When the 16 team CBI field was named, I liked that a historically-strong Texas team was invited. Like Purdue though, they had a down season and weren't very motivated for their opening game of the third tier tournament. But if you think the Purdue season didn't meet expectations, look to the Longhorns to be reminded that it could be worse.
First off, Kabongo's season started poorly as he was suspended in December...but the former McD's AA and 5-star recruit didn't give the talented Longhorns enough of a boost to get them to .500 overall. Texas' rotation is pretty much all 4-star players along with the 5-star Kabongo...but Texas reminds us, as did Kentucky, that stars matter little when a team doesn't gel.
With Texas bowing out early, the CBI is now Wyoming (65), Richmond (79), Santa Clara (92), Wright State (127), Purdue (121), Western Michigan (122), GMU (144) and Houston (195).
If you're like most of America, the CBI wasn't available to you or you didn't care it was going on...so if Purdue falls in a tournament and no one is there to see it, does it count? Yes it does...and this is why this tournament is such a tough proposition for the Boilers.
I said it yesterday in my post, Purdue truly is the underdog now; they're the only sub-.500 team remaining and are in the bottom half of the rankings of those still playing...the truth is tough to swallow.
But in spite of Purdue being the team with the worst record left in the event, those that are still watching probably think Purdue is the favorite...and since the strongest conference represented, after the B1G, is the A-10, why wouldn't they think that way?
This tournament is a two-fold exercise; continue to get the young guys experience...the more basketball, the better...but also, Purdue needs to win to save some face. Since Painter is a basketball junkie, he probably enjoys the chance to have his guys playing, regardless of the competition. But clearly, many of the players didn't share his perspective yesterday; perhaps that's the main problem with the state of the program right now?
Showing posts with label losing stinks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label losing stinks. Show all posts
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Monday, March 18, 2013
Half Empty or Half Full: Another Look at the CBI
On one hand, no Purdue fan should think the CBI is an acceptable destination for this or any other Purdue basketball team. There's too much talent on this team for them to be in the third-tier tournament.
On the other hand, Purdue is exactly where they should be, based on their play this year. In late December, it looked like Purdue might have figured some things out as they began to play with some cohesiveness...two months later, after getting shellacked by good and not-so-good teams alike, they seemed to be in disarray...THEN, they played a really solid stretch of basketball in which they looked like the team I thought they'd be in February/March. Finally, they completely soiled the bed versus Nebraska in an uninspired game loss v. Nebraska.
The wake of that last game felt like the first Northwestern game, the second Iowa game or either IU game...The team didn't look like they cared to be playing that much. And when I see a team play that way, I feel regret for wasting my time watching them. Sadly, I'm an addict, and will watch Purdue play, even when they're bad...over and over and over and...
I still have a sour taste in my mouth from the Nebraska game. A team that looks like a MAC team controlled Purdue for most of the game. Their coach had them hustling for 50/50 balls, fighting and playing their best ball...Purdue, on the other hand was playing well below their ability, and worse, seemed to not want to be there. If there are any Purdue players or coaches reading this, I'm sure they can understand why Purdue fans don't really like watching a team that doesn't seem to like itself much and seems to play hard every now and again.
I'm not condoning giving up on Purdue basketball...but I do understand why many have wanted to take a break until next year. This was a tough season for all parts involved. And now, the fruits of Purdue's labor for the '12-'13 season is college basketball's equivalent of the participation trophy: the College Basketball Invitational tournament invite.
Like all addicts, I've been trying to find a way to get my next fix this morning. I want to go up and watch the football team practice this week and might also see if I can get some tix to the Western Illinois game while I'm at it on Wednesday. I've legitimized my poor behavior by saying I'm already going to be on campus, the real tourney isn't even playing that night and my son's basketball league ended on Saturday...I'm sick, I know I won't feel good about myself on Thursday morning; Beating a Summit League foe in March will be tough scenario to get excited about...and God forbid how my head will pound on Thursday morning if they should lose the game.
But let's look to the very recent past for positivity and perspective about the CBI to help us through this, shall we?
The 2012 CBI had a couple basketball powers in it- Butler; a two-time tourney finalist in the last five seasons and Pitt who is almost always ranked in the top-15-20 (but typically underwhelms in March).
This year, those two teams are both in the dance- Butler had a solid season, same goes for Pitt...but both showed a ton more fight than last season.
First off, Butler was pretty young in '12...in the wake of losing three of the best players in program history in the previous two seasons (Heyward, then Mack and Howard), Butler lacked identity and continuity and experience.
Next up, Pitt. They began the season as a top-10 team. But, an 8-loss streak and a 5-loss streak toward the end of the regular season made them a team that no one outside of the city of the 'Burgh cared too much about. They had three Seniors on the roster, one didn't play much...the other two carried much of the load...but experienced depth was a problem.
One big difference from our Boilers in '13 and these two in '12 was they both finished over .500.
Pitt won the three game championship series v. Oregon State...Butler lost to Pitt in the semis. Did the CBI give these two teams momentum heading into this season or were they just cases of big fish in a small pond; I think an argument could be made for both sides of that discussion.
Oregon State, like Purdue's opponent in the CBI this season, kinda seems like they're stuck in neutral. Neither program has progressed since last season.
So what will Purdue gain out of this largely unimportant tournament? Will they be like Pitt and Butler and take a step forward after next season after playing hard in the tourney, or will they be like TCU who wasn't that good last year, and got worse this season?
Time will tell. What we do know is Purdue is that if Purdue deserved any post-season play at all, it is a tournament that is little more than a bunch of scrimmages that no one cares about outside of the two fan bases involved...and even within those fan bases, it's tough to find people that really, truly want to watch the contests.
The good news is, it's really tough to find these games on TV. The former HDNet, now AXS.tv network (I didn't know it existed) will be carrying these...but I think your best bet might be a nostalgic listen to the Cliz, if you're not heading to God's country for
Texas also made the CBI...Texas, whose Coach Rick Barnes made an awful deal with the devil, has had a horrible fall from grace since ye olde days in which they'd be highly ranked before disappointing in March...He got his squad to a game under .500 this season. If both two teams win two games, they'll play in the semis of the CBI.
*addendum- I just read that there is no football practice that's open to the public on Wednesday...
Wednesday, March 06, 2013
Boilers Run out of Gas In Spite of TJohn's Heroics
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| Best shot of the night: Three Purdue legends, GRob, Cardinal and Keady enjoying the game together |
Purdue was down by 12 at the half way point of the first half and UM was in control. But after a lil' time on the pine, TJohn's head got screwed on straight, Chooch continued to spark the Boilers and RayDay showed again what might be next season. Within four minutes of gametime, it was a four point deficit...in four more minutes, Matty's boys had the lead.
Purdue was playing a higher level of basketball for the second-straight half versus one of the nation's best...with a lot left to play for. Wisconsin was a better match-up for Purdue; kinda always have been, the way they slug teams into submission, but UM's horses; at least two NBA players on the current roster, seemed shocked by Purdue's effort, active hands and tight defense; something that had been lacking for much of the season.
After the four point halftime lead became 12 at nearly the midway point of the second half, UM gained composure and calmly started chipping away.
Marcius' ability to get difficult rebounds and come up with loose balls, Davis' big play capability, RonJohn's vision and quickness and TJohn's will tonight were noteworthy. But when Marcius rolled his ankle badly, Purdue lost steam...and as UM's athletes started making plays and big shots, you could feel the air go out of the building a bit. Much like in the first UM game, Michigan took it at Purdue and started getting calls...specifically, Burke drew a ton of fouls in the closing minutes; some legit, some simply protecting the All-American. But Purdue wasn't helping itself and just couldn't keep up with Burke's quickness.
Much like Purdue's first half, Michigan fought back and took the lead in the closing minutes; around the 4:00 mark in fact...Purdue got it back seconds after. But one minute later, Michigan took a lead that they didn't relinquish. TJohn did everything humanly possible to keep it close, and unlike the game in Crisler, poor officiating and general adversity didn't cause Purdue to fold like one of J Money's fine Italian made suits. Instead, it was at least interesting until the closing moments, but UM's Burke did what he did v. MSU earlier in the week and simply closed the game out by making plays.
Final score: 80-75
I'll be honest, seeing and hearing a raucous Mackey Arena and a Purdue team that fights is good for my soul. My son's basketball team's schedule forced me to give up my tickets to tonight's game...but as Purdue played yet another good game, I bargained with the basketball gods- I'd sacrifice being there if these guys played like this each game. Sure, my attendance, or lack there of had nothing to do with it, but it felt like it did (I also couldn't make the Illinois game).
Hammons continued to struggle. A few weeks ago, if I told you that Marcius rolling his ankle would be a killer for this team, you'd call me as crazy as Tom Crean after a Red Bull. But Marcius' injury was huge because Hammons had that same look in his eyes that he had v. Wisconsin; distant, tired, passionless. The dude has more talent and God-given gifts than anyone on the team, but can't put together a five minute run of solid effort right now; tough to watch. His sub finished with 13 points and 5 rebounds...in the same amount of time (18 mins) that he got 5 points, 4 rebounds.
Byrd's up and down season continued- after his most-complete game and definitely his best half of the season, he went 1-7 from the field and finished with just 3 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. UM double teamed him a lot and made shutting him down a focus of their defense...and it almost killed them. As they sagged off of 21, TJohn was going crazy: Game high, career high, 32 points on 12 of 17 shooting (3/5 from deep), and he added 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
His brother played pretty damned well too and matched one of the nation's best PGs' quickness at times. He had 7 assists and just one turnover...but the TO came in the closing minutes as he looked for his brother on the left wing in an attempt to tie the game. I really wanted to see Byrd get a shot as UM had started focusing on TJohnson, especially since Byrd had just hit his first three, but it didn't happen. Te'Ron's assist:TO ratio the last two games has been 5:1...definitely showing growth.
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| RayDay doing the little things... |
I asked, wished actually, for Purdue to give themselves something to build on for next season...and they've done that the last few games. They've shown that the scrappiness is still alive in the program, that there is talent in the stable and that there is a reason to be, at minimum, cautiously optimistic for what's coming late next fall.
With this loss, Purdue drops to two games below .500...so an NIT birth is a bit of a pipe dream. Purdue is now locked into playing the 11:00 am game next Thursday versus either Minny or Illinois...their second round opponent is still very much up in the air depending on what happens this weekend (I believe*).
Next up, Minnesota at high noon on Saturday. Hopefully Byrd can get back on track and go out with a big game on Senior Day.
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| TJohn's Herculean effort not enough |
*Read Z's post from earlier for more info
Credit AP's AJ Mast and Getty Images for all photos
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Boilers Lose Cinder Block Fight in Iowa City, 58-48
J, Panda and I wrote each other about midway through the second half to try to figure out who would get to have the joy of writing this one up; After a tournament of mother jokes and a mini-spelling bee, I was the champion...so now I get my prize: writing about tonight's loss in Iowa City.
It was tough to start this one so closely after the end of the game...my eyes were still partially bleeding and that makes it difficult to check your own work. But I'm a Boilermaker, so I powered through it and now I bring you the many highlight from the game.
Donnie Hale and AJ Hammons played well. Hammons had 12 points and 9 rebounds, Hale had 13, but played with a ton of energy and looked to be moving faster than about everyone on the court, except for RonJohn...but the younger Johnson's speed caused him to have some ugly TOs; his ratio was 1:1 (6ast, 6to). Byrd played OK, but missed a lot of makable shots.
Purdue only got to the line ten times...and made seven of those attempts (pretty solid). Iowa, conversely, shot 29 FTs, made 21.
Purdue had 16 points at the end of the first half...Iowa had 23. In the wake of the first half, Purdue's 32 point second half was an absolute offensive explosion; but it still made me tired to watch it.
Purdue's effort was better- Anthrop had a few minutes in which he seemed to be in the right place, right time over and over again. But Purdue's offense looked extremely inept. The sharp shooting from the Northwestern game that Byrd and TJohn displayed was nowhere to be found.
Crappy weather (and crappy basketball) kept the fans away from Iowa's Hawkeye-Carver Combo (Boston Market Reference) Arena. Iowa's 92nd-best RPI rating surely got a huge bump after tonight's game...and in a few weeks, Iowa will be dancing thanks to this quality win over our Boilers.
Alright, maybe not. As March quickly approaches, Iowa fans will wonder what might have been had a few injuries not affected their Hawkeyes...and we Purdue fans will wonder if our Boilers will be able to climb out of the sewer of the B1G conference standings next season.
Purdue stands at 13-15 (6-9), and the season will mercifully be over in less than two weeks...then, for the first time in over a month, things will get interesting as we wait to see who decides to transfer. I'm still hoping for everybody to stay...but with a warning that if they don't buy in, they won't play. We'll see.
Next up, Purdue goes to Wisconsin to play Bo's Badgers who are very much in the hunt. Painter has historically been one of the most-successful coaches in the Kohl Center...but I don't see Matty's boys putting up much of a fight on Sunday afternoon; hope I'm very wrong. Because, like you, I'll be watching and yelling at the TV, regardless of what happens.
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| The game was only slightly prettier than this painting. |
It was tough to start this one so closely after the end of the game...my eyes were still partially bleeding and that makes it difficult to check your own work. But I'm a Boilermaker, so I powered through it and now I bring you the many highlight from the game.
Donnie Hale and AJ Hammons played well. Hammons had 12 points and 9 rebounds, Hale had 13, but played with a ton of energy and looked to be moving faster than about everyone on the court, except for RonJohn...but the younger Johnson's speed caused him to have some ugly TOs; his ratio was 1:1 (6ast, 6to). Byrd played OK, but missed a lot of makable shots.
Purdue only got to the line ten times...and made seven of those attempts (pretty solid). Iowa, conversely, shot 29 FTs, made 21.
Purdue had 16 points at the end of the first half...Iowa had 23. In the wake of the first half, Purdue's 32 point second half was an absolute offensive explosion; but it still made me tired to watch it.
Purdue's effort was better- Anthrop had a few minutes in which he seemed to be in the right place, right time over and over again. But Purdue's offense looked extremely inept. The sharp shooting from the Northwestern game that Byrd and TJohn displayed was nowhere to be found.
Crappy weather (and crappy basketball) kept the fans away from Iowa's Hawkeye-Carver Combo (Boston Market Reference) Arena. Iowa's 92nd-best RPI rating surely got a huge bump after tonight's game...and in a few weeks, Iowa will be dancing thanks to this quality win over our Boilers.
Alright, maybe not. As March quickly approaches, Iowa fans will wonder what might have been had a few injuries not affected their Hawkeyes...and we Purdue fans will wonder if our Boilers will be able to climb out of the sewer of the B1G conference standings next season.
Purdue stands at 13-15 (6-9), and the season will mercifully be over in less than two weeks...then, for the first time in over a month, things will get interesting as we wait to see who decides to transfer. I'm still hoping for everybody to stay...but with a warning that if they don't buy in, they won't play. We'll see.
Next up, Purdue goes to Wisconsin to play Bo's Badgers who are very much in the hunt. Painter has historically been one of the most-successful coaches in the Kohl Center...but I don't see Matty's boys putting up much of a fight on Sunday afternoon; hope I'm very wrong. Because, like you, I'll be watching and yelling at the TV, regardless of what happens.
Monday, February 18, 2013
What Makes a Team Great?
I've spent way too much time analyzing this year's Purdue squad...why they seem to be getting worse since early January, why this many 4-star players play like a 2-star team and why they simply don't compete at times.
I think the answer to this question has a ton of facets...but have said it before, continuity is the very base of all of team's problems.
All that said the ripple effects of one player's effect on the program have been costly and I'll tell you why.
A few years ago, when Kelsey Barlow was being recruited to Purdue, I went to watch him play to get a first-hand account of the player. At that point, I didn't understand his recruitment. He played lazy basketball...he didn't move on offense, was inconsistent on defense and didn't seem to use his length and athleticism effectively-enough on that level. But Painter liked the guy. He probably liked his ability to get under other people's skin...Ironically, that's part of the reason he's no longer on Purdue's team.
At BS, we liked that too...but just as Barlow pissed off IU fans with his antics his Freshman year, Barlow pissed off his teammates at Purdue. If you read him on Twitter, it's tough to tell at times if he's an evil genius, a troubled individual or just an immature kid...might be a little of each. There's no doubt Barlow could have been very good (if not great) for Purdue had he developed differently...but hypotheticals don't matter...things are what they are. Barlow didn't buy into Painter's philosophy and never was a fit.
After a few troubled years, Barlow was officially kicked off of the team one year ago this week. The void he left sent Painter scrambling to find another point guard to fill the void...one which he couldn't fill in time. A few Seniors who were looking to transfer for their final year of eligibility didn't pan out...and this year, Purdue has had one true Freshman PG on the roster and a bunch of shooting guards in disguise trying to direct an offense that has no direction.
How important would another Senior been, especially a versatile, athletic point guard, been on this year's Purdue team? We don't really need to answer that question, do we?
But, Painter simply had to do what he did last winter. The fallout from the tough decision left Barlow in transition as he sat out a year...and Purdue's program in transition as it had no identity.
Ronnie Johnson leads all Freshman in the nation in assists...that's a pretty good stat. Sure, he has a ton of turnovers and shoots at the wrong times...but he's a Freshman...one surrounded by an incomplete, discombobulated team.
Barlow's loss was and is important...but Barlow's dismissal was overdue. Painter couldn't have had a captain that continued to abandon the team when he was needed most...and more importantly, couldn't have a Senior creating disciples with the same philosophy. The long-term effects of leaving a player, ANY player, on the roster for four years who is divisive, can kill a program.
The recruitment, signing and subsequent abridged career of one player was/is important...not because that guy was a super star, but because timing is everything. Purdue's program needs to know what defines it as it moves forward. And everyone who is part of the program needs to be on-board with that definition.
So what makes a team great...or even good?
On paper, the team from '07/'08 was OK...but in three dimensions, they were pretty darned good. Why?
Here are some things that I believe make teams great. Nothing earth shattering...and I'm no rocket surgeon...these are just a few thoughts.
DEVELOPMENT
Hard work in the off-season makes a player better and helps build chemistry as everyone focuses on the same goal.
LEADERSHIP
Having players that define the team in positions of earned respect go a long way in making a team a force. Whose team is it? The answer to that question says a lot about a team.
BUYING IN
Do players believe the coaches plans and vision for the program? Are they executing these plans, not just in games, but during practice and off the court? Players need to feel like they're fortunate to be playing where they are, with whom they are, right now.
TALENT
Elite talent obviously covers up a ton of problems...but having talented people in the right places; in key areas, makes everyone else better.
CONTINUITY
Do the parts mesh? Much of chemistry is about time together- players that have played together and have been together become cohesive. Teams that don't have history often aren't teams at all (what we've seen this year from Purdue). Teams that have great continuity believe in the guy next to them and are willing to play hard for/with him.
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Look at the really-good teams in the nation...and those that are on the other side of the coin. Teams like UNC and Kentucky have talent, but have a dearth of leadership...so they have no identity. Leadership doesn't have to come from Juniors/Seniors (but that helps)...but it has to come from someplace; and a coach isn't enough. Coaches need to put leaders in the position to succeed to help them be a focal point for the guys that need to develop.
Sorry...you probably didn't think you were coming to a motivational site, but this stuff has been rattling around my head for a bit and I wanted to put it down someplace.
I think the answer to this question has a ton of facets...but have said it before, continuity is the very base of all of team's problems.
All that said the ripple effects of one player's effect on the program have been costly and I'll tell you why.
A few years ago, when Kelsey Barlow was being recruited to Purdue, I went to watch him play to get a first-hand account of the player. At that point, I didn't understand his recruitment. He played lazy basketball...he didn't move on offense, was inconsistent on defense and didn't seem to use his length and athleticism effectively-enough on that level. But Painter liked the guy. He probably liked his ability to get under other people's skin...Ironically, that's part of the reason he's no longer on Purdue's team.
At BS, we liked that too...but just as Barlow pissed off IU fans with his antics his Freshman year, Barlow pissed off his teammates at Purdue. If you read him on Twitter, it's tough to tell at times if he's an evil genius, a troubled individual or just an immature kid...might be a little of each. There's no doubt Barlow could have been very good (if not great) for Purdue had he developed differently...but hypotheticals don't matter...things are what they are. Barlow didn't buy into Painter's philosophy and never was a fit.
After a few troubled years, Barlow was officially kicked off of the team one year ago this week. The void he left sent Painter scrambling to find another point guard to fill the void...one which he couldn't fill in time. A few Seniors who were looking to transfer for their final year of eligibility didn't pan out...and this year, Purdue has had one true Freshman PG on the roster and a bunch of shooting guards in disguise trying to direct an offense that has no direction.
How important would another Senior been, especially a versatile, athletic point guard, been on this year's Purdue team? We don't really need to answer that question, do we?
But, Painter simply had to do what he did last winter. The fallout from the tough decision left Barlow in transition as he sat out a year...and Purdue's program in transition as it had no identity.
Ronnie Johnson leads all Freshman in the nation in assists...that's a pretty good stat. Sure, he has a ton of turnovers and shoots at the wrong times...but he's a Freshman...one surrounded by an incomplete, discombobulated team.
Barlow's loss was and is important...but Barlow's dismissal was overdue. Painter couldn't have had a captain that continued to abandon the team when he was needed most...and more importantly, couldn't have a Senior creating disciples with the same philosophy. The long-term effects of leaving a player, ANY player, on the roster for four years who is divisive, can kill a program.
The recruitment, signing and subsequent abridged career of one player was/is important...not because that guy was a super star, but because timing is everything. Purdue's program needs to know what defines it as it moves forward. And everyone who is part of the program needs to be on-board with that definition.
So what makes a team great...or even good?
On paper, the team from '07/'08 was OK...but in three dimensions, they were pretty darned good. Why?
Here are some things that I believe make teams great. Nothing earth shattering...and I'm no rocket surgeon...these are just a few thoughts.
DEVELOPMENT
Hard work in the off-season makes a player better and helps build chemistry as everyone focuses on the same goal.
LEADERSHIP
Having players that define the team in positions of earned respect go a long way in making a team a force. Whose team is it? The answer to that question says a lot about a team.
BUYING IN
Do players believe the coaches plans and vision for the program? Are they executing these plans, not just in games, but during practice and off the court? Players need to feel like they're fortunate to be playing where they are, with whom they are, right now.
TALENT
Elite talent obviously covers up a ton of problems...but having talented people in the right places; in key areas, makes everyone else better.
CONTINUITY
Do the parts mesh? Much of chemistry is about time together- players that have played together and have been together become cohesive. Teams that don't have history often aren't teams at all (what we've seen this year from Purdue). Teams that have great continuity believe in the guy next to them and are willing to play hard for/with him.
________________________________
Look at the really-good teams in the nation...and those that are on the other side of the coin. Teams like UNC and Kentucky have talent, but have a dearth of leadership...so they have no identity. Leadership doesn't have to come from Juniors/Seniors (but that helps)...but it has to come from someplace; and a coach isn't enough. Coaches need to put leaders in the position to succeed to help them be a focal point for the guys that need to develop.
Sorry...you probably didn't think you were coming to a motivational site, but this stuff has been rattling around my head for a bit and I wanted to put it down someplace.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Revenge Tour Continues in Champaign
The Seniors at Illinois had never beaten Purdue. But on Wednesday night, they dreamed the impossible dream and made it happen.
Purdue dominated quite a big chunk of the conference before this season...but nothing's normal this season.
I've been imploring for Painter to try the Gene Keady tactic for a while- just get a tech and see how the team reacts. Well, this one was already out of hand, so I'm not sure it mattered...but at the very least, I liked the fire.
Matty's general frustration finally boiled over tonight; the first time he's been thrown out as a coach occurred with about 8 minutes left in the second half as he got whistled for back-to-back techs. Sure, EVERY official that works B1G games deserves what Painter put out tonight...but Painter has never been one to dish it out. He got his money's worth tonight...and probably deserved three or four techs.
In fact, after being booted, he continued to chew on whats-his-name as another official held him back. I'd say that the officiating wasn't too bad tonight...Purdue was, but the officials didn't bother me. Perhaps Painter was as sick of watching Purdue get dominated on the glass...something that Purdue had held its hat on this season. Perhaps he was tired of seeing a motion offense that has no motion. Maybe he found it frustrating to watch a defense-centric team give up all sorts of baskets; deep shots, slashes, mid-range jumpers...Purdue couldn't stop anything tonight (something we've seen quite a bit this season).
Hammons looked like a Freshman as the double team affected him and kept him from getting in position deep in the blocks...and when Purdue can't run the offense through him, there is no offense at all. I figured out what Purdue seems to be running earlier this week- The play is simple: If Hammons isn't involved, it's like Purdue is a team who is tied with their opponent, and playing for the last shot...but on every possession. It seems they're not too bothered if they don't hit the shot, but they want to keep the ball out of the opponent's hands for a few more seconds. Oh yeah...and they don't have any timeouts to figure out what to do...and they're perpetually on the road...and everyone's a Freshman...and it's December.
As I type, J is doing a post-game wrap-up...I just thought I'd add a little texture. Panda traveled to the game and got to see the train wreck in person; I'm sorry for him, but it's not a very long drive and Illinois' fans have never bothered me personally, so I can't see the interaction with them being that bad.
I don't remember a ton of good things about the game...and really don't want to check the box score tonight- Byrd broke his nearly two-game streak without a bucket with a long three. BTN genius Tim Doyle responded by saying Byrd was one of the best shooters in the league. I'd bet Byrd would argue with that...but Doyle is a moron who says moronic things. He later said that Byrd would almost have to be a good shooter since he has that last name and is from the state of Indiana. (pssssst- Timmy, those are different spellings.) But we knew he was going to have a great game as a color guy when he started by saying, "Purdue is getting better every game."
Huh??? I guess I've been watching a different product. Oh well.
Carroll had a blocked shot that stunned me a bit...Marcius played hard and had a nifty up and under move...and Purdue actually hit some free throws. Not sure there's much else to report. Oh yeah, Purdue dropped to 12-13, 5-7 in the conference...their shot at a number one seed might be fading*.
Next up, the number one team in America, at their house.
I simply don't think Purdue should be playing this poorly, this deep in the season...but right now, our Boilers are exactly who their record says they are.
*sarcasm, in case you haven't noticed, is one of today's themes.
Purdue dominated quite a big chunk of the conference before this season...but nothing's normal this season.
I've been imploring for Painter to try the Gene Keady tactic for a while- just get a tech and see how the team reacts. Well, this one was already out of hand, so I'm not sure it mattered...but at the very least, I liked the fire.
Matty's general frustration finally boiled over tonight; the first time he's been thrown out as a coach occurred with about 8 minutes left in the second half as he got whistled for back-to-back techs. Sure, EVERY official that works B1G games deserves what Painter put out tonight...but Painter has never been one to dish it out. He got his money's worth tonight...and probably deserved three or four techs.
In fact, after being booted, he continued to chew on whats-his-name as another official held him back. I'd say that the officiating wasn't too bad tonight...Purdue was, but the officials didn't bother me. Perhaps Painter was as sick of watching Purdue get dominated on the glass...something that Purdue had held its hat on this season. Perhaps he was tired of seeing a motion offense that has no motion. Maybe he found it frustrating to watch a defense-centric team give up all sorts of baskets; deep shots, slashes, mid-range jumpers...Purdue couldn't stop anything tonight (something we've seen quite a bit this season).
Hammons looked like a Freshman as the double team affected him and kept him from getting in position deep in the blocks...and when Purdue can't run the offense through him, there is no offense at all. I figured out what Purdue seems to be running earlier this week- The play is simple: If Hammons isn't involved, it's like Purdue is a team who is tied with their opponent, and playing for the last shot...but on every possession. It seems they're not too bothered if they don't hit the shot, but they want to keep the ball out of the opponent's hands for a few more seconds. Oh yeah...and they don't have any timeouts to figure out what to do...and they're perpetually on the road...and everyone's a Freshman...and it's December.
As I type, J is doing a post-game wrap-up...I just thought I'd add a little texture. Panda traveled to the game and got to see the train wreck in person; I'm sorry for him, but it's not a very long drive and Illinois' fans have never bothered me personally, so I can't see the interaction with them being that bad.
I don't remember a ton of good things about the game...and really don't want to check the box score tonight- Byrd broke his nearly two-game streak without a bucket with a long three. BTN genius Tim Doyle responded by saying Byrd was one of the best shooters in the league. I'd bet Byrd would argue with that...but Doyle is a moron who says moronic things. He later said that Byrd would almost have to be a good shooter since he has that last name and is from the state of Indiana. (pssssst- Timmy, those are different spellings.) But we knew he was going to have a great game as a color guy when he started by saying, "Purdue is getting better every game."
Huh??? I guess I've been watching a different product. Oh well.
Carroll had a blocked shot that stunned me a bit...Marcius played hard and had a nifty up and under move...and Purdue actually hit some free throws. Not sure there's much else to report. Oh yeah, Purdue dropped to 12-13, 5-7 in the conference...their shot at a number one seed might be fading*.
Next up, the number one team in America, at their house.
I simply don't think Purdue should be playing this poorly, this deep in the season...but right now, our Boilers are exactly who their record says they are.
*sarcasm, in case you haven't noticed, is one of today's themes.
Love what you do, do what you love.
Maybe you feel like me right now...maybe not. I'm torn.
Even in the closing seasons of Keady's time as head coach and Painter's first year, I loved the NCAA tournament...looked forward to it. But this year, I'm looking past the tourney and am stoked for Spring football. It's easy to love the potential of Coach Hazell's Boilermakers...it's tough right now for me to love basketball.
I'm not just talking about Purdue basketball...but that's the lynchpin that holds the whole thing together for me.
When Purdue's playing well, I have a voracious appetite for college basketball. It's fun to watch ACC, SEC, Pac12 and other conferences because in a way, I feel like I'm scouting for March. Who will Purdue be paired with in the tournament, what do match-ups look like...who's peaking? Who's floundering?
Right now, it's not that way. The immediate future for Purdue is filled with growing pains. Purdue gets beaten up by cerebral teams (Northwestern) and they get lambasted by thoroughbreds. If you find this season fun, you're a sadist.
I had lunch with one of my oldest friends yesterday and we talked a bit about basketball...he's of course a fellow Boiler. We were both brainwashed by our parents to be Purdue fans...in fact, our Dads went to Purdue together before graduating in 1970 (they actually went to grade school and high school together too). And years later, we attended Purdue at the same time. We got to see very good basketball while we sat in the student section...And although we didn't say it yesterday, I think we both would love to see a team like the Glenn Robinson-led squad in the current B1G. Instead, while the league is flourishing and the good ole days seem to have returned for the best basketball conference, Purdue is a mere shell of itself this season, and it's easy to see why.
The things that have defined Purdue for most of my life are nowhere to be found. No tough defense, no fundamentals, no fight. Youth does not equal not trying...youth does not equal shooting freethrows poorly...youth does not equal players not liking each other very much.
And there it is...there it all is. It seems to me that this Purdue team's problems are simple...but extremely difficult to solve.
Let me be clear- I don't have ANY insider information, but this is my theory. This is just based on what I've observed from the cheap seats and at home. Body language of the leaders varies between apathetic and flat-out pissed off. These guys know what it's like to play on a team that has chemistry. They know what it's like to have fun playing this game. They know what it's like to be a part of something greater than just a bunch of individuals with the same shirts on...and they know that this team isn't really a team at all, at this point.
And while I'll continue to go to games and cheer for good things to happen, the hours after many of the remaining games might have me asking, "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" The players aren't enjoying themselves...how can the fans?
If you feel motivated, you're welcome to offer me perspective.
The other day on the Knucklehead Board, a fan said this season reminded him of the 1989 team. There's a bit of an interesting parallel with that team- It was in the wake of the Stephens, Lewis, Mitchell teams...Those three led Purdue to two-straight Big Ten titles and were highly ranked in both their Junior and Senior seasons. Sure, Hummel's redshirt year kinda blows the comparison up, but I can see the point.
That '89 team finished sub-.500 for the year. That's only one of three times that's happened in the past 35 years...and I think we're watching the fourth. But, that '89 team had some of the same problems. They had a few guys who later played in the NBA on that roster...but they also had some guys who thought they were above the system and above the team.
Based on some of Painter's comments and substitution patterns, it seems there are a few of those guys on the roster right now as well.
By the way, in 1990, Matt Painter was a Freshman on the team...that team had a Senior (Sheffler) who helped lead the team to part of a Big Ten title and 22 wins.
Every team is different...personalities, talent, coaching...all very fluid. But what we know is this Purdue team needs to change the way it does things. And while changes this season probably won't lead to a difference in March, they will set a precedent for next season.
Purdue has another chance to do things differently tonight at Illinois. The Illini are suddenly hot as they've beaten IU and Minnesota in consecutive games. This Illinois team seems to rise to the occasion of ranked foes, and tends to let down their guard versus sub-par teams. That said, I have a feeling they'll be ready and are hungry to stop the 8-game losing streak versus Purdue. I don't believe any player on Illinois' roster has ever beaten Purdue. I'm sure those guys want to change that.
Tip-off is at 9:00 eastern on BTN.
Even in the closing seasons of Keady's time as head coach and Painter's first year, I loved the NCAA tournament...looked forward to it. But this year, I'm looking past the tourney and am stoked for Spring football. It's easy to love the potential of Coach Hazell's Boilermakers...it's tough right now for me to love basketball.
I'm not just talking about Purdue basketball...but that's the lynchpin that holds the whole thing together for me.
When Purdue's playing well, I have a voracious appetite for college basketball. It's fun to watch ACC, SEC, Pac12 and other conferences because in a way, I feel like I'm scouting for March. Who will Purdue be paired with in the tournament, what do match-ups look like...who's peaking? Who's floundering?
Right now, it's not that way. The immediate future for Purdue is filled with growing pains. Purdue gets beaten up by cerebral teams (Northwestern) and they get lambasted by thoroughbreds. If you find this season fun, you're a sadist.
I had lunch with one of my oldest friends yesterday and we talked a bit about basketball...he's of course a fellow Boiler. We were both brainwashed by our parents to be Purdue fans...in fact, our Dads went to Purdue together before graduating in 1970 (they actually went to grade school and high school together too). And years later, we attended Purdue at the same time. We got to see very good basketball while we sat in the student section...And although we didn't say it yesterday, I think we both would love to see a team like the Glenn Robinson-led squad in the current B1G. Instead, while the league is flourishing and the good ole days seem to have returned for the best basketball conference, Purdue is a mere shell of itself this season, and it's easy to see why.
The things that have defined Purdue for most of my life are nowhere to be found. No tough defense, no fundamentals, no fight. Youth does not equal not trying...youth does not equal shooting freethrows poorly...youth does not equal players not liking each other very much.
And there it is...there it all is. It seems to me that this Purdue team's problems are simple...but extremely difficult to solve.
Let me be clear- I don't have ANY insider information, but this is my theory. This is just based on what I've observed from the cheap seats and at home. Body language of the leaders varies between apathetic and flat-out pissed off. These guys know what it's like to play on a team that has chemistry. They know what it's like to have fun playing this game. They know what it's like to be a part of something greater than just a bunch of individuals with the same shirts on...and they know that this team isn't really a team at all, at this point.
And while I'll continue to go to games and cheer for good things to happen, the hours after many of the remaining games might have me asking, "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" The players aren't enjoying themselves...how can the fans?
If you feel motivated, you're welcome to offer me perspective.
The other day on the Knucklehead Board, a fan said this season reminded him of the 1989 team. There's a bit of an interesting parallel with that team- It was in the wake of the Stephens, Lewis, Mitchell teams...Those three led Purdue to two-straight Big Ten titles and were highly ranked in both their Junior and Senior seasons. Sure, Hummel's redshirt year kinda blows the comparison up, but I can see the point.
That '89 team finished sub-.500 for the year. That's only one of three times that's happened in the past 35 years...and I think we're watching the fourth. But, that '89 team had some of the same problems. They had a few guys who later played in the NBA on that roster...but they also had some guys who thought they were above the system and above the team.
Based on some of Painter's comments and substitution patterns, it seems there are a few of those guys on the roster right now as well.
By the way, in 1990, Matt Painter was a Freshman on the team...that team had a Senior (Sheffler) who helped lead the team to part of a Big Ten title and 22 wins.
Every team is different...personalities, talent, coaching...all very fluid. But what we know is this Purdue team needs to change the way it does things. And while changes this season probably won't lead to a difference in March, they will set a precedent for next season.
Purdue has another chance to do things differently tonight at Illinois. The Illini are suddenly hot as they've beaten IU and Minnesota in consecutive games. This Illinois team seems to rise to the occasion of ranked foes, and tends to let down their guard versus sub-par teams. That said, I have a feeling they'll be ready and are hungry to stop the 8-game losing streak versus Purdue. I don't believe any player on Illinois' roster has ever beaten Purdue. I'm sure those guys want to change that.
Tip-off is at 9:00 eastern on BTN.
Saturday, February 09, 2013
Sparty Punches out Purdue at Mackey
Other than a really bad flagrant foul call, there were no dramatics this time...just a good team beating up on a not-so-good team in methodical fashion.
Unlike in the loss versus Northwestern, Purdue seemed to fight and play hard...but the discrepancy between Prudue and MSU at this point is not a gap, but a chasm. MSU has a system that the players buy into...and they have a ton of size, athleticism and talent.
Purdue continues to look discombobulated...has no chemistry or cohesion and a bunch of players wearing the same jersey who really aren't on the same team.
On a night that Robbie Hummel's number was put in the rafters of Mackey alongside Moore's, and Darrell Hazell was introduced to the fans, students and alums, the Mackey crowd was lackluster...but I'm not so sure I could blame them on this night.
Much like IU, UM, aOSU and even Northwestern last week, Purdue just doesn't look like it belongs with many of the teams in the B1G this season. Like I said, at least the effort was better overall, but Purdue isn't very good right now. Jacob Lawson, who hadn't played in the last few games played two minutes; which was good to see...Hale played solidly...Marcius played with energy, used his fouls up quickly (7 minutes, 5 fouls). RonJohn's 15pts, 8ast and 3steals were solid offensively, but he struggled mightily to slow down Appling. Hammons 13pts and 8 rebounds were solid, but he seemed to force his shots early. TJohn's 20 points led all Boilers...but Purdue couldn't really get the game into single digits for the majority of the second half. It was like MSU would just bat Purdue away if they got it down to 13...The final score of 78 to 65 really doesn't indicate how much command of the game that MSU had.
DJ Byrd attempted just one shot...and was in foul trouble for most of the game. His last foul and subsequent body language afterward showed his agitation with the game. MSU dictated the physicality of the game, the officials dictated how much they'd allow Purdue to do...and Purdue just kinda went along with it. Poor free throw shooting (just under 65%) made a difference in this one...but if Purdue had been making FTs, I feel like MSU would have just done something differently to push the game back out to a 15 point lead (or something close to it).
Purdue only shot 5 three pointers...and it's a good thing- they went 1 for 5. This Purdue team continues to be defined by poor shooting, regardless of the situation, awful offensive flow, mediocre defense and, at least they have this, solid rebounding.
With this loss, Purdue slips back to the familiar .500 (12-12)...but don't get comfortable with that fellow Boiler fans- the way this team is playing right now, they'll probably finish 5 or six games under .500. At this point, Purdue is what they are...and I don't know if I've ever said this sentence in my life- it would take a miracle for our Boilers to make the NIT.
Purdue travels to Assembly Hall this week to play an Illinois team that really wants to break their 8-game losing streak v. the Boilers...then on to Ass. Hall to play a horribly-coached and amazingly-talented squad.
Seasons like this have consequences...They're tough on the fanbase, coaching staff and team. Rumors are swirling about the futures of a couple of the players on the team. I've said it before, I'd like to see everyone return...But only if they're willing to buy into the system and work in the off-season. EVERYONE has work to do on this roster...and if they're not willing to do it, they should think about heading somewhere else. But if they use these ass kickings as learning opportunities, good things can happen in '13/'14.
That's a tough concept to swallow for a ton of reasons- First off, DJ Byrd's career is not going to end anything like many thought it would...that's too bad; I like Byrd and wish things were different for a myriad of reasons. BUT, if TJohn thinks that this will be his team just because he's a Senior next year, he needs to learn from what he's watched up close this year.
Little things like missing free throws send a bad message to under classmen...if 0 wants things to get back on track for the program, he needs to start doing little things now. That's a tall order for a guy whose effort (specifically on defense) has been inconsistent.
I feel like I'm being pretty damned negative- those of you who are reading probably didn't enjoy reading it anymore than I enjoyed writing it...and apologize for that. But this season has been a tough one to watch.
Keep your heads up.
 |
| Run over. |
Unlike in the loss versus Northwestern, Purdue seemed to fight and play hard...but the discrepancy between Prudue and MSU at this point is not a gap, but a chasm. MSU has a system that the players buy into...and they have a ton of size, athleticism and talent.
Purdue continues to look discombobulated...has no chemistry or cohesion and a bunch of players wearing the same jersey who really aren't on the same team.
On a night that Robbie Hummel's number was put in the rafters of Mackey alongside Moore's, and Darrell Hazell was introduced to the fans, students and alums, the Mackey crowd was lackluster...but I'm not so sure I could blame them on this night.
Much like IU, UM, aOSU and even Northwestern last week, Purdue just doesn't look like it belongs with many of the teams in the B1G this season. Like I said, at least the effort was better overall, but Purdue isn't very good right now. Jacob Lawson, who hadn't played in the last few games played two minutes; which was good to see...Hale played solidly...Marcius played with energy, used his fouls up quickly (7 minutes, 5 fouls). RonJohn's 15pts, 8ast and 3steals were solid offensively, but he struggled mightily to slow down Appling. Hammons 13pts and 8 rebounds were solid, but he seemed to force his shots early. TJohn's 20 points led all Boilers...but Purdue couldn't really get the game into single digits for the majority of the second half. It was like MSU would just bat Purdue away if they got it down to 13...The final score of 78 to 65 really doesn't indicate how much command of the game that MSU had.
DJ Byrd attempted just one shot...and was in foul trouble for most of the game. His last foul and subsequent body language afterward showed his agitation with the game. MSU dictated the physicality of the game, the officials dictated how much they'd allow Purdue to do...and Purdue just kinda went along with it. Poor free throw shooting (just under 65%) made a difference in this one...but if Purdue had been making FTs, I feel like MSU would have just done something differently to push the game back out to a 15 point lead (or something close to it).
Purdue only shot 5 three pointers...and it's a good thing- they went 1 for 5. This Purdue team continues to be defined by poor shooting, regardless of the situation, awful offensive flow, mediocre defense and, at least they have this, solid rebounding.
With this loss, Purdue slips back to the familiar .500 (12-12)...but don't get comfortable with that fellow Boiler fans- the way this team is playing right now, they'll probably finish 5 or six games under .500. At this point, Purdue is what they are...and I don't know if I've ever said this sentence in my life- it would take a miracle for our Boilers to make the NIT.
Purdue travels to Assembly Hall this week to play an Illinois team that really wants to break their 8-game losing streak v. the Boilers...then on to Ass. Hall to play a horribly-coached and amazingly-talented squad.
Seasons like this have consequences...They're tough on the fanbase, coaching staff and team. Rumors are swirling about the futures of a couple of the players on the team. I've said it before, I'd like to see everyone return...But only if they're willing to buy into the system and work in the off-season. EVERYONE has work to do on this roster...and if they're not willing to do it, they should think about heading somewhere else. But if they use these ass kickings as learning opportunities, good things can happen in '13/'14.
That's a tough concept to swallow for a ton of reasons- First off, DJ Byrd's career is not going to end anything like many thought it would...that's too bad; I like Byrd and wish things were different for a myriad of reasons. BUT, if TJohn thinks that this will be his team just because he's a Senior next year, he needs to learn from what he's watched up close this year.
Little things like missing free throws send a bad message to under classmen...if 0 wants things to get back on track for the program, he needs to start doing little things now. That's a tall order for a guy whose effort (specifically on defense) has been inconsistent.
I feel like I'm being pretty damned negative- those of you who are reading probably didn't enjoy reading it anymore than I enjoyed writing it...and apologize for that. But this season has been a tough one to watch.
Keep your heads up.
Saturday, February 02, 2013
Oh toughness, where hath thou gone?
Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three (in this case, five) strands is not quickly broken.
It used to be that if a team came to Mackey, they'd be in for a street fight. Heck, even when Purdue was more of a finesse team with JJ as their leader, they were an absolute mother on the court.
But this Purdue team can't defend the other team, they can't defend home court, can't defend it's honor in the midst of disrespect (ref. Sheehey on Wednesday) and probably most-importantly, this team isn't willing to defend itself and stick together.
Painter's never been a guy to chew on officials, but this season started poorly when Painter allowed officials to dictate too much in Madison Square Garden. Purdue lost that game v. 'Nova because of its lack of fight and grit.
Purdue got pushed around by MSU in East Lansing, both during the game and after the whistle...and the end result was a 20 point defeat.
Most recently, Purdue has been pushed around by good and not-so-good teams...and due to their lack of fortitude, they haven't even competed.
It's clear that this Purdue team, as it stands won't be a thing of beauty on offense...and if you can't be pretty, it's time to get down in the dirt and get ugly...But egos seem to be standing in the way of that.
I read an article today on another Purdue site that talked about giving up on this Purdue team as a fan...you know what we think of that idea if you read this site regularly. But right now, Purdue's players seem to be extremely worried about the name on the back of the jerseys and don't care about the name on the front. Sadly for them, they're making themselves look pretty lousy by not being willing to sell out for their teammates.
I've heard people on Twitter and on message boards question whether the guys on this team liked each other and I think that's a fair question to ask. Chemistry is important in basketball...and this team has none- no cohesiveness, no common goal, on unity and their record shows that.
I simply can't believe this deep into the season that youth is the entire reason for Purdue's woes. And as much as recruiting misses hurt this program, it's really not fair to say that's the reason Purdue is losing right now.
Here's why: Of Purdue's 8 or 9 man rotation, SIX of them were four-star recruits who had offers from damned good programs...and these guys all aren't one position- a pure PG, a combo guard, a pair of SGs, a SF and a C...all highly-touted...all good as individuals...none meshing together to form a team.
Until they figure out how to play together...how to fight for something together, nothing is going to change.
Heartless in Chicago
Wow.
I thought Purdue might come out a bit flat v. Northwestern following the IU game, but day-um, that was painful.
The day started well as Hammons was late to catch the team bus...so Painter didn't start him. Good for Matty...that was the right thing to do. But, I'm not so sure he did anything else well as he prepared his team for the fighting purple cats.
A few weeks ago, I caught hell as I told Purdue fans that an NIT bid was still in doubt...and that Purdue needed to handle its business versus the lower part of the conference- do you who mocked me now see what I was talking about? Purdue stands at 11-11...deep into the hundreds in the RPI and is coming off of a shellacking at the hands of North-fricking-western. The NIT is a dream, at this point.
We've been defending Painter under the guise that this year is a rebuilding year. But let me ask myself a question- Hey Bdowd, if you had never seen a Painter team before this season, what would you think of him as a coach?
Well, I'm glad you asked, self. Purdue starts two guys who are supposed to be solid...a Junior and a Freshman...they have plenty of size...but are short on experience. Their point guard play is shaky at best, and it's tough to run a motion offense without solid PG play...BUT damn, that team is horrible on defense and they might be the one of the worst offenses I've seen in the B1G in the last three seasons. He really doesn't look like he knows what he's doing this season.
Agreed...glad we had this talk.
Now no one is saying that going through a divorce isn't tough...but I'd guarantee you that Painter would just glare at a member of the media for bringing his personal life into the equation. That said, it's kinda tough not to, right? We've NEVER seen a Painter-coached team display this little effort and this little heart in consecutive games. We're now in unchartered waters and our boat has gaping holes.
I actually understand how a young team can get the crap beaten out of it by one of the elite teams in the nation (maybe not by 37 at home). But I don't understand how that same team can't even compete at Northwestern. Hell, Northwestern's students barely showed up...they don't like watching this Northwestern team play...but that didn't matter to Purdue; they just made one of the worst teams in the conference look like a world beater.
Whatever Painter has been doing isn't working with this team...and the only time we saw effort out of this club that was respectable today was when they extended and *gasp* played a trap. Whatever it takes to get guys to work on defense and on the glass, Painter needs to do because the offense isn't going to get better at this point, so defense needs to create opportunities.
With little emotion or sign of effort, Hammons scored 19 points, had 13 rebounds and 3 assists. The sad thing is he is clearly the best player on the team, yet he's so green that this can't possibly be his team at this point...and it's kind of a good thing it's not since he can't do the little things like arrive on time.
AJohnson was my favorite player to watch today...because he actually tried. He probably had friends and family at the game since he grew up near by; hopefully they come to every game from here out because it was refreshing to see him putting it all out there. He finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
Byrd somehow scored 12, had rebounds and 5 assists...BUT, he looked listless like most of his teammates and had at least two three pointers blocked. His fellow upper classman starter, TJohn had no stats worth mentioning...but looked put out to try to hard today in Evanston.
It's almost like the young guys followed the lead of Byrd and TJohn...and just went through the motions...hmmmmmm.
If those guys aren't going to try or care, they shouldn't play. And if Painter can't find anyone other than Carroll, Marcius, AJohn, Hale and Anthrop to play hard, than so be it. Could it get any worse than losing at home by 37 and getting crushed by Northwestern? I doubt it.
I've been looking ahead in three game chunks to see if Purdue can improve its chances to make the NIT...this team needs to look ahead no further than the next practice because, at this point, they don't look like they belong in the B1G.
(oh yeah, the final score was 75-60)
I thought Purdue might come out a bit flat v. Northwestern following the IU game, but day-um, that was painful.
The day started well as Hammons was late to catch the team bus...so Painter didn't start him. Good for Matty...that was the right thing to do. But, I'm not so sure he did anything else well as he prepared his team for the fighting purple cats.
A few weeks ago, I caught hell as I told Purdue fans that an NIT bid was still in doubt...and that Purdue needed to handle its business versus the lower part of the conference- do you who mocked me now see what I was talking about? Purdue stands at 11-11...deep into the hundreds in the RPI and is coming off of a shellacking at the hands of North-fricking-western. The NIT is a dream, at this point.
We've been defending Painter under the guise that this year is a rebuilding year. But let me ask myself a question- Hey Bdowd, if you had never seen a Painter team before this season, what would you think of him as a coach?
 |
| We're doing fine! |
Agreed...glad we had this talk.
Now no one is saying that going through a divorce isn't tough...but I'd guarantee you that Painter would just glare at a member of the media for bringing his personal life into the equation. That said, it's kinda tough not to, right? We've NEVER seen a Painter-coached team display this little effort and this little heart in consecutive games. We're now in unchartered waters and our boat has gaping holes.
I actually understand how a young team can get the crap beaten out of it by one of the elite teams in the nation (maybe not by 37 at home). But I don't understand how that same team can't even compete at Northwestern. Hell, Northwestern's students barely showed up...they don't like watching this Northwestern team play...but that didn't matter to Purdue; they just made one of the worst teams in the conference look like a world beater.
Whatever Painter has been doing isn't working with this team...and the only time we saw effort out of this club that was respectable today was when they extended and *gasp* played a trap. Whatever it takes to get guys to work on defense and on the glass, Painter needs to do because the offense isn't going to get better at this point, so defense needs to create opportunities.
With little emotion or sign of effort, Hammons scored 19 points, had 13 rebounds and 3 assists. The sad thing is he is clearly the best player on the team, yet he's so green that this can't possibly be his team at this point...and it's kind of a good thing it's not since he can't do the little things like arrive on time.
AJohnson was my favorite player to watch today...because he actually tried. He probably had friends and family at the game since he grew up near by; hopefully they come to every game from here out because it was refreshing to see him putting it all out there. He finished with 11 points and 8 rebounds.
Byrd somehow scored 12, had rebounds and 5 assists...BUT, he looked listless like most of his teammates and had at least two three pointers blocked. His fellow upper classman starter, TJohn had no stats worth mentioning...but looked put out to try to hard today in Evanston.
It's almost like the young guys followed the lead of Byrd and TJohn...and just went through the motions...hmmmmmm.
If those guys aren't going to try or care, they shouldn't play. And if Painter can't find anyone other than Carroll, Marcius, AJohn, Hale and Anthrop to play hard, than so be it. Could it get any worse than losing at home by 37 and getting crushed by Northwestern? I doubt it.
I've been looking ahead in three game chunks to see if Purdue can improve its chances to make the NIT...this team needs to look ahead no further than the next practice because, at this point, they don't look like they belong in the B1G.
(oh yeah, the final score was 75-60)
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Hazell's Double Duty and Gumbo
This is a pretty slow time for Purdue sports...but things are going on behind the scenes.
Our underdog Boiler football team is preparing for a bowl with a skeleton crew of coaches, the basketball team is in the midst of a much-needed bye week, of sorts, and Purdue's new football coach is splitting time between his current/former job and his new/current job...and seems to be doing OK at it.
The NCAA issued him the waiver that Morgan Burke talked about during the press conference that officially announced his hiring...and right away, Hazell was on the road seeking to hold on to the verbal commitments to the program and possibly get a few more.
His top two priorities were Rivals 4-star QB Danny Etling and 3-star RB David Yancey. Both will be mid-year enrollees, both were impressed with Purdue's new HC, and both are sticking to their commitments to wear themetallic beige gold and black.
If Hazell's living room presence is anything like his press conference presence, we can all understand why these guys both recommitted. He's got ten more in-home visits to make to verbals, a couple to make to guys who de-committed and a few to try to pick up to round out the class.
Before he even made a visit, he picked up a verbal from a Florida DB with offers from Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida and others. Hope and his staff clearly did the ground work on Leroy Clark, but the hire of Hazell got the deal done.
While our Boilers will lose some Seniors in key positions, Danny Hope left the cupboard far from bare...and the focus on speed during the recruiting process is something that Hazell and his yet-to-be-named coaching staff should be able to utilize.
Hazell said he loves road trips because driving gives him a chance to think through everything that's going on in life...he'll have plenty of time to get his mind right as he drives hundreds, if not thousands of miles in the month and one-half...with a built-in no-contact period smack dab in the center of that timespan along with Christmas and Kent State's bowl. Busy bee.
Basketball
On Saturday, Purdue will look to get their biggest win of the season thus far as they make the short trip South to Indy to play the hated Irish and Scott Martin. It's too bad that Hummel didn't get a 15th year like his childhood pal so he could pistol whip ole scott, but it didn't work out that way...so the suddenly-sloppy Boilers will have the daunting task of beating an experienced and large UND team that is fundamentally-sound and has a bunch of scorers.
I'm hoping Byrd becomes the sixth man off of the bench as he was last season and Purdue begins to run a lot more. With their shooting woes, multiple slashers and trouble with full-court presses, it seems the best thing to do for this squad would be to not let opposing defenses get set up...and as the Eastern Michigan game showed, this team's halfcourt game leaves a lot to be desired. On top of that, the usually hard-nosed defense has been replaced with inconsistent effort as some of the young guys simply look gassed with regularity.
Whether it's running or gutting out victories, Purdue has to change in a hurry in order to simply be respectable, let-alone get to the NIT...not NCAA tournament. Matty and his capable staff have their work cut out for them...and I have faith in these guys. BUT, it's gonna feel like it's them against the world as Mackey will continue to have thousands of empties (sadly, mind you) as Purdue's Pups seek cohesion and identity.
Less-Important Basketball
There's no doubt this season has been disappointing so far. A loss to a MAC team is pretty awful...and the loss to Villanova (who lost 4 of their next 5) looks pretty damned bad too. But surprises, both good and bad aren't limited to God's country right now.
Kentucky's always star-studded cast has three losses, UNC's four and five-star studded lineup can't manage to get a quality win...and the B1G is loaded to the gills.
If you're like me, it's tough to swallow the idea of Purdue being in the bottom of the conference...but this medicine might be what we all have to swallow this season. Penn State, the Gasser-less Badgers our Boilers, Nebraska and the always mild (come March) Cats might be fighting amongst themselves for the bottom third of the conference crown in the coming months. The rest of the conference seems to be monstrous...and all power ranking polls agree. If nothing else, Purdue will have opportunities for quality wins this season...the question is, will they get them? (And will Mackey become a tough place to play again this season?)
Humbling
One of my favorite things to do, in relation to this site, is talk to fellow Boiler alums and sports fans and then see if they know/visit the site. I got to do that last night at my wife's work Christmas party. It is always motivating and humbling for me to talk to people that make BS part of their daily ritual, whether on here, Twitter or FB. Thanks to everyone who reads the site and the other outlets. It's appreciated.
Our underdog Boiler football team is preparing for a bowl with a skeleton crew of coaches, the basketball team is in the midst of a much-needed bye week, of sorts, and Purdue's new football coach is splitting time between his current/former job and his new/current job...and seems to be doing OK at it.
The NCAA issued him the waiver that Morgan Burke talked about during the press conference that officially announced his hiring...and right away, Hazell was on the road seeking to hold on to the verbal commitments to the program and possibly get a few more.
His top two priorities were Rivals 4-star QB Danny Etling and 3-star RB David Yancey. Both will be mid-year enrollees, both were impressed with Purdue's new HC, and both are sticking to their commitments to wear the
If Hazell's living room presence is anything like his press conference presence, we can all understand why these guys both recommitted. He's got ten more in-home visits to make to verbals, a couple to make to guys who de-committed and a few to try to pick up to round out the class.
Before he even made a visit, he picked up a verbal from a Florida DB with offers from Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida and others. Hope and his staff clearly did the ground work on Leroy Clark, but the hire of Hazell got the deal done.
While our Boilers will lose some Seniors in key positions, Danny Hope left the cupboard far from bare...and the focus on speed during the recruiting process is something that Hazell and his yet-to-be-named coaching staff should be able to utilize.
Hazell said he loves road trips because driving gives him a chance to think through everything that's going on in life...he'll have plenty of time to get his mind right as he drives hundreds, if not thousands of miles in the month and one-half...with a built-in no-contact period smack dab in the center of that timespan along with Christmas and Kent State's bowl. Busy bee.
Basketball
On Saturday, Purdue will look to get their biggest win of the season thus far as they make the short trip South to Indy to play the hated Irish and Scott Martin. It's too bad that Hummel didn't get a 15th year like his childhood pal so he could pistol whip ole scott, but it didn't work out that way...so the suddenly-sloppy Boilers will have the daunting task of beating an experienced and large UND team that is fundamentally-sound and has a bunch of scorers.
I'm hoping Byrd becomes the sixth man off of the bench as he was last season and Purdue begins to run a lot more. With their shooting woes, multiple slashers and trouble with full-court presses, it seems the best thing to do for this squad would be to not let opposing defenses get set up...and as the Eastern Michigan game showed, this team's halfcourt game leaves a lot to be desired. On top of that, the usually hard-nosed defense has been replaced with inconsistent effort as some of the young guys simply look gassed with regularity.
Whether it's running or gutting out victories, Purdue has to change in a hurry in order to simply be respectable, let-alone get to the NIT...not NCAA tournament. Matty and his capable staff have their work cut out for them...and I have faith in these guys. BUT, it's gonna feel like it's them against the world as Mackey will continue to have thousands of empties (sadly, mind you) as Purdue's Pups seek cohesion and identity.
Less-Important Basketball
There's no doubt this season has been disappointing so far. A loss to a MAC team is pretty awful...and the loss to Villanova (who lost 4 of their next 5) looks pretty damned bad too. But surprises, both good and bad aren't limited to God's country right now.
Kentucky's always star-studded cast has three losses, UNC's four and five-star studded lineup can't manage to get a quality win...and the B1G is loaded to the gills.
If you're like me, it's tough to swallow the idea of Purdue being in the bottom of the conference...but this medicine might be what we all have to swallow this season. Penn State, the Gasser-less Badgers our Boilers, Nebraska and the always mild (come March) Cats might be fighting amongst themselves for the bottom third of the conference crown in the coming months. The rest of the conference seems to be monstrous...and all power ranking polls agree. If nothing else, Purdue will have opportunities for quality wins this season...the question is, will they get them? (And will Mackey become a tough place to play again this season?)
Humbling
One of my favorite things to do, in relation to this site, is talk to fellow Boiler alums and sports fans and then see if they know/visit the site. I got to do that last night at my wife's work Christmas party. It is always motivating and humbling for me to talk to people that make BS part of their daily ritual, whether on here, Twitter or FB. Thanks to everyone who reads the site and the other outlets. It's appreciated.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Rebuilding Boilers Not Ready For Primetime
I'll admit when I was wrong...it happens often. And based on what I've seen so far this season, I was wrong about my Boilers- they're very much in the midst of a rebuilding phase...and tonight's 66-58 loss shows how much work they have left to do.
A few seasons of less-than-stellar recruiting classes have Matty's program struggling for an identity. But the good news, at least for the long view, is that the future looks quite bright. That said, the next few months might be tough to watch.
It was mid-December before Purdue had three losses last season...Mid January during Smooge and JJ's Senior season...same for '09/'10...so this doesn't feel normal for Purdue fans. But things are as they are right now, and this winter might feel especially chilly in God's country.
There's an adage I made up: You can't win basketball games if you can't score. Our Boilers embody that idea. The second part of the fake adage is- if you can't stop anyone you need to score a lot.
This is where Purdue is right now. Painter's signature defense is nowhere to be found. The young guys don't understand rotations and switches within a defense based on fluid, seamless, constant help. I'm not saying this is a death sentence...not even for this season, but right now, Matty's Boilers have a long way to go.
Painter is clearly still struggling to find the right combinations...and the lack of consistency among the pups makes finding the formula even harder.
For instance, Hammons struggled mightily last night versus an OK front court..but tonight, versus a much bigger group, Hammons simply took the game over. He ended the contest with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal. As J said via text from MSG, "Hammons has me giddy." His effort helped Purdue shrink a double-digit lead down to nothing before the wheels came off...again.
The same old problems as in the other two losses this season reared their ugly heads- Purdue shot less than 60% from the stripe, shot 34% from the floor and just 26% from behind the arc. Ugh. Not only could Purdue not shoot, but Davis and the young Johnsons weren't able to penetrate the beavers' defense with any regularity...and if these Boilers can't bust the opponent's defenses by sliding through the lane, they're in trouble.
Yesterday v. Nova, Purdue couldn't score, but they were gritty on the glass as they won the rebounding battle handily. Tonight, they looked pretty soft in the lane and allowed Oregon State's bigs to do pretty much whatever they wanted...in fact, on a few possessions it looked like those clad in white, orange and black were just padding their rebounding stats as they toyed with Lawson, Marcius and Hale.
We all knew that this Purdue team would be a work in progress...I just didn't foresee them having three losses in the first four games. After a five day break, our Boilers will host UNC Wilmington and try to get back on track a bit...thankfully, UNCW is struggling mightily at this point.
A few seasons of less-than-stellar recruiting classes have Matty's program struggling for an identity. But the good news, at least for the long view, is that the future looks quite bright. That said, the next few months might be tough to watch.
It was mid-December before Purdue had three losses last season...Mid January during Smooge and JJ's Senior season...same for '09/'10...so this doesn't feel normal for Purdue fans. But things are as they are right now, and this winter might feel especially chilly in God's country.
There's an adage I made up: You can't win basketball games if you can't score. Our Boilers embody that idea. The second part of the fake adage is- if you can't stop anyone you need to score a lot.
 |
| Too easy. |
This is where Purdue is right now. Painter's signature defense is nowhere to be found. The young guys don't understand rotations and switches within a defense based on fluid, seamless, constant help. I'm not saying this is a death sentence...not even for this season, but right now, Matty's Boilers have a long way to go.
Painter is clearly still struggling to find the right combinations...and the lack of consistency among the pups makes finding the formula even harder.
For instance, Hammons struggled mightily last night versus an OK front court..but tonight, versus a much bigger group, Hammons simply took the game over. He ended the contest with 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal. As J said via text from MSG, "Hammons has me giddy." His effort helped Purdue shrink a double-digit lead down to nothing before the wheels came off...again.
The same old problems as in the other two losses this season reared their ugly heads- Purdue shot less than 60% from the stripe, shot 34% from the floor and just 26% from behind the arc. Ugh. Not only could Purdue not shoot, but Davis and the young Johnsons weren't able to penetrate the beavers' defense with any regularity...and if these Boilers can't bust the opponent's defenses by sliding through the lane, they're in trouble.
Yesterday v. Nova, Purdue couldn't score, but they were gritty on the glass as they won the rebounding battle handily. Tonight, they looked pretty soft in the lane and allowed Oregon State's bigs to do pretty much whatever they wanted...in fact, on a few possessions it looked like those clad in white, orange and black were just padding their rebounding stats as they toyed with Lawson, Marcius and Hale.
We all knew that this Purdue team would be a work in progress...I just didn't foresee them having three losses in the first four games. After a five day break, our Boilers will host UNC Wilmington and try to get back on track a bit...thankfully, UNCW is struggling mightily at this point.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Hope Snatches Defeat out of the Jaws of Victory in Columbus
If you didn't watch the game today you missed one that was at least entertaining...and you missed a nearly-fun game. Purdue had a long TD pass on their first offensive play from TerBush to Shavers, a 100 yard kickoff return for TD by Hunt, a few sustained drives and some solid defense versus an offense that was scoring like J when a Sade CD is playing...at least before today.
We wanted to see the Boilers fight...we wanted to see them compete...and they did that today. The players did their job for 58 minutes this afternoon as they went toe-to-toe with one of the better teams in the nation. The problem of course is after two weeks of getting their arses handed to them, a moral victory is worth nothing...especially the way this one played out.
Key moments in the game:
-After Purdue's first touchdown the PAT was blocked...score 6-0. (one point left on the field)
-2nd quarter, with Purdue up 13-7 on the 2 yard line, Purdue comes away with zero points as TerBush tries to force a pass into double coverage. The possession resulted in an interception, and aOSU ball. (at least three points left on the field)
-20-14 2:58 left in the 3rd qtr Purdue gets the ball on the aOSU 37.
Purdue could have all but put the game away. After a big runt by Akeem Hunt Purdue was inside the 20 with a fresh set of downs. After conservative play calling and a busted play, Purdue attempted and a field goal...and it was blocked. (three more points left on the field)
-With Miller out of the game, Guyton took over for the entire fourth quarter and really couldn't move the aOSU offense.
-20-14 11:50 remaining
Purdue just in aOSU territory with a fresh set of downs. after two busted plays, Purdue is forced to punt.
-20-14 10:51 remaining
Webster's pooch pins aOSU on the one yard line. After a hold on aOSU in the end zone on second down, aOSU gave Purdue two points in the form of a safety.
-22-14 2:40 remaining
Feichter's interception of Guyton gave Purdue the ball. Purdue's offense promptly went three-and-out after a possession that took just 47 seconds off of the clock. The possession included a false start, a befuddled-looking Purdue offense and a hair-brained scheme that included Purdue calling two time outs...in order to save the clock. This strategery of course allowed aOSU to avoid using their timeouts. Yeah, the rest of the football world doesn't get it either...but Hope is that much of a revolutionary.
After this mess, Purdue's defense joined the lying down party and allowed a previously-inept offense led by a green QB to find life versus a prevent-to-win defense. After scoring a TD to put them down by two, Guyton once again looked like a veteran, as a broken-down play led to Gaston being forced to guarda TE...it didn't end well for Gaston (shockingly), as aOSU tied the game.
With the wind out of their sails, Purdue's defense allowed aOSU to go up by seven in OT...and the offense responded by not moving the ball and being forced to throw a desperation heave that ended the game.
I felt like if Purdue had won, it would have changed the trajectory of the season. A win today and a few more wins this season and this season might have been universally viewed as a success. So in a way, Hope was coaching for his job today.
So how did he and his assistants coach as they looked to make a statement and a mark on the program's direction? They coached scared. The defense lost its teeth, the offense lost its lower-intestinal fortitude, and of course, Purdue left Columbus with a loss.
I'm proud of the players for fighting and playing in the way they're capable of playing for much of the contest...but this game still crashes down loudly and painfully in the right hand column. Plus, the coaches seemingly wiped away all momentum created in 58 minutes by throwing this one away.
Purdue stole a game last year versus aOSU in Ross Ade as two mediocre teams battled into bonus football...Today, our Boilers gave one away that they had all but wrapped-up. If nothing else, balance remains in the universe.
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Don't Blame Caleb
We're consistent if nothing else.
We've never thought TerBush was the answer at QB...and we can't stand to see Purdue's student athletes bad-mouthed by Purdue fans. Are we contradicting ourselves? We don't think so...We're observing what we see.
Danny Hope has told the Boiler faithful multiple times this season that TerBush earned the #1 QB spot in practice. Granted, none of us see what he, Nord and company see...he doesn't allow that. But, as a guy who's gotten nervous in front of a crowd while playing sports, I can tell you that practice performance doesn't equal gametime...but as a guy who has also coached, I appreciate players that work hard in practice.
What we all do see is that 19 struggles with pressure and tends to make decisions slowly in the games. He played pretty poorly Saturday...and the problems he normally has, he displayed versus a determined UM defense. But before you get internet brave and start calling a 6'5" 20-something year old names via Twitter, think about this- that loss wasn't his fault.
The loss was a team product. Poor preparation led to poor execution...Poor execution led to poor situations...Poor situations led to very few adjustments, sadly. Purdue was beaten in every aspect of the game yesterday.
But back to the TerBush discussion- I don't blame the kid for they type of player he is. He wasn't a highly-touted recruit...he came from a pretty small school...and he predominantly ran the option as he led his squad to a state championship his Senior season. He's got an unusual passing motion that hasn't improved a ton since he arrived on campus and has never been described as having a cannon of an arm. He's effective-enough when running the ball, and OK at making checks at the line of scrimmage. He is what he is. I can't blame him for not being Drew Brees...or Kyle Orton...or Billy Dicken...or even John Reeves (when he played QB).
Based on what Hope and company said in recent weeks, they believed that Purdue's newly-revamped defense only needed a game manager- A guy to do exactly as they asked him and exactly as they expected him to do...and the running game and defense would bring home the victory.
We all know now that formula isn't going to fly versus good teams.
The offensive line struggled to create space and struggled to keep a clean pocket for any of the QBs that played. And the defense couldn't stop anything yesterday. Each time they really needed to get off the field, they'd allow a yard or 50 more than UM needed for the first down.
While there's enough blame to go around, the buck stops at the top...right? Not TerBush, not even the coordinators who called the plays and formations...but the guy that hired them, right?
Well, we have less of a problem with Purdue fans pointing their collective vitriol at a guy that gets paid than doing so at the amateurs...you know that if you visited here for a while.
But, perhaps our collective blame and ire should go higher still...to a guy who isn't just the most-recent mustached face of the football program, but the guy who has been the face of the entire athletic program for 20 years, and the one who controls the purse strings. He's made some great decisions, no doubt about that. We've given him credit for successes like the hiring of Matt Painter and the Mackey renovation, when it's been deserved. But when you think about it, what we've seen from Coach Hope isn't much different from what we've seen from Caleb TerBush...and like TerBush, Hope is who he is.
Perhaps Hope is learning how to run a B1G program on the job...but the game plan and lack of adjustments v. UM didn't seem to show much progress. The thrashings that have been handed out to Hope-coached squads in the last few years, by the league's leaders, and even upper-middle foes, seem to exhibit a trend.
Many Purdue faithful are calling for Hope to be fired. But before you call for that, look at a few givens that exist.
Burke looked for an inexpensive option when he hired Hope, and he got it. He continued by making Hope's coaching staff one of the lowest-paid in the conference. Even when Hope replaced key parts of the staff following his new contract signing in early '12, he still wasn't given much of a budget increase. And while I was impressed with Tibesar's defense versus MAC and DI-AA opponents, I've been thoroughly unimpressed in the last three halves of football.
Maybe we will see a vastly-improved effort and an air-tight scheme next week...maybe Wisconsin's style of play will create better match-ups for Purdue and produce a more-competitive game. I don't know the future; even the near future.
What I do know is the last few years...and more recently, this last week, has been pretty lousy for the program. As a result, tickets will not be flying off the shelves for next week's contest...just like they haven't been selling in the past few seasons. That loss of revenue and its subsequent effect to the athletic department's bottom line, is something that Burke understands quite well. And while he ignores negative feedback from fans on websites like this, he will not ignore the gaping hole in his budget created by poor ticket sales much longer.
If things don't change quickly, as in this week, the program and ticket sales for the rest of this season will probably be eerily-similar to the last few seasons. As a result Purdue's AD will be looking to hold someone accountable for this situation at the season's end. His search shouldn't last long as he won't need to look outside his office for the culpable party.
We've never thought TerBush was the answer at QB...and we can't stand to see Purdue's student athletes bad-mouthed by Purdue fans. Are we contradicting ourselves? We don't think so...We're observing what we see.
Danny Hope has told the Boiler faithful multiple times this season that TerBush earned the #1 QB spot in practice. Granted, none of us see what he, Nord and company see...he doesn't allow that. But, as a guy who's gotten nervous in front of a crowd while playing sports, I can tell you that practice performance doesn't equal gametime...but as a guy who has also coached, I appreciate players that work hard in practice.
What we all do see is that 19 struggles with pressure and tends to make decisions slowly in the games. He played pretty poorly Saturday...and the problems he normally has, he displayed versus a determined UM defense. But before you get internet brave and start calling a 6'5" 20-something year old names via Twitter, think about this- that loss wasn't his fault.
The loss was a team product. Poor preparation led to poor execution...Poor execution led to poor situations...Poor situations led to very few adjustments, sadly. Purdue was beaten in every aspect of the game yesterday.
But back to the TerBush discussion- I don't blame the kid for they type of player he is. He wasn't a highly-touted recruit...he came from a pretty small school...and he predominantly ran the option as he led his squad to a state championship his Senior season. He's got an unusual passing motion that hasn't improved a ton since he arrived on campus and has never been described as having a cannon of an arm. He's effective-enough when running the ball, and OK at making checks at the line of scrimmage. He is what he is. I can't blame him for not being Drew Brees...or Kyle Orton...or Billy Dicken...or even John Reeves (when he played QB).
Based on what Hope and company said in recent weeks, they believed that Purdue's newly-revamped defense only needed a game manager- A guy to do exactly as they asked him and exactly as they expected him to do...and the running game and defense would bring home the victory.
We all know now that formula isn't going to fly versus good teams.
The offensive line struggled to create space and struggled to keep a clean pocket for any of the QBs that played. And the defense couldn't stop anything yesterday. Each time they really needed to get off the field, they'd allow a yard or 50 more than UM needed for the first down.
While there's enough blame to go around, the buck stops at the top...right? Not TerBush, not even the coordinators who called the plays and formations...but the guy that hired them, right?
Well, we have less of a problem with Purdue fans pointing their collective vitriol at a guy that gets paid than doing so at the amateurs...you know that if you visited here for a while.
But, perhaps our collective blame and ire should go higher still...to a guy who isn't just the most-recent mustached face of the football program, but the guy who has been the face of the entire athletic program for 20 years, and the one who controls the purse strings. He's made some great decisions, no doubt about that. We've given him credit for successes like the hiring of Matt Painter and the Mackey renovation, when it's been deserved. But when you think about it, what we've seen from Coach Hope isn't much different from what we've seen from Caleb TerBush...and like TerBush, Hope is who he is.
Perhaps Hope is learning how to run a B1G program on the job...but the game plan and lack of adjustments v. UM didn't seem to show much progress. The thrashings that have been handed out to Hope-coached squads in the last few years, by the league's leaders, and even upper-middle foes, seem to exhibit a trend.
Many Purdue faithful are calling for Hope to be fired. But before you call for that, look at a few givens that exist.
Burke looked for an inexpensive option when he hired Hope, and he got it. He continued by making Hope's coaching staff one of the lowest-paid in the conference. Even when Hope replaced key parts of the staff following his new contract signing in early '12, he still wasn't given much of a budget increase. And while I was impressed with Tibesar's defense versus MAC and DI-AA opponents, I've been thoroughly unimpressed in the last three halves of football.
Maybe we will see a vastly-improved effort and an air-tight scheme next week...maybe Wisconsin's style of play will create better match-ups for Purdue and produce a more-competitive game. I don't know the future; even the near future.
What I do know is the last few years...and more recently, this last week, has been pretty lousy for the program. As a result, tickets will not be flying off the shelves for next week's contest...just like they haven't been selling in the past few seasons. That loss of revenue and its subsequent effect to the athletic department's bottom line, is something that Burke understands quite well. And while he ignores negative feedback from fans on websites like this, he will not ignore the gaping hole in his budget created by poor ticket sales much longer.
If things don't change quickly, as in this week, the program and ticket sales for the rest of this season will probably be eerily-similar to the last few seasons. As a result Purdue's AD will be looking to hold someone accountable for this situation at the season's end. His search shouldn't last long as he won't need to look outside his office for the culpable party.
Saturday, October 06, 2012
First Hand Account of a Debacle
Our pal Ed couldn't come up from Texas for the game, so he sent his tickets to me this week. I thought I'd take my Dad, fellow Boiler alum...but he had to go visit my grandma for her birthday. I then asked another Boiler...and another...and another. I asked quite a few Purdue alums and even a few non-alums that are big fans...but no one was biting. Perhaps they all knew something that I wasn't willing to admit- nothing's changed in Purdue's program...and they didn't want to see yet another bloodbath in person.
J and I both thought Purdue wouldn't win...but neither of us could really figure out how the Boilers would lose. Well, they lost in a very familiar way- by doing almost everything poorly.
The Special Teams gave away the ball and set up a score, the offense had too many turnovers- one leading immediately to 6 points...and the defense couldn't stop the run; inside or outside, and just for good measure, the DBs allowed easy completions whenever UM needed a larger chunk of yardage.
Denard Robinson looked like a Heisman candidate once again...shaking the rust loose that is often caused by the shackles of good defenses. And the old adage that 'nothing cures an ailing team like a game versus Purdue' reared its disgusting head once again.
It was chilly, a bit windy and clear...nearly-perfect weather for football, really. UM fans were confident as they headed into Ross-Ade- they were confident that Hoke would right their collective ship off of the bye week...and he did. Conversely, Purdue's coaches seemingly took the week off of practice as their players looked extremely ill-prepared, and not at all equipped to play a B1G game on this day.
If you didn't watch it, congratulations. Those hours that you spent coaching your children, watching better football, gardening, painting, napping or hunting for the perfect pumpkin were hours well-spent. But the three hours that I spent in one of my favorite places in the world, I'll never get back. The good news is that I got to watch the game with a friend of mine, and it was good to hang out together...sarcastically cheer every now and again and hope that something would change.
I have a confession- I left this game early...something I hardly ever do. But, I made it to the around the 4:00 mark. I didn't see UM break 40...but it felt like I watched the Wolverines lay 100 on the metallic beige and black.
TerBush played poorly...but I've said this before- it's not his fault he's starting. I believe the guy is playing as well as he can. But today was the reason that people like me have been saying for weeks/months- Purdue needs a gunslinger. I guess I didn't buy into the idea that Purdue's defense had suddenly become that of the Baltimore Ravens with the injection of the 3-4. But, in spite of his guts and grit, I'm not sure Marve...or Henry is enough. If the play calling doesn't change, it's not going to matter who is at the controls.
Drew Brees would have been benched by Hope and Nord for too much free-wheeling in this system. 15 might have checked out of the second, third, fourth or fifth fake read draw on first down that didn't gain more than one yard. Or maybe he'd call a slant route OR a vertical route (*sigh*). Or maybe not. What I do know is there's a reason Purdue fans will have a hard time believing the next big game will end differently.
As fans, we're on a hamster wheel of crappy Saturdays. Just like your favorite rodent runs the same way over and over hoping for something new with the next stride, Danny Hope and company do the same garbage in each game versus good teams and get similar results time and again. Sure, every now and again, we all jump off of the wheel for some room temperature water (a win over a MAC opponent) or some kibble (an unexpected win over a disappointing aOSU squad). But when the potential is there for Purdue to actually change course, things don't change.
I really believe that Ross, Bush, Shavers, Marve, Holmes, Short, Gaston, Russell, Allen, Johnson, and others are good enough to start for a ton of really good programs in the nation. But my Boilers continuously look like they're not ready for primetime when the bright lights come on.
A friend of mine who graduated from Michigan texted me as I got into my car outside of Ross-Ade. He rightfully taunted me...and I had no response other than Purdue stunk today; a lot like they did last season in Ann Arbor. A new DC, Senior leadership and a home game didn't change the outcome.
And perhaps even more worrisome, an even bigger intra-divisional game looms six and one-half days from now...versus a program that handed Purdue one of its worst losses in the program's long history, just a season ago.
Ugh.
I guess the good news is the media will be off of Purdue's back...removing all of that undo pressure from them about being one of the best teams in the league. So there is a silver lining.
J and I both thought Purdue wouldn't win...but neither of us could really figure out how the Boilers would lose. Well, they lost in a very familiar way- by doing almost everything poorly.
 |
| Prepared. |
Denard Robinson looked like a Heisman candidate once again...shaking the rust loose that is often caused by the shackles of good defenses. And the old adage that 'nothing cures an ailing team like a game versus Purdue' reared its disgusting head once again.
It was chilly, a bit windy and clear...nearly-perfect weather for football, really. UM fans were confident as they headed into Ross-Ade- they were confident that Hoke would right their collective ship off of the bye week...and he did. Conversely, Purdue's coaches seemingly took the week off of practice as their players looked extremely ill-prepared, and not at all equipped to play a B1G game on this day.
If you didn't watch it, congratulations. Those hours that you spent coaching your children, watching better football, gardening, painting, napping or hunting for the perfect pumpkin were hours well-spent. But the three hours that I spent in one of my favorite places in the world, I'll never get back. The good news is that I got to watch the game with a friend of mine, and it was good to hang out together...sarcastically cheer every now and again and hope that something would change.
I have a confession- I left this game early...something I hardly ever do. But, I made it to the around the 4:00 mark. I didn't see UM break 40...but it felt like I watched the Wolverines lay 100 on the metallic beige and black.
TerBush played poorly...but I've said this before- it's not his fault he's starting. I believe the guy is playing as well as he can. But today was the reason that people like me have been saying for weeks/months- Purdue needs a gunslinger. I guess I didn't buy into the idea that Purdue's defense had suddenly become that of the Baltimore Ravens with the injection of the 3-4. But, in spite of his guts and grit, I'm not sure Marve...or Henry is enough. If the play calling doesn't change, it's not going to matter who is at the controls.
Drew Brees would have been benched by Hope and Nord for too much free-wheeling in this system. 15 might have checked out of the second, third, fourth or fifth fake read draw on first down that didn't gain more than one yard. Or maybe he'd call a slant route OR a vertical route (*sigh*). Or maybe not. What I do know is there's a reason Purdue fans will have a hard time believing the next big game will end differently.
As fans, we're on a hamster wheel of crappy Saturdays. Just like your favorite rodent runs the same way over and over hoping for something new with the next stride, Danny Hope and company do the same garbage in each game versus good teams and get similar results time and again. Sure, every now and again, we all jump off of the wheel for some room temperature water (a win over a MAC opponent) or some kibble (an unexpected win over a disappointing aOSU squad). But when the potential is there for Purdue to actually change course, things don't change.
I really believe that Ross, Bush, Shavers, Marve, Holmes, Short, Gaston, Russell, Allen, Johnson, and others are good enough to start for a ton of really good programs in the nation. But my Boilers continuously look like they're not ready for primetime when the bright lights come on.
A friend of mine who graduated from Michigan texted me as I got into my car outside of Ross-Ade. He rightfully taunted me...and I had no response other than Purdue stunk today; a lot like they did last season in Ann Arbor. A new DC, Senior leadership and a home game didn't change the outcome.
And perhaps even more worrisome, an even bigger intra-divisional game looms six and one-half days from now...versus a program that handed Purdue one of its worst losses in the program's long history, just a season ago.
Ugh.
I guess the good news is the media will be off of Purdue's back...removing all of that undo pressure from them about being one of the best teams in the league. So there is a silver lining.
Monday, June 04, 2012
A Tale of Two Tournaments: Boilers Underwhelm
But, didn't this plot feel eerily similar to something much closer to our hearts at BS? It did to me.
Before I go any further, let me give some background.
I know many of you reading have a hard time believing that my words have any credence. Afterall, I'm a self-admitted baseball loather. In the summer, DVDs of old Purdue football victories, the occasional golf major and IndyCar races scratch my itch for sports excitement. I typically wait until September to care about baseball. But, I don't dislike baseball because I know nothing about it.
I played the game from the time I was 7 through 17. I played Babe Ruth, where I was actually pretty good, played high school ball and coached Little League for 5 seasons. I loved playing the game...and coaching as well...just the watching makes me sleepy.
That said, I went all fairweather for the Boilers and watched as much late-season action as BTN would bring to me...And here's what I saw- a team that didn't pitch great, made quite a few errors in the field and, in the clutch, simply couldn't get the job done. Hell, how many stranded runners did we see in the final two games of the season alone?
Back to my original point- we've been through this before.
Back in '11, Smooge and JJ were two of the best players in the conference, if not the nation. Much like these Baseball Boilers, accolades were handed out on a weekly basis as those Boilers came up with big wins, on big stages against big competition. Same goes for Schreiber's bunch this year. When they needed hits, they found them. The dramatic comeback v. UCLA and the big wins v. MSU when they needed them come to mind right away.
Purdue's 2012 baseball team, like the 2011 basketball team was one of the best in the nation...and the post-season flame-outs don't change that fact. Both teams were highly-ranked and both played on extremely-high levels. BUT, both teams also backed their way out of the regular seasons v. Iowa...lowly, hated rival, Iowa. The baseball and basketball Hawkeyes aren't coached by an icon like Ferentz...and their records show it. So losing to either of these teams, at home or in Iowa is kind of inexcusable for the cream of the conference.
Now, one big difference between these two teams is that the baseball Boilers won the B1G tournament...and did it while going through IU. But, IU's baseball team isn't like the hardwood Hoosiers. That said, winning the B1G tournament for this year's Boilers was a great accomplishment...but I don't think the players thought of that as their end goal.
So when they got the #1 seed in their regional, I'm pretty sure they thought there was more meat on the bone for this season...and it looked like there might be after the first game v. Valpo. Granted, Valpo played a pretty horrible game, errors mounted, helped Purdue move runners and stay alive in innings that were dead...and the Boilers advanced easily.
Similarly, Matty's squad played a low seed, St. Peter's in their opening round of the tournament in 2011...and St. Peter's looked shocked and overwhelmed by Purdue's ability...and they were swamped...So Purdue would move on. It looked like Purdue would play college basketball blueblood, Georgetown in the next round. G'Town, had been ranked as high as top-10 earlier that season...but finished their BE schedule with a whisper and received the 6 seed in Purdue's bracket.
Similarly, Kentucky was a highly-ranked team for most of the season in 2012...but wasn't given the privilege of hosting the regional this year. But the Wildcats seemed to be Purdue's main hurdle to making the Super Regional. But Kent State had other ideas...and they moved Kentucky to the loser's bracket just as VCU had cleared the Hoyas out of Matty's squad's way a year earlier.
So it was set. Purdue v. Kent State...Purdue v. VCU...and our Boilers would be playing with the nation's best and in a conversation that everyone thought they belonged in to begin with.
But, VCU overwhelmed a sluggish Purdue defense and played with more energy than a team that had been defined by hustle and effort. Similarly, Kent State, peppered the struggling Boilers with hit after hit...Purdue's pitching that had been strong and well-coached all season, was overwhelmed as their ace was kept in the game a few pitches too long. The strength that had defined both teams during the regular season was no where to be found...and Boiler fans in the United Center and Gary's Steelyard alike were both left cursing as they watched the games slip away.
VCU went on to make an improbably trip to the final four...and the fuel to their confidence might have been beating the mighty Boilers. Kent State earned its way out of the regional by knocking off two of the nation's best...who knows when their run will end. But the point is, Purdue's is over.I won't go as far as to say the regular seasons don't matter. Both teams provided a very enjoyable run for the fans as they won, won and won some more. But, when the chips were down, neither team could step up.
A few years ago, my brother who is a fellow Purdue alum pointed something out to me- You really can't blame the media for giving Purdue no respect. Time and again, very good Purdue teams in football, basketball and now baseball have taken great regular season success only to crap the bed in the post-season.
We can talk about key injuries...whether it's Glenn Robinson's back in '94 or Rob Hummel's knee in '11...and those factors were important. We can site valiant efforts in a loss like Hummel's herculean game v. Kansas or Shawn Phillips super-human defensive effort v. Georgia in 2004...but both ended in heartbreak. Facts are facts...so until Purdue can break through and win a January 1 bowl (or better), get into the Final Four or get to Omaha, it's tough to argue that our Boilers are anything other than a regular season monster and a post-season pansy.
I don't like this any more than anyone reading this...in fact it makes me a little sick in my stomach when I think about how some of these truly great teams never got to hoist the trophy at the very end of the season...but right now, things are what they are...and there's only one way to change the future.
Just win.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Boilers Make it Tougher on Themselves by Losing to Wisconsin at Mackey
To win at home is a must in college basketball. Purdue needs ever victory it can get, especially this season, as March gets closer and closer. Coming in, the Forces of Good had won 26-straight at Mackey...and I expected the place to be fired up and ready. BUT, I also expected Wisconsin to be playing like they had to win. My expectations became reality, but that's where it stopped. Once again, Matty's club found creative ways to lose this one.
Coming into the game, Wisconsin had pretty much only died by the three, at least during the B1G schedule...but Painter and everyone else knew that wouldn't stop them from shooting it. So they came out with guns blazing...and Purdue responded by not defending the three; makes a ton of sense. At the same time, our Boilers couldn't buy a basket- they were driving, getting good looks and missing lay-ups and shots from 12 feet and in time and again. At the 12:43 mark, Wisconsin had staked its claim that Mackey would be their home court as they effectively quieted the crowd by jumping out to an 18 point lead.
Against PSU, that's all it took- a sizable lead, and the spirit of the Boilers seemingly was broken. Tonight that wasn't the case, but the end result was still a loss. The Paint Crew was thunderous as the defense turned up the pressure and forced Wisconsin into bad shots or no shot at all, and at just under the 9 minute mark, it looked like the game might turn- Purdue had cut the lead to 12 and Byrd was fouled on a three pointer; the always animated, if not whiny Bo Ryan took umbrage with the call and was teched up- the result would be Byrd would get 5 free throws. In typical 2012 Purdue fashion, Byrd, Purdue's second-leading free throw shooter by percentage, hit 2 of 5. And that disgusting free throw shooting monster wouldn't die there.
At the end of the day, Purdue had left 10 points on the floor in the form of missed FTs. On top of that, they missed five or six lay-ups...and to me, that's the game...plain and simple. We can over-analyze this team until we're depressed or numb, but the fundamentals just are nowhere to be found with any consistency on this squad- and that's with everybody- from Senior leaders to newbies...and that's maddening.
There were some good things tonight- Terone Johnson hit 6-of-8 of his free attempts, and it helped him score a team high 16 points...along with 5 rebound, 4 assists and just one TO, that's a pretty damned good game. He didn't shoot great from the floor...but unlike many of his teammates he seemed willing to take the big shot; and that said a lot to me. Granted, a couple of the shots were way out of the rhythm of the offense and resulted in easy buckets off of long rebounds, but I'm glad he's looking to score.
Barlow had a solid game, both offensively and defensively. He was frustrating the Wisconsin guards, after making the decision to play defense (like the rest of his team), took pretty good shots, hit his free throws and passed the ball well. He finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Hummel had an OK game and ended with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal...but never seemed to assert himself.
Travis Carroll had 8 boards, while leading the team in that category...Smith was rushed at times, but had a couple of shots that looked like they might help bring the Boilers back into the game...and Byrd had an effective game at times, but didn't get a lot of open looks. I'm not quite sure what happened to Jackson, but after scoring the initial points for Purdue in the opening minutes, he didn't score again and only played 20 minutes.
Wisconsin played like a team with their backs against the wall...and unlike Purdue, they don't seem prone to giving away 20 point leads; which is good for them, and was bad for Purdue on the night. Purdue made runs, would get it down to three or five points, but then Wisconsin would go on a run and make it as tough as possible on the Boilers.
A ton of people predicted Wisconsin to be in the top-3 of the conference, and I just assumed that with Taylor returning and Bo Ryan's painful to watch, yet effective system, the Badgers would be up among the elite. But, watching them in person, it makes sense that they have three early losses. Purdue allowed them to shoot over 80% from three in the first half; that's good, if you're into that sort of thing...but as a team they seem to accept the three way too often as they don't have a Jon Leuer-type of guy to go to on the team...but that didn't stop Berggren from looking exactly like him from the upper ring in Mackey.
Sidenote: I'm pretty sure Berggren is really just another guy from that whitegoon guy cloning machine that Wisconsin has been using for the last 15 years. The problem with clones, as the movie Multiplicity reminds us, is they get less and less like the original as time goes on...and Berggren is no Brian Butch.
But, as unimpressed as I was with the Wisconsin team as individual players, Ryan did what he usually does and had them playing well-enough to win...this time knocking Purdue down another rung by beating them 67-62.
Defending homecourt was of the utmost importance for this team that needs as many quality wins as it can get...but like they've done all season, they seem unwilling to take advantage of situations that present themselves and just love the struggle. Matty's squad only played one of the teams in the conference with 14 or more wins on the season...in the final 12 games, they'll play 7 games against the conference elite. At 13-5, you can decide for yourself what the forecast for the post-season looks like, but I'd say it's pretty bleak. This Purdue team still has no offensive identity and sadly, doesn't know what it wants to be on defense either.
After a weekend off, Purdue welcomes Iowa to to Mackey next Tuesday at 8:00.
Coming into the game, Wisconsin had pretty much only died by the three, at least during the B1G schedule...but Painter and everyone else knew that wouldn't stop them from shooting it. So they came out with guns blazing...and Purdue responded by not defending the three; makes a ton of sense. At the same time, our Boilers couldn't buy a basket- they were driving, getting good looks and missing lay-ups and shots from 12 feet and in time and again. At the 12:43 mark, Wisconsin had staked its claim that Mackey would be their home court as they effectively quieted the crowd by jumping out to an 18 point lead.
Against PSU, that's all it took- a sizable lead, and the spirit of the Boilers seemingly was broken. Tonight that wasn't the case, but the end result was still a loss. The Paint Crew was thunderous as the defense turned up the pressure and forced Wisconsin into bad shots or no shot at all, and at just under the 9 minute mark, it looked like the game might turn- Purdue had cut the lead to 12 and Byrd was fouled on a three pointer; the always animated, if not whiny Bo Ryan took umbrage with the call and was teched up- the result would be Byrd would get 5 free throws. In typical 2012 Purdue fashion, Byrd, Purdue's second-leading free throw shooter by percentage, hit 2 of 5. And that disgusting free throw shooting monster wouldn't die there.
At the end of the day, Purdue had left 10 points on the floor in the form of missed FTs. On top of that, they missed five or six lay-ups...and to me, that's the game...plain and simple. We can over-analyze this team until we're depressed or numb, but the fundamentals just are nowhere to be found with any consistency on this squad- and that's with everybody- from Senior leaders to newbies...and that's maddening.
There were some good things tonight- Terone Johnson hit 6-of-8 of his free attempts, and it helped him score a team high 16 points...along with 5 rebound, 4 assists and just one TO, that's a pretty damned good game. He didn't shoot great from the floor...but unlike many of his teammates he seemed willing to take the big shot; and that said a lot to me. Granted, a couple of the shots were way out of the rhythm of the offense and resulted in easy buckets off of long rebounds, but I'm glad he's looking to score.
Barlow had a solid game, both offensively and defensively. He was frustrating the Wisconsin guards, after making the decision to play defense (like the rest of his team), took pretty good shots, hit his free throws and passed the ball well. He finished with 9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists. Hummel had an OK game and ended with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal...but never seemed to assert himself.
Travis Carroll had 8 boards, while leading the team in that category...Smith was rushed at times, but had a couple of shots that looked like they might help bring the Boilers back into the game...and Byrd had an effective game at times, but didn't get a lot of open looks. I'm not quite sure what happened to Jackson, but after scoring the initial points for Purdue in the opening minutes, he didn't score again and only played 20 minutes.
Wisconsin played like a team with their backs against the wall...and unlike Purdue, they don't seem prone to giving away 20 point leads; which is good for them, and was bad for Purdue on the night. Purdue made runs, would get it down to three or five points, but then Wisconsin would go on a run and make it as tough as possible on the Boilers.
A ton of people predicted Wisconsin to be in the top-3 of the conference, and I just assumed that with Taylor returning and Bo Ryan's painful to watch, yet effective system, the Badgers would be up among the elite. But, watching them in person, it makes sense that they have three early losses. Purdue allowed them to shoot over 80% from three in the first half; that's good, if you're into that sort of thing...but as a team they seem to accept the three way too often as they don't have a Jon Leuer-type of guy to go to on the team...but that didn't stop Berggren from looking exactly like him from the upper ring in Mackey.
Sidenote: I'm pretty sure Berggren is really just another guy from that white
But, as unimpressed as I was with the Wisconsin team as individual players, Ryan did what he usually does and had them playing well-enough to win...this time knocking Purdue down another rung by beating them 67-62.
Defending homecourt was of the utmost importance for this team that needs as many quality wins as it can get...but like they've done all season, they seem unwilling to take advantage of situations that present themselves and just love the struggle. Matty's squad only played one of the teams in the conference with 14 or more wins on the season...in the final 12 games, they'll play 7 games against the conference elite. At 13-5, you can decide for yourself what the forecast for the post-season looks like, but I'd say it's pretty bleak. This Purdue team still has no offensive identity and sadly, doesn't know what it wants to be on defense either.
After a weekend off, Purdue welcomes Iowa to to Mackey next Tuesday at 8:00.
Friday, January 06, 2012
Rehashing the Debacle: Stats
This loss and the way the team played really got under my skin. So in an effort of separating myself from the game, here's an unemotional, statistical look at why the Forces of Good lost at PSU:
STARTERS
Rob Hummel
30mpg/16.4ppg/1.8apg/6.1rpg/.6spg
30min/-2.4pts/-.8ast/-1.1reb/+2.4stl
Lewis Jackson
25mpg/9.6ppg/3.9apg/3.6rpg/1.3spg
-3min/-5pts/-1.9ast/-2.6reb/-1.3stl
Ryne Smith
27.3mpg/10.3ppg/1.4apg/3.1rpg/.9spg
+5.7min/-5.3pts/+.6ast/+.9reb/+.1stl
Kelsey Barlow
25.1mpg/8.8ppg/2.1apg/3.9rpg/1.6spg
+4.9min/-.8pts/-.1reb/-1.9reb/-1.6stl
Jacob Lawson
14.9mpg/3.7ppg/.4apg/2.7rpg/.6spg/.9bpg
-3.9min/-3.7pts/-.4ast/-.8reb/-.6stl/-.9blk
BENCH
DJ Byrd
13.1mpg/5.1ppg/.8apg/1.3rpg/.4spg
+9.9min/+6.9pts/+1.2ast/+1.7reb/+.6stl
STARTERS
Rob Hummel
30mpg/16.4ppg/1.8apg/6.1rpg/.6spg
30min/-2.4pts/-.8ast/-1.1reb/+2.4stl
Lewis Jackson
25mpg/9.6ppg/3.9apg/3.6rpg/1.3spg
-3min/-5pts/-1.9ast/-2.6reb/-1.3stl
Ryne Smith
27.3mpg/10.3ppg/1.4apg/3.1rpg/.9spg
+5.7min/-5.3pts/+.6ast/+.9reb/+.1stl
Kelsey Barlow
25.1mpg/8.8ppg/2.1apg/3.9rpg/1.6spg
+4.9min/-.8pts/-.1reb/-1.9reb/-1.6stl
Jacob Lawson
14.9mpg/3.7ppg/.4apg/2.7rpg/.6spg/.9bpg
-3.9min/-3.7pts/-.4ast/-.8reb/-.6stl/-.9blk
BENCH
DJ Byrd
13.1mpg/5.1ppg/.8apg/1.3rpg/.4spg
+9.9min/+6.9pts/+1.2ast/+1.7reb/+.6stl
Terone Johnson
20mpg/6.8ppg/1.8apg/2.9rpg/1.2spg
-2min/-2.8pts/-1.8ast/+.1reb/-1.2stl
Travis Carroll
15.9mpg/2.8ppg/.6apg/3.1rpg/.6spg/.9bpg
-.9min/-.8pts/+.4ast/+.9reb/-.6stl/+2.1blk
Anthony Johnson
16.1mpg/6.6ppg/.9apg/2.4rpg/.4spg
-8.1min/-6.6pts/-.9ast/-2.4reb/-.4stl
John Hart
7.6mpg/2.8ppg/.2apg/0.0rpg/0.0spg
+.4min/-2.8pts/-.2ast/0.0reb/0.0stl
20mpg/6.8ppg/1.8apg/2.9rpg/1.2spg
-2min/-2.8pts/-1.8ast/+.1reb/-1.2stl
Travis Carroll
15.9mpg/2.8ppg/.6apg/3.1rpg/.6spg/.9bpg
-.9min/-.8pts/+.4ast/+.9reb/-.6stl/+2.1blk
Anthony Johnson
16.1mpg/6.6ppg/.9apg/2.4rpg/.4spg
-8.1min/-6.6pts/-.9ast/-2.4reb/-.4stl
John Hart
7.6mpg/2.8ppg/.2apg/0.0rpg/0.0spg
+.4min/-2.8pts/-.2ast/0.0reb/0.0stl
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