Another Look at Sunday

Up double digits midway through the second half on Iowa, Matty's boys were in the driver's seat...but like we've seen so many times this season, they're not comfortable with success just yet.  They allowed Iowa to scratch and claw back into the game...after being smart and savvy against Iowa's trap for much of the game, Purdue lost its focus, started taking ill-advised shots and nearly gave it away.

Ronnie Johnson has looked simply brilliant at times this season...but whenever I start to have thoughts of him becoming one of Purdue's best PGs, he'll quickly remind me of his youth.  Last night was a prime example of that.  When Purdue needed him to facilitate, he seemed to think it was the perfect time for him to shoot...and after a few missed shots, Purdue's lead turned into a deficit.  Then, TJohn got in on the poor decision business and took a bad three.  This was during one of his best, most complete games of the season.  That's probably what this team's biggest problem really is- it's not just the young guys who need to learn how to complete a game, but the vets too.

Inconsistent effort is something that plagues this team...and of course, missing free throws is another disease that this group suffers from.  Last night with about four minutes left, I said to my wife, as I always say, "Hit your free throws, win the game."  Shortly after Purdue started missing FTs, as we've become accustomed to.

Conversely, there's a lot that was good about the game- Of course, the fact that it was a win is a very good thing. While an NCAA bid is surely still this team's goal, it's still a long shot.  Beating the great teams will be important in order for them to make the dance...and beating the good to not-so-good teams is essential. Iowa falls into the latter category...When boiled down, it was a winnable game at home, that they won.  The next thing that was good is that Hammons played well again after a few games in which he was quiet...TJohn continued to be one of, if not the leading scorer and Byrd's hustle set a fire under the sleepy Mackey crowd, and subsequently, his teammates.  But, Donnie Hale and Travis Carroll both made some big plays...and that's what Painter's teams need most- guys to be ready to step up when called upon.

Lawson seems to be in the doghouse a bit right now, and last night he didn't even play.  So in his stead, Carroll had a few big boards and a an important shot block in the first half.  But in the second half, Hale made a ton of plays, specifically a drive to the left in the closing minutes that kept Purdue in the hunt.

Back to Lawson really quickly- I don't have any details on why his minutes have been limited of late, but whatever Painter's asking him to do, he needs to do- for himself and for the team.  He'll be important for the Boilers down the stretch if they're going to get near the NCAA tourney.

Prior to the win over Iowa, Purdue's Composite Computer Ranking was 80.  After beating a team in the 30s, it'll surely go up...but none of it matters unless they can pull some improbable wins in the coming games.  I continue to believe the magic number for The Forces of Good is nineteen: But going 8-4 to close out the season is little more than a pipe dream, at this point. The next opportunity to get an improbable win versus one of the nation's elite, of course, comes against the highly-talented, poorly-coached, always-unlikable Hoosiers on Wednesday.

If the Paint Crew is motivated, which they clearly weren't on Sunday, they can make Mackey one of the hardest places in the nation to play for opponents.  But due to poor attendance by the students and a general malaise among the entire crowd for much of the game, it really wasn't loud until the closing moments of the game. Granted, it was a snoozer, especially in the first half- Purdue couldn't and wouldn't score, and Iowa was worse...but as J said yesterday, the opponent shouldn't matter.  If you've got four or five years to be a student at Purdue enjoy your time and take advantage of having a short walk to one of the best arenas in the nation each game. The Paint Crew has set the bar high...so when they do what they did last night, it's pretty obvious.  1000+ empties for a B1G conference game is pretty weak, regardless of who Purdue is playing.

The fact is Purdue's general fanbase that comes to Mackey is a largely passionless group, sadly. For the first time this season, but about the 20th time ever, I had a fellow Boiler take umbrage with my cheering; too loudly, not to their liking, whatever. Purdue needs the Paint Crew to be lathered up and ready to go each game...no question about it, in order for Mackey to be the proverbial hornet's nest that I've come to know and love...and visitors have come to fear.

Five ranked opponents left on the docket...beating the 7th-best team in the nation, especially one with that coach, from that place could go a long way into making this season a success.  T-Minus just 57.5 hours until tip-off.

Choo Choo, Muthas.

What DIDN'T Happen When Purdue Beat a Ranked Illinois Team

The other night, as you know, Purdue was .500 heading into their game against a ranked Illinois team. The Boilers were looking at a tough season ahead and there were some concerns about how good they'd be this season, but most of the faithful had confidence that the Boilers would become good in the near future.

One thing we all remained confident about was that Coach Painter would work on these guys and mold them into his team. We knew they'd get better and most of us believed they would steal some games they might not be expected to win. We weren't sure was ahead, but we knew it would be a challenge.


Then Wednesday night happened and the Boilers took down the Illini at home (granted, it was a 13-1 Illini team ranked 11, not a 14-6 Illini team barely in the top 25). The fans got loud during the game and the Paint Crew contributed to the mayhem. The cheers seemed to be a mix of "it's about time" and pride, as the Boilers made Mackey the place it has frequently been during Matt Painter's tenure. As the clock found zero, the fans cheered louder and the players congratulated each other, smiling broadly as they learned what this kind of win feels like in the Big Ten.

Matt Painter shook hands with John Groce and the team worked its way to the locker room. The fans sang the fight song and headed for the exits. It was a fun night. It was a win over the #11 team in the country, who to that point only had one loss. And it pushed Purdue over .500. But it was something you expect from a good program.

Do you know what didn't happen? Stuff that happens when you're small time. The fans didn't go berserk and rush the court. We rarely do that at Purdue. Beating ranked teams isn't court-storm-worthy. Beating top ten teams isn't really, either, since you know, you're at home and you are supposed to beat good teams at home.

Another thing that didn't happen? Matt Painter wasn't seen acting like a complete buffoon in the concourse at Mackey, leaping like a goon and raising his arms like he was a champion. Painter also didn't feel the need to go into the crowd and hug and kiss his family in a phony move before shaking the opposing coach's hand. Which we thought was nice.

We continue to be thrilled that our head coach is who he is, that our fans are who they are, and that our players are who they are. The train is coming, folks, and we'll celebrate when the time is right. Just not about the little baby steps that get taken on the way there.

We expect those.

Do Not Tell Me "It Can't Be Done"

Whenever we lament the state of Purdue football, someone almost always tries to educate us on our lot in life as Purdue fans. They point out that the facilities are limited, the stadium is among the smallest in the Big Ten, it's a tough place to recruit, there isn't a history of winning, etc., and so forth, lather, rinse repeat. In the end, it can be summed up with "We're just Purdue."

Well, as we've said before here, we reject that out of hand. For one thing, Purdue has competed, and in different eras. The 1960s Purdue teams were a force, culminating in a Rose Bowl win over USC. Then, of course, there was the Tiller resurgence in the late 1990s into the early oughts, where Drew Brees and others carried the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl once again. And less highly-thought-of, of course, was the short era right after that, when Purdue was now considered a major player and high-potential guys would gladly attend. The door was open and the mantra of being the cradle of quarterbacks was reignited -- guys like Kyle Orton stepped in and the pieces seemed to be falling into place. We all know what happened next and it's not worth re-hashing once again... but the point here is that, while the windows can be tighter and harder to open, it can be done.

And that's the issue for me. I'm tired of being told it can't be done or hearing about the limitations our school faces. Limitations only get legs when people begin to rely on them as excuses for a lack of success. This applies anywhere in life, not just in college athletics. There are stories about people overcoming incredible odds all the time and the consistent theme is always rooted in two factors: hard work and perseverance. If you work harder than others and you never stop trying, good things will eventually happen. It's not a complicated formula.

Morgan Burke and the athletic department at Purdue are happy with staying profitable -- it has never been worth it to them to wade into the deep end of the pool and shoot the moon. That would take more money, more risk, etc., and why do that when you're comfortable in the black?

And for anyone who points to the successes they've recently (last 15 years) enjoyed, let's recap once again.

Burke got lucky with Joe Tiller. Tiller wasn't a young, up-and-comer and as Bdowd reminded you all, Burke wanted Bob Davie. Tiller had enough energy left to go hard for a while and he had the cowboy swagger that is absolutely necessary to succeed at a place like Purdue on the metaphorically uneven field that is football.

Burke got very lucky with Matt Painter. Painter, for those who have forgotten, was hired as the associate head coach and successor to Gene Keady in 2004 at the age of 34. Matt had one season as a head coach at any level before coming to Purdue. Granted, it was a 25-5 season at Southern Illinois, a top 15 ranking and an NCAA Tourney appearance season, but it was one season from a very young coach all the same. Most of us look at Painter as the right guy for Purdue basketball now, but it's easy to see how this could have gone the way of Todd Lickliter, for example.

Burke got it wrong with Danny Hope. I think it's fair to say that now, as we've seen four years of middling to excruciating football out of the Hope regime. We've been complaining about the same missteps and inconsistency for four years now. It's fair to give a guy the chance to right the ship, but he's done nothing of the sort and only punched more holes in the hull. But the point of this post isn't to rehash the Danny Hope era.

Back on the theme of not wanting to hear it anymore, let's look at five programs who frankly have the same excuses that Purdue does (or similar ones) and yet find a way to produce success. Nobody here is suggesting that Purdue should be competing for the national title every year -- but how about a ten win season every 10-15 years? How about strings of 7-to-9 win seasons, which suggest you're knocking on the door and with a break here or there might bust through to a BCS bowl game?

The following programs are examples of what Purdue could be doing.

Rutgers

Boilerdowd likes to say that I love Rutgers because I live near the school and occasionally attend games. What can I say? I'm a sucker for awesome campus food and lukewarm fan support of a college football team?

But Rutgers is an afterthought in the minds of most NJ sports fans. Their stadium -- which was renovated in 2011 and is a great place to watch a game -- only holds 52,000 (up from 41,000). And they have almost zero football "tradition," in terms of success on the field. Rutgers went 0-11 in 1997. They went 1-11 in 2002. But then Greg Schiano began building something and just three years later, they were in their first bowl game in 27 years. A year later they won 11 games and rose as high as #7 in the nation. Starting with that 2006 season, Rutgers has won at least eight games in six of seven seasons (2010 was the lone hiccup, at 4-8), at least nine games in four of them and if they win one more this year (they're 9-1), they'll have won double digits twice in that span and are likely to get to a BCS bowl game this year. Sure, sure, it's the faltering Big East, I get it -- but I don't care how you get there... you still need to win the games on your schedule.

Boise State

Yes, we had the Broncos forced upon us for years as the little engine that could and the small-time program that could play with the big boys. For all the fun that could sometimes provide, Boise's success probably did more harm than good with regard to things like the BCS. Supporters of the idiotic end to CFB's season pointed to Boise State as evidence that everyone did indeed get a fair shake. It's nonsense, of course, as Boise has most certainly not gotten a fair shake or a legit chance to dethrone the big guys. When they have gotten such an opportunity, they've cashed in, winning two BCS bowl games (the Fiesta Bowl in '06 and '09).

There is no way Boise has more in the way of opportunity than Purdue. It's Idaho, plus the recruiting ground they are near is also shared with Pac 12 programs like Oregon, Oregon State, Washington, USC, UCLA, Stanford, etc. Bronco Stadium only holds 37,000. Oh, and hey, it's freaking Idaho.

Yet despite all of this, the Broncs have held onto Chris Petersen and are about to have their seventh straight double-digit win season, 10th in their last 11 season and 12th in their last 14 years. I don't care where you play -- that is reeeedonkulous. They have 15 losses in the last eleven years. The point of all this? Success can happen.

Cincinnati

You want something a little closer to home and the midwest? How about Cincinnati? They have below-average facilities according to everything we read, their stadium (Nippert) holds 34,000 and bills itself as the "Wrigley Field of college football" (which maybe means they have drunken fans who like a poor product, I guess?), and they of course have to recruit in the same state as O$U. Yet they just keep winning.

Entering 2012, the Bearcats have won double-digit games four of the previous five seasons. They're 7-3 in 2012 with two games remaining plus their bowl, so ten wins is actually still possible. They've also done all this despite having three different coaches since 2006, as they're becoming a popular team to poach from. With their facilities and conference alignment, it's unlikely that Cinci can make themselves any more appealing for a coach to remain at for more of a career. Yet again, they win games. Crazy!

Northwestern

Let's hit even closer to our hearts. The Wildcats are no football powerhouse, to be sure. There are some who feel they've never truly fit in the Big Ten, what with their snooty, private school image, low enrollment (around 8,000) and smallest-in-the-Big-Ten football stadium (47,000). And yet, Coach "Fitz" has the Wildcats knocking on the door of a -- brace yourself -- ten win season. They are 8-3 this year with Illinois and a bowl game remaining. Sure, they turn back into the Mildcats come bowl season (haven't won a bowl in over 60 years), but they fact remains, they're seemingly always bowl eligible anymore (six straight years and nine of the last ten) and Fitzgerald has won at least eight games three times in his seven seasons. Not incredible, I realize, but not shabby, either.

Fitzgerald is a good comparison in another way, too, in that he has only had one bad season in Evanston, which was his first one, when he went 4-8. Every single other season he's had has been a bowl eligible season. Legendary success? No. But putting them in a position where a few breaks gets them into a conference title game or a top tier bowl? It certainly improves the odds, let's leave it at that.

Stanford

My final example is the Cardinal, a proud school with high academic standards that has managed to become a power player in the Pac 12. Standford has had a lot of mediocrity in their history -- more than Purdue, some might conclude. And yet, with the right coach (Jim Harbaugh), they quickly built a program that not only wins, it wins huge.

Stanford is about to have its third straight double-digit win season, assuming they can either beat UCLA or their bowl opponent. They're also going to play their fifth top-15 team this season, and they've already beaten #1 (Oregon, last weekend), #2 (USC, September 15) and #13 (Oregon State, two weeks ago), while very nearly beating current #1 Notre Dame in South Bend on October 13. That, my friends, is a program on the rise.

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In closing, I'd like to say once again that I do not want to hear it cannot be done. It can be done, my fellow Boilermakers. It can and it should be done. I realize these aren't all perfect apples-to-apples comparisons -- that's why I provided five of them. These are programs that for whatever reason have the odds stacked against them in today's college football landscape, yet find creative ways to be successful -- some to extreme levels that even dreamy fans probably didn't dream of.

At Purdue, we want swagger back. We want excitement back. We want players and coaches who want to be here and who aren't interested in excuses. We want to see effort, preparation and creativity. You provide those ingredients and the fans will show -- as they have before -- that they will come into Ross-Ade and make even that marginal stadium a true home field advantage.

Make it happen, Purdue. We're all ready.

Boilers Start Slow, Then Roll: 54-16

The Boilers -- for the first time in a while -- were predictable in a good way on Saturday. We all expected them to control Eastern Michigan pretty thoroughly and they did it. The 54 points is a high for the Danny Hope era against FBS schools, and perhaps the only flaw to point out today is that the team took a while to get rolling, then scored in bunches.

In the first quarter -- and into the second -- I felt like this had some of those dreaded markings of the annual Danny Hope home snoozer against an inferior opponent. I've been saying for a while that I fully expect the Marshall game to be that game this season, but this one did show signs early. The Boilers had something like six yards on their first seven plays. Also, it was 0-0 three-quarters through the first quarter and only a 13-9 game halfway through the second.

EMU's ability to stop the run was, shall we say, less than strong. So after a 50 yard TD on a pass play to Akeem Hunt, Brandon Cottom got serious and broke off an 87 yard rumble for a score. The Boilers had three rushing TDs of 40 yards or more -- Shavers had a 40 yard scamper to start the scoring, and Hunt had a 56 yard dash in the third quarter (which the Boilers won, 7-0; baby steps, I guess).

As mentioned, this one essentially went as expected, though I will admit I didn't foresee the Boilers rolling up 54 points. It would have been 56, but McCartney had some trouble on a couple of PATs. Something to be concerned about? I think it's worth keeping an eye on, as the kicking game is a lot more likely to be the difference if Purdue hopes to pull out wins over the cream of the Big Ten next month.

Caleb TerBush got the bulk of the work and wound up 16/24 for 158 and two TDs (plus one rushing) and an INT. While those are not exactly eye-popping numbers, Caleb continues to throw for a reasonable completion percentage, and we'll take three TDs out of our quarterback against the one pick. Not sexy, but we'll take unsexy 38-point wins anytime.

Motoring

Rob Henry was unspectacular -- likely due in no small part to continued rust -- in going 2/6 for 26 yards and Hope and Nord continued their strange insistence on using three QBs, getting Austin Parker in there for a single pass as well.

The Boilers looked solid after the slow start and what they're doing to you, dear reader, is upping the expectations around Boilerland....and also beyond. Boilerdowd got a text today from an IU fan friend of his who stated flatly, "Purdue is winning their division this year." We're also hearing those murmurs elsewhere, as Wisconsin has not looked good at all to this point.

While we're not quite ready to go that far, as you know, winning the games you're supposed to win was something we've railed about many times. In addition to that, we've also discussed that good teams -- or teams that aspire to be good -- have to crush bad teams, not just sneak by them. Purdue did that today, taking care of business against a MAC team.

The Boilers get a bye next weekend and then welcome the Thundering Herd to town in a game I'm very concerned about but B-dowd feels the Purdue lines will have a significant positive impact in. Time will tell, as always, but if Purdue pummels Marshall as well and heads to Big Ten play 3-1 with only the three-point loss at ND on the ledger, the excitement will only be that much more pronounced.

Is the train coming? I just might be. Choo choo, muthas.

Big Ten Tourney Champs!

Ass-kicking-makers

The Purdue Boilermakers won the Big Ten baseball tournament last night by kicking Indiana's ass twice -- the way that mattered was the second time on the field (6-5) in as many days; the other way was in a bench-clearing scuffle after a dust-up at third base. 

The Boilers went 3-0 in the tourney and are now outright regular season champs as well as tourney champs. As mentioned the other day, they also have the pitcher, player AND coach of the year in the Big Ten. They've now received an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament, their first appearance in the big tourney in a quarter century.

The all-tournament team was also announced and featured five Boilermakers:


P: Jonny Hoffman, Indiana P: Tony Bucciferro, Michigan State
P: Lance Breedlove, Purdue
C: Kevin Plawecki, Purdue
1B: Ryan Krill, Michigan State
1B: Richard Stock, Nebraska
2B: Micah Johnson, Indiana
3B: Cameron Perkins, Purdue
SS: Kirby Pellant, Ohio State
SS: David Miller, Purdue
OF: Will Nolden, Indiana
OF: Anthony Cheky, Michigan State
OF: Barrett serrato, Purdue
DH: Michael Pritchard, Nebraska
Most Outstanding Player: Kevin Plawecki, Purdue



Of course, this all makes the mess that happened in the 9th inning that much more frustrating. 


As you can see, Purdue's success is tied to their commitment to hustle (a familiar Boilermaker trait). That hustle, combined with the Hoosiers throwing it around like a little league team, led to the Boilers take the lead. Eric Charles then slid awkwardly into Michael Basil at third and apparently didn't acknowledge the famous IU banners, which Basil didn't like so he kind of knees him and there's a little shove and then before you know it, the benches have emptied, and someone (probably an umpire) is yelling "Get back in the fu-king dugout!"

Charles and Dustin DeMuth were ejected yet Basil, who started it all, was apparently not. I know there are always different way rivals see such a situation... BUT. Whether you like it or not, this was a baseball play until Basil started a fight, simple as that. I don't care if you don't like the slide or if you don't think it was textbook -- that doesn't matter. If a guy is blocking a base, you can barrel into him. That's how it works. Always has, and if you can't handle that, you shouldn't be playing baseball.

Watch the video above that Riley Schmitt had up last night. At 1:43, you can see Basil doing a headlock maneuver. At 1:49 you can see Charles -- who is on the ground and a bit more defenseless than the ogres standing over him -- get hammered by Basil who I guess took a bump from behind as an excuse to forearm shiver Charles. For a few scary seconds, Charles looks like a cowboy who fell under the herd.

The upshot is that Charles may likely be suspended for at least a game in the NCAA tournament as a result of this, which kind of seems like a bitter pill to swallow. Sure, we're biased, but here are the facts: Purdue has their first legit shot at the college world series perhaps ever. IU was frustrated and started a bench-clearing fight with their rival who was in the midst of taking their candy yet again. Somehow Purdue will have the biggest negative impact from this.

All that said, let's simply enjoy the fact that your Boilers are conference champs X 2.

Choo-choo, muthas.

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.

Boilers Make Michigan Go Blue On Senior Night; Win 75-61

Lew is clubbed in the head while Smotrycz
acts like he's been clipped by a sniper

Here's a revolutionary formula: Shoot 50% overall, 47% from three, 88% from the line. Rebound well, don't turn the ball over a lot and make smart decisions. Oh, and be confident in your abilities and stick to a game plan.

Yes, the "revolutionary" part of the above paragraph is facetious. When you do those things and you're a talented basketball team, you will win a lot more than you'll lose. The Boilermakers went into Ann Arbor tonight (oh baby) to take on the 13th ranked and 15-0 at home Michigan Wolverines on their senior night. That's not usually a good situation to be heading into, especially when you've struggled against good teams this year, especially ranked teams.

However, one may recall the way Purdue came ready to play against OSU in Columbus not long ago, and the Boilers clearly remembered letting the 66-64 loss slip away at home vs UM on January 24.

The Boilers leaped out to a quick 9-2 start and though Michigan would of course come back -- many times -- tonight definitely looked different. As B-dowd said to me after the game, Purdue would stretch the lead and then Michigan would make a run -- as all good teams do -- and get it back to very close again...and then Purdue would stretch it back out again, with timely buckets, dagger threes and the emergence of Terone Johnson.

Zero went off tonight, with a career-high 22 points on 75% (!) shooting, including 100% (4-4) from the line, to go along with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Not a bad night. Plus, the way he scored the points was as important as the points themselves. Time after time, Terone drove to the hole and laid it on, several times drawing a foul in the process. What I loved about it all was the way, as the game wore on, TJohn clearly wanted the ball in his hands. He wanted to make that play and to be the guy. I absolutely loved that and I don't think it can be overstated. Is he going to play this way every night? Of course not, and he doesn't need to. TJohn is a sophomore. Good things are coming.

Rob Hummel also continued looking like his old self as he has in recent games, putting up 17 and 9. It wasn't always pretty, as Rob shot 5-12 from the field, but he warmed up considerably in the second half, winding up shooting 75% from three and the same 100% (4-4) from the line as Terone. Rob's nine rebounds were also huge, as the Boilers managed to outrebound the Wolverines by one, 28-27. To be fair, Michigan's game isn't based on size, either, so let's keep that in mind.

Lewis Jackson also continued his strong play down the stretch, scoring 9 big points, to go with 5 assists and only one turnover.

Purdue was 14-16 from the line, with the only two misses coming from AJohn, who still went 2-4, which, for him, is a banner night. Conversely, the Wolverines only went to the line four times and went 2-4 there. The Boilers committed only 8 fouls on the night to the Wolves 15. That's definitely one of those weird discrepancies that usually doesn't happen because of the way home court affects the below-average officials in the NCAA. However, Valentine, Burr and Hightower weren't in town gesticulating for the crowd, which is the only thing I can think of.

As mentioned, everyone looked confident as they all carried out their assignments. One guy who's usually a culprit when things aren't looking smooth and who take a lot of abuse from the fans is Travis Carroll and Travis was good tonight. He scored six points, didn't miss a shot from the field or the line and even made Michigan pay for laying off him as he was out at around 19 feet and buried a shot from there.

Ryne was fairly quiet, but his hustle was still there and he did shoot 75% from the field (3-4) and grabbed four boards. 

Michigan is a very good team, let's make no mistake about that, but they are stubborn. Tim Hardaway, Jr. (and I'm glad he's got the "Jr." on his jersey so I don't mistake him for his papa) decided he was going to shoot and shoot and shoot in the hopes that one of the bricks he was flinging around would crack the block of ice in which he was encased. Zack Novak, long one of our least-favorites here at BS, finishes his career 2-4 against Purdue with a 14 point exclamation point on his senior night. I feel a little bad saying that, but then I just need to look at Novak's face.

That said, Belein has these guys playing pretty well and maybe tonight was partly Purdue but also partly Michigan not staying focused. That can happen on big nights and I can imagine the Wolverines wanting another shot at the Boilers in Indy in a couple of weeks.  

Tonight, the Purdue bench remained short as the only guys getting significant minutes were AJ and DJ. Coach Matty is clearly feeling these are his guys for the upcoming March run and they're responding. They look, to me at least, as though they've figured a few things out. They look as though they simply don't care anymore about the bad breaks they may have had, the leads they may have blown, the troublemakers they've had among them. They know who they are now, as you often do by February, and they're rolling with it. The road is coming to an end one way or the other for Rob, Lew and Ryne, and I suspect those guys are ready to give us all everything they've got left in the tanks.

Purdue lacked a "signature" win; they lacked a win over a ranked team in fact, as we discussed last week. Despite those facts, I didn't necessarily look at tonight as a proverbial "must win." With another two games remaining, the Boilers still could finish strong and, honestly, should have wound up no worse than 19-12 (9-9) if you chalked up losses on the road and a win at home versus PSU on senior night. While no games can be taken for granted, I simply cannot see the Boilers being swept by the last place team in the conference or losing on Rob Hummel's senior night. So now they're looking at having 20 wins going into next weekend....and then the guys head to IU for their senior night.

After tonight's win and the composure the Boilers showed in soundly beating a team that is considerably better than IU, I'm starting to think that March 4 in Ass Hall will be a battle royale. And I'm thinking our guys will be more than ready.

Choo-choo.

Ho Hum: Danny Hope Continues Domination of OSU, 26-23

Well, now, that would have been an awesome game in the SEC....amirite?? ESPN would have talked about it for two weeks.

Our Boilers did exactly what we asked of them in our predicto -- they proved us wrong. And we're giddy about it. No matter how you feel about things, it's a hell of a lot more fun to watch wins than losses and beating good teams is also something that gives you, as a fan, a measure of satisfaction. And yes, make no mistake, OSU is a good team. No, they're not field-rush-worthy, but hey, who is anyone to tell the Purdue fans who actually showed up what they should be allowed to do after beating Ohio State...again?

Danny Hope is now 2-0 officially against Ohio State with last year's games being vacated by OSU in the wake of the Tressel/Pryor tattoo nonsense. And he's legitimately undefeated against them at home. What is it about Ohio State that this program game-plans well for? Because over the past six years, Purdue is now 3-3 against the Bucknuts. Not many programs can say that.

The defense did what T-Mill (and all of us, honestly) asked them to do -- they stacked the box and dared OSU to throw. And Braxton Miller tried to oblige. Despite throwing for well under 50% completion percentage, he did manage two TDs through the air and nearly led the Bucks to a last-minute victory. But Bruce Gaston blocked yet another kick for the Boilers to keep the game tied at 20-20.

The Boilers then moved to midfield and I'm sure I wasn't the only one thinking this might finally be the logical time to have Carson Wiggs try a 60+ yard field goal -- and then Robert Marve threw a terrible INT to close regulation. But Robert stood tall and the coaching staff, to their credit, stuck with him. He rewarded their faith by leading the Boilers in for the winning score in OT. I don't care how you feel about the QB situation or who should or should not be starting, but I think you have to feel good for Robert Marve. This guy finally gets his chance to shine and lead these guys and he pulled it off. Good for him.

To that point, we don't see how Marve can't start the next two games -- or at least the Iowa game.  He's earned that much and has looked better leading this team in crunch time, in our opinion.

B-dowd will be along later to provide his on-the-scene report as we were fortunate to have tickets in the high rollers area thanks to generous BS benefactor Ed. But I spoke to him as he was driving down 65 getting back to Indy for a dinner he needs to get to (the BS boys are in high demand -- book early!) and he said on the post-game radio show, they were still looking for Danny Hope 30-45 minutes after the game. They kept saying he was still down on the field with the fans. Our observation there? Danny Hope loves being coach so much and loves this program so much that he wanted to personally thank every one of them that was there. Gotta love him for that.

On that subject, those of you pining for Coach Hope to be replaced, I think you're going to have to get used to him for at the very least another year. This team is now 5-5, with two very winnable games remaining and really now has little excuse not to get to a bowl game. And not to go all H&R on you, but is it so crazy to think that Purdue actually could beat Iowa at home, IU on the road...and the bowl opponent if they got a good draw? That would be eight wins, folks. I don't think it's going to happen, but it's suddenly not complete nonsense. Amazing.

We're done trying to figure out what's going to happen with this team. I said a couple weeks ago that if they beat OSU that they would find a way to lose to Iowa the following week. That wouldn't shock me one bit and Purdue did actually match up well with what OSU's offense does (or doesn't do). But now it at least makes next weekend a game against Our Most Hated Rival with a lot riding on it. This class of seniors could clinch their first bowl game on senior day.

Enjoy it, everyone. Choo choo, muthas.

Students Divided: Cheering For Two Teams

"I just don't know which way to cheer this weekend! Maybe I'll wear a half-and-half jersey," says Cara Belch. "I know I go to Purdue, but I was raised Catholic, too. Isn't it wrong to root against the only Catholic school with a football team in America?"

Research shows that Boston College and other Catholic schools do indeed field football programs, yet Catholicism is rarely the reason people cheer for BC.

Freshman Tristian Shamble agrees rooting for Notre Dame is fine: "I totally grew up in West Lafayette but, you know, Notre Dame is also in Indiana so I don't see anything wrong with rooting for them. Plus, when I was a kid, the guy who mowed our lawn had a tattered old Notre Dame shirt on. One time he invited me into the landscaping truck so he could show me how to check the oil. I was 9 at the time and don't remember anything between then and when I was 16, but well....I remember the Notre Dame shirt. And the smell of musk and gasoline."

And so it goes for Purdue students who have such firm and understandable loyalties to our rivals to the north. It's hard to blame them, too. Notre Dame's field features Jesus himself signaling a field goal, something that's hard to root against.

"I've been told that Jesus cheers for Notre Dame," continues Belch, "and also for North Carolina basketball, that's why the sky is Carolina blue. Point is, winning teams make people happy. It's the same reason I post pictures of my shoes on Twitter -- to make others happy, because people love to weigh in on what I'm wearing when I chase football players. It's also why I cheer for Ohio State -- they win a lot, it's easy, plus I once knew a kid who went to my church who wore an OSU sweatshirt every week and masturbated in the public library. I like guys who express themselves without touching me because I'm a weird tease. I don't know what this has to do with anything, but I know I can like multiple teams and feel fine about it."

It's that sort of dizzying logic that makes loyal Purdue fans crazy.

"It's bullsh-t," says junior Jessica Doore. "In fact, if I find the other people quoted in this story, I'm going to punch them in the face."

Shamble disagrees.

"Look, I love being a Purdue fan," he says. "It's just that after the Purdue game is over, I need to keep cheering because I love the way the players kick the ball and the way the male cheerleaders look when they flex. Wait, can you edit that out? No? Okay, whatever. So around 3 PM every Saturday, I like to turn on NBC and cheer for Notre Dame. NBC tells me they're great and when has NBC ever lied to me? It's the network that brought us 'Whitney,' for pete's sake! That's comic gold. Plus, when I was in high school, my sister nailed a guy who went to Notre Dame. From then on, we were all hooked."

Freshman Jack Fender agrees with the two-timers that Doore wants to punch.

"When you go to Notre Dame, you just don't go to the stadium," Fender said. "It's the grotto. The lake. The Joyce Center. It's a total package of things you go see, all filled with history. At least, that's what my dad tells me. And I don't like to question him because he can be kind of mean when he drinks."

So there you have it. Love 'em or hate 'em, fans of both squads lurk on Purdue's campus. And they have completely legitimate reasons, so leave them alone. Because alone is what they will always be.

Onward



Starter

It's easy to be downtrodden about things after the week we've seen. Earthquakes, hurricanes (of natural and Miami persuasion) and the loss of Rob Henry for the season.

To recap, which I had to actually do because I literally lost count, this is ACL injury number 7 to basketball and football players at Purdue since 2009.

Robert Marve tore his during his transfer year in 2009, then again in the Toledo game last year in 2010 (that's two). Rob Hummel tore his in February and October of 2010 (two more). Ralph Bolden tore his before the season in 2010 (that's five total). Keith Smith tore his early last season (that's six) and was then arbitrarily denied another year of eligibility by the always-rational NCAA. And now Rob Henry has torn his, bringing us to seven. (No offense to any Purdue croquet players I missed.) Oh, and just to make you really wonder, Joey Elliott tore his ACL last month making a tackle in a in Canada. Seriously. (And how far back do you want to go? In 2008, Jaycen Taylor missed the season with... yep...a torn ACL.)

But we move onward from here. We've talked about being a fan before and, well, this shouldn't change anything. You're either a Purdue fan or you aren't. And while it's easy to throw your hands up and be incredulous -- and yes, this is amazing bad luck -- you have to also remember the guys who are still out there.

This team lost a teammate, Sean Matti, earlier in the preseason. Now they've been told that one of their captains is injured for the season. And they're coming off a disappointing campaign.

Marve was a guy that we got the feeling they were all getting behind last year... and then he went down. Now we've heard even better stories about Henry's leadership....and he's down.

BUT....

There are still 80+ guys on this team who aren't injured, but who've seen Bolden, Marve, Smith and Henry get their seasons taken away. And, as mentioned, the far more devastating impact of a teammate actually dying. These guys are still working hard, they are still doing their best to believe... and they're eager -- you just know it -- to show us all what kind of team we have in a week.

My point is, don't give up now... don't reduce your support. Don't say you're not going to go to as many games as you might have. Don't throw in the towel. I don't think these guys have yet. I know Coach Hope hasn't yet. Show up next Saturday and make them believe... that you believe.

They might need it more than ever right now.

Boilers Pluck Peacocks. 65-43; Await Georgetown/VCU Winner

The Boilers rolled in their opening round game against St. Peter's, as we all knew they would. It's rare that Boilermaker fans get confident going into a tourney game, but this was one where the general feel was pretty damn positive.

I spoke to B-dowd before the game and I said my theory on Purdue's run was that tonight's game would be the most "fun" one for all of us as fans, while all remaining games from this point forward would be stressful.

It turned out to be exactly that way. During the week, I said on the podcast that Purdue was going to win big and needed to win big to get confidence back and to assert themselves, quite frankly. Winning by 22 points doesn't really allow the media to minimize your potential, for example, and that's a good thing. We like to see the Boilers respected.

Nevertheless, every time St. Peter's made a basket, the D-level broadcasting crew on TNT would try to suggest the Peacocks were "making a run." Never mind that no such run really ever occurred.

As for the game itself, sure, there are some things to discuss.

What I liked:

-- JJ grabbing 16 boards. Sure, SPC was small and not a good rebounding group, but Johnson simply snatched quite a few of those away from two or three 'cocks at a time. 

-- Lewis Jackson's game. Four of five from the floor, four of five from the line, 12 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. His game was barely noted by the broadcasting team, who was too busy showing really uncomfortable hugs and caressing by SPC's coach and badass, 5-point-scorer Nick Leon. However, Eammon Brennan caught up with Lew after the win. Lew was on his game tonight and it was good to see, especially in light of Barlow's absence.

--On that note, I also liked Terone tonight. TJ looked very comfortable at the point tonight and it was actually terrific to see. He looked more comfortable, to me, than he's looked most of the season... and that's not to say he hasn't looked good this year. I'm just saying it's amazing what playing your natural position can do for a guy. Terone had eight points (including two treys), four dimes and two steals.

--Holding a team to 43 points. Kind of awesome.

What I didn't like:

--Purdue turning the ball over 16 timess, more than SPC....including seven by Smooge alone. Wow. I don't know if St. Peter's defense is that good or if Purdue had a sloppy night, or a little of both. Many times, things like this do indeed fall somewhere in the middle. Remember, the Peacocks were ranked very high defensively in college basketball and I guess it was at least partially deserved. It didn't stop a 22 point beatdown, but it did cause Purdue to turn the ball over a lot and to only score 65 points.

--Sloppyness. Some of it was SPC D, as mentioned, but there were other things that had nothing to do with the opposition. Sloppy passes, taking eyes off the ball, fumbling rebounds, etc. Yes, you can get away with this stuff now but we all know you need to buckle down. I'm inclined to not be real worried about any of this because it was the first game, plus it was a team Purdue was up big on most of the night. You do tend to lose your focus a bit when you're up 25, no matter how much you try not to.

-- Ryne Smith going 0-5 from the floor. Sure, he is coming off a concussion and, sure, a St. Peter's player braced himself on the back of Ryne's neck in order to block Smith and knock him to the floor...but hey, what does that matter?  Seriously, though, we're big fans and I hope Ryne is okay and that he gets back on track. We need you, Ryno.

Next up...

As I write this, VCU is taking the naughty paddle to Georgetown's collective hineys, so it looks like our Boilers will face the 11-seed VCU Rams, also of black and gold lineage. Game will be Sunday, time as yet to be determined.

One stop down, three to go until reaching our final destination of Houston. The ride begins to pick up speed now, so please hang on.

Choo-choo, muthas.

Seeding

We discussed this a bit on the Handsome Hour last night (so go listen NOW if you haven't), but I wanted to talk about Purdue's potential seed and a little bit about why it matters.

I think there are three potential outcomes after the Big Ten Tournament for Purdue, barring some kind of catastrophic occurrence (like, oh, for example, last year vs Minny).

1) Purdue wins the Big Ten Tourney. If this happens, I think Purdue is in line for a potential 1-seed or, more likely, a very strong 2-seed (read: the top team in Chicago).

2) Purdue wins Friday night over MSU (most likely) and then loses to either Wisconsin on Saturday or OSU on Sunday. If this happens, I project Purdue as the 3-seed we currently keep seeing them as in mock brackets.

3) Purdue loses Friday night to Michigan State. If this happens, I think Purdue winds up as a 4-seed, which is kind of incredible... it would be almost exactly what happened last year and would culminate a hell of a roller-coaster month. And it'll make some people ask if Purdue peaked too early, if you believe in those sorts of things.

Incidentally, I think if Iowa pulls the upset of MSU and advances to play Purdue, you'll see the Boilers win by 20 or 30. I hope it happens, but I don't think it will. I also worry about Purdue having to beat MSU three times in one season. While they only need to beat them once on Friday, I can't imagine many teams have ever beaten Izzo thrice in a season.

I think the most likely outcome for this team is the 3-seed we've been seeing. And if they wind up in that Anaheim region that I keep seeing them projected for, well, I'll take the projections I've been seeing, because they would be 1) ND 2) BYU 3) Purdue. That would mean that, assuming seeding more or less holds to form, Purdue would have to beat BYU and/or UND to get to the Final Four. And I'll take that right now. Sure, it would be a load of drama facing the national program that is UND, but we here at Boiled Sports would absolutely love not only knocking out IU fans' second-favorite program, but also ending Scott Martin's season in painful fashion. I only wish Rob Hummel could hit a dagger three in his grill.

We also sometimes see others saying, hey, let's not worry about seeding, let's not stress, etc. And while I sometimes sort of agree that we just need to let things fall where they may, I will say this: seeding does matter. You've heard me say it before: last year's crappy seed cost Purdue a legit shot at the Final Four. If Purdue doesn't wind up running into the national champions in the Sweet 16, well, I think they honestly have a really good shot at getting to Indy. And if they weren't a 4-seed, they wouldn't have faced the Dukies that early...or maybe wouldn't have even been in their region. So it very much matters.

As a 4, you have to win four tough games to get to the Final Four. Siena showed they were there to play and a couple years ago, Northern Iowa was happy to be there, but did a hell of a lot more the following year. Purdue dodged a bullet there. Point is, if you're a 1 or a 2, you have one really cakewalk game and perhaps one more semi-easy game. So now you've only got two really tough games to get to the Final Four. That's a hell of a lot more appealing than having four bloodbaths to get there. Know what I mean?

Of course, all that said, 4-seeds (and lower) can and have advanced to the final weekend. So I certainly won't be making excuses if Purdue doesn't get there and basing those on seed. Because Purdue will have the chance this weekend to earn the best possible seed they can get.

I'm ready for some BTT. Choo-choo, muthas.

The BS Men's Basketball Shirt -- Get one NOW!

Here they are, the long-awaited Boiled Sports shirts for the men's basketball season.

For those who had the luxury of getting a Marve-lous shirt earlier this fall, know that these shirts are of the same high-quality (and we're actually not being sarcastic -- they're really nice shirts) and material.

They are black (uh, obviously) and we have both mens and womens cuts available on our ecrater site.

The front of the shirt:

Quoting our fearless leader Matty Painter, "Our goals haven't changed." And "The mission remains the same."

The back of the shirt:

Featuring a mission patch designed by the handsome men of Boiled Sports (well, really, B-dowd, but I like to take credit for things he does). The patch features and Indiana-to-Texas basketball graphic, captains Smooge and JJ as well as Commander Matty and "Mission: Houston 2011." 

Think how awesome this will look in Mackey Arena this winter. Get yours now for $18, including shipping to the United States. We ship several times a week so you can almost always expect yours within a week. However, if you have an urgent need (and yes, sometimes people do), you can send us a note and we can arrange something for you. 

CHOO-CHOO, muthas!!

West Virginia Might Be A Mack Truck, but....

Trucks are big and tough and all, but it all depends what they're matched up against:



Choo-choo.

How Bad Do They Want It?

Purdue's 2009-2010 basketball season launches this evening. This season marks thirty years since the last time Purdue was in the Final Four, something many IU fans would throw in our faces if they could count to thirty.

There's not much else to say. You've seen previews everywhere. We've linked to many of them. We've contributed to some of them. And at this point, like in any highly anticipated season, it's all talked out. It's time to hit the floor and see how badly they want it. Tonight's opponent, Cal State Northridge, is kind of immaterial. Not that we shouldn't respect them, but the season is about so much more than that.

It's no longer a hope to get through the non-conference with a respectable record. It's no longer hoping for an above-.500 record in the Big Ten. It's no longer about hoping to make the NCAA tourney. Or about hoping for better than a middling seed. No, ladies and gents, this year it's about so much more.

We often try to keep our expectations tempered around here. We try to be realistic, which is just another way to say we try not to get our hopes and dreams crushed. Maybe it was Kyle Orton's fumble or Duke not letting Gene Keady get to the Final Four. I don't know. But somewhere along the way, talking about the Final Four became something off in dreamland... far away, and viewed as unreachable.

That is no longer the case. Sure, there are many teams that could take Purdue down. But these are the guys we're heading into the battle with and I know that I am pretty happy with the heart of this crew and their leader.

Last year, we thought right away that the preseason top ten talk was a bit premature. This team was a year away, we thought. Well, that "year away" is here now. And it's impossible not to be amped.

The future is bright, as we've discussed. Matt Painter is building a program and has the potential to build it higher in his first ten years on the job that the godfather, Coach Keady, did in nearly three times that. And so one of the best parts of this season coming up is that it's not an all-or-nothing kind of year. Yes, we want big things. No, the program doesn't take a step back if those big things aren't accomplished. That's good news. That's progress. That's how you build a perennial powerhouse.

So get ready for a fun ride. We're going to be freaked at times, when they suffer one of their weird, stinker losses. And we're going to be flying high at times, when they make us proud. Overall, though, this season has the potential to be one of the best experiences many of us have had as Boilermakers. Enjoy every minute of it.

Choo-choo!

Boilermakers Roll; Hope Speaks At Halftime

Purdue won its second and final preseason tuneup tonight, 74-52, and, frustratingly, nothing is available online about it. Fortunately, though, regular reader Paul (Irish Cowboy) has been deputized to provide you with better than a lazy media recap. Paul was there and he'll make you feel like you were, too. Take it away, Paul....

--------------------------

Well, let's just say our shooting suffered from a case of the Mondays. Granted, I can see why Kentucky Wesleyan has won a couple of DII titles, because they certainly played hard, played well, and played some pretty good defense. But in the end, we have better, bigger players. Here's my thoughts, numbered for some reason:

1. Patrick Bade looked much more comfortable, to the tune of 12 points comfortable. He didn't really force anything (except one attempted dunk near the end of the game) and played ok defense.


2. My roommate, for whom this was the first look at the new Boilers, thought that DJ Byrd was a sophomore. 'Nuff said.


3. John Hart came in and tried to rush and force things for a while, but then settled down a little bit and hit a three. He also had a dominating block on a fast break.


4. You heard it here first, Wohlford might be the new 'bobby buckets'. He plays very hard, plays great defense, and though I can't recall him taking a shot in a game, when he's shooting around before the game/at the half I can't recall him missing a three either.


5. Chin-up Kelsey Barlow, you're the future. He looked like he knew this was his last shot for a while and tried to play very hard, but ended up fouling out. I still love his size and athleticism.


6. JJ rebounded pretty well, but he still tried that silly shot with one foot behind the three-point line. He did drain his two 15-footers though. Overall I think the team rebounded better.


7. Chris Kramer scoring alert! A friend in the know says Kramer shot 500 three's a day over the summer. Took one attempt from three tonight and nailed it.


8. Speaking of scoring, somebody was praying that Ryne Smith would shoot his way out of this slump... ask and ye shall receive. He had 2 or 3 three's and another bucket to go with some pretty good defense.


9. KG and Kramer had a 4 minute span where they hustled and hounded and were basically migranes for the opposition as far as perimeter defense goes. It was very impressive.


10. We started off slow shooting-wise, but let's please not make that a trend like it was last year.


11. Oh yeah, that Rob Hummel dude, he can play some ball.
    

Once again, KWU certainly were no slouches so not hanging tons of points isn't necessarily too worrying, but I just hope Friday we come out hot and ready to start the season on a roll!

A football note: Coach Hope came out at halftime and talked to the audience (Video here -Ed.) and told them that he's got 21 seniors on a football team that has played very hard and that we should all be very proud of who are playing their last game in Ross-Ade Stadium this Saturday. He wants you all to be there. He says that the win on senior day this Saturday puts us in position to win again and make into contention for a bowl game. He thanked the students for their support more than once. Coach Hope is awesome, etc etc.

--------------------------

Thanks, Paul! We really appreciate the assistance and thorough reporting. I also love the idea of Chris Kramer taking 500 threes a day over the summer.....and then hoisting up one, hitting it, and going, "Yep, that's enough. Don't want to go too wild."

Everything begins for real Friday night.

Choo-choo, muthas!

--------------------------

UPDATE

Reader Nate checks in with this rather awesome report. Not sure if anyone else paid for the broadcast and heard this:

"I was stupid enough to purchase the broadcast so that I could get a look at our freshman players. So I shelled out my $2.99 and logged in about 10-15 minutes early to make sure it would work. The broadcast loaded up right away with static shots of the crowd and of the cheerleaders. Shortly after the video came up, you could hear the announcers (the radio broadcast guys - Larry "the drunk" Clisby and some other guy) chit chatting. They didn't realize they were on air at the time. The talked about which freshman they liked for the year and then, in a spot of total awesomeness, the cameras cut to the cheerleaders and one of the announcers says something along the lines of "not much to look at on the cheerleading squad this year" and the other guy responds with "yeah, that's definitely the second team". About five minutes later they realized that their mikes were open and said, "I hope these mikes weren't on for a long time". Then later in actual game action coming out of a timeout, someone must have told them that their comments were aired because their aired some half assed apology. The first guy says, "I hope we didn't offend anyone on the cheerleading squad, they are a skilled bunch" and the second guy says that he was glad he didn't say anything negative. It was pretty funny. "

Nate also had the following observations on the game itself:

• Hummel looked unreal and hit everything and rebounded like crazy
• the refs called a ton of charges under the basket
• the announcers mentioned that JuJuan Johnson worked out with Paul Pierce over the summer. I hadn't read that anywhere yet this year so it was cool to hear.
• Smooge looked a little off shooting the ball and clanged a lot of shots
• Ryne Smith was still too tentative shooting the ball. His defense is starting to look better though as he's not totally out of control.
• Someone on Kentucky Wesleyan fouled Smooge hard on a drive to the basket and it got chippy for a bit as Smooge shoved the guy back.

Thanks, Nate!

Indy Star Purdue Hoops Preview

Man, these guys look tough. Kramer is peering into your soul. Hummel has sneakers the size of a schooner. E'Twaun looks chiseled (did he do some pushups right before the shoot, like I would?).

The Indy Star puts forth a preview article, fortunately not written by Terry Hutchens.

Hey, Do You Hear Something Coming Down The Tracks?

We're close now. Very close. Do you hear something coming down the tracks?

We do.