'The Marcius Game' and cutting down the nets...Basketball gumbo.

I said it on Twitter a few days ago, and I'll expound here today- Dan Dakich is pretty good at his job when he's not talking about IU.

I started liking the guy while listening to the radio in Indy a few years ago and IU was down.  Every time IU would come close to beating someone, a sycophantic IU fan would call him and say they were back.  He'd quickly shut them down and remind them why that wasn't the case with facts- record, last time they had a big win, etc.

BUT, he changed his tune last year and lost all objectivity when talking about IU as they started winning.  So I've learned to enjoy him, but only when IU isn't in the picture.  Purdue's game v. Wisconsin was one of those occasions. If you're a Purdue fan that can't stand the guy because of his antics while talking about the Purdue/IU rivalry, I understand...but he does know basketball when he can remove his heart from the equation.

Let's not forget that he's a former Bobby Knight recruit and interim IU coach...it's probably impossible to separate from that.  BUT, his knowledge of basketball and his sense of humor are entertaining, at least to me, at times.

As Purdue finished off Wisconsin, he had a couple great points:

First, Purdue was much better with Hammons on the bench on Sunday. Marcius' hustle and attitude made the offense and defense work better...and that's all on Hammons, in my opinion.  Hammons is a superior basketball player, but his attitude sometimes comes off as lackadaisical. It might just be his demeanor or it might be a conscious decision...regardless, Painter doesn't seem to like it when it's in full bloom...and Purdue is not as good when #20 is doing his Joe Barry Carroll impersonation.

But when he's good, there's no one on Purdue that's better.  I guess these are the growing pains of a Freshman who is growing into a role; hope so anyway.

Second, Dakich referenced the Wisconsin game as "The Marcius Game".  He said next season, when Purdue is back to where they belong, we Purdue fans will refer to this game as the game in which Sandi took over and made a difference. He's probably right...unless, Marcius can find a way to become consistent.  He's strong, big, works hard and runs end to end...lots of good tools in the shed for 55.  There have been rumors that he might seek to go elsewhere after this season...I haven't heard one credible source to back that up, so I expect Marcius to be back for his fifth year in 2014.  If he wants to avoid Purdue fans referring to that one game as his, he'll have to make some new memories...It'd be great if he joined the line of Rowinski, Sheffler and Riley (big bruising white centers that were forces to be reckoned with) and departed from that of Ten Dam's line (gigantic European players that never panned out).  Time and a few games might tell.

Big Balls?

I didn't see it...I tried to go back and see it, but still couldn't find video evidence.  BUT, Sandi supposedly referenced his lower intestinal fortitude after hitting a few free throws in the closing minutes of that Wisconsin game.  We all know what happened in his action's wake- he went over and shook Matty's hand and apologized for getting out of hand. While Painter didn't love it, Sandi's teammates did...and it showed.

There's no doubt that Purdue wouldn't have been in the position to win that game without DJ Byrd going nutty from deep.  BUT, to beat Wisky's bigs, it sometimes takes a hammer to do it...Sandi's force and clutch free throws cemented the deal.

I don't think we've seen anything close to Barlow's choke sign from a Purdue player in the last few years...but Marcius' alleged Big Ball Dance has some similarities.  But the differences are great too- he didn't direct it at the other team and it wasn't as obvious on TV...nor was it versus IU.  That said, it endears Marcius to me a bit more; he was having a good time playing a kids game...and doing his job while doing it. We haven't seen a ton of that this season.

Victory! (not really)

Cut 'em Down!!

The phrase in entertainment, "The show must go on" was applicable early this morning in Bloomington  as IU kept with their original plan in spite of one pesky detail- they lost the game.

IU was in the driver's seat for an outright B1G title; their first in 20 years.  But, they couldn't seal the deal on Senior night...couldn't beat a team, on their homecourt, that they had shellacked earlier in the season on the road.  Last night's IU loss was like a wet blanket on IU's festivities...well it should have been anyway.

After EsPN cut away from their coverage, IU's Seniors did what Seniors do on Senior night- talk about what they had been through and how far they had come...nothing wrong with that.

BUT, as the crowd thinned, Crean decided they still wanted to cut down the nets. In a sad display of what modern sports have become...and a stark contrast to the Bobby Knight way (in his house, no less), a few hundred people clapped in a half-assed manner as Crean added another trophy to his small-time trophy case.

These nets should fit nicely go along side the Sweet 16 rings from last year.

Last night's post-game stupidity in Ass. Hall is why the "IU Sucks" chant by the Paint Crew makes so much sense, even when IU is good at basketball.  

B1G Race

So here are the standings right now:

As well all know too well, Purdue is an also-ran at this point...But, the interesting part of the puzzle, from a Purdue-centric view, is that Matty's boys will have at least some effect on the race.  An improbable win by Purdue over UM would knock the Wolverines out of a chance to part of the title...they already knocked Wisconsin down a rung this week.  But, this UM team is a much more difficult match-up for Purdue...and who knows how these Boilers will handle a small taste of success.

But we do know that every game effects every other, at this point...And the hard thing about this time of year is I'm forced to root for teams like aOSU, UM, MSU and Wisconsin.

In the grand scheme, my wishes are pretty simple: I want to see IU lose in the tournament before the Final Four...I want to see Oladipo, Zeller, Thomas and Burke all leave for the NBA this year...and I want to see Purdue win a few more games as to have a bit of momentum heading into next season.

Hazell-Themed Gumbo

Welcome back, everyone, and we sincerely hope you had a great holiday. We're clearly on a reduced schedule here at BS for the moment, but have no fear -- we'll be on the stick for Purdue and Kent State's bowl games, as well as whatever lies ahead for Purdue basketball during the Big Ten meat-grinder season.


Etling Just Wants a Good Man as His Coach

Today, I just wanted to comment on a few things, including the clip Bdowd posted in his gumbo post from earlier this month where Danny Etling talks to WLFI in Lafayette about maintaining his commitment to Purdue and to Coach Darrell Hazell. 

I liked hearing Etling and what he had to say about things. I also like that he wants to compete for the starting job immediately, and that Purdue told him that he'll be able to do so. And if he wins the job, that's great, too. No knock on Rob Henry, but having a guy start as a freshman means that by years 2-4, he'll be a seasoned veteran. I think it's safe to say all Boiler fans are craving some consistency at the QB position. I can't imagine it's that different in the locker room.

I also found it interesting to hear his thought process on committing to Purdue and then maintaining that commitment. His first comment about Coach Hazell was that he's a great guy. I think it's also fairly well-documented that despite being a bad football coach, Danny Hope was a great guy also. His players loved him and as a man, many of us liked him, too. So it sounds to me like Danny Etling wants a coach who is a good man, first and foremost.

While this may sound like common sense to many of us, the world of big time high school and college athletics is a minefield of sharks and leeches who will talk out of both sides of their mouth and basically act like a whore to slime their way to better results. Maybe Mr. Etling is wise beyond his years. Maybe he just wants to play at a place where it'll be an enjoyable expeirence and he won't have to worry about shady happenings that paralyze his football program. Or maybe I'm just interpreting things in my own way. Regardless, I've liked what he's had to say so far.


Hazell Remains a "Rock Star" at KSU

The always-good Mike Carmin has a nice article from a few days ago in the J&C regarding Darrell Hazell still being a rock star at Kent State and the locals lining up to say goodbye. As he frequently does, Carmin tossed in a couple of well-placed jabs to let the reader know how he feels on certain subjects:

This wasn’t Tommy Tuberville accepting the Cincinnati job in the middle of a recruiting dinner at Texas Tech. This wasn’t Bobby Petrino placing a four-sentence farewell in each Atlanta Falcons player’s locker when he bolted for Arkansas in 2007. They appreciate Hazell’s character and demeanor in how he’s conducted himself and run the program. They genuinely wish him nothing but success with the Boilermakers.

Carmin also mentions that Hazell plans to have most practices at Purdue -- as he has at Kent State -- open to the media, something that Carmin points out was not the norm under Danny Hope. Which reminds us all... if Hope had let everyone see what he and Gary Nord were seeing at practices, maybe everyone would have understood the decisions being made. Yeah. Maybe.


Another Positive Review of the Hire

On the subject of Coach Hazell, if you're looking for additional reading, the gent who runs Madtown Badgers did a take for Bloguin on the hire of Hazell and had some nice things to say. Again, seems to be a consistent take that this was anywhere from a very good hire to a home run. Hopefully, everyone turns out to be right.


Remembrance of Kent State Interactions Past

It seems to have gone largely unmentioned, but Kent State football seriously irritated Morgan Burke and some of the Purdue faithful just a couple of years ago. For the 2011 season, Purdue was scheduled to host the Golden Flashes in Coach Hazell's first game as KSU coach. However, a mere ten months before that game, Kent backed out of the agreement because they got the opportunity to get waxed by Alabama.

We never felt like you could blame them for wanting more visibility, but you could blame them for the last-minute (by scheduling standards) way they booted Purdue from their schedule.

I remember at the time, bdowd's brother Bill saying that if he were Morgan Burke, he'd call Kent State's athletic director and tell him that any and all future athletic contests scheduled with Purdue were now null and void and would not be honored by Purdue.

This means nothing in the overall scheme of things but I found it to be an interesting footnote.

Thursday Gumbo

We've gotten a few e-mails asking what we've heard in regards to Coach Hazell's staff...Not much.

The new coach has kept his process pretty quiet, smartly, mind you.  But a few things have become known in the last few days- first, Paul Haynes won't be his DC.  After the Arkansas dumpster fire coaching staff was blown up with their hiring of Bielema, Haynes was contacted by his alma mater, Kent State to become their head coach...he obliged.  Perhaps just as Purdue made hiring another mustache important after Tiller left, Kent State looks like they went after another bald and beautiful coach to fill coach Hazell's sizable shoes.

I've heard a very quiet, almost undetectable, murmur that Hazell is interested in Fickel.  He'd carry a hefty price tag that I'm not sure Purdue could swing.  BUT, he's a Tressel guy (who's advising Hazell), he's not a Meyer guy, and a ton of aOSU fans are less-than-in-love with the ex-interim-Bucknut coach.

Hazell has interviewed and talked with current Purdue coaches and he was impressed...but hasn't made anything public about who's staying or going, yet. He's impressed with Kevin Maurice, Purdue's current supervisor of player personnel...but hasn't gotten too specific after that.

One thing that's pretty awesome about Hope's staff is that they've all been able to hold on to the verbal commitments that Hope received...and those that have been visited by Hazell have been impressed.  That's quite a contrast with many of the programs that are currently feeling the growing pains of announcing a new coach for next season...and that should make Hazell's transition much easier.

Message board and twitter rumors say Marcus Freeman will come with him from KSU...but that's still speculation.  What we do know is that Hazell has given up sleeping for the month or so that he's coaching KSU and Purdue.  He still has nine spots open for his class of 22...and three of that class should be enrolling in January after Christmas break.

Ike (in gold), a few of his ex-teammates, and LBD (blonde) take in a game at Mackey

Lone Defection
DEnd, LB and WR are all positions that are currently getting attention...and DE specifically needs a good get as redshirt Freshman Kingsley Ike is in the process of transferring elsewhere.  That's too bad; I liked the guy and thought he might be one of the next guys in the Den.

Ike hails from Texas and is the only current player to leave the team since Hope's departure.

Practices Shorter
Interim Coach Higgs has made bowl prep practices shorter for the Boilers as they get ready to play on January 1 in an effort to keep intensity high and players healthy.  Virtual pal of BS via Twitter, Crosby Wright says it's been effective as the practices have been sharp and intense.

I was kind of concerned about motivation being a problem for the squad without a permanent coach in place...glad to see that's not a problem.  But, the Senior-laden Boilers surely are leaning heavily on the pillars of the team in order to keep some semblance of consistency.

In Case you missed it...
Jay Simpson won't be suiting up for our Boilers for the rest of the season due to a nagging foot injury that isn't healing.  He'll be seeking a medical hardship waiver that would make him a Freshman again next season...but the NCAA has to grant it first.

A UND shooting forward played in 10 games last season before tearing his ACL...he averaged 34min/game...Simpson has averaged under 8/gm.

Having Simpson as a super-Freshman next season would be a big boost to that class and the program at large...but I won't believe it until it's official.  Since Keith Smith wasn't granted his sixth year a few seasons back, I don't have a ton of trust in the NCAA.

Who am I kidding...I've never had a ton of trust in the NCAA's judgement or consistency.

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 the metallic 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.

Purdue Football Gumbo

Usually, the Gumbo posts are all B-dowd, but today I've tossed in my own special spices to entertain you.

Even Pat Forde Knows The Boilers Are Cooked

Pat Forde is not what I would call an astute columnist. Most of his observations are of the obvious variety. He also has his "Forde-Yard Dash" column, wherein he numbers the topics he discusses... which... why?

Anyway, in this edition, he acknowledges the smoldering wreckage that is Purdue football:

Purdue (6). Coach on his way out: Danny Hope. The Dash has been told that third-party feelers are going out, whether Hope has been informed or not. Why: When the high-water mark in a tenure is a 7-6 season and narrow victory in the Little Caesars Bowl – and the other three seasons are all losing records – that's not good enough at a place that had enjoyed long-term respectability under Joe Tiller. Hope was an uninspired choice from the beginning, after middling success at FCS Eastern Kentucky, and a 0-5 Big Ten record this year seals his fate. How good is the job: Purdue has a reputation for being cheap – part of the reason Boilermaker basketball coach and alum Matt Painter nearly left for Missouri in spring 2011. If it stays cheap, this job will continue to slide in the Big Ten hierarchy.

It's interesting, because it almost sounds like Patrick reads BS. I mean, has anyone else openly criticized Purdue's athletic department for being cheap or come up with a list of potential candidates to replace Coach Hope besides us?

Also, the "I know something you don't know" implication of his "third-party feelers" comment is also likely bogus. I love it when know-nothings say obvious things like this... things that require no backup and are impossible to prove. They go in the same bucket as this sort of nugget, regarding our top choice, Sonny Dykes:

Sonny Dykes (16), Louisiana Tech. Record: 21-13 in third year with the Bulldogs. This season: 8-1, with a two-point loss to Texas A&M. Potential jobs: Kentucky, Arkansas, Tennessee, Auburn, Purdue. 

So basically you took a known hot commodity and said his "potential" includes... every decent job at a major program in America. Solid work, Pat! (And again -- how does Purdue wind up on this list if not for Purdue fans talking about Dykes? I'm not saying, I'm just saying.)

And how about this:

Dave Doeren (18), Northern Illinois. Record: 19-4 in second year with the Huskies. This season: 9-1 and leading the MAC West. Potential jobs: Purdue, anything else that may open up in the Midwest. What it would take: Boilermakers likely would have to pony up more cash than they're paying Hope. 

Purdue and... ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT OPEN UP. Hey, you're bound to be correct, Pat! That's a wide net! Also, the Purdue connection again. Who else mentioned Doeren? Huh.


Michael Pointer of the Indy Star Says Talent Is The Issue

In this column (which, to be fair, is more well thought out that many at the IU Star), Michael Pointer discusses the sorry state of Purdue football. Somewhat interestingly, he comes to a different conclusion than most of us have about the reason for this abysmal season. Pointer points to a dearth of talent and really makes nary a mention of the dreadful coaching we've seen for going on four years:

Added cornerback Ricardo Allen: “I’m just lost. I really don’t know. I guess we don’t have the football gods on our side. We go out and we play hard all night and stuff just doesn’t go our way.”

With all due respect to Allen, one of the team’s best players and a true leader, there’s a reason the Boilermakers aren’t getting the breaks. It’s become painfully evident.

The talent level isn’t very good. They’ve been outscored 116-36 in three Big Ten home losses and have allowed an average of 520 yards per game — and no one is comparing the Big Ten to the SEC West this year.

We here at BS whole-heartedly disagree. The talent level will never be that of Ohio State, we'll grant you, but that's only because Purdue won't pay the salaries that the Bucknuts will. Purdue does, however, manage to recruit three and sometimes four-star guys who somehow turn into two-star guys when they get to West Lafayette.

And why might that be? Could it be that everybody comes in with a base level of talent and then needs motivation, coaching and advice to advance to the next levels? Did Drew Brees come in as preternaturally good at playing QB as he is now? Of course not. He learned. He improved. He was brought along. None of that happens at Purdue anymore. Ricardo Allen, for all his accolades, has not gotten noticeably better in his three years of college. Has Caleb TerBush? Has Kawaan Short? Or are they just as talented, give or take, as they were when they arrived?

The problem isn't talent. It's how that talent is used and developed. Which is to say, not at all.


Tom Schott Thinks Weather and Holiday Weekends Contributed to Bad Attendance

Our old pal Tom Schott makes an appearance in the Gumbo today and yes, that headline isn't a joke. In this article from WLFI, Schott actually does weakly try to suggest that the poor attendance (which even he can't deny at this point) might have other factors at play than the unwatchable product on the field:

So far, overall attendance is down about 2,000 per game compared to 2011. Schott said bad weather and games on holiday weekends could be a factor for low ticket sales, but he said he knows other factors do come into play.

"Well, I would be naive not to understand that low team performance greatly affects ticket sales," said Schott.  

Yes, I'm sure it was the holiday weekend games, of which there were two if you count Columbus Day, that contributed to nobody showing up last weekend. Wait, what?

One thing Schott got right is that he is naive -- willfully naive. The next quote though tells you even more about the mindset of the athletic department:

Yet, Schott said with an average attendance between 40,000 and 50,000 per game, he's not too concerned. He said to date, ticket sales for the IU game are at 38,000, but that's in a stadium that holds more than 62,000.

Schott said he does believe tickets sales for the IU game will be more than 40,000, but he said no matter what, they're expecting much better news next season.

"Our goal will be to sharpen our pencils and get ready for 2013 once we close the books on 2012," said Schott.

Yes, that's right, he's "not too concerned" since the average is 40,000 to 50,000. Oh, and let me tell you something else: "Sharpen our pencils" is not the kind of phrase anyone should want to hear if you're hoping Purdue will open the purse strings just a bit to get a qualified head coach and staff in here.

As we keep hammering away at, the mentality within the athletic department is curmudgeon-like and wholly lacks enthusiasm and it is killing Purdue athletics. But hey, at least 38,000 tickets are sold for the Bucket game.


Recruit David Yancey Is Excited To Get Started

The Purdue Exponent has a nice feature on David Yancey, a running back who intends to graduate high school in December and enroll at Purdue in the spring to he can be ready to contribute by the fall of 2013. It's a nice story about Yancey's excitement at making an impact.

But true to Purdue athletics, there is this tidbit:

Yancey’s senior season was cut short when he suffered a knee injury in Lake Central’s regular season finale.

Sigh. Welcome to Purdue, David. You'll fit right in.

Wednesday Gumbo

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cup 'O Gumbo for Thursday

On Twitter, message boards and this site, the reaction to Daniels' appointment to Purdue's presidency has made a splash.  National news outlets have picked up the story, and this state's news is ablaze with the story.  Some Purdue alums don't like the appointment- for those of you who think the president should have a doctorate; hey, I can see that point...but to you guys, check the resume and the ability of the man to lead.  For those of you who just don't like the guy because of his politics, I'm not sure if anything will get you guys on board with our new man, Mitch.  But, it was made official about an hour and one-half ago...like it or not.

Anyone who was named to this post would garnered some grumbling and angst; I'm sure of that.  Purdue's alumni association, professors and TAs, current students and fans are too large of a group to be homogenous in their opinions.  But, Purdue went big with this...and I love that.  And if you think this was a publicity stunt, I think you're off-base.  The trustees and Daniels said that his contract would be a five agreement...If this was just to be a splashy hire with no meat to it, I'd think it would be a two-year deal.  And yes, I am aware of the 65 year old rule for Purdue presidents...and I'm sure you're also all aware that that rule can be over-ridden through exceptions made by the board; which they're correctly making in two years.

My favorite part of this appointment is the reaction that I've heard with my own ears from my friends who are IU alums and fans.  This kinda sums it up: "The day Daniels is announced as Purdue's President will be an awful day for IU."  Indeed. Purdue caught a big fish...one that IU would love to have.  Well done, search committee.

So long, Doug.  We Hardly knew ye.
Sophomore RB, Doug Gentry is not returning to Purdue, according to GBI and EsPN. Gentry had a solid Spring and Black/Gold game (based on stories...not my eye witness account because I wasn't allowed to watch) and looked to be around the third man on the depth chart, at least to start the fall.

Purdue's running back stable looked to be jam-packed in '12 before Bolden went down v. IU.  And even then, things still seemed pretty solid.  But, this defection, as inconsequential as it might seem to some of you, does matter. I think he would have carried the ball quite a bit, especially in the first few months of the season as Bolden mends.

So Shavers and Hunt will enter the season as the clear 1 & 2.  After that, Nord might have to get creative. With both Bolden and Cottom trying to get back to 100%, the third back in the rotation will probably be a committee of slot receivers...but, if one of the speedy incoming Freshman shows a knack for getting to the second level, they might see the field a year early.

I look for Edison, Mostert...and even Henry to play a little running back this fall...and the Freshman that I like? I wouldn't be surprised to see Anthrop, Knauf or even one of the dual-threat QBs to make some noise in the backfield.  If nothing else, these guys have speed to burn and great vision.  Regardless, camp could be interesting. At this point though, it's all speculation.

In Case you missed it...
The current, and crappy, BCS system might be replaced with a 4-team mini tournament, starting in 2014. The two games that will lead to the championship will be current bowl sites...and the Championship will revolve, much like the current final four in basketball.

The only hurdle in front of the change is that all of the university presidents need to sign on to the new agreement at the end of this month...but that looks to be all but a formality at this point as the big conferences are already on board.

One thing that still might wreak havoc with this is that some conference re-alignement is still possible as a few schools are flirting with potential suitors...but the B1G doesn't look like it will be directly affected by any of those potential shifts.

Don't get me wrong- I love a group of people and computers deciding who the best two teams are; I don't know why every league in the world doesn't adopt that brilliant methodology for deciding who the true champ is.  BUT, a four-team mini-tournament should do OK too.

In all seriousness, I'd love to see a bigger tournament; 8-team, perhaps...but this is a step forward, and will eliminate some of the murky water that surrounds the lousy system that exists.

The Twittermaphone says...
The Purdue basketball team has been working out and getting ready for the Italian tour and (in the long view), the season next fall/winter.  The new guys, specifically AJ Hammons, have noted how difficult these off-season workouts have been...and many are learning what tough love from Matty is about. Good.

Last season, Painter's hellish workouts weren't attended by as much of the team as usual because of a ton of guys coming off of surgeries and injury...this year is different.  And while Purdue lost a legend in #4, this team might be a more-cohesive unity come November, due to the sheer amount of healthy bodies that are able to take the punishment now.

Good Riddance.
I've never been much of a club or bar guy...so you can take this with a grain of salt. But, I'm pretty happy with what I just read on the Exponent's website.

Where Else?, the West La La hangout and arrest location bar, will be demolished in favor of apartments in the near future.  No word on if Where Else? will be rebuilt in a new location...hope not.

I've been there about 5 times...and didn't like it...and all of the stories I hear about the place range between meh and it stinks. Plus, it seems to be the place where more Purdue athletes are arrested than any other locale.  Sure, that's not the bar's fault...but maybe, just maybe, guys who play football and basketball for Purdue will decide that an apartment is a suitable place to throw back a few pops in the future? One can dream.

Quick Hits

Danny Hope has his first verbal of 2013
Joe Holland's cousin, Danny Elting, the QB out of Terre Haute is the guy.  He turned down Iowa to play for Purdue...and sounds like a very solid verbal.  One of the main reason he came to Purdue is because of his cousin's career in West Laffy.

After Marve and TerBush graduate, Purdue will have Henry, Appleby, Marshal, Gray, Gregory.  I believe one or two of the incoming Freshman will not be QBs at this time next year.  Also, Henry will probably commission the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility.  But as former Boiler Keith Smith reminded me, the NCAA does whatever it wants...so you never know what to expect from them.

Still, there is really no reason for Hope to pursue another QB in the class of '13.


Hart's effect
In the next week, we'll take a look at John Hart's departure and how it effects the team.  Our newest writer, James, wrote a piece of how important he saw Hart for the team next season prior to Hart's decision to transfer.

I didn't see Hart playing a huge amount of minutes in '12/'13 due to his defensive struggles...but there's no doubt that Purdue will miss his leadership.

With time running out, and two schollies available in the coming year, I think Anthrop will get another year under scholarship...as for the second, that still seems to be a pretty large question mark.

Monday Gumbo

The final Four is set as everyone knows- Ohio State v. Kansas and Kentucky v. Louisville.

A couple things you might want to take note of...just for future reference.  First, most obviously, only one #1 seed made the final weekend of the tourney.  J noted on Twitter how many of EsPN's pundits had at least two #1s...some had four; and these are the experts, right?  As much as it feels good, always resist the urge to go chalk...unless you're talking women's basketball.

Sidenote: J and I aren't women's basketball fans...and this is just one of the reasons.  Not only does the women's tournament seems to run according to seed almost always, BUT, massive blowouts in the round of 16 happen regularly. There were 27 and a 44-point discrepancies this weekend in the women's tourney...and neither of those was because a Cinderella made it through.  Only two of the eight games were single-digit games...Plus, not one lower seed won a game.  That will leave the women with a final eight of 1v.2...times four. You won't hear us tell you what to do on this site- if you like the women's game, watch to your heart's content; but we won't be.

Back to the men's game.

Moral Victories Stink
In 2012, for the fourth year in the last five, Purdue was knocked out of the tourney by an eventual FF team...the only exception was Xavier.  Two of those three (this year is yet to be decided, obviously) were eventually crowned national champs.

For me though, that says two things- One, timing is everything.  If your squad plays the wrong team at the wrong time (read as VCU), it's tough to overcome that. Second, there's no solace in losing to anyone, even a team that wins the championship.

Thoroughbreds
If you take a glance at the teams that made the final four, it's no surprise that talent reigns supreme; almost always does.  But almost all of this year's FF teams have length- good height and long arms...coupled with athleticism.  The team that has been the best on paper all year, Kentucky, has a line-up that would make many NBA teams jealous.  They have size, they have length, they have athleticism...plus almost the entire team shoots their free throws in the 70% range or higher...and they get to the line a lot.  In other words, they do it all well.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I think Kentucky's pros will finally bring all-around good guy, Calipari, his first national title.

And to clarify...again (because this is something that doesn't seem to come across via Twitter).  Just because we think someone will win the national title, doesn't mean we like or root for that team.  Of the remaining four, I'll be pulling for Kansas...mainly because I don't want to see aOSU, Kentucky or Louisville win it.

Good Journalism
On late Friday night/early Saturday morning, Butler's Brad Stevens' name started lighting up Twitter.  Rumors of a 21-28 million dollar contract offer from Illinois came first and then, of course, news guys started saying Stevens would be announced as the new Illini coach on Saturday.

Stevens quickly denied ever being offered a contract...and a day later re-affirmed that he'd be staying at Butler.

For those of you keeping score at home, Illinois has been turned down by Smart and Stevens...next up, they'll probably offer Ohio's coach, Groce, college basketball's most-recent "it" name. Since he's only had four years at Ohio, hasn't planted deep roots, and Illinois will offer to quintuple his salary, I think he'll be the guy that takes Weber's place in Champaign.

Groce graduated from Taylor, and later coached under Matta at Butler and aOSU (and a few other stops as well).

Football Scrimmage
This time of year is always tough to tell what's really going on with Purdue's football team as Hope keeps practices and scrimmages locked-down.  But here's a quick report for those of you who haven't put the pieces of info together that's available.

The QBs (Marve and TerBush, specifically) have looked good as has the new-look offensive line.  But, in spite of that, the defense still won Saturday's scrimmage.  That's understandable as it always takes offenses a bit longer to get in sync...then again, this is a defense that is showing new looks and has a coaching staff comprised of a lot of new guys.

What we do absolutely know is there have been no major injuries...the best info that can come out of Spring football practice.

Freethrows, DCs and Luck (Tuesday Gumbo)

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

College Basketball Stats by StatSheet.com

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

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

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

Nored working on free throws as a few friends watch

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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


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

Happy 2012, everybody!

Monday Gumbo (basketball and football notes)

Did it Work?
The worst-kept secret in the past few weeks around Purdue sports has been Bolden's ACL.  The Tuesday after the IU game, local radio shows talked about it...but Purdue's sports information department and head coach were mum on Bolden's injury.

Methinks they played it close to the vest to not let bowl committees know that Purdue would be without its leading rusher and probably its best offensive weapon.  So controlling information like a former Soviet state works out as well as Communism-  It always ends up failing.

As I said after I saw the injury, I'm saddened for Bolden. I haven't heard if he'll petition the NCAA for another redshirt season or just play next season as he gets healthy (which will probably be just over a half season). Regardless of his decision, I feel awful for Ralph.

From what I understand, this is Bolden's third tear to the same knee.

Kinda-Wanted Man
Last week, there was a buzz on GBI that Gary Nord was one of the final candidates for the Florida Atlantic head coaching job.  After deliberation, FAU decided to go another direction, and some Purdue fans weren't too happy with the owls decision.

I think Nord has been so worried about keeping other teams off balance and out of rhythm this season that he hasn't let his team get into a rhythm.  He and Hope have made decisions like throwing to 10-12 receivers in a game, running 3-5 running backs regularly and playing two quarterbacks in most contests.  The end result seems to be a very balanced, decidedly-mediocre offense that doesn't let a hot hand dominate a game. This system instead settles for surprise while sacrificing power and punch.

Don't get me wrong here- I think there is plenty of talent on the offensive side of the ball- guys like Bolden, Siller, Edison, Shavers, Holmes, Hunt, Mostert, Bush and Ross (when he's focused) could play about anywhere, in my opinion...but they're not given enough opportunities.

Molto Bravo! Smooge to Italy (and gumbo)

Like a lot of players without guaranteed contracts, E'Twaun Moore is heading over to Italy to sharpen his skills. Moore will have the ability to head back to the NBA if the lock-out ends and the Celtics need him, but he won't be the only American over there as NBA free agents and stars alike are both taking a look across the Atlantic.

Leagues in Turkey, Italy and Greece have all put big dough on the table as an enticement for American-based talent...and some are starting to listen. Granted, Moore's contract will not be one of the larger of the guys that end up playing in Europe, but his experience and guaranteed money are pretty tough to turn down.

People in the front office of the NBA don't seem too worried about players glancing at leagues in Europe...we'll see if the league's general arrogance will continue as the fall gets closer and loss of gametime becomes more and more of a possibility.

Awesome Prognostication, Baby!!

J has been trying to do the impossible via Twitter: Corner Dick Vitale into being somewhat accountable about what he spouts off. Vitale's twitter feed (which I'm intentionally not linking) is a stream of consciousness jumble of words that makes sense about as often as Danny Hope utters a negative word.

So when Vitale's pre-season rankings came out, I didn't cared too much, but J took umbrage at the lack of respect Matty's boys have gotten. I have yet to see a well-known national outlet put Purdue any higher than the mid-20s for next season...and Vitale is no different (I think he has Purdue someplace in the 30s).

Honestly, I love the role of underdog for Matty, Hummel, LewJack, Smith and the rest...it suits them quite well as they will surely feed on the fact that no one is giving them a chance to make noise in '11/'12.

Here's to the national media viewing Purdue as little more than an also-ran through the new year and providing bulletin boards full of motivational material for this squad. I'm positive I'm not the only person in this state who can't wait until 11/11/11.

NCAA Prepares to Slap Buckeyes Wrist

There's a lesson being sent pretty loudly by the NCAA in the Bucknut case: You can break multiple rules, hide the infractions, deny hiding the infractions and get minimal punishment...if you're in Columbus.

Many thought aOSU might get the USC treatment due to the fact that their coach thumbed his nose at the NCAA...then the President of the flipping university made a joke about the whole thing...But no major harm done in this case, according to the NCAA. The NCAA's hardline against college sports' cash cows lasted ONE case.

The NCAA gave the Buckeyes a vote of confidence because they didn't have the lack of institutional control that was exhibited in Southern California a few years ago...True- the athletic department and the rest of the administration is pulling the strings.

Let's all remember that aOSU slapped itself with self-imposed sanctions that amount to nothing really...and the NCAA is A-OK with that. The self-imposed punishment is an asinine idea that only exists in college sports.

Pretend for a moment that I stole your car, took it for a joyride and wrecked it while driving drunk. No one else was hurt in the incident...and I felt really bad for my behavior (after leaving the scene before the cops could arrive). A week later, I haul myself into the court, write you a check for the damages to the vehicle, express my regret and tell the judge that I've already began my self-imposed 3 week house arrest...everything would be square, right?

Well in the make believe world of the NCAA, it happens time and time again.

Let's all remember the last time aOSU's football program knew nothing about those violations- They pushed two fall guys out on their ears: Clarett and A.D. Geiger. Tressel was found to be squeaky clean (by some), Clarett was labeled a pariah (after the Buckeye faithful had milked him for a national title)...Geiger forced to resign. After taking some booster benefits like Clarett, Troy Smith was suspended for two games. This more-than-ample punishment sent a message to the QB and allowed him later to blossom into the exemplary student athlete that he became, win the Heisman and follow the tutelage of his ethical teacher, Coach Vest.

So now that the real problems at aOSU, Pryor and Tressel, have been weeded out, the Buckeyes can get back to ethically winning conference and national titles. Don't be surprised after this upcoming 8-win season when a truly ethical and good guy like Urban Meyer is announced as Ohio State's next coach.

Weekend Gumbo

Still not a ton going on around Purdue sports...and that's OK because it's just that time of year. Brian Cardinal sprinkled some Boiler luck on the Mavs and helped them turn the game around the other night v. the detestable Heat...but even with the chance of seeing Cardinal for a few seconds each game, I'm still having a hard time caring about the NBA finals. My distraction of choice, Indy Car, is in a short respite following the big race, meanwhile, J's Yanks are one of the best teams in MLB...still nothing holds our attention like Purdue basketball and football, so we're biding our time like the rest of you.

Danny Hope has offered nearly 150 players for next year's class...already. About seven of those players are quarterbacks as Hope's staff is still smarting from Bellamy's departure from last year's class, and offensive linemen are also a high priority as the need will be great in the coming years (as we've been saying for two).

Hope thinks that Purdue's team is sound, for the most part, academically, and doesn't expect much, if any, attrition due to grades in the next few weeks. Every interview I've read from Hope has him mentioning that this team has the parts to contend for a championship (I'm not sure which one) and his optimism, as always is bubbling over. Like we've always said, it's tough not to like a guy that's eternally optimistic, but my eyes disagree with his assessment. I hope I'm wrong and Purdue's third-year coach is on the mark.

Another noteworthy point that Hope has talked about is that Bolden is 100% following his second ACL recovery but Marve isn't quite there, at least at this point. Let's keep in mind that Henry was a unanimous captain choice for this team...as a RS Soph, so it's his job to lose in the fall. That said, when you pass as infrequently and ineffectively as 15 did at times last season, it's tough to stay healthy...so Marve needs to be ready as we saw in '10. TerBush, of course, will also be back.

On the basketball side, two of Purdue's recruits, Derek Willis and Kendall Stephens are both receiving invites to events put on specifically for the nation's elite and seem to be catching everyone's eye. Stephens has been battling a few nagging injuries during the early summer AAU circuit and Willis has had a rise like no player I've seen Purdue recruit in the last decade. I have no reason to believe this other than a hunch, but with two slimy coaches very near by, I'm concerned that Willis won't stay committed. This is precisely why we don't like talking about verbals and why it's always smart for coaches to continue recruiting until signing day. That said, I like both the '12 and '13 classes with the verbals that are in the group quite a bit and think a ton of these guys really understand Purdue's philosophy.

Sprintin' Shane

Purdue football signee, Shane Mikesky added to his already decorated track career by winning another 110 hurdles crown and helped Zionsville to third in the state in the 4x100. Mikesky is a wildcard for the Boilers and reminds me a bit of John Standeford or UND (jackface) Jeff Samardzija.

There's an old phrase that track speed isn't football speed, and I tend to agree, but athleticism is athleticism...and this kid's got plenty of that...and a 6'4" frame isn't horrible either at WR.

Here's an indoor race from God's country that Mikesky won back in '10:

PSU moves on from the DeChellis Era

Ed DeChellis decided it was time for him to part ways (a few weeks ago) with the Lions by making the step up to the big time with Navy, in doing so, he left PSU in a bit of a lurch, but they've now found their guy. They didn't look inside the PSU family, instead they went to basketball powerhouse, Boston University to find their guy. Meet Patrick Chambers.

Chambers is a 40 year old coach who led BU to the NCAA tournament and isn't lacking in enthusiasm or optimism. In fact, he seems a bit like Danny Hope in that category. He called PSU a program in better position than was Villanova a few seasons ago (I'm positive he's ignoring the past successes of the Wildcats), is impressed with PSU's newfound commitment to win championships, and thinks of the Lions as a sleeping giant awaiting to angrily rise from its slumber. If you're friends with Mr. Chambers don't tell him that he wasn't hired as their football coach...it'll ruin his summer.

Thursday Gumbo (football and basketball updates and rumors)

If you visit here often, you know we don't like to focus on recruiting, especially recruiting that's a ways off. But, we've had a few requests to take a look at it...and there's been a lot of things rumors circulating, so we thought we'd weigh in. All that said, we still look at so much of this as murky at best- there's not a ton of concrete evidence out there on much of this...and so much is based on hearsay. Regardless of what people theorize, no one can doubt the fact that Painter is pretty brilliant at finding players that are "Purdue guys" and helping them find a role within his system.

Why the hype?
IU received its fifth verbal commitment today for the class of '12 in the form of Indianapolis Lawrence Central product, Jeremy Hollowell. Hollowell said his final four were IU, Purdue, Cincinnati, and Ohio State. The only problem is, Purdue had never offered the highly-rated SF.

Many have prognosticated that Hollowell would push Gary Harris to Bloomington, but I don't see that happening for a couple of reasons. First off, a few sources close to Harris say he still doesn't have a preference. Second, it doesn't seem make a ton of sense for a player of his caliber to be a part of a class that large. That said, he'd be a crown jewel for about any class as he looks to become a McD's AA (based on ranking).

While I don't understand it, Harris has never shown much fondness for Purdue in spite of his Mom being a Purdue alum. If I were to bet (which I wouldn't) I'd guess he's going to Louisville or Ohio State. Hope I'm wrong and he ends up playing for Matty.

According to Painter, Purdue has room for one more player in the already solid class of '12. Another Indianapolis native, Smith-Rivera (#25 in the country) would bolster also bolster the class if he decided to head to West Lafayette.

The Class of '13 is already strong having verbals from Stephens, Smotherman & Scott. I think it'll be either Alex Foster or Zak Irvin who completes the class. Knowing what I know (which isn't a ton), I'm hoping for Foster to pull the trigger first as Painter seems to need a forward with all of the shooters and wings on their way into the program.

Barlow
The more I hear and read, the more I think Barlow is going to be a Boiler next season. I think that's a good thing for everyone involved IF he comes back with his head on straight. A personality like his can be something to rally around as he quickly becomes the enemy in each arena he plays in...or, it can be a detriment as his angst can can piss off teammates especially when directed the wrong way.

If he decides to be great, he will be. If he continues to play dumb basketball (shooting to quickly, making lackadaisical passes and not giving consistent effort) he'll leave Purdue as nothing more than a shoulda, coulda, woulda player. It's really Barlow's choice as to how the rest of this story is written.

Rumors from Ass. Hall
On the Knucklehead Board, there's a term that has become popular- Creaning. Creaning is the act of pushing a player out of his scholarship when he's worn out his welcome for reasons of perception or reality. Capobianco, Roth and Elston have all been rumored among IU fans to be pondering a transfer or just heading out of Bloomington for one reason or another. But recently, Roth decided to apply to IU for grad school, and Elston said he has no desire to leave the Forehead's program. Who knows what will develop as Clappy decides to oversign...but someone or multiple someones might be exiting Ass. Hall for the final time in the next month or so.

Christian Watford is rumored to be unhappy in Bloomington. And while I don't know why that might happen, I can say that I'd love to see him go. Watford is a special player, and along with Hulls, Oladipo, Sheehy and Jones, he'd make a difference at about any program in the nation.

Let's all remember, talent is currently not an issue down there, coaching is.

That isn't stopping IU fans from talking trash...about what's coming two years from now. It's funny, it's been over 1,000 days since IU managed to beat Purdue in basketball, yet many of them manage to chirp like baby birds. No matter.

For those keeping score at home, Crean has now lured three 5-star players to come to IU in the '11 and '12 classes alone. Pretty astounding for any program...but it's especially amazing since Crean has had zero 5-star recruits (in his entire coaching career) prior to these three. I guess all of the recent winning has lured these players to Bloomington? One thing IU's coach can definitely sell right now is potential...things will only get better down there, that's a fact.

Spring Practice
I'm not sure what the feeling is on campus right now, but the feeling and mood from alums regarding the football program isn't "up". Two assistant coaches have been hired and left in the last few months. Keith Smith was denied another year of eligibility. Marve and Bolden are both question marks coming off of major knee injuries (both are being held out of full contact this Spring). The last game in everyone's memory is a loss of the Bucket. The Den of Defensive Ends has no real prospect to fill the sizable shoes of #94, and the cradle of quarterbacks is coming off of a season in which the passing game was really just short of non-existent.

Football is a tough topic right now...but there are a few things to talk about.

The linebacking corps looks strong. Holland, Beckford, Higgs, Carlino and Lucas all return with significant experience. RS Freshman Mike Lee and Joe Gilliam both look strong in the two weeks of practice so far. Armstead Williams will only bolster this strong group...but if he's not needed he will be able to red shirt for development's sake. That said, I don't think he will.

Hope has decided to spread spring practice out, something I've never seen before. But the theory makes sense to me- give new guys a chance to take in all of the info they're given and become comfortable with it instead of just heaping a ton of stuff on their heads in one "dump". The fall will show if this experiment has paid off.

As we've said before, it's not only tough to talk about football because of the mood, but also because the information is all filtered through coaches as no media is allowed into practice with regularity.

What we do know is Justin Kitchens has played a number of positions...recently on offense and seems to be wanted by coaches on both sides as he's impressed. We'll keep an eye on where he lands.

Friday Gumbo

Wooden
The Twitter-verse exploded with news of John Wooden's health slipping quickly. In fact, for a few hours last night, a few sources reported him to be dead. My pal and co-BSer wrote me an e-mail last night telling me that news was breaking that Wooden was in poor health. I responded that wouldn't it be news if, at 99, Wooden's health suddenly turned positive?

Wooden's ties to Purdue of course, make this one close to home, and the fact that he's so widely respected makes it very worthy sports news...but, a 99 year old being in poor health isn't buzz-worthy, in my opinion. A man coming back to life after being dead for a few hours, at any age though, is pretty large news.

Pac 10 Getting Aggressive
Good for the Pac10 and SEC. Both have pretty much said, "Suck it, Jim Delany." In so many words. They've both decided to be proactive in their handling of the BT's expansion and have figuratively urinated over large areas and universities as if to mark their territory.

But, what Rivals and others are reporting this morning is truly large. The Western 16, or "Pac 16" or whatever you'd like to give it for a working name, might include Texas, Oklahoma and a slew of other Big 12 schools. This would tidily-fit Mizzou and others into the BT idea...I don't think that's a coincidence...Keep your ears and eyes sharp...lots of news will be percolating in the coming weeks/months, regardless of what Jim Delany tells us.

On the other side of the coin, the Big East, Big 12 and ACC seem to be wilting on the imaginary vine as they've done nothing more than hire spokesmen and make limp-wristed statements about how no one should mess with their schools. What develops will surely be very interesting as the college sports world shifts and changes.

Painter Speaks
Our pal, Dan, a regular BS reader sent us a report of what he heard as Coach Painter sounded off at a recent speaking engagement. We thought there was some pretty interesting stuff divulged...so here are some highlights:

-Painter's job, and his hobby is basketball. He doesn't fish or golf...he's just a basketball junkie.
In my opinion, there are positives and negatives about it. Just like when a coach becomes too focused on, I don't know, fishing (for example), it can be a negative too. But I digress.

-Like many of you, he wishes Hale was playing for him this coming season...he thinks he'd be an immediate contributor.

-He talked about trends and personality and habits being important while recruiting, specifically regarding academics and rebounding. I think they're both similar in that getting good grades and rebounding aren't particularly fun things to do, but they're important in Painter's opinion. Hummel was both a good student and a good rebounder in HS, and it's carried over into college. He thinks Carroll will be similar in that he's always been a rebounding-minded player in his earlier basketball career...and is a pretty good student to boot.

-He talked about his respect for Keady and what he did for 25 years and how he hopes he can do the same thing.

-(Of course) He can't wait to have the Mackey renovation completed.

-He believes NCAA violation punishment/consequences should follow the coach when he leaves a school. He didn't name names, and I can't think of anybody that fits this description at this time.

The great thing I'm hearing over and over from Painter is that he understands that success and greatness breeds success and pushes the goals to higher and higher plateaus. He also understands that talent alone doesn't get the job done...and the hard work, sweat and blood is an important part of the equation. What's not to like?

Thanks a lot, Dan for the heads up and report.

Dallas, anyone??

The NCAA has approved some more bowls...Thank God!! The Pinstripe Bowl, which J Money will attend each year, I'm sure. Bad news in that bowl is both teams must wear baseball unis. Who doesn't wanna play in the Bronx in late-December??
Second, the Dallas Football Classic will have hundreds riveted as the #7 team from the Big 12 will square off against the #6 team in the Big Ten. Oh joy! I'm positive this bowl will be extremely-profitable...much like the Motor City Bowl which actually costs teams to play in.

Don't get me wrong, I love football. But, please, no more crappy bowls...There are already too many.

Pickles Redux
About 4 weeks ago, Clausen was a guy who was little-more than an also-ran for the, then, up-coming draft. But as we got closer-and-closer to the draft, Mel Kiper's hair kept talking about how great of a prospect Jimmy was (number 4 player in the whole thing, in fact). With the hype machine of EsPN behind him, our favorite guy had a ton of momentum behind him going into the worst sports TV event of the year...or so the network thought. Turns out, NFL GMs like Liberace...errrrrrr....Clausen as much as we do. And, acting like a d-bag doesn't pay off for anybody in the long run. That's heartening.

Let's think back to about 9 months ago...how different things were. The Manatee and Pickles were heading into a sure-fire, at minimum, 10-win season with the world at their feet and the media on their side. Tonight, in day 2 of Jimmy's draft saga, we saw him squirm as he went the route of Kyle Orton's backup...but, that lucky dog got the undivided attention of Erin Andrews. Dag-nabbit, maybe things do work out for a-holes.

And speaking of, Kiper, McShay, Lunardi, other heads...dammit I can't stand these dudes. I really have no clue how they got on TV...and not only did they get jobs, but they keep them- while being wrong all the time.

Mike Neal
It's kinda frustrating and great at the same time that Mike Neal was picked in the second round this evening. We heard for much of his career from Tiller, Hope, Williams and others that he was an NFL player...turns out they were all right. Sad thing about it, we didn't get to see Neal go all-Anthony Spencer on the BT during any of his seasons at Purdue. Maybe it's because he was double and triple-teamed for much of his career, maybe it's because he was never in the right system/position...who knows. But now, he's off to be an ambassador for Purdue in the league...Congrats to Big Mike!

Friday Miscellaneous

Bunch of items to touch on. (Man, with Twitter, Facebook, the Handsome Hour and our site, you'd think we'd run out of shizz to talk about.)

Photo Captions

Thanks to our readers because you guys never cease to make me laugh. My personal favorite photo caption suggestions include...

-- Photo A: The Groundhog Day "Bing!" quote (MattDSM)

-- Photo B: "I sit there at the end of the bench. Yes, the very end. I'm even in the program. Last page, next to the ad for Brunos." (Plang)

-- The Dwight Schrute chandelier rant (Chris)

-- Photo A: "One! Two! Three! Forehead!..." (Ross McLochness)

-- Photo B: MW: "CK's manhood is this big." CK: "Around." (Shawn)

-- Photo B: So I says, "Rectum? Damn near killed'em."(finntastica)

But, seriously, I always love it when everyone plays these games.

The BS Tourney Challenge Extravaganza

Yeah, it needs a better name. So far it looks like we've got 59 in the cage match thus far. Last year we had 500, but only because stupid Yahoo limited us to that many. I hope we blow way past that number this year. (We should all put $2 in, winner take all. I mean, you know, if gambling were legal.)

Join the challenge. Beat us. Senselessly.

Our "Friends" at Eleven Warriors

I used to think these clowns were okay guys. Then they became antagonistic via Twitter for no apparent reason. We get it -- we lost Rob and now we're not as good. But to be gleeful about a young athlete with a serious injury is just kind of....obnoxious. As we said at the time, we did NOT enjoy seeing Evan Turner take that scary fall and we were actually glad he was able to return with no ill effects. Nobody wants to see that kind of thing happen, even to an opponent. At least nobody should want to see that.

I hope OSU does get a #1 seed with 8 losses (if they lose in the BTT) and then becomes the first 1 to lose to a 16. Sure, it would make people mock the Big Ten mercilessly, but right now I think it would be delicious. Though the more I think about it, whose face would we rub it in? It's hard to locate enough OSU fans to fill their arena. Maybe for every fan we mock, we'd get to mock another one for free. (See what I did there?)

Takin' Care of Bidness

Tomorrow is the last regular-season game of the year, at Penn State. PSU has played much better of late -- just in time to give the Boilers trouble. Purdue struggles in that gym for some reason (maybe it's all the echoing), but a rather large contingent from the Paint Crew will be on hand so I hope we can hear them over the lion roar (do they pipe that effeminate lion into Bryce Jordan like they do Beaver Stadium?).

Regardless, our Boilers must win tomorrow. It gets them a share of the regular season Big Ten title, after being 2-3 when MSU was 5-0. It gets them a 2-seed in the BTT...and it probably gets them a 2-seed in the NCAA tournament. Purdue, even without Rob, has far more talent -- and motive -- to win tomorrow. Losing this game would be inexcusable.

Look for Matty to continue tweaking things to figure out how this team is best suited to function in life after Rob.

Saturday Gumbo

Things Still Lined Up
Earlier this evening Seton Hall gave WVU all they could handle as they won on the road in Jersey. I presume all of you were pulling for the Mountaineers as the potential top-10 match-up between our Boilers and Huggy's fellas looks like it will still happen.

During stanzas of the game, WVU mightily struggled with the Pirates frenetic defensive style...can't wait 'til they visit Mackey.

I watched part of the game with my brother-in-law, a fellow Purdue grad. After a SHU made three, I cheered. He said, "You're not cheering for them are you?"

I said, "Kinda- I don't want WVU to lose, but I want them to get pushed by these guys." Got my wish.

By the way, Bob Huggins doesn't look at all like a mobster in his jogging suit and slicked hair.

Post-Urban
In a shocker, Urban Meyer is out in Gainsville.

I don't much about what's going on down there, but the cynic in me can't help but have other theories about what's really going on down there.

Regardless of the motivation, Meyer's exit leaves a massive void in college football.

Bad Thing Happens to a Good Dude
All-around good guy Ron Artest fell and hurt himself after tripping over a box in his house. The fall caused him to injure his head and arm.

Call me silly, but I don't know if ole Ron's story makes a whole bunch of sense. Sure, he might drink a bit during halftime of NBA games...but this was just a clumsy accident. Whoopsie!!

I'm not the most-coordinated fellow...and I've never come close to seriously injuring myself just doing chores around the house. Granted, a member of my family once fell like that...he was nearly 80 years old.

Thanks T-Mill
Our pal Travis over at Hammer and Rails sent me a text this afternoon. Looks like our prediction of IU using the aOSU game as shameful self-promotion has come to pass.
Bad news for Glass and Co- full or not, no one wants to look at the new* Memorial Stadium...no one surely wants to pay to look at such an image. The framed photo of the Buckeye fans is already 50% off in an Indianapolis retailer.

*Memorial Stadium is not new...but parts of it are.