the Boilers have a ten point victory, after winning the second half, 43-30. No matter what changes with this team, one thing seems to be consistent -- they're a second half squad and they outlast almost everyone. AND they cannot be beaten by most teams just because you're able to shut down one of the Big Three. You'll have to shut down at least two of them and even then you might be in trouble. (Incidentally, I got into a Twitter argument a couple of weeks ago with Brent from the Big Ten Network because he suggested the Boilers could be weak in the tourney because they "only" had three scorers. Even with "only" Smooge, Ostrich and JJ, I like our chances -- which is what I told him -- but if KG and CK are coming to play, too....well, the black and gold are a tough out in that scenario.)

Rob Hummel was again a catalyst, but not with his shooting from the field (4-13). No, Rob -- and others -- punished the Illini from the line, with the Ostrich going a cool 12 of 12, finishing with a double-double again, with 22 pts and 12 rebs. Smooge has his typically efficient 18 while shooting 50% from the field, and our old friend Keaton Grant continued his re-emergence from whatever fog he's been in for a while, with a nice 15 points on 50% shooting from the field (including 3 of 5 from 3 pt land) and 100% shooting from the line (6 of 6).

As you watch a game like this, sometimes it's hard to put your finger on what made the difference. And when that's the case, you expect it to be a last-second kind of win. Yet the Boilers wind up winning by ten. Why is this? Becuase they're a damn good team. A team that finds a way to win even when they shoot 36% from the field as a team.

Five FT attempts? Seriously??

Oh, yeah, and it's also easier to find that way to win when you get to the line. Both teams hit 50% of their threes, but the difference was, as mentioned, at the line, where the Boilers went an impressive 24 of 28 while the Illini amazingly only went 3 of 5. Outscoring a team by 21 at the line will often make up for any other shortcomings.

This was unquestionably a dangerous game for Purdue. Illinois is tough and Coach Weber always has them ready...AND it's not like it's impossible that the Boilers could have looked ahead to their road tilt at Minny, followed by the huge game at home against MSU. Good work to everyone for staying sharp -- sharp enough to win an hugely important game.

The win puts the Boilermakers into a tie (in both the win and loss columns) with Michigan State for the Big Ten lead, and pushes their current winning streak to nine. The Boilers, as you likely know, continue to be a very streaky team, having won 14 to open the season, followed by three losses....and now followed by these nine wins. This team is 22-3, everybody. Twenty-two and three. Something special is happening here and we're all witnessing it.

So what's up, Boilermaker faithful? Your thoughts are welcome....Are you feeling better after this game? Worse? About the same?