More About Sandi: A Quick Word on Maymester at Purdue

Mike Hutton of the "Post-Tribune" has been waging a mini-battle against Purdue in favor of Sandi Marcius, but thus far, he's been doing it exclusively on Twitter. Which is peculiar to me. He keeps reminding people who question him that he's a columnist and thus not required to remain objective, yet he hasn't written a column criticizing Purdue yet. He's simply being worked over on Twitter, some say, by Sandi's "handlers," whoever the hell they are. If you don't know what to believe anymore, you're not a lone.

Hutton, it turns out, might have a bit of a soft spot for Marcius since Sandi graduated from LaLumiere High School in La Porte, IN, which is sort of in Mike's area. I don't know what this has to do with anything, but it seemed relevant.

Hutton claims Purdue should be paying for Maymester for Sandi because his situation is "no different" from John Hart's and Hart had his remaining outstanding classes paid for. Matt Painter and Morgan Burke explained precisely how the Hart situation was different from Sandi's situation, but Hutton simply... doesn't care, I guess. He just keeps repeating that they're the same in much the same way a goldfish bumps into the side of a glass fishtank.

But here's the point I want to address here. What people like this guy Mike Hutton don't seem to grasp is that Maymester is unequivocally NOT part of Spring semester. If Purdue were refusing to pick up the tab for Sandi's spring classes then that would be an obnoxious thing to do. But May classes are the start of a new semester, whether Hutton (and Sandi) likes it or not. In fact, take the month out of the equation -- if Sandi quit and asked for his release but had a couple classes scheduled for this fall that he wanted to take, would it be reasonable to expect his athletic scholarship to cover those costs? Of course not. That would be ridiculous.

And so is this entitled attitude around his expecting classes to be paid for May.

I also think this could serve as an exhibit to the those who worship at the altars of Jay Bilas and Jalen Rose when they preach about college players not being paid right now. Sure seems like Sandi is a disgruntled employee expected severance pay, doesn't it?

It was pointed out to me by a reader that perhaps Maymester could be considered part of the 2012-2013 "academic year." I think that's a fair argument you could make if we're talking about calendar years and whatnot, but Sandi Marcius has been at Purdue for four years of classes, including summers and Maymesters, which he may or may not have participated in. To suggest now that the University or the athletic department owes him even more is utter nonsense.

We're also not talking about him being "screwed out of" many thousands of dollars. We're talking about a guy who made a minimal contribution on the court, received well into the six-figures range of free benefits at Purdue and who is leaving the program before he graduates or completes the obligation he made to Purdue in exchange for four-plus years of a free education -- that is, to play four years of basketball for the Boilermakers.

Hutton also makes an argument that this is the same as John Hart's situation, which Matt Painter explained in detail yesterday, laying out exactly how they are not the same thing. Hutton then also says on Twitter that "Sandi Marcius = Scott Martin." I'm not sure if Hutton is saying they're the same guy or the same situation, but given who is saying it, it could be either.

As we've noted here, we have nothing against Sandi in general. We liked his commitment to the team and his development into a somewhat reliable guy who could give you some minutes and maybe show a glimmer here or there. This behavior has been less than impressive, though. And to have it backed up by an adult (which Hutton presumably is) is even more disappointing.

To Be Fair...

There's a term that many Purdue fans use when talking about IU's scholarship issues and its handling of said issues: Creaning.

Creaning: Creen-ing
noun (slang) 1. The act of forcing a player out of IU's basketball program due to oversigning 2. Cleaning out the old rusty guys on the roster to make room for newer, shinier models 

If it's in the BS dictionary, it must be a word...if it's on the interwebnet, it must be true; so be it.  Let's be honest (IU fans)- if it happened once, we might call it a fluke or isolated event...but each and every year, Coach Forehead has to come up with new and sometimes creative ways of eliminating players that want to play for IU.  These guys all seem to openly want to play for IU...but they can't because their coach loves shiny new things so much that he can't seem to follow the rules.

IU seems to have 14 or 15 players on their roster for the next Spring each season...but the NCAA only allows 13. Thus, something must happen to rectify the situation. Clappy believes the best thing for those players, that are unlucky enough not be the apple of his eye, is to leave that God-foresaken place in the bowels of Indiana; they should thank him...they seldom do.

Capobianco, Roth, Patterson, most-recently, Abell and others have all been Creaned...and as Purdue fans, we point this out to our IU pals. It really isn't right to make a guy leave who has committed to the program; committed to a coach, who is a good kid and whose only crime is that they're not very good and still have eligibility remaining...

So...

When I read this from Purdue's Coach in the wake of Sandi's departure, my antennae arose, and I knew I had to say something about it.

"John Hart's situation was different (than Marcius')...John did not voluntarily leave our team and he did not quit our team."

We're nothing if we're not fair...and while I like Coach Painter a lot, I disagree with his handling of John Hart.  And I'll stick by my statement yesterday, that I agree with the way Purdue has handled Sandi Marcius.

Sure, the moving parts in IU's situations and Purdue's situation are different.  In one, it's a chronic disease that neither the coach, fans nor media will admit is an issue...and because of this, it will continue to happen. IU's God-fearing, ethical, all-around great guy of a coach will continue to treat the guys (that he recruited, by the way) like pawns in a game he's created. It's simply not right; everyone knows it even if they're not willing to admit it.

On the other side of things, Purdue had no scholarship issue in '12/'13...Hart could have stayed.  He would have probably been on the bench a lot...and both he and Painter knew that; Hell, everyone could see that during his fourth year on campus.  But if he wanted to stay, I feel like he should have been able to stay.

He and Painter agreed that a redshirt season was the right thing to do for Hart out of HS.  Hart didn't received no BCS conference offers other than Purdue...and if you remember back that far, you remember his offer/commitment as a shock to about everyone.

Hart could score, but was a pretty incomplete player...when he was on the court at Purdue, we could all see it.  His defense was pretty lousy and he made some poor decisions with the ball...and he didn't progress a whole lot during his time in God's country.  BUT, it wasn't his fault that Matt Painter recruited, offered and signed him.

"There's the door, John."

If you believe Painter is generally a good guy (like I do), and you like him being Purdue's head coach (like I do), you should see this Hart episode as an incongruity that needs to be called out (like I do). If we don't do so as a fanbase, we're no better than IU's lemmings who treat the shiny forehead like an unworthy idol.

I'm glad Painter is a straight-forward guy, not a politician.  He told everyone what happened with Hart...and while he might have thought it'd be best for Hart to move onto a new place, Hart didn't agree. Just like it was a mutual decision for Hart to redshirt, it should have been a mutual decision for him to stay.

Now, if there was an attitude or disciplinary issue that we don't know about, that changes everything...but other than Hart being pals with Barlow, I heard nor seen nothing that points to this.

Before you tell me that Purdue doesn't owe a fifth year guy a scholarship, I obviously know that...but if it was a mostly-coaching decision to not let a player play during his first season on campus, that same coach needs allow an upper classman who sweated and bled for a program to stay if he wants to.

Just because something is legal, doesn't mean it's ethical.

Does Painter's treatment of Hart warrant a pun-based label for him? Probably not...but if IU fans want to take umbrage with Purdue's treatment of a player, they shouldn't be bringing up Sandi, but might want to point to Hart.  If they do, Purdue fans, keep the names "Capobianco" and "Roth" handy for quick usage.

As The Sandi Turns

For those interested in the results of yesterday's Matt Painter/Morgan Burke press conference discussing the Sandi Marcius situation Boilerdowd wrote about yesterday, H&R is all over it.

I have to say, I think Burke and Painter are doing more than is required of them here -- as b-dowd pointed out, if a somewhat immature young man is going to whine about his lot in life when he orchestrated his arrival at that lot, there's not a lot you can do about it. Painter and Burke already had done more than enough for Sandi, I think everyone agrees, and this is just further clarification.

From Matt Painter:

"Sandi voluntarily withdrew from our team," Painter said. "Now he wants us to pay for his school after the fact and that's just something that we haven't done. As a head coach, and this is something Morgan (Burke) talked to me about when he interviewed me: 'You're in charge of your roster.' Nobody can tell me who's on my roster and who is not on my roster, and Morgan's in charge of the grant-in-aid.

"I wish (Marcius) nothing but the best. I gave him a blanket release so that he can play anywhere else that he wants. We were committed to paying for his school this summer if he was with us, and we were committed to paying for his fifth year of school next year, which would have been grad school, if he was with us. We committed to Sandi from Day 1 and have paid for all of his schooling while he's been with us. Now he's decided to leave our program, and he's not with us and he voluntarily did that. No one told him he had to leave. We wanted him to stay. That was the decision that he made."

I love iron-fisted Matt Painter, I don't know about you. As I mentioned, visit H&R for more quotes, including Matt Painter's explanation on how this differs considerably from John Hart's situation. Again, I find myself thinking he has no obligation to lay this all out -- but if it winds up painting Purdue in a more positive light, that's fine by me. Full details, truth and clarity are never a bad thing.

The Virtual Debate Rages...

If you read H&R, you've seen that Marcius is upset that Purdue will not pay for his Maymester classes that he needs to pass to graduate...so he can transfer.

Elsewhere on the interwebs, a debate is kind of ablaze regarding this topic...and here's the rest of the story:

John Hart requested a transfer for his fifth year as well, around the same time last year...So a few people have taken umbrage with Sandi's situation, including Sandi.  As of right now, Purdue won't be paying the approx. $7,000 that Marcius will owe for his final two classes.  It seems there are right-minded people on both sides of this argument, but I don't think any of them are talking about a few key details.

Who will get the last laugh?

First, once Marcius knew that he was transferring, he made himself pretty scarce.  According to sources on campus, he wasn't at a banquet (not sure which one), and was no where to be found at or around Mackey after his request for release.

Conversely, from what we've heard, that wasn't the case with Hart. His relationship with his teammates and coaches kind of faded out as headed toward the Maymester/Summer school period instead of coming to an abrupt end.  I think this might be the biggest issue.

PLUS, Painter got as close to begging as I've every heard publicly when speaking about Marcius; he really wanted Sandi back...I'm not saying he didn't really want Hart back...but he never expressed it publicly.

My guess is that there's more to these two stories than what we and small time media outlets are seeing.  But one thing we absolutely know is that Purdue owes Marcius nothing, at this point.  And if he's getting on social media and striving to get people to side with him, he failed in at least one case.  Delivery of a message still matters...tact is important...and I'd think that Matt Painter is about as receptive to internet whining as I am to sugar-free/fat-free desserts.

I always saw Marcius as a hard-working guy who didn't have an entitled attitude.  But this episode changes my view of him slightly.  I still appreciate the fact that he worked hard in practice to get better, clearly worked hard in the weight room to get strong and played hard during games.

But, Purdue has broken no rule in this case...and I'd go further to say they haven't even been unethical.  They've hurt someone's feelings; it happens.

I always tell my 7 year old son that if someone doesn't want to spend time with you, give them what they want, and take a step back.  Marcius sent a clear message that he wanted little to do with Purdue or the basketball program; so Purdue merely obliged his request.

Sandi: We Hardly Knew Ye.

Seemingly fun-loving Sandi Marcius' time in West Lafayette is drawing quickly to a close as officially announced by the athletic department earlier today.

Sandi & LBD in 2010

Marcius seemed like a bit of a project player when he arrived on campus, but he ended his time in a Purdue uniform with a flourish. He played his best basketball, by far, at the end of this season...specifically, he beat Wisconsin at their own game while giving us all a little something to look forward to.  We know now, that's not to be.

In the brief meetings I had with Marcius, I liked him...and always liked his enthusiasm as Purdue was preparing to leave the tunnel at Mackey and during timeouts.  He was an interesting guy on the court too...especially early in his career. In spite of his large frame, he seemed to always like circus shots and was pretty skilled around the basket.

Wherever he lands, I wish him well...and really don't blame him for leaving.

Marcius would have likely been in a rotation of four big me next year; the other three being Hammons, Carroll and Simpson.

Painter Owns Wisky at the Kohl yet again: 69-56

About midway through the first half, Painter burned two timeouts in an effort to simply stop the bleeding.  Purdue had let Wisconsin's lead grow from three points to eight to double digits...but the timeouts didn't work.  It felt familiar...Purdue's defense wasn't enough; Wisconsin was getting open looks...and Purdue couldn't keep up. Bo's Badger's extended the lead out to 12 and held it right around there for a few minutes until Byrd and TJohn got into their groove and made it interesting.

Our pal James, AKA Panda was made the trip yesterday to Madison as he's in his last semester in God's country...so he wanted to soak up one extra game in person.  He's a good fan.  I can't say I was of the same mind.  My family wanted to go get lunch after church, so I obliged...and figured I'd miss some of the game, but wasn't too bothered by that.  I sat my DVR remotely and listened to Cliz between stops.  For the second time this season, I made a bad decision by not deciding to watch the entire game.

By the time I got to a TV, it was around five minutes into the second half. Purdue had fought back into the game...and nearly had the lead...with Byrd and TJohn's help, Purdue was stunning the 17th ranked Badgers and the Kohl Center crowd.  Byrd hit a few threes...then TJohn got hot and suddenly Purdue was in control.  RonJohn got involved as he facilitated and fed Byrd and his brother...and Marcius became an absolute mother on the glass.  With 10:00 left, Purdue was in the driver's seat with a seven point lead...and they looked like they belonged in the lead.

Winning is fun.

One thing we know is when Byrd is on, Purdue generally plays well...and when TJohn is shooting well, Purdue at least has some offensive flow.  Both happened today, and Purdue looked like a different team than the one that got slugged around by Iowa earlier this week.

With the sub .500 Boilers actually playing basketball, Wisconsin's team got nervous and felt the pressure...so they took quick threes and made few of them.  When Purdue needed rebounds or points, Juniors TJohn and Marcius and Senior Byrd did what upper classmen are supposed to do: delivered.  RayDay also had a few clutch boards.

It wasn't all roses down the stretch though- RonJohn missed four straight free throws before he figured out that it'd be best not to have the ball in his hands in the closing minutes.  And his brother dribbled into the corner against a full court trap and booted it out of bounce.  But it didn't matter.  Purdue won, and did so going away.

Wisconsin needed a victory to stay in the B1G hunt...and Purdue effectively knocked them out of contention (you're welcome, Teflon Tommy as well as the Forehead).  Sadly, Purdue has been relegated to the role of Spoiler...and while I hate the moniker, it surely is applicable, Matty's boys were Spoilermakers this afternoon.

Bo Ryan has lost about 11 games in the last 100 at the Kohl Center...and three of those losses have come by the cold, calculated hand of Matty Painter.  Painter is Wisconsin's kryptonite, at least in Madison.

Fightin' Sandi was a difference maker at Kohl.

Painter continued with the premise of playing the guys who looked like they worked...so Marcius played more minutes, especially down the stretch, than Hammons. He finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

Byrd led all scorers with 22 points (tying his season high; Clemson) and added 8 rebounds...TJohn had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Ronnie had 8 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists...and only two TOs.  RayDay only had 3 points...but grabbed 7 key rebounds.

Purdue's woes from the free throw line continued- they shot under 65% from the line; better than many games this season...but typically not well-enough to help a team pull an upset on the road in the B1G.

BUT, and this is a big one, Purdue shot the lights out from behind the arc; they went 6-12...or should I say, Byrd went 6-for-9...and the rest of the team went 0-for-3. Regardless of how you slice it, Purdue's shooting from the field won the game...they also shot 45% from the rest of the court.  They also controlled the glass versus the big, mostly-white and red-headed beasts from the tundra of the Northern US.

Purdue shot well, played solid and beat Wisconsin at their game...and in doing so, they kept the faint glimmer of the NIT flickering.  Next up, the Forces of Good play on Wednesday at Mackey versus UM...who, after licking their wounds from the upset of the college basketball season at the hands of lowly Penn State, got a much-needed win v. MSU in Ann Arbor last night. As Keady always said, it's not who you play, but when you play them.

Purdue needs to get back to .500 to play in the NIT.  I'm the first one to say the NIT is really an inconsequential event...but, with Purdue having a bit of a heartbeat and a ton of youth on the roster, the more games they play, the better they'll be next year...and playing in a tournament atmosphere, even the NIT, is never a bad thing for a young team.  Part of me thinks we won't know the importance of this game for a year or so...the other part of me is kinda ready for this season to be over.  That said, I'd love to see Byrd play six or seven more games like this one...and more than that, love seeing my Boilers play team basketball and have a good time while doing it.  Upsetting teams along the way is just a byproduct of doing things the right way.

Choo choo, muthas.

Wednesday Gumbo

Football Quickhits:
-It sounds like Josh Johnson will be the guy returning punts to start the season for Hope's squad. He's looked sure-handed in practice...and hope likes his cool head under pressure.

-Rob Henry insists he's still a QB first at practice...and he's been getting more snaps recently, probably because of the protests.  But, he's pretty buried.  Seems TerBush has a stranglehold on the first-string job.

-In the extremely-limited footage I've seen of practice, Ibarra looks like a good athlete and can contribute quickly...if nothing else, on ST.  And speaking of Special Teams, Hope likes Feichter as a guy who can bring the fire and attitude to those units that re needed.  He compared him favorably to Carlino in previous seasons.  Like most people from Fishers, Carlino is a badass.

Bellissimo!
-Raphael Davis continues to impress in Italy.  Most-recently, he was named the MVP of the Boilers' third game on their tour while scoring 23 points off of the bench.

-Cliz is really impressed with Purdue's frontcourt.  Painter showed the combo of Hammons and Marcius at the same time...that's a ton of beef.  On top of a seven footer, and nearly-seven footer playing at one time. Hale has been cleaning the glass like a squeegee as he's averaged double-digit boards overseas.

Clisby also says don't sleep on Simpson...he really likes what he sees in practice.  But, he thinks success this season might hinge on if the bigs can get in shape before the season...The good news is there's plenty of time left.

-Purdue is now 2-1 heading into their last game of the Italian trip.

Boilers Use Johnson Penetration To Overpower Gaels, 72-69

The Boilers did a nice job of recreating their season in handy, capsule form tonight. Starting out well, the Boilers methodically built themselves a lead as the Gaels of St. Mary's refused to believe they should try something other than three-pointers.

Eventually, Purdue fans began to feel a bit comfortable as the game was taking on a look of some of those Purdue games down the stretch, where an opponent would begin to creep back in but then the Boilers would stretch it back out again. And they did do that throughout the second half, until about three minutes remained and the good guys were up 66-55. Then the Gaels churned out a 14-2 run to take their first lead of the game with less than a minute remaining, 69-68. It was happening again.

I think it's safe to say nearly all of us thought about Xavier and Butler and the fact that just minutes earlier, we were smiling inside thinking about Rob, Lew and Ryne advancing in their final NCAA tourney. Now it was suddenly, cruelly, about to be ripped away from them. But at least Terone Johnson had the ball... Terone was a man again tonight, pouring in 21 points and dishing five assists (if this was IU, Jeff Rabjohns would be hyperventilating -- but it's not IU and Terone isn't white, like Jordan Hulls). But then Terone turned the ball over. St. Mary's had the ball and the lead and just over a half minute to go -- it was over for Purdue and that sinking feeling was upon us.

If you're anything like me, it almost wasn't hitting you full force yet -- mainly because the blowing of this lead happened so damn fast. Literally in a span of a few minutes, the Boilers went from up double-digits to losing. Alas it was the only three minutes the Gaels would be able to put together, as they then traveled on the baseline attempting to inbounds it and it came back to the Boilers. And, again if you're like me, you suddenly felt a lot of hope. I didn't think Terone would make another mistake and I knew Purdue had seniors on the floor who weren't ready to go home.

Sure enough, Lewis Jackson took the ball towards the basket and was fouled. He then made two to complete is excellent 18 point night, including 6/8 from the line. Strangely, Lew was credited with zero assists -- the only time this season that has happened and only the third time in all of Lewis Jackson's college games ever. Very strange, but assist crediting can be very subjective.

Anyhow, Lewis made both his free throws to give the Boilers the lead, which the Gaels responded to -- down one, remember -- with a long range three that missed everything terribly and went out of bounds. In fact, it may have injured a cheerleader it was so off-target. As I said, the Gaels were stubborn about that. (Their coach said at halftime that he figured they wouldn't shoot as poorly in the second half as their 1-15 three-point shooting performance in the first. Well, he was right: they went 3-10 in the second.) The Boilers inbounded to Mr. Rob Hummel, who was promptly fouled and I -- like many others, I am sure -- absolutely loved that it was Rob who was striding to the line to take the critical free throws. He nailed them both, as the Boilers shot 83% from the line for the night. Rob was quiet with only ten points overall, but he had those two very clutch free throws as well as a long range bomb of a three in the first half that would have made Boilerdowd proud back in his co-rec days.

The Boilermakers bench was as short as you might expect tonight, with only eight guys getting minutes, with one of those being Travis Carroll, who played just four. Sandi Marcius logged 16 minutes and must have thought Coach Painter forgot he was out there, as Sandi hasn't played that many minutes since November 23, in an 80-37 blowout of Western Michigan. That game versus WMU was also the last time Sandi exceeded his five points tonight. Finally, Sandi went 3/3 from the line, his best performance there to date. That's a good sign of what Sandi should be capable of. Maybe all those who have written off the sophomore as "useless" already were premature. We shall see.

Anthony Johnson also used his penetrating abilities to further excite Steve Kerr, who couldn't stop talking about "Purdue's Johnsons penetrating." It was almost like Steve had a bet with someone or knew a drinking game was being played. Anyhow, AJ had another solid game, with ten points in 20 minutes and made both his free throws.

The Boilers shot 46% overall and 31% from three. Not great, but not atrocious. They were outrebounded by 11, 36-25, which is going to be a serious problem against anyone with size in the second round. Like Kansas, if they're able to advance.

This was a good start to the tourney for Purdue, as on the day several very high seeds went down, the Boilers kept the nation's best first-round first-game winning streak alive at 14 straight now.

Does the train make a stop in St. Louis? We find out Sunday. Until then, enjoy.

Getting Stoked waaaaaaay early (basketball look-in)

Articles and eye-witness accounts from campus are consistent: JJ and Ostrich are bigger and stronger and Bade's in much better shape and looks like a college basketball player. Atop that, LewJack says he's at 95%, the Freshman are blending in nicely in pick-up games and Rob's knee hasn't had any major setbacks.

Is it me, or is this not at all the Purdue way?

This off-season for the forces of good has simply been smooth and all-positive...and how refreshing is that? No rumors of transfers, or stupidity coming out via Twitter...just dudes getting better at their trade. And before you say I'm going to jinx something, I don't believe in that garbage...so save your breath.

JJ played against Lamar Odom, Kevin Durant and others in the USA camp. Plus, they found some food that he liked as it's starting to stick a bit. We all know Johnson was a great player last season, but if he has the ability to play in that determined, almost-angry fashion that we've seen from time-to-time with consistency, holy moly are we in for a fun year.

I compared Bade to Steve Scheffler as neither seemed quite ready for college ball when they entered their Purdue careers. You all know how 55's career went, but Bade still has a ton of time left to decide what he's going to be. Sounds like he's following the Schef in becoming more physically-imposing during the dog days of '10. At the same time Marcius is having opportunities to play against international talent and he's been solid. His big body, if nothing else will bolster and toughen Matty's frontcourt.

Finally, looking even further ahead, Donnie Hale has been getting some pub with his non-stop motor and ability to take and knock down shots in transition. Do you think a guy who's nearly 7 feet tall, with long arms and high-energy might fit in in Painter's defense?

So are you worried about not hearing about Smooge's progress? I wouldn't be...and am not. This is his way. He listened to what people in the know think about his game earlier in the summer and I can guarantee you, he's been working. Defense wasn't his strong suit early on in his career in West Lafayette, so he's quietly become one of Purdue's leaders in steals. Last season, everyone wanted to talk about JJ & the Ostrich, but no one talked about 33...so he went out and led the team in scoring and was the most-consistent member of the club. Moore will improve just like his classmates and teammates...and, I don't know if you guys remember this, they were all pretty good to begin with.

Once again, I have a hard time not looking through football season toward the late fall...but first things first, media day is just around the corner. 12:45, Monday, Danny Hope steps to the mic in Chicago. Tune in on BTN if your boss allows it.

Thursday Gumbo

Alright, I like football...I like sports played in a tough manner...but what we're watching in the NBA is absurd. Or should I say, what others are watching in the NBA is absurd.

I'll watch highlights...but don't like the pro game for a lot of reasons. Most recently, the fact that it's not even resembling basketball makes my disdain for the league even greater.

By the way Pistons fan, how's that Billups trade working out for you guys?

Hoping for more depth
Coach Hope added another JuCo recever who will play next fall. Cortez Smith joins fellow JuCo-er Keith Carlos in this under-experienced wide receiving corps. Unlike Carlos, Smith will play on the outside probably. Look for he and Xavier Reese to help Valentin out at flanker. In my opinion, of the receivers that are newcomers, Eric Williams and Keith Carlos have the greatest potential to make the most noise in the fall...but that's just a guess. And, it sounds like Carlos might not even make it on campus; we'll probably know more in the next month or so.

It's pronounced SOHN-dee marsh-us
Incoming Frosh PF/C, Sandi Marcius will be a big help next year. While he's a bit of a wild card in the simple fact that he's not known too well amongst college recruiting sources due to the fact that he's only been in America about a year, he seems to be a pretty good gamble. Here are a couple of notworthy tidbits about Marcius.

-He'll be the largest player on Purdue's roster next season at probably 245 when the season begins. Chris Reid was 251. And while he has a significant amount of mass, his footwork seems very good for a guy of his size.

Tell me five minutes of a player of his size/strength wouldn't have helped v. UConn...

-According to one source, Marcius has grown about 5.5 inches in the last two years...this tells me his upside is pretty sizeable and reminds me a bit of Brad Miller out of high school...with an extra 30 lbs. or so.

-Marcius is 6'9" or 6'10", depending on your source.

McBurse Cleared by NCAA Clearinghouse!!

ATM will be playing for Purdue in the fall!! Unlike Beckford's situation two years ago, McBurse will be in the strong backfield rotation for our Boilers behind Joey Elliott.

Jaycen Taylor SR
Frank Halliburton SR-FB
Dan Dierking JR
Ralph Bolden SO
Jared Crank FR (rs)-FB
Al-Terek McBurse FR

Perhaps one or more will be moved to another position in the fall? Dierking and Crank will both definitely see playing time on the Special teams and might be the guys to find another position. We'll see; this is a good position to be in for Coach Hope and co.

Basketball Recruiting
Also, it looks like Sandi Marcius is a heavy Purdue lean and will become a Boiler on Sunday.

Friday Notes

so tired

One of my least-favorite, most-sleepy times of the sports year is upon us...and outside of NFL mock drafts, little is going on that I care too much about. The NBA playoffs are about half-way through their opening-round series...MLB baseball has about 200 games left...and the 9-6 Yankees look every bit worth their $201,000,000 team salary. J's favorite team, the Sox aren't any better, but they're streaking right now...but playing the Orioles and Twins will do that for a team.

And, while some don't enjoy racing, we're nearing the month of May, which I love because of the Indy 500.

All that said, I'd trade the NBA playoffs, MLB baseball and Indy Car Racing for more Purdue football and basketball. Since I can't make the trade, here's what's going on right now:

-Prep school big man, Sandi Marcius will make his decision on Sunday following a tournament that his AAU team's playing in...The less I hear about Jeff Robinson, the more I believe he's not coming to Purdue. So, signing Marcius, simply to help with depth seems imperative to me.

And, the good news is Painter is still on the recruiting trail getting exposed to talent that he might see as a fit down the road...

-The BT/ACC challenge, which honestly hasn't been much of a challenge at all for the ACC will yield a Purdue v. Wake Forest match-up at Purdue. Regardless of the domination that the ACC has shown in this series, it still provides a decent barometer of where a team is and what they need to do to get better...I like this game and the match-ups quite a bit. And if the NBA doesn't take a few of Wake's players who have announced for the draft without agents, both teams could be top-10 at the time of the meeting.

More later...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Since We're not Journalists...

There's no need for journalistic integrity...so the previous posts (about Matty looking elsewhere & BS getting bought) not being true matter little.

What does matter is that, while UK has officially made its deal with the devil, Purdue basketball remains sturdy and stable.

Matty's going to be back next year, JJ has officially told multiple papers he's returning, Robbie Hummel's back is healing already (according to the Ostrich himself), but Smooge remains quiet as usual. I'm not reading into that much other than maybe he's catching up on the school work he missed while on his 10-day trip around the Northwestern and Southwestern US.

John Hart, the athletic, but unheralded RS Frosh will be a contributing member of the team next season, DJ Byrd's ready to be a Boiler (and has been for months), as are Kelsey Barlow and Patrick Bade...but the story that Jeff Robinson won't make it on campus, because of academics seems to be gaining more and more steam. That would leave Purdue with an open schollie...And it seems Matty has a back-up plan to bring in Croat, college prep product Sandi Marcius. Plus, he's being hyped by his coach, ex-Hoosier Delray Brooks...that can't be positive, can it?

While Nemmy was a solid Slav who contributed in his two seasons on campus, I kind of see this guy more like Chris Reid as Calasan had UK and other schools after him...and Reid was a "throw-in" of sorts with little major-conference interest. I think at this point, unless a player that was a long-term target is available, I'd either offer the schollie to a walk-on as a a one-season agreement OR use it next year for a player that would be a four-year fit...That's just me, though.

Painter's team does need depth at PF and Center, but if he's not going to play, it makes no sense.

Happy April 1st...I'm just glad the weather's nice. One year, when I was living in the Northeast, God played an April fools joke on all those living in Mass by dumping snow on us...I think our jokes were funnier.