Boiled Sports

Byrd, Barlow, Boilers, Blow their own foot off.

2012-02-17T16:22:00.000-05:00

It's TJohn Time.

Shooting yourself in the foot is something this Purdue team has done all season- quick, stupid shots, lack-luster effort on the boards, poor rotations on defense...But now, This team has taken a 12 gauge, pointed it at their collective foot and pulled the trigger.

Here's what Purdue has to replace for Sunday:
40+ minutes of playing time, 20pts (B1G play), 6reb

Plus, both Barlow and Byrd were among the best free throw shooters on the team.

The starting line-up should look something like this:
Carroll
Hummel
Smith
Jackson
TJohn

Off the bench, we'll see:
AJ
Lawson
Hart
Marcius

The ironic part of Purdue being two men down prior to this game, is that both players would have probably matched up with Dawson...a guy that I want to see do nothing but fail while in a basketball uniform...especially at Mackey.

The long term ramifications of Barlow's sudden departure is that Purdue will probably want to sign another player in the class of '12...but I don't know if I see it happening.

Barlow's steady progression as a player would have made him a 10 or 11pt/gm and 4reb 3ast/gm player. Terone and Anthony Johnson's roles becomes even more important...both this season and next.

Dammit, I hate days like this.

And There You Have It.

2012-02-17T15:34:00.001-05:00

Barlow Done at Purdue

So just as this Purdue team was starting to gain traction for the first time all season, stupidity strikes, and the end result is a starter/sixth man is no longer on the team and another is suspended.

Matt Painter did the right thing here...and I'm sure this is something he was hoping to never have to do. He had given Barlow a small margin for error following his problems and subsequent suspension last season...so last night's fight, that seems to have stemmed from Barlow acting like a hot head, ends with Byrd suspended and Barlow booted.

MSU manhandled a full-strength, but fatigued, Purdue squad last month...and to beat them, Purdue would have greatly-benefitted from everyone being available and focused on the job at hand. Instead, you have a bunch of players that have been given the gag order from Painter about last night's incident, who are surely thinking about what went down, trying to get back to the job at hand- beating the seventh-best team in America.

With the disciplinary action, LewJack, TJohn, Smith, AJ and Hart will have to play good, no, great games to beat MSU...as will the rest of their teammates.

"Are you F-ing Serious that this is happening...Again?"

Further info About Last Night

2012-02-17T15:17:00.000-05:00

Some more info came out via J&C online a bit over an hour ago...and here's what we now know:

A State Trooper arrested Byrd following an altercation outside of the Where Else Bar on Chauncey. Barlow, Byrd and a Bouncer were all involved...but Byrd allegedly hit the bouncer at some point- This is probably the reason he was arrested.

As the story gets clearer, I think it also become clearer that Painter will probably be forced to take action against one or more players in the form of suspension, loss of playing time or other disciplinary action.

Byrd Reaction

2012-02-17T12:30:00.001-05:00

I'm sure everyone has heard about DJ Byrd being arrested due to public intoxication by now. I wanted to wait until Painter spoke about it and I had read a significant amount before posting.

Here's what I've gathered. A handful of Purdue basketball players were out last night at the bars. I've seen no photos or heard no evidence that any of them were underage. At least two of the players were questioned and handcuffed in front of one of the bars...and Byrd was arrested and held until this morning.

Byrd has not gotten into trouble with the law before...and and I can't find a count of the incident in which Byrd was disorderly.

Full disclosure: I'm a square. I didn't drink before I was 21...and I still don't understand how it's illegal to be in public following drinking alcohol if you're 21 or older. According to a bunch of accounts on Twitter and on message boards, police around campus are well-known for taking someone into custody because of the smell of alcohol on their breath and "suspicion of intoxication". That's garbage...athlete or not.

I don't know if Byrd was fighting someone, mouthy or causing problems...but if he wasn't, I hope Painter's punishment is light. If he was putting himself or other people in danger with dumb behavior, his punishment should show that. At the end of the day, Painter will know much more about what happened than I will.

Please understand I'm not one of these people that believes boys will be boys and everyone does whatever so it's OK...But if it's true that someone can be taken in by overly-aggressive police after they've had a few drinks, it seems bars should be made illegal or prohibition should return...and that's asinine. I'd love to think Purdue athletes are pretty good people...I like it when I can encourage my kids to cheer for them and they're likable players and people off the field of play. I have a pal who works closely with the athletes and he's said time and again that Painter's boys are really good guys...and those that I've met have done nothing to change that idea in my mind. We'll see what comes of this, but until there are more details, I'm not passing judgement.

Bubble Boilers

2012-02-16T15:17:00.003-05:00

Life is hard on the bubble...and it's self-induced. Every day, major media outlets will say things like, "This team has some work left to do..." or worse, "That team still needs help to get in."

Last night, Purdue did itself a real favor by showing up in Champaign and playing basketball like they're capable of playing. We've talked about how important effort is for this team, but maybe more than effort, guys knowing their role, and accepting it goes a long way in defining a team's success.

Everyone's gotta know their role

Early in the season we saw position switches and nearly every possession was running through Hummel. Barlow was moved to the wing and thought that meant he should shoot a three every time he touched the ball. LewJack, TJohn and Byrd's injuries made them all look like they were out of sync and forcing the issue when they had the ball in their hands...on defense, they had a tough time keeping their man in front of them. Smith, while an effective/efficient three point shooter, was taking too many off-balance shots outside of the flow of the offense...oh yeah, and nobody was rebounding or hitting freethrows. Combine the last part with the fact that Purdue's team defense was struggling...and you have a formula for painful losses and general struggles like we haven't seen in West Lafantastica during Painter's time as head coach.

I'm not going to go as far as to say they've figured it out...or everything is clicking just yet...because it's not. But I will say, for the first time this season, this team is moving toward playing basketball like they're capable of playing.

Perhaps the ass-kicking at the hands of the Forehead's team at home was a bucket of ice water on their heads...or maybe having everyone able to practice is helping the team understand itself better...or maybe Smith's sticking his nose into a conflict on behalf of Barlow has brought these guys together. Regardless of the reason why, things are changing. And as attitudes and effort has changed, many guys have bought in, it seems.

I have no idea how Hummel's knees feel day-to-day at this point...nor do I know if he's feeling more confident in his injured knees...but he's playing with more confidence. The last three halves of basketball, he's been taking exceedingly-smart, makable shots and not drifting to the left as he had become accustomed to. Defensively, he's been a force as well while guarding taller, bigger players. It seems he's now playing the way his redefined physique is allowing him to play. While injured, Hummel got bigger and stronger...and for the first time this season, his strength is really making a difference...in the blocks and on the glass.

Clutch

DJ Byrd has been playing with confidence on offense and fire on defense that's been contagious. He's hitting big shots when they're needed most and still selling out on the defensive end. In fact, the bigger, more-needed the shot, the more effect Byrd as been, of late. I think one of the big keys to his hot shooting though is the extra pass that's being made by his teammates following drives that cause the defense to contract. Byrd has been smart enough to find his spots...and drive and finish when the situation lends itself.

And speaking of driving and dishing, Barlow and LewJack are making everyone better on the offensive end. When Barlow gets that look in his eyes, everyone needs to look out...because something badass is about to happen. What is that look? It's pretty simple really...it's just a look of determination. Part of Barlow's appeal is the fact that he infuriates opponents. But, when he is playing an agitator without the focus on playing good basketball, it's pretty worthless. Conversely, when he's dialed in and resolute, very few in the league are better slashers or on-ball defenders. That's the Barlow we've seen recently...that's the one that's a difference-maker.

LewJack, when healthy or hurting, is a magician with the ball in his hands. He can change pace in a manner that few in the nation can stay with him...and defensively, when confident in his back, he's fearless and relentless. Now, this isn't a perfect world, and he's not 100%...but if other players are looking to score, whether it is Hummel, Byrd or TJohn, Jackson will generally find them...that's when Purdue's offense is humming.

Smith's defense last night helped keep two prolific scorers in check...and while Smith is capable of delivering daggers, the amount of shots he's taken lately has decreased, seemingly by his choice. How many times in the last few games has his pump fake led to an open jumper by Byrd? While shooters have to shoot, a bad shot doesn't help anyone, and Smith understands that. I wouldn't be surprised if he gets more open looks in coming games due to the emergence of Byrd and the re-emergence of Hummel.

TJohn has had an up and down season...but the general curve is upwards. One of the main reasons he's trending toward what many thought he'd become is he is working hard on defense and on the offensive end without the ball. Plus, once he has the ball, he's not just taking any three pointer that the defense gives him. Instead, he pierces the defense and goes after his high percentage, but unorthodox tear drop that is nearly impossible to stop when it's working.

Off the bench, Carroll has embraced the role of bodying up on defense, and blocking out to create lanes on offense. Lawson, while his minutes have been sparse is beginning to understand that without playing at a high energy level, his athleticism will go to waste. Marcius has provided a few valuable minutes and fouls as he's used his strength and size to give other players some rest...and AJ can still score at will; when he's patient and not trying to force the issue...he'll have games in the next few years that he takes over...but first, Painter wants his defensive effort to be consistent; and it's getting that way.

Every player has a role...and this team is finally embracing those roles and the system that creates them. And what do you know? Good things are starting to happen. But for Purdue to get into the tournament, they'll have to continue doing what they're doing. At least six games are remaining, three-plus wins will all but guarantee a chance to play in the real tourney...but to get in the big dance, our Boilers will need to continue to do the little things.

Huge Win in Champaign: 67-62

2012-02-15T23:39:00.000-05:00

It's pretty simple- if this team plays two halves of basketball, they either win or are in the position to win at the end. The Forces of Good did just that today and held on for the five point victory in The Assembly Hall.

I never like watching Purdue go into a game in which a team has been backed into a corner...and Illinois was flat-out trapped coming in. Like Painter said about his squad a few weeks ago, Illinois needed to fight to change its situation...and they did. But, by the time they figured out the importance of the game, Purdue was up big.

Illinois fought their way out of a 13 point hole that they had put themselves in...but couldn't get over the hump. The closest they got to the Boilers was a two-point deficit...twice...in the final five minutes. But Purdue finished. Perhaps Illinois just tired themselves out while coming back...or maybe this Purdue team has figured out how to finish again.

This was a game that the Boilers would have surely lost earlier in the season...Big lead cut down to a slim margin...high pressure environment...we've seen it before; but it felt differently.

Unlike the other games that put Purdue in this situation, the defensive intensity was there...the effort was there...the smart passing on offense was there...and at the end there was another game in the left column. As a team, Purdue out-rebounded the taller, more-talented Illini 31-26, and the team that deserved the win got it.

Bruce Weber came out in his orange jacket and the game started out with a thunderous dunk by Illinois' resident headcase, Myers Leonard. But the Boilers showed that substance over style almost always wins.

Hummel worked like a rented mule on the defensive end, guarding the 7'1", soon-to-be professional basketball player, Leonard...and frustrated him pretty soundly. During more than one deadball, you could see Leonard chirping like a baby bird...but it didn't matter. Not only did Leonard not score a whole bunch, he didn't even get the chance to shoot very often. But it wasn't just Hummel that was playing big on defense, but Travis Carroll was sound as well. His box score doesn't tell a fair story for what he did today for Purdue...but the fact that Carroll can clamp down Leonard the way he did today and in Mackey earlier in the season must drive Leonard nuts...gotta love that. Big. Ugly, Effective.

Let's get back to Big Shot Rob for a moment. He and Jackson's two-man game helped Purdue put this one away...and he made big, difficult shots, pulled down key rebounds and looked like #4 from yesteryear. He let the game come to him...and it did. He finished with 19 and 11 in another high-minute game (37).

Jackson was back in the starting line-up today...and had an up and down game. He had two of the best stop-and-go drives I've seen this season as he toyed with Illini defenders to get to the rack. On both cases, he finished the play and didn't even end up hammered to the ground. He finished with 13 points, 5 assists and 3 rebounds. His fellow Senior class member, Smith, started on the bench for this one as Painter continued to play with the starting line-ups based on what he thought might work instead of a formulaic starting five.

Who wants it more?

TJohn had an efficient night- 12 points, 6 assists in just 23 minutes while shooting 50%. His teardrop proved to be difficult for Illinois to stop. DJ Byrd hit a few more big shots, as we've become accustomed to, while going 3/6 from three, and earning 13 and 5 in just 25 minutes.

I don't know if a ton of Purdue fans expected victory tonight in spite of Purdue coming into this one with a 6-game winning streak over the Illini...but it seemed that Painter and Co. fully expected it. I said it after the loss to aOSU- This team will be defined by its work ethic and effort at the end of the season...Tonight's victory showed just that. Next up, Purdue gets to welcome ~~Class A Asshat~~ talented Freshman Branden Dawson and co. to Mackey Arena.

I'm looking forward to being part of the crowd for this one...and I'm pretty sure Matty and the boys are excited about this one as well. Time to protect Mackey again, gentlemen.

Sidenote:
Gus Johnson sucks at his job. People who don't see that he's an attention whore from the same mold as Dick Vitale, Ed Hightower, and Kim Kardashian need to look at when and why he gets excited during games. Teenage girls are exempt from this criticism...everyone else has no excuse. He used to be better at calling games; at this point, he is a caricature of himself.

Must Win in Champaign? Think Again.

2012-02-15T09:32:00.000-05:00

With 16 wins on the board and at least seven games remaining, it's tough to call anything a must-win coming out of the best or second-best conference in America...but we're getting closer to must-win territory.

Some great news has been coming out of God's country in the last few days- Hummel and LewJack have been practicing more...and the effort the last few games might have something to do with practice...not a game...practice. Who knows if these guys got healthier as Matty used some different motivational tactics or they see the end of their college careers quickly approaching...but whatever the case may be, it's the right time for these guys to be playing at their highest level.

J talked yesterday about Purdue's lack of success versus ranked opponents...and that chart really shows how our Boilers have wilted time and again versus the better teams in the conference. BUT, I don't think there's a must-win on the docket until Nebraska. If Illinois continues to struggle, the four-team race for two NCAA spots out of the B1G will continue. Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Northwestern seem to be fighting for the last two spots in the dance out of the conference if all of these teams continue to play inconsistently...head-to-head, they only play each other in two more games.

Purdue plays Illinois tonight on the road.

Northwestern hosts Minnesota on the 18th.

But games between these four and Nebraska, PSU and Iowa might be the contests that decide who's going. All three of these teams have been in the 100s nearly all season...and bad losses are probably more damning at this point than good wins are helpful. Purdue has already dropped a painful one, as we all know too well...so their magin for error is slim.

But, the Boilers beat Minnesota in their lone contest, swept Northwestern and will at least split with Illinois. These four teams all currently fall between 42 and 59 in the RPI (NU 42, UI 47, PU 54, UM 59)...far from guaranteed range.

On the flip side of bad losses are the good wins. In this conference, hell, in any conference with officiating as it is on the road and hostile environments getting more hostile down the stretch, hosting one of the elite of the conference probably lends itself to the best opportunity to snatch a victory.

Northwestern hosts UM and aOSU, Illinois hosts UM, Purdue hosts MSU, Northwestern hosts UM and aOSU and Minny hosts MSU and IU.

Sure, the conference tourneys can all open or close down at-large slots in a hurry depending on their results...but all of these teams really control their own destiny...and most-importantly, our Boilers are far from a long shot as it stands right now. And while they've been in nearly everyone's projections for the tournament, they don't even resemble a lock; even at a high seed.

And speaking of conference tourneys- if these teams finish in the same cluster as they are now, a pair of them might meet in the first round of the B1G tourney...but there are far too many variables in front of us to project that tourney at this point.

What you can be sure of is that if Purdue can play two good halves in just three or four more games on their remaining schedule, they'll probably be in...But that's a pretty sizable but since Matty's squad has only played three or four complete games all year. When you think of that, it's pretty remarkable that they're even in this conversation.

Tonight the good guys will be going to the spaceship...so Tune in to BTN at 8:30, where Weber fights for his job and Purdue's Seniors fight for their post-season lives...BTN will probably have real people on the sidelines and in the production truck to cover it.

A Handsome Hour Scheduling Note

2012-02-14T22:14:00.000-05:00

Your favorite handsome lads won't be on Wednesday night this week.

But fret not! You'll have more fun watching your favorite handsome Boilers take on the Illini at 8:30 instead.

We'll return next week and as of now, the schedule tentatively looks like this:

Feb 22
March 7
March 14
March 21
March 28
April 4

All shows at 9:30 PM, Eastern. All guests appear unpaid and, frequently, against their will.

The Boiled Sports Handsome Hour. BS all the time.

So What's Been Different For Purdue Basketball This Year?

2012-02-14T11:33:00.000-05:00

Obviously, any of us can point to the fact that there is no more JJ and no more E'Twaun and thus that's the key. And sure, that's a valid point. But it's not like this team is devoid of talent and it's not like they haven't won some tight games and had their impressive nights.

Any season in any sport can be sliced up and dissected in a multitude of ways, so obviously this is just one fellow's opinion, but I think the following statistics are very impactful.

There are a couple of measures that the NCAA selection committee takes into account and that computer rankings also take into account and one of the big ones is how you fare against quality competition. Sure, the top 25 rankings aren't the same as the RPI, but if you want a simple look at how your team is doing against some of the best in the country, either top 25 list is a good measuring stick. Below is how Big Ten teams have fared against those top 25 opponents.

That's right....winless. And the worst record versus top 25 competition in the entire Big Ten. If you wish to compare our boys against some of the teams I think a lot of us feel are similarly talented, the side-by-side is not good. Illinois, for example, who perpetually feels like a team in freefall, is 3-3 against top 25 competition. IU is 3-4. Michigan is .500. All of which are a hell of a lot better than 0-6, yet would .500 be that much to ask for?

The second big factor that has been different this year is the ability to protect home court. Purdue hadn't lost at home in two years, yet has three home losses this season. If you hold serve against Wisconsin and Michigan at home this year -- neither of which are a stretch to imagine having happened -- suddenly you have two wins versus the top 25 and you're just one game out of first in the conference. How incredibly different would this season feel right now if Purdue had simply pulled out those two? Remember, this is leaving the Xavier and Butler debacles exactly as they happened.

Protecting home court leads to good things. You win games against ranked teams when you do that in the toughest conference in the land and you challenge for the conference title. You also lock up a tourney bid and are able to go into the Big Ten Tournament only looking to not hurt yourself, rather than desperately wanting additional Ws for the ledger.

How does this compare, you might ask? I'm glad you might have asked.

Last season, the Boilers went 16-0 at home and 4-2 vs the AP Top 25. The year before they were 15-2 at Mackey and 4-2 against Top 25 competition. Those two seasons resulted in first and second place finishes.

Clearly, losing all-conference talents like JJ and Smooge is a big hurdle to overcome, and I'm not suggesting the Boilers should not have been impacted. However, I think these data points illustrate just how different things could be if only the Boilers could hold serve at home and close out a few conference games against their ranked foes. The opportunities still exist -- albeit road versions -- so the summary on this team and this senior class has not yet been written.

It's time to get the pen on the paper. Choo-choo.

Yay NCAA!! (A Look at uniform stupidity)

2012-02-13T01:37:00.000-05:00

A few seasons ago, Purdue wore uniforms that were ruled to be in violation of the NCAA's uniform rule that states numbers on a basketball uniform must be a contrast color to the base of the uniform:

Illegal!!

Fair enough...gotta play by the rules, right?

BUT, if you watched Duke or Florida play on Saturday, you might have said to yourself, "Self, those numbers don't seem to be a contrast color to the rest of the uniform."

You are correct.

Legal!

BUT, you need to understand, these Hyper Elite Platinum uniforms were not merely some Nike uniform for boring ole Purdue...instead, these beauties were a showcase of new uniform technology for some of the most-exciting and elite teams in all of the land (and Arizona).

Nothing to see here, I guess...as you were.

Boilers Earn Pivotal Win over Northwestern: 87-77

2012-02-13T00:46:00.000-05:00

Mackey was pretty dead tonight...but the telecast just didn't really tell the story; or should I say, the Paint Crew makes it seem like Mackey is the madhouse, even when it's not. There were a few hundred empty seats...and a few thousand seats occupied by human-shaped lumps of mashed potatoes. The three home losses have clearly taken their toll on Purdue's fanbase...but that doesn't make the lack of enthusiasm right, in my opinion. I generally like my fellow sec. 102 patrons...but man, getting this crowd excited tonight was too difficult; and the game gave the fans plenty to cheer for...or against. Let's start with the positives, shall we.

Coming off of an 84 point offensive explosion versus one of the nation's-best teams, The Forces of Good played a first 15 minutes that looked a lot like the first 15 minutes of the IU game- tons of missed lay-ups and short jumpers...but Hummel, Smith and Byrd pulled the struggling Boiler offense out of the crapper with some sharp shooting off of crisp ball movement to end the first half.

In the second half, we saw David Jonathan Byrd (goes by DJ) go batty on the Wildcats as he continued the trend of kicking ass in the blocks on defense while filling it up on offense. He finished with 20 points, hit all of his free throws (5/5), and added three rebounds and 4 assists. He also used four of his fouls wisely without fouling out in spite of spending most of the game in the painted area. For the second-straight game, Byrd's so-called Dad was on TV...but I'm pretty sure that DJ is really just a clone of his "father" as his Mom seems to be pretty darned good looking...and I can't see any resemblance to her, honestly. While DJ's Mom is pretty, his game might be prettier right now.

Look Who's back!

His pal, Robert John Hummel (goes by Rob or Robbie) looked like the guy we fell in love with a few years ago- he finished with 27 points (while shooting 50% from the field and from three), went 12/14 from the stripe as he helped salt away the game, added a healthy 9 rebounds and a couple blocks on the night. When he's missing his shot, he's clearly jumping or leaning to the left...but when he's knocking it down, it's pure.

Friend of BS, Handsome Ryne Smith (some people call him Ryno) also helped rekindle our love for him...but not in the way you might think he did. Sure, shooting 4/7 from three is nice...real nice actually...and adding a career high 7 rebounds along with three assists isn't too shabby either. But Smith stuck his nose into a conflict at the end of the first half that I'll talk about in a bit.

Lewis Jackson IV (known around West Lafantastica and elsewhere as simply LewJack) didn't start the game and seemed to be struggling with on-ball defense a bit...but he fought through injuries to deal out 8 assists along with 4 rebounds and 5 points. His fellow point guard, Barlow played stifling defense (at times), and asserted his will again; something that Purdue fans have grown to love to see. If this guy could figure out how to do it game-in, game-out, he'd be all B1G, or better. He finished with a near-double-double...10 points, 8 rebounds. Terone Johnson had 11 points and four rebounds on a few of the patented tear drops and an important three...but had my favorite play of the day as he dove into the crowd to save the ball...tweaked his backa bit...popped out of the crowd and scored moments later. This was one of the few moments of the night in which all of Mackey showed its appreciation.

The effort in the closing three minutes was solid as Purdue put the game away- Our Boilers showed moxy and a bit of a chip on their shoulder at times; something they simply must do in the coming games if they have any chance of making it to the dance. They hit 72.7% of their free throws...and out-rebounded Northwestern by 13 in spite of using a small line-up most of the night. The only true PF that played in the game was Carroll...for only three minutes. Let's remember that NU had 14 more rebounds that the small line-up Boilers in Evanston a few weeks ago.

Now let me talk about a few things that aren't as positive as the above.

We all know that referee Mike Kitts has been known to make bone-headed mistakes, but he and his crews are quickly becoming some of my least-favorite, stripe shirt-clad blokes on the circuit. Kitts, like many of his counterparts have the perverted idea that people are there to see them. We're not...in fact, I'd love to see a B1G game in which I don't even notice the officials; it doesn't happen.

Today's theme for Kitts' braintrust was pointless meetings.

After Drew Crawford swung a high elbow at Barlow, Crawford and Barlow got into eachother's faces. Predictably, NU's resident D-bag, David-ay Curletti* jumped in...because that's what goons do. Ryne Smith, probably feeling like I do about the psuedo-Euro, Curletti, quickly came in to level the uneven conflict.

All of this happened within feet of an official and directly in front of Purdue's bench. After a long meeting, they ruled the elbow wasn't a big deal, gave Barlow the reach-in...and double (cop-out) techs to Barlow and Crawford.

I like Crawford...the son of an NBA official, by the way...but he was whiny and clearly frustrated tonight. His antics should have had him disqualified in the first half. Instead, he wasn't ruled out of the game until his second tech at the 1:25 mark. This play was another doozy.

The baseline official called a charge on Crawford as Byrd was set in his path. Crawford reacted by spiking the ball down...which got him automatically ejected from the game (coincidentally, it was his fifth foul). Crawford was allowed to stay on NU's bench after the ejection (that's against NCAA rulebook sec. 23, articles 1 and 2**).

Another meeting came at this point. The final ruling after the meeting was that the official at the top of the key over-ruled the charge and made it a block...and the tech stood. While the officials met and had their tea party, NU got their third un-charged timeout of the game as this crew seemed to encourage the Wildcats to take two-to-three minute TOs during their meetings...oddly enough, Purdue's coaches didn't get the same advantage.

I don't like officials...and I'm not a big fan of Curletti either...but you guys already knew that.

Alright, back to the important stuff.

-John Shurna is a good and ugly ball player...in the line of ugly and effective players like the 80s Boston Celtics. His off-balanced shot is very effective and his length makes him a tough match-up.

But, Shurna's 30 points seem to be another example of Purdue's defense struggling to shut down good long-range shooters.

-Northwestern had won three-straight games and climbed into the #36 position in the RPI poll. Their 15-8 record made them a nearly-mirror image of Purdue on paper. So Purdue's second win over the Cats was very important for Purdue's NCAA tourney chances. That said, there's a lot of work left to do.

9 B1G teams are candidates for at-large bids...and it looks to me like 7 will make the tourney. Illinois, Purdue, and Northwestern have 9 losses...Minnesota has 8...Michigan has 7. Purdue is now 4-1 versus this group. And on Wednesday, Matty's squad goes to Champaign...and the other four teams will all play another team in the group at least once each before the B1G tournament...a lot can still happen.

Coming together?

-Ryne Smith having Barlow's back might be a bigger deal than it seemed to be when it happened. Rumors have swirled about a dust-up between the two last Spring...and while NO ONE I know can confirm if there was any conflict, Smith might have put to rest an idea that this team lacks continuity and chemistry...and in the process helped to galvanize a team that seems to need to take a step forward together. This play was an example of why I like this year's fiery Senior class...Hopefully the fight we've seen in the last two games is a sign of a new trend not a mere exception to the sometime-heartless efforts we've seen far too often this season.

*It looks like I'm not the only one who is annoyed by Curletti. He's no longer a starter, his minutes have been reduced and Carmody and Co. were chewing on him a lot today. Good for Carmody and his assistants.

**Section 23. Ejection
Art. 1. Ejection is the act of dismissing an individual from participation in
a game because of a specific infraction of the rules.
a. In addition to being disqualified, an individual who is ejected shall
leave the playing court and floor area and report to his or her team’s
locker room until the game is over.
Art. 2. The following shall result in automatic ejection:Rule 4 / definitions 69
a. Committing a flagrant personal foul or flagrant technical foul;
b. Incurring the maximum number or combination of technical fouls

Boilers Come Up Short in Fight in Columbus: 87-84

2012-02-08T00:28:00.001-05:00

Painter seemed more pointed and honest in his interviews following the loss v. IU: Purdue had lost its will and fight during the course of the season...and he wanted to see that change.

Coming into this game, I was all but positive that aOSU's horses would be able to push Purdue around and simply pound them into submission...but Purdue played their best two halves of the season and nearly found a way to beat the Nuts at home for the second time in two years.

Smith and LewJack didn't start; I presume as a message to the two that poor effort would yield consequence...and the team responded to the idea. Purdue played crisp, disciplined and tough (after a slow start). While they were out-rebounded, they weren't out-hustled...and offensively, a few guys reminded us just why we're so pissed off that this team hasn't won more games this year.

Byrd looked determined and looked for his shot...at the half, he was near his career high with 17 points. He finished with 24 points and 6 rebounds while going 7/9 from three. Kelsey Barlow took advantage of his length and size against Craft all day. He drove and finished strong and didn't accept easy threes...And finished with 14pts, 3ast and 2 steals...and one of those finishes was one of the best dunks of the college basketball season as he and Sullinger got intimate.

LewJack had 14 and 4...and doesn't get a lot of calls while driving. But when he did tonight, he hit is free throws (6-6)...and the Boilers shot 68% from the stripe; better than many nights this season. Hummel finished with 13 and 8...but got cold down the stretch and Smith finished with 9 and was 2/3 from three.

Let's make no bones about it, it's always tough to win on the road in the B1G. The hostile crowd and even more-hostile officiating are two things you can count on while away from home. The Discount Arena hasn't seen a visitor leave with a victory since our Boilers did it in '10...and they nearly did it again tonight by playing like they needed it; which they did. But in spite of playing their best two consecutive halves of the season, The Forces of Good came up short. But if they play with the focus, effort and fight we saw tonight, they'll finish this season with some big wins; which they simply must earn to get into the dance.

My thought is that Matty's squad must beat the teams they should (Northwestern, Nebraska and Penn State) then steal one from one of the ranked opponents to get into the dance. Granted, there's no guaranteed formula...but 19 wins out of the B1G and a .500 record in conference will probably get the job done.

There are no moral victories...but perhaps Matty can point to this one to remind the team that they can play with anyone in the nation when they play the game the right way...which they simply haven't done for much of the season.

Next up, Northwestern comes to Mackey on Sunday.

BTN Icon: Gene Keady

2012-02-07T14:37:00.003-05:00

Since I was at the game on Saturday, I didn't have the chance to watch the Gene Keady-focused "Icons" show following the debacle in Mackey...so I watched it last night, looking to be uplifted a bit.

For me, it didn't happen. While I loved watching Keady's teams tear through the Big Ten season, the most difficult, and memorable losses for me as a fan came in the month of March with Keady at the helm. This show, while great to watch really reminded me of some of those games.

I don't remember Gene Keady's hiring...I was five. So for me, it was simple-Keady was just Purdue's coach. Plus, I grew up the son of a big Purdue fan who graduated in 1970. Like my son, I was taken to games and watched (and listened to) a lot of Purdue basketball while growing up.

My son's first game was when he was four...he's probably already forgotten it. I believe my first Purdue game was in 1985- Reid, Hall, Gaddis, Rowinski and co. were on that squad. By '85, Keady had established his way- hard-nosed, never-back-down basketball utilizing some players that no one else in the Big Ten really wanted. In fact, one of the first players that help Keady define who he was as a coach was Jim Rowinski.

He was a football player in shorts- He was between 6'7" and 6'8" matching up against 6'10" (and taller) guys...and he didn't have long arms. But he was gritty...and strong as an ox. His career started off slowly (or poorly) depending on your perspective. But in his Senior year, he became more than just a guy who set crushing picks and started scoring buckets too. He was an enforcer who used brute force to try to level the playing field against IU, Michigan, MSU and the elite of the conference...and it worked.

If you're too young to remember Rowinski, think of Wisconsin's goons...but without the burr haircuts and height, but with more braun.

Keady's point guards were regularly not as quick as the rest of the league (especially early in his time at Purdue)...and his bigs were not quite as skilled as many they competed against. But they all understood that if they didn't play together and play hard, they simply couldn't compete. So they did, each and every game.

That paradigm yielded dramatic victories versus the national power houses...and Purdue, like its former football player coach, began defying critics, winning conference championships and pissing off fans from opposing schools around the Midwest and beyond- all while defining what we know about Purdue basketball today.

Keady's teams got better and more skilled as they hovered near the top of the conference. My favorite team, which was recently honored at Mackey by its best scorer, Troy Lewis, was defined by Lewis and his fellow Senior teammates from 1998. In middle school, my life revolved around Purdue sports. I went to Purdue basketball camp and got to meet Steve Scheffler, Troy Lewis, Everett Stevens and Todd Mitchell. Pretty much every piece of clothing that I didn't wear to school had purdue printed on it. I was thoroughly brainwashed; and loved it. In spite of Purdue getting knocked out year after year in the first or second round of the tournament, I tended to focus on what happened during the regular season...it probably kept me sane.

The most memorable Purdue game I attended during this era, and probably in my life, for that matter, was when Purdue clinched the BT title with the 3 Amigos leading the way. Days before the game, a crippling ice storm had gone through the Indianapolis area. My family lived down near 38th street in Indianapolis. Since all the power lines are above ground down there, we lost power for days. We were pretty much huddling around the fire place for light and heat for a few days...so when the Michigan game fell on the tail end of the power outage, my Dad, brothers and I were ready to get to Mackey and witness something special. We did.

Troy Lewis, Gene Keady, Todd Mitchell and Everett Stephens, 1988

It was about 90 degrees in Mackey that afternoon as the original Big 3 raised the big ten trophy after beating the team that won the national title about a month later. Mackey was fitted with new lights prior to the game that brightened up the once-dark arena...and it was well-past its capacity. And get this, even the old fans stood regularly in this contest (something that we don't see too much anymore). It was a special day.

Purdue got the number one seed in the NCAA tournament shortly after. They beat Farleigh Dickinson, whipped Memphis...then ran into Mitch Richmond and Kansas State. Purdue was knocked out by the lower seeded Wildcats...and I was crushed.

The next year, Purdue went to the NIT after one of its best basketball classes ever left campus. That year, I watched Purdue's season end in person at Market Square Arena versus Florida. I think typically, an NIT loss has no where near the sting as an NCAA tourney loss, but this was different. There was more to the one since the same Florida team had knocked Purdue out of the dance just two years prior in the second round.

My Boilers got back to the tourney the following year...and as a gift, were put in the Hoosier Dome. They squandered the opportunity, again in heart-breaking fashion, in front of the heavily-pro-Purdue crowd. This time, the loss came at literally at the hands of Texas- as a last second lay-up was blocked to seal a one-point victory.

A few years later, after a couple more one-and-outs in the tourney, Glenn Robinson was dominating the college basketball world. Keady's methodical rock 'em, sock 'em style of defense was replaced with Robinson pushing the pace, Cuonzo and Waddell raining threes and Jennings and Dove dunking whenever possible. Role players like Darner and McNary reminded us all of what Purdue had been...but this year felt different.

Grant Hill v. Glenn Robinson, 1994

Robinson was the pre-season player of the year...and he lived up to the hype and more. Martin went from a guy who could barely shoot to a legitimate bomber and squad around them was rock-solid. Purdue beat elite teams, even in the NCAA tournament...but it stopped in Knoxville. As Grant Hill, and and a bum back kept Glenn Robinson from doing what he had done over and over again that season, Purdue was knocked out. Yet again, Keady would not get to the final four. Two of my best friends from Purdue and I, along with a bunch of our other pals, made the roadie to see this game in person. It's still tough for me to watch the Boilers lose; but this one, since I had class with some of the players and had met most of them, was worse.

Keady defied the odds after losing the nation's best player and coached Purdue up to another BT title the following year...and after the Boilers nearly lost to Dick Bennet's #15 seed WGB squad (49-48 win), the Boilers reverted to their old form of ducking out of the tournament in the second round.

Purdue lost not one, but two of the best shooters in the BT with Martin and Waddell graduating in 1995, but Keady rose to the challenge again by leading his team to their third-straight BT title in 1996. This team, like the '88 and '94 teams earned a #1 seed in the NCAA tournament. They promptly played an awful game versus Western Carolina, and earned the closest victory ever between a #1 and #16 seed team in the NCAA tournament. The rocky start to the tournament was completed when Purdue lost the next game to Georgia.

Rodney Smith, Gene Keady and Brian Cardinall, 2000

After a few more rock-solid regular seasons and a couple more two-and-outs in the tourney, Keady put together a string of three tournaments in which his teams made serious noise in the post-season. The most-unexpected was when the #10 seed Boilers made it to the Sweet 16 after going through Boston...I was lucky enough to be living in the Boston area in 1999, and got to see them beat Miami in the Fleet Center. The apex of this three-year run came in 2000 when the Brian Cardinal-led Boilers were knocked out of the tournament in the Elite 8 by Dick Bennett's Wisconsin team. This was the fourth time Purdue played the Badgers that season...three of them ending in defeat. And most of the games were rock fights played in the 60s as both teams simply ground out victories in unconventional fashion.

There is no doubt Gene Keady is a Purdue legend and is fitting of being the topic of the Icons show on BTN. He squeezed more out of under-talented teams than any coach in the modern era...Bo Ryan comes as close as anyone...and like Keady has had limited success in the NCAA tournament.

One of the things discussed in the Icons show is that Matt Painter's era is kind of a continuation of Keady's time at Purdue. I disagree with this idea. Keady, in all of his years at Purdue, never had a class as highly-touted as Painter's '07 class. In fact, I'd argue the classes from '08 to '11 closely-resemble Keady's classes.

Knight and Keady

Painter's teams haven't been as successful during the conference schedule as Keady's...but he has been able to get a round or two further than the average Keady team. They both believe that defense creates offense and the only way to play the game is hard. But Painter is not close to as fiery...and Painter has never had such an obvious and clear antithesis as Keady did...for his entire time at Purdue in Bob Knight.

Perhaps Crean will become that, but I seriously doubt it for a myriad of reasons.

A friend of mine and I discussed why Keady's teams always faded in March, and we think we understand why. Keady was able to get his teams to give everything they had, every time they stepped on the court where as so many coaches simply aren't able to get their teams to play at that level night-in, night-out...but in the tournament, everyone is hungry and more motivated than they've been all year. And Purdue, in spite of playing great team basketball, simply didn't have the individual talent that the teams they faced in the post-season.

Being the national COY six times says a lot about a coach; I don't think any BT coach has ever matched that number, nor ever will. But, Gene Keady is iconic because he became Purdue basketball due to the amount of time he spent at our alma mater, the passion he had for the game and the high level of success he had during his 25 years in West Lafayette.

*It was also Matt Painter's Freshman year at Purdue

Set The Earth Reverberating With OSU Hate

2012-02-07T12:36:00.000-05:00

Comparing Bigs

2012-02-06T08:59:00.000-05:00

Here is a quick look at a few ex and current Purdue Big men; statistically:

6'8" Jim Rowinski 1981/82 (Sophomore season)
14.6mpg 3.4ppg 3.8rpg

6'9" Steve Scheffler 1987/88 (Sophomore season)
16.6 mpg 6.8ppg 4.4rpg

6'9" Travis Carroll 2011/12 (Sophomore season)
16.7mpg 3.0ppg 3.2rpg

I'm not saying Travis Carroll can or will become an All-B1G type of guy...but I am saying you shouldn't give up on a guy during his Sophomore season.

A Second Look at the Leadership of Purdue's team

2012-02-05T16:13:00.002-05:00

Following the loss v. MSU, J posed a question for fellow Purdue fans- Does Purdue have a leadership problem? I think the answer is yes...but it might not be as simple as what we thought...or even where we were looking...but things are not good; there's no doubt.

If you look at the moving parts, it's easy to see, Purdue has big problems in the frontcourt. I believe Travis Carroll is doing everything he can at this point...but neither he nor Marcius are skilled enough to consistently score versus B1G big men and struggle mightily on the defensive end...especially versus athletic bigs. The same can be said about Jacob Lawson...but as he's struggled to understand what's expected of him defensively, Painter has responded by reducing his minutes drastically during the B1G season.

DJ Byrd, at 6'5" and 235 lbs has been the most-consistent defensive player in the post...but is not now, nor will ever be a guy who can play with his back to the basketb. Rob Hummel has also been forced into the five spot, especially recently...and while Hummel's bigger and stronger than he's ever been, he's still not really made for banging in the blocks for 30 minutes.

Atop of the frontcourt deficiency, Purdue's freethrow shooting is consistently-atrocious. Hitting 63.2% from the line places them in 314th in the nation...and 12th in the conference.

Along with being a bad free throw shooting team, they're a pretty poor shooting team as well. They're hitting 42.9% of their shots- that puts them at 202nd in the nation...and 9th in conference.

But we've seen lousy shooting before...and that can be overcome by Purdue's patented defense, right? Wrong. The defense that has been a trademark of Painter teams is a mere pleasant memory at this point in the season. When Purdue needed a stop versus Michigan in the closing minutes, they struggled to get it- in fact, they merely traded buckets for multiple possessions as they trailed. Versus Wisconsin, they allowed the Badgers to find their three point shot again after three straight games of poor shooting from three. And most-recently, versus IU, after Purdue had dug itself a familiar hole in the first half, they simply couldn't stop any of IU's players from scoring on route to allowing the Hoosiers to shoot 57% in the second stanza.

There's currently a lot that seems broken...and it's been making me nuts trying to figure it out; but I think I finally understand what's happening...and it starts with decisions made at the top.

Before I go any further, let me say a few things so you understand where I'm coming from. I believe Matt Painter is the guy that should be coaching Purdue. I'm still pissed off that Burke let the Missouri situation get as far as it did as it was completely avoidable. But at the end of the day, he's where he should be; in West Lafayette. But this year looks nothing like any of the other seasons in which he was at the helm for his alma mater.

Effort has never been a problem for Purdue teams under Painter before this year...but this year's team looks disinterested at times playing defense, scrapping for loose balls or simply taking charges. Hustle plays have defined Purdue basketball forever; long before Matty even played for Keady...but that piece is nowhere to be found at this point.

I hear people on the message boards, twitter and elsewhere ripping the talent level, but I think that's only part of the story. Painter has coached teams without a ton of frontcourt talent before...and those teams still were able to play a high level of defense with great consistency...because they played together...and they knew and trusted the system. Everyone knew their role and the guy's role next to them. There seems to be none of that this season.

The substitution patterns seem to make no sense, guys seemingly are getting pulled just when they're hot on the offensive end...The trademark help defense and switching man to man has been a step slow all year. We've seen five guys play the five spot...and none of them have looked great. We've seen four guys play the one spot...but none has been able to be declared the point guard of the team due to injury or inconsistency. 23 games in, this team still has no identity...or perhaps anonymity has become their identity.

So why can't this team find out who it is? Seems to me it's because the team doesn't know who to follow.

There's a sports adage that says leadership is seen in games but forged in practice. If that's the case, these Boilers are a snake without a head. Two of the captains practice little if at all due to pretty serious injuries...so honestly, what more can we expect?

Painter never chose to place LewJack on the shelf and just play with the team that practices...and Jackson's play has been erratic because of it...and he has never gotten healthy either. So no one's winning. At the same time, as Hummel's bouts with tendonitis have kept him from practice consistency...and the result is we are now watching one of the best Boiler shooters in recent memory completely lose his ability score as he struggles with both mental and physical issues on the court.

Next, Painter's decided not to just play Lawson and let him take his lumps (and fouls) as he figures out the demands of B1G play. And he's not willing to give the reigns to Carroll either (let's remember that he's just a Sophomore)...and these two players couldn't be more different. One is uber-athletic, but struggles with some of the defensive concepts. The other understands his assignments, but is limited by his athleticism. On top of this, Bade's slow development and subsequent defection along with Marcius' slow development and Hale's redshirt have made Purdue nearly frontcourt player-less at times this season.

If you want to say the roots of this year's issues lie in Painter's inability to sign a top-150 big man from '08-'11...or even a true center, period, in that same time...I think that's a fair criticism. But I still contend that with better chemistry, this team would be a more familiar-looking defensive team...and in turn would have a better record than they do now.

I'm not a proponent of people blaming kids for the state of a program...especially underclassmen. Furthermore, I hate the idea of making the excuse that injuries are the reason Purdue might not be able to make the NCAA tournament this year; every team in the nation has injuries to some extent. So if you're really looking for a place to lay blame for what we saw versus IU...and in other games this season, I believe that has to come back to the head coach. I hope this is seen for what it is- not a ridiculous demand for him to be fired or the thought that he's not the right guy for the job...but recognition that things aren't as they should be, and need to get better.

Hindsight is 20/20...and the coaching decisions made back in November and December have put Purdue in the place it is now- on a bubble for the NCAA tournament whose skin is as tenuous as wet tissue paper. Matty, the players and the fans all have to deal with the state of the program that is what it is...and at this point, Painter simply must find a line-up of five guys who can grind out victories...even when the odds are long as they seem to be right now. He said that after the game v. IU, he was bothered that the players didn't seem willing to fight through adversity...it's his job to find the guys who will do so, and if he must, start looking to the future.

One of the big problems of course is, the upcoming schedule is murderous...and aOSU is up next in Columbus...so don't expect things to get better on Tuesday; that one might get ugly.

Purdue's Four-Year Reign Over IU Comes To A Painful End

2012-02-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

The Boilers reign over the Hoosiers ended tonight with a clank -- many clanks, actually -- in West Lafayette tonight, 78-61.

The rivalry is certainly back, that much is sure, as Mackey sounded like it was rocking at tip-off. Via television, there was that feeling of excitement as though the fans might come tumbling onto the floor as the Boilers took the ball down immediately and Ryne Smith put it in for a rare layup. Rare in that Ryne doesn't shoot many of those and also rare on this night, as Purdue never made another shot look that easy.

Let me point out some good, though...and with it, let's try to understand how Purdue is able to find ways to turn many good things into a large bad thing. In the first half, the Boilers held the Hoosiers -- who have shot the ball well this season -- to just 32% shooting and 33 points. Remember, these guys put up over a hundy on Fran's boys from Iowa City. Sure, Purdue needs to be better than the Hawkeyes, but 32%/33 pts is damn good. In addition, the Boilers didn't turn the ball over once in the first half, with their first turnover of the game coming with five minutes to go in the contest. The Boilers also managed to hoist forty shots in the first half. Ah, but here's the rub -- they couldn't hit water if they fell off of Boilerdowd's yacht. An 8 of 40 performance in the first half for a tidy 20%, including an astonishing 0-11 from three point land. We said earlier this year that we found it really worrisome that this was an all-or-nothing deep threat team. Without a low post presence in this conference, Purdue was going to have to rely heavily on accurate outside shooting. 20% is, shall we say, a tad less than accurate. Mercy.

Indiana, meanwhile, wasn't shooting a whole lot better, but managed to stretch out to an 11 point, 33-22 lead. Also noteworthy in the first half was Matt Painter getting his first tech of the season (and, what, second or third ever at Purdue?), as well as Cody Zeller dragging Travis Carroll to the court (foul on Carroll) and Sandi Marcius being bloodied (incidental!). It was a brawl and it was on.

As we discussed on the Handsome Hour this past week, Purdue is a team of two halves it seems this season and thankfully they came out a little more focused in the second half -- or, at least, able to see the basket. They shot 50% (5-10) from three in the second frame and after letting the lead yo-yo back and forth on either side of the double-digit marker, whittled it down to four points, with just a few minutes to play, at 65-61. Then the Boilers -- yet again -- ended the game on a scoreless drought, allowing the Hoosiers to go on an eventually-meaningless (in that the game was effectively over once Purdue stopped scoring) 13-0 run to finish things off in a painful, foot in the groin manner .

While Rob Hummel played better in the second half and actually wound up with a double-double (16 and 10), his shooting confidence is visibly lacking to me. He shot 4-14 from the floor, did not make a three and of more concern to me, looked to pass up many shots in favor of the head fake and sidestep move he likes to do now. When it works and leads to fouls or open deuces, fine. But he's either not taking the shots or clanking them hard, which makes me want to see him simply launch without shuffling his feet. But hey, I'm no coach -- what do I know? I only know what I see, and that is that Rob is continuing to struggle.

Another struggle tonight was experienced by Lewis Jackson, who went 1-10 from the field and only managed two points. As with the rest of the starters other than Rob, LewJack did not go to the free throw line. Hard to win games when you can't get to the line or make field goals.

Off the bench, DJ Byrd put in 15, including some huge threes to keep the Boilers within striking distance (he led the team in that department, going 3 of 5), but ultimately DJ fouled out of the game in just 20 minutes of play. The officiating crew of Mike Sanzere, Pat Driscoll, and "TV" Ted Valentine called the game as though (as B-dowd texted me) they thought they were in Assembly Hall. The Boilers were whistled for 25 fouls; the Hoosiers just 17. Draw your own conclusions.

Also off the bench, Kelsey Barlow had 12 and tried more than once to do his patented, down the lane thunderdunk move to wake up his team, but it was to no avail.

Jacob Lawson had a bright moment when he stole the ball, took it the length of the court and put down a thunderous dunk that brought the faithful out of their leather-backed, cupholder armrested seats. Lawson was only in the game because of multiple fouls on Carroll and the fact that Marcius was bleeding from the head. Still, whenever I see an athletic move like that from Lawson, I enjoy it and remind myself that he's just a freshman. There is potential there -- I hope it is realized in the coming years, as the Boilers need his size, athleticism and mean style.

Terone Johnson rounded out the terrible shooting by the Boilers with a 2-12 performance from the field (he, too, did not go to the line).

The Boilers needed this win for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is that they're not in serious danger of being swept by IU, as the Purdue-IU rematch in Bloomington is on Senior Night for the Hoosiers. Tom Crean has now won at just two Big Ten venues away from Assembly Hall in Bloomington: Happy Valley (twice) and West Lafayette. That's embarrassing. (For Purdue.)

Tom Crean continued his two-faced nonsense at the end of this game, blowing by Matt Painter as fast as possible and not giving Painter a chance to say something he was trying to say. Nothing will be made of it because whenever ESPN does an IU game, Dick Vitale has his arm around Tom Crean after the game, hanging on Creaney's every mindless word. Crean is making it easier every day to loathe him.

What bothers me most about this game was that if the Boilers had shot even marginally well, they would have won it. They held IU to 42% shooting from the field, 30% from three and won the turnover battle by forcing 11 and only committing three (all in the final five minutes, as mentioned). Taking care of the ball keeping a team from shooting well usually mean a win for Purdue teams. But the Boilers wound up shooting 29.6% for the game, including 23.8% from three. The Boilers' 70% from the line actually wasn't the issue tonight, though we would of course prefer not to be last in the league in that department.

While this is a frustrating loss on many levels, the point I guess is that at this point in the season you are who you are. This is a Purdue team that never manages to put a complete game together. In fact, they can rarely put a complete half together. In addition, and perhaps of even greater concern, is the fact that the Boilers are not defending their home court. They've now lost two in a row (and three of four) at Mackey for the first time since the end of the '05-'06 season, which was Painter's first year and a 9-19 campaign for the Boilers. The Boilers did not lose three in a row at home in even that year. If they drop their next home game -- against Northwestern -- they'll then be in danger of losing four in a row at home since the following home game will be Michigan State. I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

Next up for the 15-8 (5-5) Boilers is a brutal road test at Columbus on Tuesday night on ESPN. The Boilers could now be looking at a seriously uphill climb to get anywhere past 18 wins heading into the Big Ten Tournament. If that occurs, the Boilers will be 8-10 in conference and will probably need a couple of wins in the BTT to feel any level of comfort heading into the selection show.

Their backs are now officially against the wall. With eight games to go, they can continue this slide of sometimes listless play and agonizing gaps of putrid offensive production and lackadaisical, ineffective defense, or they can make believers out of us all again.

Time to be Boilermakers, boys.

It Is Time.

2012-02-04T17:08:00.001-05:00

I just arrived in God'd Country and am anticipating tonight's game more than any this season...there's a lot riding on it.

Our inconsistent Boilers need a win tonight for a myriad of reasons...but the biggest is not just bragging rights and extending IU's futility v. Purdue past 1450 days. To me, this game might decide which tournament the Forces of Good will play in come March.

T-minus one hour, fifty-three minutes...It's time for Purdue to stand up.

Giants-Patriots Two, Offensive Boogaloo

2012-02-03T12:01:00.000-05:00

In advance of Super Bowl XLII, I put together my thoughts in a preview post and in the end, just couldn't bring myself to be a homer and pick the Giants. And who could blame me? The Pats had overcome absolutely everything that year. They looked pretty much invincible. Sure, looking back, there were signs that they were wearing down, but we kept thinking that all year and yet they had done what literally no team had yet done -- go 18-0. Then the Super Bowl happened, the Giants played a nearly perfect game, and the rest is history.

I look back at my recap the night the Giants won the Super Bowl in Feb 2008 and I am barely coherent, but that's understandable given my lifelong Giants fandom and the magnitude of that night.

This year, things are so much different. As much as the media loves to talk about the "rematch," it's definitely a different feel. The Patriots got to the Super Bowl after going 13-3 in the regular season (as opposed to 16-0) and having the 31st ranked defense in the league. They've also only beaten one team with a winning record at the time this year (the Ravens). Even their first playoff game was against the 8-8 Broncos, which was essentially a second consecutive bye.

Now, understand, I'm not suggesting the Pats don't deserve to be here -- they absolutely do. You can only play who is on your schedule and the Pats have won 11 straight games. The last loss? Back in November versus the New York Giants. So I'm not suggesting the Pats shouldn't be here -- all I would say is that their path has been beyond easy. Almost no resistance this year, plus a fairly easy path in the playoffs. They're not the juggernaut they were four years ago.

That said, they could easily still win.

I think the Gronk injury is huge for the Pats. The guy caught 17 TDs and is the one guy the Giants would have a real hard time covering. Even if he does play, he won't be himself, so that bodes well for New York. If Brady plays poorly, as he did against Baltimore, I would say that's the only way this game could be a blowout, and it would obviously be in the Giants favor.

However, I think Brady will be as focused as ever and that concerns me. Also, how many times can this Giants brain trust beat Belichick? They've already won a Super Bowl against them and won in Foxboro this season. Can they win a third time? Sure, but it doesn't sound easy, does it?

The Giants were 7-7 at one point and looked listless. I even said on Facebook that being swept by the Washington Redskins and losing at home to Seattle should automatically disqualify you from the playoffs. And then the Giants simply flipped the switch and remembered how to play. They are here because they have used the formula that teams use in all sports to win titles: Play well, don't give games away with turnovers or mental mistakes, and get fortunate bounces. Hey, I'm realistic -- to win a championship, you don't only need to be good, you need to get lucky, too. It's all part of the formula.

Here's what I think: If both teams play to their potential, the Giants should win. The NY defense is better than New England's and the NY offense is comparable to NE's. Brady can of course be the variable, because he's so good he can alter games and bend time and space all by himself. But I know many Pats fans who quietly admit the only team they really "worried" about was the Giants.

If either team's QB plays poorly or the team turns the ball over, that's the team that loses. But hey, that's common sense, right?

I think both these teams and both these guys (Brady and Eli) will be locked in. I don't think it's the shootout that it could be and some expect. But I do think it goes the Giants way.

Giants 27, Patriots 24

Indiana, You Big Banana, Oh Indiana, To Hell With You*

2012-02-03T11:16:00.005-05:00

Sometimes it's easy to remember what you don't like about an opponent. Other times it's harder. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, BS is here to help. In a new feature (and you know how well we stick to new features), we'll help you figger out why you should hate Purdue's next opponent, mainly using third grade playground insults and other such high-brow stuff you've come to love BS for.

Up today: The Indiana Hoosiers.

Really? I need to do this for the IU game? You need reasons to hate them? No, of course you do not. And while most of these pregamers are meant mostly in jest, this one....well....yeah.

How about the fact that the past is not relevant when you're talking about Kelvin Sampson's violations, firing, and effective gutting of the program; Bob Knight's ignominious shit-canning, choking of players, assaulting of students and faculty; or Tom Crean's abominable record at Indiana? Yes the past is relevant when IU knuckle-draggers want to rub their 1940 national title banner in your face? I don't know, either, but that's how they roll.

IU not only hasn't beaten Purdue in four years, they haven't really been competitive. And that sucks, because this used to be an incredible rivalry and right now a whole generation of Purdue students know nothing of IU other than as a doormat. Granted, that appears to be changing, but it has allowed the rivalry to simmer somewhat from what it once was.

Sometimes teams have representatives of their program who are easy to hate; other times they are less easy to hate. Charlie Weis was a great example. He was so arrogant, so pompous...so it was actually beyond easy to loathe him -- it was fun! The same is building with Tom Crean. The phony enthusiasm, the overrated resume, the goofy-ass faces he makes.... they are all things that make me so glad our coach is not like that.

There's so much more to add... this post could be quite lengthy. So I'll leave it to you. Share away.

7 PM tomorrow, BTN.

*This headline is the corny opening line of the alternate fight song for IU. When I was a freshman, a fifth year senior I was friends with explained that back in the day, there were alternate versions of each team's fight song that opponents would learn and sing at games. Because they were likely borne of a simpler era like the 1960s, the insults were things like "you big banana." My, how times have changed. I guess dildo doesn't rhyme, though.

A Handsome Return: Handsome Hour 2/1/12

2012-02-02T00:37:00.001-05:00

After what seemed like years, they're back in the Handsome saddle again.

They welcome their pal Derek Schultz from Indy's WNDE 1260...

And just to keep it fair, their buddy Brendan Murphy from JPVideoPro.com stops by too!

It's tough to jam all of this in to just 16 hours, but the boys find a way to do it.

They talk about football recruiting, the Sizable Game on Sunday...and the bigger basketball game on Saturday.

Tune in...Get Handsome...NOW!!!

Listen to internet radio with Boiled Sports on Blog Talk Radio

Hope's 2012 Haul

2012-02-01T14:44:00.000-05:00

Class of 1997 Purdue signee

The stars aligned pretty well for me today- I'm awaiting a design review with a client this afternoon and just finished another project...so I had a few hours this morning with little responsibility. Coincidentally, it's signing day!!!

If you visit this site regularly, you probably know how little we like recruiting. And even more, we hate the grimy soap opera that surrounds verbal commitments, defections, bags of cash, car keys and promises of kids not having to take a class that will make them think too hard. But signing day is another story.

When the signatures are on the dotted line, they are no longer recruits, no longer prospects, but they're Boilermakers...and this year's class is exemplary in a lot of ways.

First off, like most of Hope's classes, these kids seem to really want to come to Purdue and play for him. Many sold the idea to fellow recruits via Twitter and FB and others spoke glowingly to the media about where they were preparing to play in college. A few years ago, Rob Henry started this trend by talking up the Boilers...this year nearly half of the class loved talking up West LaFiesta to their Twitter pals.

Rivals places this class at #35...you might notice that's a slight drop, but that's not because of anyone being lost at the last minute. But instead it was the commitments from the ~~highly-touted drama queens~~ players who waited until the last possible minute to announce their choice just for EsPNU, earlier this morning. In the conference, Purdue is fourth; an unfamiliarly-high place.

Here's our look at this large class:

OL
The biggest need coming into this season, by far, was offensive line. As skill and speed started rolling in early, I was reluctant to call this class a success as the need up front on offense was glaring. But as bigger and uglier beauties began giving their verbals, the class became better and better, in my opinion.

The foursome out of HS AVERAGES 6'5" 292 pounds...they're just mammoth. I think Hope will have the ability to redshirt them and give them a year to develop and get in shape...BUT, if Hope is around in five years, these guys might be one of the main reasons.

Jordan Roos was probably the most-ready to play as a Freshman before he blew out his knee in October. His recovery is going very well.

Cameron Cermin probably isn't too far behind Roos in development. Both Jason King and James "JJ" Prince will probably work into the rotation no later than their Sophomore seasons. Prince is 6'6" and looks to have the longest arms in the class...and King is a guy that I just like due to interactions on Twitter. King played a lot of his HS career out of a two-point stance and has great feet and loves to pancake ends.

The lone JuCo signee of this OLine class is Devin Smith. He's 6'5" 290...so Hope's class is consistent, if nothing else.

One interesting note is that three of these guys chose Purdue over playing for ~~genius~~ Coach Charlie Weis...even without UND as his employer, he's still pretty tough to like.

TE
Jonathan Curry is a guy I like a lot. He's a good blocker, has good size at 6'2" 225 (probably will benefit from a red shirt year as he'll need to be around 250 to hold his ground). He had one of the best offer sheets of this class, choosing Purdue over Arkansas, Nebraska, Stanford and others.

Carlos Carvajal, a tall, lean, athletic TE recruit comes by way of Milford Academy. His lack of weight might make it tough for him to block in the B1G...but since he's a mid-year enrollee, he'll have a leg up on some of his teammates. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he'll land at DE as his long arms, speed and athleticism would make him a great speed rusher.

Ryan Morris chose to play for Purdue over UCF, South Carolina, IU and others. He's 6'5" and 241 and reminds me a bit of Charles Davis. He's sure-handed, a decent blocker and is tough to bring down once he's turned the corner.

QB
Austin Appleby, Bilal Marshall and Aloyis Gray are the three QB recruits in this class (with a fourth perhaps coming soon). I love the way the ball fires out of Appleby's hands- he's got a great throwing motion, good size and a good head on his shoulders. He's already blown out his ACL, so that's out of the way...and that might be part of the reason he ended up at Purdue. His last season in High School was quiet on the field as his team struggled to find wins.

Bilal Marshal had offers from Northwestern, GaTech, Baylor and others...before choosing to play for Hope. I could see him running the wildcat in Siller's stead almost immediately as he reads defensive ends well and has great quickness and long strides when he's out in the field. I think he could also follow Siller in that he seems destined to me to become a slot receiver.

Aloyis Gray isn't quite as fast as Marshall, and only played quarterback for a season. I think he'll end up at safety after a redshirt year.

Erich Berzinskas is a walk-on and has already enrolled at Purdue.

WR
Hope did the right thing offering Danny Anthrop a scholarship...but this won't look like a charity case for long. He's lightning-quick and has been a dominant force just down the road from Purdue at Lafayette CC. His brother Dru plays for Matty...but he reminds me of another Purdue legacy (a few years ago), Jake Standeford (because of his motor and attitude) with Vinny Sutherland's legs.

The next guy doesn't just have Sutherland's legs, he looks like a clone. BJ Knauf is a lot more compact than Anthrop...the most noteworthy thing I find about Knauf is that he's got a pretty great sense of humor. He should be a good locker room guy right away. Unlike Sutherland, I don't think he'll play his first year on campus.

Cameron Posey has solid size (6'2"), very good hands, runs sneaky-precise routes and is deceptively fast. He reminds me of Drew Brees' favorite target, Chris Daniels.

Jordan Woods is a bit of a mystery man- I've never seen a video of him, he's got good size (6'3"), and not many offers.

DL
Ryan Watson was one of the last guys to verbal to Hope...and his verbal seemed pretty soft when it happened. But, surprisingly to me, it stuck and he'll be coming to Purdue. He is listed at DE, but reminds me a bit of Kawaan Short when he came in...and will probably play inside after a red shirt year next to Gaston. Purdue beat out Illinois, Iowa, Penn State, Nebraska, Michigan, MSU, Wisconsin, Tennessee and others for Watson's services.

Kingsley Ike has my favorite name of the class. He reminds me a bit of Anthony Spencer as he is very quick on the end and has a swim move that made his foes whiff time and again as he swallowed up their QB. He plays with an attitude, mean-ness and swagger that I like quite a bit...in that way he's a bit like Shawn Phillips.

Greg Latta is a JuCo transfer who is already on campus and will play DE. At 6'6" and 265, he's physically ready to play right now.

LB
Andy Garcia is a tightly-packed 6'0" player who is a sure tackler with good quickness and a pitbull mentality. I'd like to see him get a look at FB as well.

Jimmy Herman plays well in space and has solid closing speed...he'll benefit from an RS year.

DB
Anthony Brown reminds me a bit of Josh Johnson, and will probably see the field no later than his Soph. year. I got to see Warren Central's Jordan Shine play in person a few times. He's a ball hawking safety who hits very hard, but isn't the biggest guy, yet. I think he'll remind you a bit of a healthy Albert Evans.

K
With Carson Wiggs looking to play later in the weekend in 2012, Hope knew it'd be tough to fill his void...so he signed not one, but two kickers. Paul Griggs and Thomas Meadows are those guys. Griggs will probably be the starter as he has a huge leg; similar to Wiggs in his ability to kick long field goals and was one of the top-rated kickers in the nation.

Will either grow into the title of "Most Exciting Kicker in America"? Who knows...but like Wiggs, one of them will be the starter from day 1.

One hole in this class, obviously is RB...but Purdue's situation at the position looks to be very strong for '12, but I wouldn't be surprised if Hope gets a big-time guy to buy into the program early next fall to take the place of Bolden/Shavers.

My Picks
This is wild speculation, but here are a few opinions of the class.

Instant Impact:
With Purdue especially weak at Safety, I think Jordan Shine will see the field early. I think the same of Kingsley Ike at DE...as that position is in even more need of immediate help.

Paul Griggs should come in and kick with accuracy and consistency right away; he's highly-touted for a reason.

Best in 4 years:
By the time he has left Purdue, I think Austin Appleby will have started and won a lot of games. After a redshirt year, my hope is he'll push Rob Henry and earn some snaps as his skills are completely different than Henry's. Maybe I'm connecting dots that don't connect, but I think his ACL situation is similar to Brees' in the simple fact that without that injury, I think he'd be someplace else...probably aOSU.

Biggest Surprise:
Danny Anthrop's quickness and ability to make plays on special teams will make him tough to keep off the field as a true Freshman.

Addendum:
A late addition of Joey Warburg Olineman from Kentucky, makes this class one of the broadest I can remember- they come from 13 different states. I think this is a testament to Hope and his staff leaving no stone unturned this year.

The Return of The Mack(s) - It's Handsome Time

2012-02-01T12:40:00.001-05:00

What's that out there? In the distance? Is it an oasis? A mirage? Or is it the real thing? The Handsome Hour, glittering in the distance... looking delicious, handsome and quenching your thirst for Purdue-related fun and other nonsense.

Tonight, the Boiled Sports Podcast -- The Handsome Hour -- returns with gusto. Scheduled to join us are two titans of media* who you'll love to hear from.

We're changing things up only slightly for Season Six, as we're moving the start time up to 9:30 PM so that Boilerdowd can catch the 11 PM news with a martini in hand before he cues up his DVR of The Bachelor.

The Boiled Sports Handsome Hour -- drink it in, tonight at 9:30 PM, Eastern.

*local media, that is

LOIs Rolling In.

2012-02-01T08:30:00.001-05:00

It's signing day, friends! Kind of like Christmas, but the gift is strapping young men (a dream of J's, mind you). But anywho, we'll give our take about this year's class later today as all of these prospects officially join the fraternity of fellow Boilermakers.

No more guessing, it'll all be official soon.

Stay tuned!

LewJack: Purdue Boilermaker

2012-01-30T11:55:00.001-05:00

At the beginning of NFL games in which the Saints play, Drew Brees always says: Drew Brees: Purdue Boilermaker. Fitting because Brees is a guy who embodies the Purdue mentality. He has a chip on his shoulder that seems to motivate him to defy critics and naysayers. He pisses off the competition and pretty much everyone respects him.

That got me to thinking- In a basketball season that has been tough to watch at times, there are still plenty of bright spots...Guys fighting through adversity...playing hard...frustrating the competition...etc.

The first guy I want to give tip of the cap to is Lewis Jackson.

If you've visited this site regularly for the last four years, you know what I think/feel about Jackson. His impact was immediate when he first suited up. He started pretty much right away and made JJ, Smooge and Rob's lives easier by driving, drawing the defense, and finding them when they're open. A pal of ours who is a regular reader told me that she was sick of watching LewJack play a few seasons ago- she didn't like the fact that he couldn't finish and he wasn't a good-enough shooter. But, the Decatur, Illinois product has figured out how make difficult shots in traffic while tempering his speed a bit...and has paid dearly for it.

LewJack sans his beloved Jordans

Last night, Jackson was featured on BTN's "The Journey". He said many Purdue fans tell him time and again that it pains them to watch him get knocked down time and again. I agree with the assessment to an extent, but his ability to sell out and sacrifice himself has made him the best example for the underclassmen to follow game-in, game-out.

I've said it before, and will say it again now, this team has frustrated me because the defensive effort hasn't been consistent from the top to the bottom...but one thing seems to be a truth about this year as well- If LewJack is on, Purdue is a different team.

I'm not just talking about Jackson hitting jumpshots, which he does much more regularly than he did early in his career...but I mean on in every part of the game. His tempo is impossible to match for opposing guards when he's not hobbled...his defensive style is frustrating and embodies what Painter wants to see out of on-ball defenders...and his ball handling is the best I've ever seen as a Purdue fan.

When he came in, his ability to handle the ball was what excited me the most...and he hasn't disappointed in this aspect of the game for the last four years. Porter Robers and Alan Eldridge both were in command of the offense while running the point, but I don't think either had the confidence with the ball in their hands that Jackson displays versus a press. How many times in just the last two seasons has Jackson out-smarted a trap or simply been too quick to box in? That ability comes from the combo of hard work and God-given ability.

I've gotten to talk to Jackson a few times off the court...LBD is a big fan and Mrs. Boilerdowd puts Lewis on the spectrum somewhere between a Teddy Bear or puppy. But I often remind her that this dude is tough as nails. In fact, he and a few pals from back in Illinois get together and box...just for fun during the summers. In each of the matches I've seen (not in person, mind you), Jackson has been the smaller fighter by quite a bit...and has still managed to hold his own. Not surprising watching what he's been doing against bigger guys on the hardwood during his time in God's Country.

I'm 5'4" and after talking to Jackson, I find it hard to believe that Jackson is much taller than 5'7"...but his lack of height means nothing to me and seems to mean little to defenders as they've been forced to respect his ability to change the pace of the game and its complexion with just one drive. Like all of us who are below average in height, Jackson has developed the ability to revel in being the underdog...that attitude might be important as Purdue heads toward the final month of the regular season. Few people in the media, and almost no one outside of the Purdue family even sees Purdue as much of a story...but with 9 games left and plenty of time in the spotlight versus elite opponents, this season can still be made (or broken for that matter)...there's a lot of basketball left.

Lewis Jackson: Purdue Boilermaker

Boilers Survive in Evanston and Advance to Bye Week

2012-01-28T20:53:00.002-05:00

People seem to have a short memory...but mine is differently. Whereas many Purdue fans saw this game as a slam dunk, all I could think of was how Evanston was a house of horrors for Matty's teams...and this year would be no different. Hell, even when the forces of good prevail in their shortest roadtrip in the conference, it's never easy...and shocker, this one wasn't easy.

The preparation for the Wildcats must be torture for Painter...it forces him to put Purdue defenders in *gasp* a zone...and I'm sure it's a pretty crappy one. Painter seems as opposed to zone defenses as I am to diets formal attire.

So as Purdue came off of a few days of practice versus what is surely one of the worst zone defenses in America, they had to play Northwestern's extended 1-3-1...and their confusion and lack of ability to attack it showed.

Let me take that back, LewJack and TJohn did a pretty good job at attacking the gut of the defense, but the opportunities were few...and Purdue, predictably, shot like rubber dog doo for much of the contest. The half time score was a painful 22-26, with the good guys holding the lead because of AJ's last-second three. But Hummel, Smith, Byrd and pretty much everyone was struggling to put the ball into the orange ring.

Before I get into any details any further, lemme say a few things about some unimportant things.

First, I've heard people call the Welch-Ryan Arena a glorified high school arena. Let's be honest, there's nothing glorified about that place. The site lines are bad, it's got some sort of black pipe hanging across the court, it's tiny and their recently stain job to the court is nasty-bad. I liked it in renderings...and throw up a bit in my mouth each time I see it on the television now. It makes a HD picture look like bleached out video from the 80s or before. None of this changes the fact that it's a tough place to win. It's a lot like Cameron Indoor Stadium...without any of that pesky history to get in the way of outsider's opinion of it.

"Another Bang-up job, B1G officials!"

Next up, the fact that Davide (David-ay) Curletti was still in the game when the clock hit triple-zero is a huge indictment on the crappy job the B1G officials do. Sure, Curletti got sick of spelling and pronouncing his name during his childhood over and over...so he developed a chip on his shoulder, but he was flat-out playing like a douche today. He threw a high elboy into Smith's chin, threw elbows at Hummel and Carroll and grabbed Hummel, TJohn and others over and over. I always gave the guy a pass since I figured he didn't speak English...he looks European, his name is Euro...but no, he's from Michigan...and his jerk style of play has everything to do with him being a punk on the court and nothing to do with his pseudo-Euroness. I'm sure he's the salt of the earth when he leaves the violet-stained court, but he's unlikable when in purple...and will make it easier for me to root against NU as they continue their tourney 0-fer this season.

Not everyone on that squad is a jackface though...I kind of like Crawford; and the dude just killed Purdue today. And Shurna looks like a 7th grader, but can fill it up...but this team, with its lack of depth and un-Big Ten-like athleticism, should be beaten a lot in the conference...and it turns out they are.

They had a running start coming into conference play- 10-2...but since they entered their own house of horrors, the B1G, they're 2-6...but they almost stole one today. Carmody called this a must-win for the 'Cats...and Curletti, Shurna, Crawford and Marcitullio all played like it was. At the same time Purdue played drowsy and struggled.

One of the tri-captains in particular, Hummel continued to grind and struggle to score. But for the second-straight game, he was the center of a small line-up. The end result is he's not getting the opportunity to get after as many loose balls as usual...he finished with only 3 rebounds. Marcius and Lawson didn't take off their warm-ups...and Carroll only played 11 minutes; so this was a small Purdue team. Byrd is back to playing the power forward role on defense- which I think is a pretty natural place for him. But the story on the day was TJohn's ability to get to the middle of the zone and stay under control.

Boilers Hold on to victory -58-56, in Evanston.
(serious question- is back part of the ball?)

TJohn finished with 14 points on 60% shooting (only 25% from the stripe, of course). He also had 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks and just one turnover. He continues to raise his level of play...and make ignorant Purdue fans eat their words- bite by tasty bite. For some reason, many thought he should've come into God's Country and averaged 10-15 pts/gm...but like almost everyone, it's taken him time to get comfortable. And also, he WASN'T HEALTHY AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS SEASON! He looks healthy and nearly in shape now.

LewJack gutted out 8 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals...Byrd had 12 & 4...and both Barlow and AJ were pretty productive in limited minutes. Smith had an un-Smith like day, not only shooting poorly, but not getting many rebounds (2) and only registerring 1 assist. Hummel's play was tough to watch at times...but his sizable shot in the closing seconds over Curletti was the dagger, possibly on the Wildcats NCAA tourney-seeking heart.

It wasn't pretty...in fact, it was damned ugly...but a digit in the left column is something this team desperately needed. And Big Shot Rob returning right before a bye week might be exactly what this team needed to see to remind them that they belong in the NCAA tournament this spring.

I hope this game can be viewed as a turning point of sorts for a team that still has no defensive identity...but we won't know that for at least another month. What we do know is that the shiny tan Forehead and his minions will be bringing their ~~stench~~ squad to Mackey one week from today. After that, they travel to Columbus for a tough one, then back to Mackey to play these Wildcats once again.

Important One Ahead...and notes

2012-01-27T18:11:00.000-05:00

Matty's squad heads to Evanston tomorrow to play the slip-sliding Wildcats. Evanston has been a tough place for Purdue to play since Carmody took over 13 years ago...their offense is like no one else's and they play better zone than anyone in the league...typically.

This season has been tougher for Northwestern, statistically...they're allowing the second-most points/game in the league (67.2) while being sixth in scoring. Purdue edges them out on offense and is a few slots better on defense...but that changes nothing. Purdue needs to not simply accept the three point shot and Jackson, TJohn and co. need to slice up the Cat defense in order for Purdue to win.

Purdue is in an unusual situation, coming off of its first two-game losing streak of the season...and losing to the bottom of the conference is something they can't afford to do at this point. Hell, they losing to anyone right now isn't a good thing. The margin for error has been shrinking and continues to do so with lackluster defensive efforts by our Boilers.

Hopefully they don't dig themselves a 10-15 point deficit early on...those are tougher to overcome on the road.

Matty's squad's current CCR is 47.6...so they're nowhere near where they need to be if the season ended today.

Smooge Goes Off
With a ton of Celtic guards on the shelf, E'twaun Moore took advantage of the situation by propelling the Cs to a win v. Orlando last night. In just 18 minutes, he had 16 points in just 18 minutes...when he came in, the Celtics were down...when he left, the Celtics were victors.

Moore also seems to have a friend in HC Doc Rivers who spoke glowingly of Moore's fearlessness and confidence after the game.

T-Minus 4 Days
Football signing day is just four days away...and I've heard nothing to make me believe there will be significant attrition due to late sniping from other programs.

If the guys that verballed were to sign this evening, Purdue's class would be a solid top-30 class...the best for Purdue since the early oughts. Plus, there are a few rumors about additional players coming aboard more than defections.

Grabbing Loose Balls Against The Purple-Headed Warriors

2012-01-27T10:28:00.000-05:00

Up today: The Northwestern Wildcats.

What's to hate about the Mildcats, you might ask? I mean, they've never even been to the NCAA Tournament! Ha!

Oh wait, well, that might be one thing to hate. For those of you who identify with the conference as a whole, SEC-style, you should have an issue with this. Few major conferences (uhh, actually, maybe none) have a team that has never appeared in an NCAA Tourney bracket. Their ESPN page simply lacks the little box below the conference standings that displays their "Tournament History." I guess ESPN exercised a rare moment of discretion and elected to show nothing at all rather than a bunch of zeros and "None" entries.

OMHR Iowa hates and mocks Northwestern mercilessly, despite being routinely handed humbling (to schools that understand humility) losses on both grass and hardwood. So maybe this is more reason to hate OMHR? I don't know. Nor do I care. Hate 'em both. Hell, they have something of a little rivalry, where OMHR refers to them as just Northwestern, yet seems to always find a banana peel next to the just Northwestern bench. Yeah, that's a hatable rivalry. You two kittens are cute the way you fight over that ball of yarn.

Northwestern is for quitters. A couple of years ago, the Cats had Kevin Coble, who appeared to be a good enough white stiff on a program loaded with white stiffs to lead them to a middling seed in the NCAA tournament and a Thursday afternoon bludgeoning in March at an exotic locale like Boise or Spokane. But then Kevin Coble did what any of us would do if we had to wear a purple outfit in front of our friends. He quit.

Please share your reasons to hate Northwestern below.

4 PM, tomorrow, ESPN or ESPN2.

A Quick Second Look at Last Night (and special note)

2012-01-25T10:52:00.001-05:00

I had sinus surgery yesterday...and my doctor said I should stay calm, not get my heart rate up and take it easy for a few days. As my head got clearer and clearer due to the anestesia lifting, I kicked off my forced down time by watching my Boilers play an important one v. UM...here are a couple of things that I saw that seem like big story lines.

It's good to see the boys playing with heart...they must do it from here out.

-Seniors returned and played the way we thought they were capable of playing. Smith had some big shots and was great away from the ball, Hummel shot himself out of the slump, and LewJack played huge...again. Jackson has been the the most-clutch player on the team all season as teams can't seem to find an answer for his quickness and ability to get the ball into the teeth of the defense.

All that said, once again, the guys that everyone's looking at to finish the game couldn't knock down a shot down the stretch. But, I don't think that's the reason for the loss.

The Boilers gave UM double digit leads in both halves and had to fight back twice to tighten the game...that's difficult on a team with healthy players...it's drudgery for a team with perpetually-weary legs. The end result was a four minute period at the end of the second half in which Purdue simply couldn't stop Michigan from scoring time and again. A team system based around stingy defense without even an OK defense is doomed to lose.

-Barlow's low minutes were because of the flu...glad to hear it wasn't something off the court that forced him off the court; he is needed.

-In his stead TJohn and AJ played some key minutes with TJohn starting. I actually like what I saw out of AJ more than the game that TJohn played...but Matty disagreed with me.

-I said it coming into last night's game that Purdue needed to win six of the remaining 12. While a ranked UM coming off of a loss is no gimme, this game was very winnable. Purdue matches up better with UM than they do aOSU, IU and Northwestern. Northwestern's disciplined 2-3 doesn't give opponents as many chances at lay-ups as does UM's 1-3-1. Purdue will need to shoot lights out to be Northwestern and really didn't to beat UM. IU has more length than anyone in the league...except aOSU. Matty's scratching and clawing to find a way to stop the bleeding underneath...yesterday, we saw Hummel effectively play center for a half. Lawson still is trying to find his way on defense, Carroll struggles verus centers with good footwork and seems to not love contact when on offense and Marcius' lack of quickness hurts him.

-The UM series in the last 25 years has been one in which the away team has had pretty good success...and particularly, Purdue has been able to win at UM when they needed it most. This season quickly becoming one in which a win in Crisler might be paramount.

-Novak reminds me of a shorter Christian Laettner...not because of the way he plays.

-The next game is v. Northwestern. This one bothered me back in November before I knew how badly this Purdue team would be struggling in January...and that Northwestern would be fighting, gasping for its fleeting NCAA tournament lives. Like seemingly everyone that Purdue's played the last month, Northwestern is coming off of a loss, so they'll be hungry. In fact, they're coming off of two losses, like Purdue...something's gotta give. And in the B1G, with a crowd that is right on top of the court and awesome, consistent officiating, it's usually the road team.

-I refuse to call it a must-win...but the next game, like the last is imperative. 10 regular season and at least one B1G tourney game left to win six...and there are some barriers in the way.

Illinois will want to bludgeon Purdue as revenge for the loss a few weeks ago. Northwestern's zone is cryptonite to Painter teams. IU and aOSU have the two most-talented starting line-ups in the B1G, especially offensively...and our Boilers have struggled when faced teams that score in bunches.

-I heard a rumor about what's been happening in one of the player's personal life that was sad and painful just to hear, let alone live. This guy is a key contributor...and at times he's looked mentally not there. Now, I understand it. If I can find proof of the story I heard, I'll pass on details as to not leave this dangling...but I doubt I'll ever have enough hard info to put it here.

Unrelated...but much more important:
A good guy named Ed, who has become a friend of ours via e-mail, texting and a handful of events had his Dad unexpectedly pass at the end of last week. He's one of the biggest Purdue fans I know and has been generous to the site time and again.

J and a few fellow BSers had a chance to meet him at the Drew Brees golf outing last summer, I haven't yet been able to put a face with the name and virtual interactions. But, I still feel connected to the guy because of our common passion for our Boilers. His Dad's story saddens both J and I for multiple reasons...so I'm writing today with a heavy heart.

God bless you, Ed- You, your Mom and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Boilers Gut-Punched In West Lafayette, 66-64

2012-01-24T22:57:00.000-05:00

Just out of reach.

The snazzy silver unis did not bring the needed magic tonight, as the Boilers fell to Michigan at home, 66-64. It was an exciting game, with end to end action and not a whole lot of defense being played, and a total of only 21 free throws shot between the two teams. Kind of an unusual Big Ten game, by usual standards. In the end, though, it was a bad ending for the home team.

For the first time in two years, the Boilers have lost multiple home games at Mackey. For the first time in seven years, Michigan has a win in Mackey. And for the first time in five years, the Boilers have seven losses before the end of January. I'm sure I could come up with more, but it's depressing me, so I will stop there. It's a year of too many non-good firsts-in-a-while for the Boilers and the road is getting more and more difficult.

Before Saturday against Michigan State, I assured B-dowd and others that the Boilers were making the NCAA tournament. I pointed out that at 14-5, if the Boilers went even .500 in their remaining dozen games, they'd be 20-11 (10-8 in the Big Ten). That would surely be enough, and doesn't even include potential Big Ten Tournament wins.

Well, they're 0-2 as they begin that final dozen games and so now ten games remain, with six wins needed to get to 20. Why 20? I just think the committee likes 20-win teams from power conferences -- especially the best conference. I am certain that a 20-win Purdue team gets in without a sweat. So now the tall order is 6-4 down the stretch. And while I know there are many of you thinking this team is veering sharply towards an NIT berth, there is still plenty of basketball to be played, and one thing I've learned from watching competitive Big Ten ball is that you just never know. Teams that look unbeatable are suddenly toppled, teams that looked left for dead rise again. And this year is particularly nutty in the conference. So I am not ready to give up, especially given the effort we saw from the leaders tonight.

Rob Hummel and Lewis Jackson came out and played incredibly solid games. Rob shook off his career-worst performance in East Lansing over the weekend to put in 16 points, grab 5 boards and dish 6 assists. Lew fought through his continuing back issues to lead the team in scoring with 17 points. LewJack also had 8 assists and went 6-8 from the floor and 5-6 from the line. Lew came to play and looked positively despondent when the Boilers came up short.

Nobody else on the team broke into double digits, with Ryne coming the closest with 9 points on 3-8 shooting. Terone Johnson continued his staggeringly atrocious FT shooting (currently at 33%) and Kelsey Barlow played nine minutes and was held scoreless. Awesome.

Once again, the Boilers had stretches of lethargic play, poor rebounding and completely ice cold shooting. However, the bright spot was the Boilers 17-4 run that took them from a 44-34 deficit to a 51-47 lead. Mackey was noticeably loud (and all credit to the Paint Crew for that noise as the old people in view of the sideline camera were sitting motionless, as per usual), the Wolverines were reeling and the good guys were looking as excited as we've seen them in quite a while. This run was where DJ Byrd his his two threes, Ryne hit a couple of his and Rob seemed to be everywhere. I will say, it was nice to be on the positive side of the come-from-behind run like that.

Unfortunately, though, the Boilers found the crevice again and fell through it, failing to make a field goal for the final four minutes of the game. Incredible. I don't know how you fix this weird streakiness or at least find a way to get points when things have gone cold...but you need to if you're Matt Painter. Otherwise, an NIT berth will become more and more likely.

Here's to February 29th, Senior Night, being Rob, Lewis and Ryne's last game in Mackey and not some meaningless "tournament" game in March.

Hatin' With Might and Main: Michigan

2012-01-24T11:37:00.001-05:00

Do The Boilers Have A Leadership Problem?

2012-01-23T16:20:00.000-05:00

Step forward, young men...

Coming into this season, we were excited about the prospect of this Senior class leading the Boilers for '11 & '12. Ryne Smith's ability to get under the opponent's skin, Lewis Jackson's hard-nosed bulldog mentality and Rob Hummel's mental toughness and ability to do so many things well seem like a great foundation for a basketball team. However, poor conditioning, inconsistent effort and nagging injuries have put Painter's squad in a position that's unfamiliar to Boilers (at least during the past few seasons). Things are very uncertain as the home stretch of the season begins to come into view...and this team's identity is hazy at best.

Speaking with my esteemed co-editor this weekend, I noticed that he was more irritated than usual (not enough fiber, perhaps) about Purdue basketball. We discussed the lack of effort at certain times this season, how the team looks listless at times, etc. It got me to thinking the above headlined question -- does Purdue basketball have a leadership problem?

It's a question that would have seemed unthinkable in recent seasons. Purdue has soft-spoken but definite leaders in recent years. JJ and E'Twaun weren't in-your-face guys, but they were true leaders-by-example. When the game was on the line, those guys wanted the ball and more often than not, they came through. There was also a fire in their bellies, as evidenced by a number of times when Moore would be seething even after a game for something that happened on the floor. One of b-dowd's favorite Moore videos was a clip posted to YouTube after the Boilers' won a tourney game and all the way up the tunnel, E'Twaun was quietly dag-nabbiting how a guy had swiped him. Easy to admire.

As this season dawned, we openly expressed our concerns about the fact that too much might be expected (or needed) from Rob Hummel. The guy was coming back from two ACL injuries, hadn't played a game in 20 months and was now the most seasoned veteran on a team with lots of young guys. He was going to be looked to by his coach, his teammates, the media...even opposition...as a guy who represents Purdue and the Big Ten and, in the words of some, what's right about college basketball.

The season then got rolling and I know that I, for one, was pleasantly surprised at how well Rob slipped back into character. He shot well, rebounded aggressively, led the team in scoring average and generally seemed like the leader and captain he was needed to be. Rob was like a coach on the floor and there is no doubt that Coach Painter relied on him as such. This was never more clear than in a home game where Anthony Johnson appeared to miss an assignment and then, when barked at by Rob on the court, mouthed off right back to #4. Hummel and Painter appeared positively furious with AJ and he sat for some time, the incident even appearing to impact his playing time in the next game or two.

However, also early on there were concerning signs. Rob wasn't hitting his free throws at his previous 90% rate. He was getting frustrated on the floor, especially as missed shots (by him and others) mounted and the Boilers blew large leads in devastating losses to Xavier and Butler. And his conditioning has seemed outright poor, at times causing him to appear winded and further unable to take his ideal shots.

None of this is to criticize Rob. It's more of a concern. We're beyond thrilled to have him back on the court and representing Purdue, but that doesn't change the fact that something does not seem right with this team. Games get away from them, whether it's blowing huge leads to lose games, or never getting into rhythm and almost appearing to give up (see MSU). As b-dowd pointed out to me, once their shooting was clearly cold and MSU began to put some distance between themselves and our Boilers, it looked like Purdue wanted to be just about anywhere besides East Lansing.

Those sorts of things are hard to define, with regard to how you correct them. Poor shooting, from the field and the line, are endemic problems and ones that sound simple enough (practice more!) but it's not always that simple, mainly because these guys are young men and there's also the "in your head" element. Such as, you know, when your coach mixes it up with the opposing student section.

Matt Painter is a coach who anyone who reads BS knows is well-loved here. For as much as we often wring our hands when Coach Hope is faced with football program decisions, we've often found ourselves on the opposite end of the spectrum during the winter, completely trusting "Matty" as he makes decisions affecting the basketball program. Is it time to cease the blanket trust and begin asking questions? I'm not sure. But I do know that the focus after a 25 point shellacking from an MSU team that is good but isn't that good shouldn't be on how idiotic students of a rival school insulted the honor of one of your players. Sure, it was classless, but....so what?

Lewis Jackson is a floor leader and gives his body up willingly for the betterment of the team, but he's never had to be a vocal leader. Rob Hummel continues to soldier on, though his frustration is becoming apparent and his body language has certainly taken a turn for the worse. Ryne Smith is a talented shooter who appears prone to bouts of under-confidence. And Coach Painter is now bickering with students during road games (who, make no mistake, will never forget that they got under Painter's skin).

The road does not get easier from here onward. Is there time for the Boilers to toughen up (both mentally and physically) before it's too late?

Embarrassed in East Lansing: 83-58

2012-01-21T15:07:00.003-05:00

The telecast began with Hummel getting off of Purdue's bus and complaining about what had transpired over the previous 18 hours for our Boilers. They had been held on the runway at Purdue's airport due to icing, poor visibility and lousy weather for three hours. After that wait, they decided to drive up early this morning to East Lansing. Hummel said it was like nothing he had been through at Purdue...and his game in East Lansing was nothing like what we've come to expect.

He played sloppy, couldn't hit a shot and his body language told me after the first few minutes that it wasn't going to change. Painter decided to only play him 22 minutes as the deep hole got deeper and deeper for the Boilers. He finished with two points on 0-11 shooting while grabbing a very respectable six boards...but Rob wasn't the only Purdue player as stuck as their chartered plane the previous afternoon.

Smith went 1-6, Byrd was 2-11, AJ was 1-7 and TJohn was 2-5. The two point guards, Jackson and Barlow were the only two who seemed like they wanted to be there- LewJack hurt his back (it looked like badly), but still came back to try to squeeze more out of his beaten dominative frame...he finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and a steal; Barlow had 6 and 4.

In the first 15 minutes, both teams shot like dog crap...and Purdue's effort kept them in it. On one possession alone, Purdue had four offensive rebounds...but as MSU started hitting shots, Purdue's defense got worse and worse. Once again, this Purdue team seems to think that it's offensively good enough to not play hard defense and to run a half-assed motion offense...and the end result showed just how good of a team Matty's squad is when they don't play with heart. I'll take that back, the final score should have and could have been worse, but MSU's all-white final five players including walk-ons and cheerleaders helped Purdue climb into the upper-50s. Had MSU kept their foot on the gas and Purdue's starters stayed in the game, it probably would have been 90-something to 40-something.

Gene Keady's best quote was, "It's not who you play, but when you play 'em." And MSU coming off of two-straight losses is not a team you want to play if you're Purdue...hell, they're not a team anyone wants to play. But Purdue looked and acted fatigued and heartless. That could be because their heart and soul simply isn't there right now. We've watched Hummel squeak into the low teens during the B1G season time and again by digging deep and finishing as strong as possible...but this afternoon was different- he didn't seem angry about the effort or the score, he just wanted the game over. While I watched, I felt the same way.

I'm the first to admit how happy I am that #4 is on this team and is able to play basketball at all. What he's gone through in the past few seasons isn't deserved and isn't fair...but it is what it is. His pal, Dreymond Green came into MSU with a similar skillset and similar size...but a physique that looked like it belonged on a Weight Watchers commercial. His laziness in high school and early college yielded him healthy knees though...and he's been able to finish his career playing his best basketball due to being in the best shape of his life...Good for him.

The story for one of the best Purdue underclassmen EVER is not the same, sadly. Sure, there's a lot of basketball yet to be played this year; but what have we seen that tells us it's getting better? I for one have a hard time seeing it. J said that he has a hard time seeing a scenario in which Purdue doesn't make the NCAA tournament...I'm the exact opposite. The schedule is brutal from here out. Sure, this team will shine a few times at Mackey before this season is over, but they simply must do it versus the top teams in the conference to make an impact on the tourney committee.

Painter didn't have budget to get Fife to become a Boilermaker
(same might to be the case for Dawson & Harris*)

Hey Paint Crew- make a note: Branden Dawson is a jerk...he showed it again today in East Lansing by talking trash to Painter on more than one occasion. Maybe that's why he didn't end up at Purdue- because he's not a good fit and he just doesn't like Painter...or maybe the fact that Matty never seems to get near the shady underbelly of NCAA basketball recruiting has something to do with it. Whatever the case may be, I'd like Dawson to never win at Mackey Arena...and I think that's a real possibility. But effort like what we saw today from Matty's squad will not make that a reality.

Versus Xavier, Alabama and now MSU, Purdue seemed to be nowhere near as talented as their foe. And on top of that, in each of those games, the old trademark defense and motion offense both failed miserably due to inconsistent, if not shoddy, effort. Purdue allowed MSU to make 3/4 of their shots (before the scrubs came into the game) in the second half...teams NEVER win games when that happens. Regardless of travel issues, talented blue chip opponents and tough road venues, what we saw today out of Purdue is inexcusable.

The good news is our Boilers play in three days back at Mackey. The bad news is the opponent just beat MSU and will probably be a top-15 team. Painter's teams typically don't lose back-to-back games...but they've unpleasantly surprised me over and over again this season; who's to say that it won't happen again?

One thing we do know: There are at least 12 games left in the season (11 on the schedule, 1 in the B1G tourney) and I think Purdue needs to find a way to win half of them. Coincidentally, six of those games are at Mackey. Seems to me at this point, that Purdue must protect the home court to make the dance.

*My perspective on Izzo changed quite a bit in 2010 when he was suspended for a game for a secondary suspension. He didn't seem angry about the violation, but that the NCAA had the gall to hold him accountable for breaking a rule. That coupled with rumors over Branden Dawson's recruitment in the summer of '10 make me like the guy less than I used to...but that's natural since Painter simply doesn't win recruiting battles agains the uber-successfull Izzo.

Watch My Points Keep Growing: MSU Haterade

2012-01-20T10:24:00.001-05:00

Have you seen the faces Tom Izzo makes? Sure, he's hard not to respect, but does anybody gnaw on officials more and still maintain his nice-guy image?

The Spartans hate America. How else can you explain the way they attempted to sink that aircraft carrier they played on with all those misguided bombs? (ZING!)

Their fight song proclaims that "Spartan teams are never beaten," yet Purdue swept the Spartans last season. So even the fight song has it wrong.

If that horn they blast at the Breslin Center to signify substitutions doesn't make you homicidal, then you're either deaf or a cyborg. Or a deaf cyborg, in which case you're programmed to be homicidal anyway.

Draymond Green only went to MSU because his name is Green.

Please feel free to add your own reasons below.

High Noon, tomorrow. ESPN.

Looking Ahead At The Boilers' Murderous Schedule

2012-01-19T10:21:00.000-05:00

I noted in my write-up of the Iowa game that Purdue's next five games were a tall order, which got me to thinking (and let's be honest, how often does that happen?)... what about beyond those five games? Does it get easier? Is this one of those key stretches that every good team needs to struggle/grow through? So I looked ahead. And then I wished I didn't. So now I want to share those concerns with you.

B-dowd and I have had some spirited debate about the risks of this team actually not making the tournament. I don't think there's any chance of them missing it, but then maybe that's because I don't want to consider that possibility. I'll say it: Rob, Ryne and Lew ending their careers at Purdue in the NIT would be crushing. But what's it going to take? Let's look.

I think it's important not to look at schedules as a whole because it can be overwhelming. You're not playing those games all at once and you might catch a team at just the right time (like oh, say, Nebraska did last night -- zing). So it makes sense to look at definable chunks of the season. Last year featured a brutal stretch against ranked conference foes and difficult road venues that looked ridiculously daunting but that our boys did well through and made us proud. They didn't win the conference, but they made OSU actually look in their mirror and that was something of an accomplishment last year given how dominant the Bucks were.

So let's look at the next five.

@MSU (#9) -- While playing at Breslin is never an easy task, I do feel like this collection of Boilers is at least not wide-eyed about it. In fact, you could argue this team almost never goes into a venue and has lost before they enter. I think this sometimes happens at Mackey and other barns, but one of the things I've loved about the Painter era is that no matter how badly stacked the odds appear, there's always a chance and blowout losses are rare.

vs Mich (#19) -- Similarly, I don't think the Boilers will be intimidated or concerned (beyond the required level of respect) by the Wolverines. They're a very good team but they have their letdowns and these Belein teams have seemed to have trouble keeping their composure in intense road locations.

@ Northwestern -- We all know the Cats tend to play well against Purdue and when this is your lone game against a non-ranked opponent in a five game stretch, well, it's not easy. It's a road game and it's one that is your prototypical letdown game, especially if the Boilers come away with wins vs MSU and UM. In fact, if those two wins happen, I would wager a lollipop with you that Purdue comes out flat in Evanston and loses. If they are 3-0 through this stretch after NU, then good things are coming.

vs IU (#13) -- Sure, it's a cliche, but it's true in this case: the records don't matter. They never do. These programs and fan bases pretty much loathe each other and the fun thing is that both readily admit it. It's not that douchey Notre Dame hatred where they pretend they don't care about Purdue. IU fans do care about Purdue and shutting all of us up...and they should. We've said over and over that we want this rivalry back where it belongs. This game will be the most intense we've seen between these two in arguably a decade.

@OSU (#6) -- OSU's quiet arena scares no one, but OSU's talent scares everyone, or at least it should. The Boilers have had some nightmares in Columbus and this is the game I'm most worried about in this stretch.

In my opinion, the Boilers must go 3-2 in this five game stretch. Beat MSU or UM, beat Northwestern and beat IU. Then if one of the others goes your way, terrific. Any worse than that and I'll be on the worried bandwagon.

I think it's interesting that the Boilers essentially alternate home and road games for the rest of the way, with the exception of the Nebraska game slotted in there. And if you are concerned about playing four of five games against ranked teams, if we broaden the viewfinder, we learn that the Boilers pay eight of their last dozen against currently ranked squads.

All that said, our Boilers are a half game out of first in the bananas Big Ten. The conference is there for the taking, every team has flaws and every night produces results no one can predict. It's going to be nuts but it'll be fun.

Fact Fondue - Michigan State

2012-01-17T23:50:00.001-05:00

I'm not dead yet! Just alumni status now; naturally I'm getting slower.

We didn't face MSU this year during the football season, so I felt it was time to dust off the long forks and stab something. Sparty time.

Tell me your fantasies Dickie V...

First Morrill Act school - Government granting land/funding/approval to state schools that will focus on AG, manufacturing; how Purdue was approved
Largest Study Abroad program for a single campus University in the country - programs on all continents; yes even Antarctica
9th Largest US University
MSU is the 6th name for the school, adopted in 1964. It was originally Agriculture College of the State of Michigan
Michigan State has a campus in Dubai.
They offer a degree in Packaging
2003 - Played Kentucky in the Basketbowl - most attended College Basketball game of all time

This year played NC on a naval carrier - if you didn't catch that
Rumored to be scheduling a game with USC to be held in the Roman Coliseum - Spartans and Trojans

The last team to beat us at home before Wisconsin did it last week...

That was the first game without Robbie after the first ACL tear

The Student section, the Izzone is our rival for Coaches v Cancer
Made it to..

3 Title games - won 2
8 final fours
11 Elite 8
15 Sweet 16s

Tom Izzo has the highest win percentage at MSU since 1910
The court in The Breslin Center is the actual floor the team won the 2000 NCAA tournament on.
Famous Alumni

Founder of QuickenLoans (hence why they now sponsor BTN), Dan Gilbert
Chris Hansen
Robert Mugabe was issued an honorary degree in 90 which was stripped in 2008.
Magic Johnson
Plaxico Burress
Tom Bodett - "We'll leave the light on for ya"

The Fondue - Green and White Chocolate

Good Black and Gold 75; Evil Black and Gold 68

2012-01-17T23:30:00.001-05:00

No, this isn't the schizophrenic edition of Boiled Sports, but instead it's a recap of the Boilers home victory over their most hated rival in yet another competitive performance by the Hawkeyes.

Iowa has shown repeatedly this season that they are quite simply no longer doormats and will not be pushovers no matter what. Fran McCaffery has them playing chair-slammingly improved basketball and we've taken notice. Which is just my way of saying that I value this sweep over a team that has taken down two ranked foes, Michigan and Wisconsin (the latter at their house), so far in the Big Ten season. With a win tonight, Iowa would have been ahead of Purdue in the Big Ten standings by a half game. We cannot have that now, can we?

Rob Hummel and the Hummellettes agreed tonight, to the tune of five guys getting into double figures. It makes sense, too, since those five guys were the only ones to get significant minutes tonight.

Rob led the way with 17 and 11, LewJack followed with 14 (including 8-11 from the line), Ryne came next with 12 (including 3-6 from three, the only guy to look keyed in at all from out there; Rob, by comparison, was 1-6), Kelsey Barlow had a tidy 11 and 7; and Terone made the lone significant bench contribution with ten in 28 minutes.

And on the subject of minutes, outside of those five guys plus Travis Carroll (who played 31 mins and arguably looked the best he has all season), there were a total of 28 minutes of playing time doled out among John Hart, DJ Byrd, Sandi Marcius, AJ and Lawson. Is this a sign of Painter shortening his bench as he tends to do as the seasons drag along? It could very well be, though I'll be surprised if DJ Byrd and Jacob Lawson aren't part of that and Travis Carroll is.

Tonight, there were chunks of the second half that featured this fivesome out there for the Boilers: Hummel, Jackson, Smith, Carroll, Terone Johnson. Not a whole lot of post presence there, huh? And it showed, as the Boilers did not box out and allowed Iowa to get the ball down low over and over for layup attempts, some of which even went in. I joke, obviously, but Iowa put up a fight, even leading by as much as (I believe) 17 in the first half.

Zach McCabe had a career night this evening, pouring in 20 -- easily his best game of the season -- and looking a bit better than he maybe is. Poor defense by the Boilers or just a good night for McCabe? I never like to only ding my team when a guy has a good night. McCabe looked good, shooting over 50% from the field and it could have been even more damage, but he went only 3-7 at the line.

Marble is impressed by
Micah's head for basketball.

Back to Travis Carroll, he had perhaps his most confident performance of his Purdue career, as his rebounding a tipping in of balls seemed more controlled and deft. He seemed to me like a guy who was sure of himself and perhaps wasn't fearing being yanked out of the game. His 31 minutes was by far a season high and his 8 points was one off his high for the year. If this is the direction Travis is heading, I like it...and I will admit I didn't think there was any way I would say that this year.

Kelsey Barlow was strong off the dribble tonight and created as he is often capable of doing. He was only 4-10 from the floor but his points were needed and his seven rebounds (including five offensive) were obviously critical.

Lewis Jackson continues to be a favorite of ours. Lew gives his body up every time out there and also continues to grab far-bouncing rebounds, make his way to the FT line, and also do the little things that make you love a hard worker. One thing in particular that I noticed was late in the second half when Lew took a 17 footer and it rattled off the rim...who was slicing through the lane to snag the rebound? Lewis himself. I note this particularly because I was at the Rutgers-ND game last night and witnessed former Boiler Scott Martin's lazy fundamentals (learned under Mike Brey's tutelage, one assumes) manifest themselves in him taking a three and then drifting backwards to admire it as it bounced hard off the back of the rim and back out to where he easily should have been, had he followed his shot. That's the sort of thing Matt Painter would never have let him get away with. But hey, hope you don't still miss your girlfriend, Scott.

As we've seen over and over, everybody has to pitch in for Purdue to be successful this season. And as we've also seen, the Boilers are prone to lapses in scoring for stretches that become alarming as we see leads shrink away. However, tonight was a welcome change as the Boilers recovered from a fairly deep first half hole to go on to win the game and look fairly dominant in the second half doing so.

Ahead of this train is a nasty little five game stretch that includes four ranked teams, with the one non-ranked opponent being Northwestern on the road. I would take 3-2, I would be thrilled with 4-1 and I would do cartwheels and post the video of it if they go 5-0.

Shovel in some more coal and let's get up a head of steam.

Football Rumours

2012-01-17T23:00:00.000-05:00

I've read no official press release yet, but rumor has it that running back, Reggie Pegram has departed West Lafiesta for greener pastures. I don't know where he's landed, but he's not on the roster at Purduesports.com.

We'll always have Detroit.

Kind of odd since he played his most significant role in the LCB about a month ago. In case you don't remember, Pegram had a TD rushing and receiving. It looked like he would play a ton in '12. Perhaps the 100 QBs on the roster for the fall scared him off? Hard to tell.

This thins out a RB stable that was in pretty good shape heading into next season in spite of the loss of Bolden v. IU.

Here's the way it might look for next season:

Akeem Shavers (RB Sr.)

Akeem Hunt (RB So.)

Doug Gentry (RB RS Fr.)

Kurt Freytag (FB Jr.)

Derek Jackson (FB Sr.)

Returning from torn ACL

Ralph Bolden (RB Sr.)

Brandon Cottom (FB So.)

O.J. Ross is still on the roster in spite of the very late suspension due to academics. There are a few other rumors circulating about transfers...but nothing substantiated at this point.

A Perfect Fit

Whenever we talk about why you shouldn't get too worked up over verbal commitments, remember stories like this:

Gunner Kiel is the number 1 QB recruit in the nation as many of you know. He verballed to IU back in the early fall and IU fans hailed him as the second coming of...well no one- they'd never had a recruit like him.

After his brother's feelings were hurt by IU's coach, Dusty transferred and Gunner opened up his recruiting. After lots of thought and some in-home visits, Gunner had Alabama and LSU as his final two. (Note: Some Purdue fans thought he'd be coming to Purdue...not sure why.)

He was set to enroll early at LSU this week...today, in fact. But after watching LSU's offense play an elaborate game of grabass in their final contest, he changed his mind again...to the national champion; his other finalist?

Of course not.

He'll be going to UND...classes begin in SB tomorrow. Good for him- he and Coach Kelly seem like they were made for each other.

Dayne Crist just transferred to Kansas...So Dusty's brother (Blair's nephew) will enter their depth chart behind Rees, the enigmatic starter and Golson who UND fans think is the next ~~Dayne Crist~~...nevermind.

Addendum (DC News?):
I started this post with no knowledge that Danny Hope might be looking to the CFL...a French speaking CFL team at that, for a potential DC. Turns out, Didier Ormejuste, an NFL and CFL analyst out of Montreal has heard that Tim Tibesar, current DC for the Montreal Alouettes has been offered the job in God's country. I have no idea if it's true...but it's literally the first thing I've heard other than people making guesses. It sounds like too much of a wild stab in the dark to be made up, doesn't it??

Tibesar coached KSU's defense back in '07 & '08...not great years for the Wildcat defense. It sounds like the guy is really smart, at least off the field as he had a 4.0 in college.

If Hope makes this hire, I don't think anyone will call him nepotistic or conventional in his thinking...this is flat-out odd.

Get Ready To Fight Fight Fight Iowa

2012-01-17T10:08:00.001-05:00

They're OMHR. You're mandated by Jim Delaney to hate them. At least in football. Does that extend to basketball? I can't remember.

They marred the end of JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore's regular season careers at Purdue by failing to respect their farewell tour and beating the Boilers 67-65 on the Island of Iowa.

Quite simply, you should never trust a man with a girl's first name.

Their fight song commands Iowa youth to pledge blind allegiance to the Hawkeye regime "until the walls and rafters ring." This sounds unsafe. Also, does their football stadium have rafters?

Have you ever been to Iowa?

Why are the numbers on their jerseys italicized? To make them look faster? You're not fooling anyone, boys, you're Iowans. You move as fast as the combine harvester will take you.

Feel free to share your reasons to dislike the Hawkeyes below.

BTN, 8 PM.

Log Jam Ahead: Marve to Return

2012-01-14T12:11:00.004-05:00

A few of our readers didn't want to read about this, but back in November, we looked ahead to the quarterback situation for 2012. It was confusing then, it's probably more confusing now.

Marve stretches out for a sixth year of eligibility

Review:

Robert Marve transferred from Miami to Purdue. While at Miami, he redshirted due to an injury to his non-throwing hand from a car wreck. He started nearly a complete season as a RS Freshman. After conflict with Shannon, Miami's coach, he moved on to West La La. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he lost his Soph. year of eligibility. Shortly after announcing his transfer, he tore his ACL. No sweat- he'd have the year that he was sitting out to recover.

In his fourth start of '10 versus Toledo, Marve faked a pitch and tore the same ACL again in a non-contact play. He used the remainder of 2010 and spring/summer of '11 to recover from the second knee injury. Rob Henry was thrust into the starting role as a RS Freshman due to Caleb TerBush being academically ineligible in that same season. When Henry's finger was crushed v. aOSU, True Freshman Sean Robinson was forced out of a redshirt season and into the starting line-up for a game. Henry returned to the starting role wearing a glove on his throwing hand...and his accuracy suffered because of the injury...but most of his work was with his feet at that point.

In the summer coming into last fall, Robert Marve and Rob Henry had put themselves as 1 and 1A for the starting job. Caleb TerBush was behind them. But, Marve's knee recovered slowly, so he couldn't take contact in August of '11...and Henry was made the starter. As Marve was fighting to return to form, he was named in the scandal at the University of Miami as one of the guys that received improper benefits while being recruited to the school. Marve never lost eligibility at Purdue and many believe it's because of his cooperation with the NCAA during their investigation.

As the clear starter heading toward September, Henry blew out his ACL...and TerBush was named the starter. He started most of last season, but after game three, Robert Marve was worked into action and the dreaded two-QB system became a reality.

With TerBush and Marve splitting snaps, not many Purdue fans were happy, and the results were mediocre. TerBush was criticized for his slow decision making and taking costly sacks. He managed the game well, and didn't seem to overreach. Marve was criticized for making poor decisions and trying to force the ball into double and triple coverage. He plays with fire and is a gunslinger and the coaching staff didn't like that he regularly abandoned the script for the game. During the handful of starts in the previous season, he played much more conservatively and his completion percentage showed it. Justin Siller was also used from time-to-time in the Wildcat; which was effective. All of the guys who played QB last season were very supportive of one another and positive; I've heard nothing from people on the team or close to the program to counter this.

With Marve and TerBush splitting snaps, Robinson was able to take the redshirt that he couldn't take in '10. Robinson will be a RS Sophomore in the fall of '12.

Marve petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year of eligibility. Many thought that since Marve was named in the investigation (above) that the NCAA wouldn't grant him another year to play. I always thought that his willingness to talk actually helped him and it showed that he was trying to turn over a new leaf. Last night, it was announced by the NCAA that Marve will have one final year of eligibility to play college football.

When we posted our thoughts back in late-November, we knew that Elite 11 Finalist, Austin Appleby would be coming to Purdue. Appleby (of course) tore his ACL at the end of his Junior season, but started his entire Senior season in HS. The season wasn't a great one for him or his team...and that's probably why his star rating didn't get higher than 3 in spite of his impressive showing on ESPN U's Elite 11 camp last summer. Appleby is a drop back passer with decent mobility and good size...his game is like a poor man's Andrew Luck out of HS.

Hope has also received two additional verbals for the QB position: Aloyis Gray and Bilal Marshall- both are top-25 dual threat QBs. Gray (from the Indy area), ranks 23rd, has offers from Cincy, Illinois, IU and Purdue's vanquished Pizza Pizza Bowl opponent (and others). Marshall (from Hialeah, FL) ranks 17th. He has an impressive list of offers including Baylor, Northwestern and GTech.

Just last week, Hope got the news that Erich Berzinskas would join the crowded stable as a preferred walk-on. Berzinskas threw passes to future Boiler, Carlos Carvajal at Milford Academy last season. He's a drop-back passer with good size, 6'5", 215lbs and has a lively arm. Berzinskas decided to go to Milford to try to garner more schollie offers.

We made no bones about our feelings about the two QB system- we don't like it. We understand that it's good to have guys prepared in case injuries put you in a bind, but coming into '12, Purdue will have four quarterbacks that have started at least one game in college...and three that have started at least six. So, there shouldn't be any need to split QBs just to be ready. Hope now has the difficult task of evaluating and making the call. The candidates have workouts, Spring football and Fall camp to make their case that they should be the starter.

During Hope's first season at HC, Joey Elliott* ran an offense that resembled Tiller's offenses at times- "The Duke" wasn't called on to run the ball with regularity, but passed quite a bit...and was solid while doing it. Last year, we saw Henry run an offense that ran the ball about 70% of the time. And finally in '11, the offense was extremely balanced...but to me, it looked like it should have been an offense that ran the ball even more since the running backs were having tremendous success. With a lot of talent back at RB, I would think the balanced paradigm will return in '12.

Let's pretend for a moment that every single candidate for the quarterback position in '12 goes the entire off-season without getting injured...and all of the verbals get to campus without a hiccup. Here's the what Hope/Nord have at the QB position (as of now):

Robert Marve (6th year Sr, fmr starter)
Caleb TerBush (5th year Sr, fmr starter)
Rob Henry (RS Jr, fmr starter)
Sean Robinson (RS So, fmr starter)

Austin Appleby (Fr)
Bilal Marshall (Fr)
Aloyis Gray (Fr)

Austin Parker (So Walk-On)
Dalapo Macarthy (So Walk-On)
Erich Berzinskas (Fr Walk-On)

Now is the part where I speculate based on what I've heard and read.

Aloyis Gray had a similar high school career as Rob Henry- he played a lot of WR before playing QB his Senior year. Plus, he was recruited as an athlete by many schools because of his ability at WR. I think he'd be very likely to see the field, after a redshirt season, at WR. Edison is a Senior and Bush and Ross are both Juniors.

The next candidate to petition for a sixth year of eligibility might be Rob Henry. That would effectively make the coming season his Sophomore year...but I believe they do not tell a player if he's received the additional year until prior to that sixth season..which would be in 2014.

Dalapo Macarthy would seem to be a pretty good candidate to take the Keith Smith, Justin Siller role and shift to the slot receiver position. He's similarly-sized and is a good athlete...and I see no scenario in which he'll play QB...but we've seen an odd thing or two happen in the past few years for Purdue QBs, haven't we?

There's a lot that can and will happen during this Spring and fall for Purdue QBs...we'll keep an eye on what goes down.

*I saw "The Duke" at the Purdue v. Wisconsin game- he looked much leaner than the last time I saw him...for those of you who don't know, Elliott plays in the CFL...and blew out his knee shortly after graduation.

Friday Gumbo

2012-01-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Purdue: Good for What Ails Ya!

This season, we've seen some slumping teams bust out of their slumps with the help of our Boilers. Butler couldn't finish against anyone, but found a way to overcome a large deficit to beat our Boilers on a kinda neutral court. You're welcome, Blue.

PSU hadn't had many reasons to smile at home, or elsewhere this early winter, but Purdue allowed a role player to get into the mid-20s and carry the Lions to their lone victory this B1G season.

Wisconsin was skidding out of control toward a cliff...and Mackey Arena and Painter's squad acted as a softwall for the lumbering Badgers.

Next up, the Boilers will be playing an Iowa squad that will probably on a three game losing streak when it steps foot on Keady Court.

It's Always Nice Seeing IU Lose...But...

Not many Purdue fans enjoy watching IU win games. In fact, we really like seeing them lose; but they haven't been doing much of that this season.

Full Disclosure: if I didn't have to see the red unis, the orangish coach or the fans in the stands, I'd enjoy watching that team play the game. They do a lot well- they shoot well, rebound well, are athletic and play well as a team...plus, unlike my favorite team, they have a consistent defense and an overwhelming offense.

But, being able to watch an IU game without rooting against them isn't an option for me in this state or on this planet...so last night's B1G nightcap was salve in the most-recent wound left by my Boilers.

But more than just enjoying watching IU lose at home, this one was good for Matty's squad. Purdue's road win in Minneapolis looks a bit better after tonight. Will Minny rally and make a run at the dance? Probably not...but thanks anyway Goldy.

And speaking of boosting the RPI, Illinois' big win over aOSU was really helpful.

Nothing's Official Until They Sign

Signing Day is two and one-half weeks away for college football. As of right now, Hope's class sits as the 27th-best class in all of the land. But, there are a few bluechips who are ~~awaiting their bags of cash~~ waiting to sign until the last minute with their favorite school that might change the rankings among the top-10...and of course the dreaded defection is always in the back of the minds Purdue fans. That's especially true since two or three of Purdue's verbals are still taking visits and sound less-than-solid on their "commitments."

Hopefully most of them stick.

The Black Hole

On the way back from the game tonight, I came up with the nickname "The Black Hole" for the high end seats on Mackey. Sure, they're comfy and the view is stunning...but about half of the purchasers of these seats might not even know it since they never come to the games.

There's been an ongoing discussion about these seats on Twitter and the Knucklehead board, and some Purdue fans seem bothered that other fans and alums are angered by the sight of so many empties. I'm more than bothered, I'm embarrassed.

Packed Mackey Arena: 1967-2011 (RIP)

Mackey was pretty full tonight in spite of lousy conditions outside...but those seats weren't. And they haven't been for most of the season. In all seriousness, if you're a rich guy who bought some of those seats and it's too much trouble for you to go to the games, e-mail us at boiledsports@gmail.com.

We'll find a Purdue fan to sit in your seats- guaranteed.

While your financial commitment to the program and the university is inspiring and important, your lack of commitment on game nights is a black eye on one of the best venues and programs in America...and the empty gold seats send an even worse and more obvious message.

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

2012-01-13T00:54:00.000-05:00

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Get Your Hate On: Wisconsin

2012-01-12T09:00:00.001-05:00

First off, have you heard the way they say it? "Bayydghurs." We get it. You're from the upper midwest. Newsflash: Fargo got annoying after a couple hours of hearing them talk like that.

Bo Ryan (pictured, putting a spell on those who defy him) is the Grinch, which makes it ironic that he coaches a team that wears red predominantly, but really, is it all that crazy? Maybe it's just the perfect cover.

Wisconsin is notorious in both football and basketball for producing gigantic, white farm boys who excel for 2-4 years at their sport in Madison and then, magically, are never heard from again and disappear back into Bo's cauldron.

Wisconsin fans are brutes who reek of beer and cheese. (And then men are worse. *rim shot*)

Please feel free to add your own.

ESPN, 7 PM.

Rush The Court Remembers Glenn Robinson

2012-01-11T23:04:00.000-05:00

Those of you our age or older, brace yourselves. Glenn Robinson first strolled onto campus at Purdue 20 years ago. Twenty. The Big Dog is remembered in this fine work by the folks at Rush The Court. A sample is below:

But what made Robinson so good was actually not even basketball-related. Raised on the rough streets of Gary, Indiana, the reserved Robinson was instilled early with an inner and outer toughness that took his already otherworldly hoops talents to a different level. Combining his immense physical gifts with a hunger for success and perseverance that can be borne only of struggle, Robinson reached that rare transcendence in sports that cannot be created solely by training and talent alone. Isiah Thomas had it. So did Larry Bird. And Glenn Robinson certainly did. His came from a natural place – his mother.

Read this piece and loads of other great stuff over there as they tirelessly express their undying love for the awesomeness that is college basketball.

Expecting The Unexpected

2012-01-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

I came into Mackey Arena prior to the Illinois game expecting to see a Purdue team that would struggle versus Illinois, but would pull out the game in front of the friendly Mackey crowd. As we all know, Purdue was dominant that night; at least for a half, as they frustrated the Illini and created havoc on defense that led to easy buckets.

I sat down to watch our Boilers play Penn State with the full expectation that Purdue would cruise to victory versus a team in the high-100s to low-200s that had struggled against every respectable opponent they'd played. Purdue was controlled, man-handled and embarrassed.

I thought this season would be like the previous seasons under Painter- defense would create offense, leads would be secure and victories would mount up as the team got better and better. Well, Painter's club is winning at about the rate I thought they'd be doing so, but the way they've done it hasn't been predictable.

They've given away 15 point leads time and time again. They've struggled shutting down marginally-effective guards from opposing teams. They haven't been able to defend the three with consistency. The middle of the defense has been soft. This is not the new norm...but for a season, this is what Purdue is.

I read an article about how practice was following the PSU game. Jackson called it grueling and painful...and about every player on the team said it wasn't like anything they'd seen this season. The team responded to the hellish practice by soundly beating Minnesota in a tough venue. Sure, that isn't beating IU, MSU or aOSU on the road, but it's a start.

As injuries have plagued this team, Painter has decided the only way to keep a cohesive unit on game day is to allow guys to sit out in practice. The problem is, Purdue has not defined by its ability to beat the opponent on offense, but instead has used tough defense, mental and physical toughness and grit to wear down the competition. This year, the cornerstone of what's rebuilt the program is not in place...and it shows.

Rob Hummel is not the Rob Hummel of old. LewJack might be a half step slower than he should be due to on-going back issues...and that's really enough. Two of the team captains, the guys who play more minutes than anyone simply can't sell out play after play. Ironically, they're both in this position because they had put their bodies on the line over and over and over. But now, when guys like AJ or Jacob Lawson seek an example of how to play the game, they're looking at two guys who are far from what they've been physically for the majority of their careers. And when Purdue needs to grind out point in crunch time or hit a free throw down the stretch, the leaders of the team are simply dog tired because they haven't been able to practice to get their legs and lungs back.

It's quite a lousy situation for the team and the coach to be in. But I think Painter figured something out after the PSU game that seems obvious to an outsider- if a guy can't play, he shouldn't play...plain and simple.

Granted, LewJack at 80% is still probably the best point guard on the team. And Hummel at 90% is most-assuredly the best wing on the team...both are still of the two best players in the conference when hobbled. But neither has been able to finish with regularity...and both of these guys' careers will be remembered for defensive stops, big drives and big shots to put games away. It's a shame their Senior seasons have been this way. But things are exactly what they seem to be- confusing.

There's no doubt that when their legs aren't wobbly and they're mentally in the game, this Purdue team can compete with anybody. And there's also no doubt that when they're not absolutely focused on the task at hand, they're the worst Purdue team since Painter's first year as HC at Purdue.

I have said this for years- offense takes skill, ability and athleticism, you can't score without physical tools. But defense is mental. It's the decision to not give up after being beaten on the previous play. It's the ability to ignore your body's reminder that it is ready to quit...and it takes five players who are on the same page to successfully play defense in this conference. Because of fatigue and lack of continuity, this team's defense has been deplorable at times; and as the defense goes, so goes a Painter squad.

Can they improve this season? Absolutely; there's still plenty of upside for this team. Will they become consistent? I doubt it. But next game will take all of the mental and physical toughness this team can muster as they'll play the 1-3 Badgers...who will try to beat up and physically dominate this already beaten up Purdue team.

Boilers Beat Gophers and Ghosts in the Barn: 79-66

2012-01-08T22:02:00.001-05:00

The adage is, you live by the three, you die by the three. And tonight, our Boilers were resurrected by the the three ball. Following (arguably) the worst game for a Purdue team under Painter since his first year coaching at his alma mater, Purdue needed a road win...and got it.

Early on, Purdue jumped out on the wings of Byrd. In the first half alone, the Junior had his career high of three pointers- five...he finished 5-of-6 from long distance. And when I say long distance, it's not an exaggeration. The Byrd Man was bombing from NBA range...and doing so with confidence and without hesitation. He set the tone for Purdue, and Smith followed suit going 3-of-4 from three...Hummel had a couple of threes as well. Byrd's hot shooting helped push Purdue to a 15 point halftime lead as the Boilers exceeded their PSU final tally by two points...in the first half alone. It was 47-32 at the break.

But as the team followed Byrd from deep, they also emulated him from the free throw line...as the ugly free throws returned. Purdue went 9-of-19 from the stripe, pushing the season average lower, yet again. LewJack was an OK 4-of-6 from the line...everyone else shot it pretty badly. But if you can shoot 67% from three, it'll cover up a lot of blemishes...and 55% from field ain't bad either.

In the second half, Minnesota made a conscious effort to keep Purdue, and specifically Byrd from shooting the trey. They played an extended man, pressed and played match up zone that left gaping holes in the lane. Jackson took advantage by driving time and again and slicing up Goldy. He ended with 20 (16 of those coming in the second) points, 4 assists and 0 turnovers. His ball handling was poised under pressure as he avoided and stepped through attempted traps and made Tubby pay for his zealousness on the defensive side of the ball.

But in spite of Jackson sacrificing his body as he was knocked down time and again on the drive, the Boilers let an 18 point lead shrink down to as few as 7...and Purdue fans everywhere felt that familiar feeling creep in again. A couple of cheap turnovers led to quick buckets by Minnesota and fouls mounted quickly by Purdue.

In spite of Minnesota playing an extended man-to-man or trapping zone press, Purdue had 8 fouls to Minny's 1 before the 10:00 mark in the second half. Sure, Purdue's prone to too many fouls, but the officials were doing their part to make it interesting.

Following a few minutes of hap hazard play, the last few minutes exhibited Barlow and Jackson's poise keeping Minny at more than an arm's length, and helped Purdue earn its second B1G road win of the season. Winning at the barn isn't easy- JJ and Smooge didn't do it last year and the Gophers were 10-1 this year before tonight at home. But their other loss came at the hands of Iowa just days ago in a close loss...and the B1G schedule has been rough on Tubby's Mbakwe-less squad; they're now 0-4 in conference.

But Purdue needed this one for a bunch of reasons. Obviously a 3-1 record in the conference doesn't sound too shabby...four other teams in the conference are knotted there with the Boilers in second chasing after the white-hot, undefeated Spartans. But, a ton of superstitious Purdue fans didn't like Hummel getting even close to Minneapolis as Minnesota was involved the last two times he blew out his knee. In a heart-breaking win two seasons ago, Hummel tore his ACL the first time. And with Minnesota in town for football Homecoming of the 2010 season, Hummel tore the same ligament again.

Hummel admitted it'd be "weird" to play there for him, but he wasn't worried. He played a typical Hummel game in a lot of ways- solid. He scored 13, rebounded the ball 7 times, had 2 steals and a block. But, he probably left the old gym with more confidence as another hurdle had been cleared in his final season for Purdue.

Along with Hummel, Barlow did a lot very well- he had 7 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists...but turned the ball over too many times. TJohn had a good rebound game following the egg he laid in Happy Valley- he finished with 10pts, 6reb, 2stl and a block...while only turning it over once.

AJ, Lawson and Carroll were all pretty quiet...Carroll started based on a solid effort at PSU.

The 13-4 Boilers get to come home to host the suddenly-struggling Wisconsin Badgers. Their lone win came versus Nebraska who looks to be the worst team in the conference. The bad news for Purdue is that Wisconsin will not be ranked, so even if Purdue can beat them, it won't be viewed by the polls as all-that-noteworthy.

All that said, any Bo Ryan coached team is dangerous in the B1G...and a wounded Badger is pretty scary. The Paint Crew will be back in full force for the first time in a while; I'm looking for big things out of the best student section in the land...This one will be televised on EsPN at 7:00 on Thursday evening.

Rehashing the Debacle: Stats

2012-01-06T11:04:00.000-05:00

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

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

Embarrassed in Sleepy Valley: Boilers Lose 65-45

2012-01-05T23:08:00.002-05:00

Each time I watch a game that takes place in Happy Valley, it's either break or there's a blizzard outside; at least that's what it looks like. Tonight was no different as Purdue made the trip to the most-quiet, least-attended venue in the league...and pooped the bed.

Shooting 32% from the field while allowing an opponent to shoot 43% is a recipe for disaster. Getting out-rebounded by 10 is playing with fire. Hitting a quarter of your threes and allowing an opponent to hit half of theirs? Craziness. Purdue did all of this tonight...but at least their freethrows (high five?).

Hummel, Jackson and TJohn looked listless in this one for much of the contest. Lawson and Carroll looked overmatched. Purdue has lost big under Painter before, but never can I remember a game in which a team that is not good simply dominated his Purdue team from start to finish. After the Butler game I said this team might struggle to make the tournament if things didn't change...the team that drew that comment due to poor play in the second half at Conseco was at the Bryce Jordan Center tonight for 36 minutes.

We all know Purdue struggles against teams that play really disciplined, hard-nosed zone. Tonight, they struggled against a team that played an OK zone. No one looked to drive, no big men carved out space while bodying up PSU's forwards and Purdue hardly ever pushed the ball to thwart PSU's effort to set up the zone...and on the other end, simple high screens created chasms in Purdue's defense and gave PSU open look after open look.

The biggest beneficiary of Purdue's deplorable defense was PSU's version of Tim Doyle, Billy Oliver. Oliver came into the game averaging under 7 pts...he exploded for 21 easy points in just 25 minutes- he was hampered by foul trouble. He might have had 33 had he not gotten himself into trouble.

The unlikable Tim Frazier did what he's done this season, finishing with 15 points and a whopping 9 assists. Barlow, Jackson and TJohn all seemed like lil' speedbumps as they didn't do a whole lot to deter his effort; especially without help. And when they got help, the help would leave someone open for three upon wide open three. Back to the unlikable comment- he might be the nicest guy in the world...but his whining and mean mugging was silliness- good for he and his teammates, it worked tonight...And Purdue didn't.

I think losing is OK, but getting out-toughed, out-defended and out-hustled is never OK. Purdue was pistol-whipped tonight. If you didn't watch it and just saw the score, yes, it was as bad, if not worse, than the score.

I didn't listen to Cliz on the radio, so I really learned nothing about what was happening to Purdue in shoot around or in the days of practice leading up to the game...but honestly, is there an excuse for this type of game? LewJack's 0-5 2 TO, 2Ast game is one of the worst by him in memory. Ryne Smith took some forced threes, TJohn literally handed the ball to PSU three times, Jacob Lawson seemed like he didn't care about the game, Hummel's struggles continued from mid-range and further, and Painter and the coaching staff didn't make adjustments and didn't have the team ready to play.

The only guy that seemed to have urgency in the game was Byrd...and Smith's effort was there. That's the list.

The team that Purdue nearly got beaten by a week ago, Iowa, will get better and might make noise in the B1G. This PSU team won't. Thus, this is a very damaging loss...the type that tournament committees remember and make a note of. This is like the Wofford loss four years ago- a loud clanging bell telling a team that they're simply not good. But there are some key differences.

That Purdue team completely relied upon Freshman and Sophomores...their inconsistency and poor play could be blamed on youth. This Purdue team has three Senior starters, a bunch of Junior contributors and an only a few Frosh and Soph guys that are asked to do much. My point is, the 2012 team should know better than to come into a game with the idea or attitude that they can mail in a victory. I thought the Xavier collapse was a wake-up call. Nope- they nodded off two point five games later. I really thought the Butler second half collapse was the cold splash of water this team needed. Guess not. Just four games later, apathy and lethargy was deep in the fabric of the team yet again.

This team has developed a rhythm that every 2-4 games they're going to drop a game. The problem is, the conference schedule just started...and the best four teams Purdue will play this year have not been played yet.

Mackey Arena's crowd, and the Paint Crew in particular inspire this team to play its best basketball...sadly, six of the remaining 14 games are on the road...and of those 8 at home, half of them are against the cream of the conference.

I keep waiting for something to change this season, but this team is what they are. They're an OK-to-good team. They need high effort for 40 minutes to win...much like that team I talked about from four years ago. The problem is, in spite of what seems to be tremendous Senior leadership, the effort is hit or miss. 16 games into the season, it's awfully tough, if not impossible to change the habits that have formed.

Next up, Purdue plays a pretty good team...on the road...that they lost to last year in the same building. The roller coaster rolls into Minneapolis on Sunday at 6:00.

Boiler Resume Thus Far

2012-01-05T10:52:00.001-05:00

With two-straight winnable road games ahead of Matty's squad, a 12-3 record, and an RPI that leaves much to be desired (43), the post-season forecast for our favorite squad is murky right now. And last night's upsets had an effect on our Boilers.

-Beating Temple has been viewed as a quality win since it happened, but their win against Duke helps their RPI and in turn, helps Purdue's. Temple is 9-3 and 27th.

-Like Temple, Iona only has three losses. Also like them, they're in the top-30, but barely...at 30. I think we all had a hard time watching Purdue allow Iona score 90 points, but this season, they've scored over 100 twice, and have scored 89 or more points four times. As of now, they look to be the favorite in the MAAC.

-We thought High Point and Western Carolina were not good when Purdue squeaked by versus both...turns out, that's exactly right. High Point has won three games and Western Carolina, five.

-When it happened, losing to X seemed like a case of a very talented, solid team beating a team that wasn't quite ready for primetime. Let's remember, this was a Xavier team that was highly ranked that hadn't yet decided to go gangsta. After the suspensions, Xavier can't find its rhythm or chemistry and stands at 9-5. They're no 54th...they're not receiving any votes from the coaches and are a paltry two votes ahead of Purdue in the AP. Losing to a 10-4 LaSalle team doesn't sound bad at first blush...but LaSalle has consistently been in the 100s all season.

-Purdue gave the nation's reigning runner up a gift prior to the Christmas season at Conseco...and I for one saw this game as a massive indictment on Purdue's inability to finish games and play on a bigger stage. Butler's gone from a sub-.500 team to a .500 team and has two relatively easy games coming up before facing Cleveland State. They've broken the top-100 in the RPI and sit at 91st.

-Alabama is the only decisive loss for Purdue this season...and all Purdue fans agree that Purdue just wasn't as good as that team at that point. With 'Bama in the teens consistently for a few weeks coming into that game, it didn't seem like a bad one to drop. But after the Purdue win, Alabama lost three in a two week period and it looked like they were in the midst of a free fall. The ship has been righted in Tuscaloosa and Alabama, while not ranked, is barely receiving votes in both polls...but the RPI calculation loves them and they stand at 17th. The problem for them is their conference is 6th in total RPI...the good news for them is their conference is filled with cream puffs and patsies, so they'll only have to play 5 more top-50 games.

-The importance of the Illinois game might get larger as the weeks go on. Illinois is 22nd in the RPI...sure, they've been on a bit of a slide as they dropped from the teens to receiving no votes (other than Weber's) in the human polls in a matter of two weeks. But, their losses all come to quality opponents (UNLV, Mizzou & Purdue). Who knows if their dramatic road win over Northwestern means the Mildcats are on the express train to the NIT or that Illinois is back on track.

I know, I know, the RPI is a very flawed barometer of the quality of a team, especially before February. But, averages and equations limit a rocket ascent or rock-like plunge. While Purdue has been consistently un-noteworthy this year in that poll, hanging around in the 40s-60s, their stock has risen the last few games and they now are #43. That equation predicts Purdue going 21-10...which is exactly where we at BS saw the Boilers finishing (between 20-22 wins was my prediction). And I believe that record would get Purdue in the dance at a six seed. Not great...not bad.

I'm a bigger fan of Ken Pom's equation. It's had Purdue a bit higher all season. Currently the Forces of Good are 21st their...and 24th on the Sagarin Poll. But the tourney committee doesn't bring anything but the RPI and the team's resume into their room, I'm told. Still, I think the Composite Computer Ranking that we at BS bring you regularly might be the best sign of where a team truly is.

Right now, like much of the season, Purdue is hovering around 30 and the CCR is 29.3...probably exactly where my eyes tell me they should be. Like all of you, we see that this team has a ton of potential and a pretty high ceiling if Hummel gets hot, LewJack can mend a bit, TJohn can hit 50% of his FTs, Lawson and Carroll continue to improve, Barlow plays to potential, Byrd plays solid, etc...but a key injury that hurts the rotation could do the opposite. And, as we saw last night, anyone can beat anyone on a given night. This is why as it gets colder outside, the warmest, most-welcoming place in the world is a college basketball arena.

Tonight, Purdue travels to the loneliest valley in the nation during basketball season to play PSU at 8:00. They'll be greeted by hundreds of fans at the BJC who kind of care what happens on the court...but that won't stop the Lions from putting up a fight as two of the best PGs in America square off in Jackson and Frazier.

Freethrows, DCs and Luck (Tuesday Gumbo)

2012-01-02T23:39:00.003-05:00

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!

A Step Forward- Second Look at Illinois Game

2012-01-01T11:35:00.001-05:00

Our pal Ed enabled me to take my wife to the Illinois game yesterday and I'm glad I was there to see Purdue's best defensive game of the year...but I don't think the formula for beating the Illini will work versus the better teams in the league.

I was ecstatic to see Illinois forced into bad shots inside 5 seconds on the shot clock time and again. Those possessions were clearly exhausting and frustrating to Weber's squad. But, mental lapses and not fighting through picks allowed Paul and Richardson to hit open jumpers from 18-22 feet time and again.

For me, the key to the defensive effort was an unlikely and welcomed source- Travis Carroll. 21 minutes, 2 rebounds, 2 steals and 7 points isn't something to write home about. BUT, he was playing one of the big ten's more formidable centers in Leonard and played him nearly to a draw. More importantly, he, Lawson and some of the Purdue guards had Leonard completely mentally out of the game early in the second half.

Is any coach in America warned by officials more than Weber?

My favorite moment of the entire game was watching Leonard get his third foul after hip checking Ryne Smith. Illinois' 7 footer whined, made hand motions and headed toward the bench...his coach, also clearly irritated, didn't welcome him to the bench to keep him out of foul trouble, but just stared at Leonard with his arms crossed and told him to get back in the game.

Purdue won this game because of mental and physical toughness...something we haven't seen a ton of this season. And while I don't think it's a good formula in the long run for both Hummel and Jackson to score single digit points, I absolutely think it's good for this team to not wait around for those to to do it all.

Limiting both of their minutes, at least for the next two months will probably be the best thing for this team come March. But this game, especially from a shooting standpoint isn't and won't be the norm for Hummel- he missed some pretty easy shots that he needs to hit and Purdue needs him to hit.

Bullets
-John Hart is playing limited, but very efficient and effective minutes...and he seems extremely confident with the ball in his hands.

-Barlow showed us yesterday what he's physically capable of when his mind is in the right place. He had been sizing up Illinois' guards for much of the first half, getting very close to picking off a pass at the top of the key time and again. His defensive efficiently was matched by offensive tenacity as he seemed unstoppable for about 7 minutes. Let's keep in mind that this offensive explosion was against some of the most-talented guards in the B1G.

-Smith's three pointer midway through the second half was from about 27 feet and looked perfect. He had forced a few early in the game in which he didn't get his feet set...but that was the exception, not the rule. His shot-making ability isn't shocking or noteworthy, because everyone knows he can shoot. But his rebounding, defense and knack for annoying opponents is immeasurable.

-DJ Byrd's importance to the team shouldn't be minimized. He plays smart, makes big shots and can play about anywhere on defense.

-Terone Johnson's balanced game was a microcosm for the team- 21 minutes, 9 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals were really a continuation of what we've seen the past few games. BUT, his free throw shooting is deplorable. If he could figure out that part of the game (like the rest of his teammates), he'd be pretty tough to stop. TJohn's strength against slighter guards is obvious, but he seems to know he's a liability from the line so he doesn't finish the drives.

-AJ's teardrop might be harder to stop than TJohn's because of his length.

Yay BTN!
If you tuned into the BTN Finale show seeking to get some Purdue highlights, sorry, didn't happen.

After showing Purdue in the lead-in, and again on two commercial teasers, BTN's Finale producers thought it'd be best just to read the score. Excellent work, as usual.

Next Up
Purdue plays two-straight road games...first, versus Penn State on Thursday at 8:00. The BTN might broadcast the game if something else doesn't come up.

Boilers Move To 2-0 In Conference By Krushing Orange

2011-12-31T20:23:00.002-05:00

**Post updated at 10:45 PM ET**

The Boilers put on an impressive performance today to move to 2-0 in conference with a 75-60 victory over Illinois in a game that honestly wasn't even that close.

The Boilers trailed 23-15 with five minutes to go in the first half and I was definitely getting a bit concerned. However, a 37-6 howitzer blast of a run by the good guys swelled the lead to 23 (52-29) and that, coupled with the Illini's body language, showed this one was over.

I personally was pleased with this one for a number of reasons. Purdue lost two of the best players they've had in their stable in many years -- two of them -- and have still come out of the gate strong, to the tune of a 12-3 (2-0) start. And we also must remember -- not like you could forget -- that the Boilers' losses have all been games they had every right to win, if only they could have closed them out. It's not like this team has been outclassed in any contest.

In this game, Purdue only had two guys get into double digits, with Barlow netting a tidy 14, including 5/7 from the line, and Ryne Smith tallying 12, all from beyond the arc on 80% three-point shooting (4/5). Ryne also had four rebounds, an assist and two steals. I also loved Smith's hustle in this game, as he gave up his body a number of times and played some strong help defense under the basket, committing a foul to stop a slam -- I like that.

Elsewhere, LewJack had a quiet but important eight points on 67% FG shooting (2/3) and 80% FT shooting (4/5), as well as six rebounds and two dimes. He also only played 19 minutes and I think this was part of the concerted effort b-dowd mentioned in his last write-up to keep Jackson fresh. Once the Boilers were up big, why not give the younger guys some heavy minutes? It's never too early to think about next year, when convenient.

To that end, Terone and Travis Carroll both had 21 minutes off the bench, and scored nine and seven, respectively. AJ and DJ both played 18 minutes in relief and had seven and nine points, respectively.

Electric slide tonight for NYE?

Rob Hummel had his quietest game of the season, finishing with only five points in 22 minutes, but also with five rebounds and three assists. Lawson was incredibly quiet in another start, but on the plus side, he did commit only two fouls rather than his customary four.

John Hart only played nine minutes but most came in the first half and I liked what I saw out of John. I also liked seeing him get important, first half minutes. I'm not sure if that will continue, obviously, but as I said, I thought it was good to see as John continues to try to find his role within this team.

The reason I liked this win was because Purdue showed moxie. Just like the downhill direction can be contagious for a basketball team (like looking over your shoulder expecting to blow big leads when it happens a few times), I also think confidence can be just as, if not more, contagious. The Boilers, as mentioned, were down late in the first half before using a mini-surge to take a narrow halftime lead. They then came out and ballooned the lead into the 20s -- but with 12 minutes remaining. More than enough time to blow it, if you were worried they were inclined to do that.

But the boys in black and gold (and white and whatever gold that was) didn't fold and kept the Illini at a comfortable distance the rest of the way. I'll admit, the earlier flops this season make me a little gunshy as the lead went back under 20 and then down to 17.... but the Boilers held firm and looked confident doing so.

Hey, the best our boys could be right now in Big Ten play is 2-0 and they are just that -- which is a lot better than 0-2.

The alums who comprised the Paint Crew tonight while the students are on break did a good job and included the handsome Travis from H&R.Well done, old people.

Happy SBF New Year!

2011-12-30T09:00:00.003-05:00

And thus we come to the final Friday of the month of December 2011 and, thus, the final installment of Sideboob Friday for this special return engagement. Perhaps it will expose itself again in the future and spring up to provide well-rounded entertainment of a global variety. Or maybe it will stay covered and mysterious, making you wonder just what is under there....

Wait, what was I saying again?

Dry your tears and enjoy SBF for December 30, 2011. Until next time, my friends, be safe, be smart and maintain your sense of humor.

It's beach time! Is anyone available to rub lotion on whats-her-name's back?

The staff of BS highly recommends and approves the above outfit for all your New Year's Eve reveling needs.

Continuing with the beach theme because, well, who doesn't want to be on a beach in late December?

For those of you trapped at work this week....well, so is this poor, underappreciated, put-upon lass. And she just wants someone to give her a shoulder massage and take her out for drinks after work.

Be good, everyone.

Sideboob Friday is a production of Boiled Sports and has now concluded its limited return to BS for the month of December 2011. All complaints, donations and notes of thanks can be directed to BoiledSports@gmail.com.

Boilers Hang On at Iowa: 79-76

2011-12-29T00:21:00.000-05:00

After a week off, Purdue traveled to Iowa to begin the B1G schedule. Iowa's transition-based offense had been in rhythm the last three games, all wins, as Iowa scored 82 points twice and 105 once...and early on, the pace favored Iowa.

With the collapses of the Butler and Xavier losses in the front of his mind, Painter clearly was trying to keep Hummel and Jackson as fresh as possible for the closing minutes. Purdue's lead stayed around 6-8 points for much of the first half. But in the second half, the game got tighter as Iowa tied it twice and kept it within 5 points for most of the last 20 minutes. But, the Hawkeyes couldn't get over the hump. When they punched, Purdue had an answer...and much of the time, the answer came from unusual places like Byrd, Barlow or Lawson...but in the end, Hummel closed out the Hawkeyes with a few key rebounds and hitting his last four free throws; something Purdue has struggled with all season.

In the first half, Purdue had 30 points off the bench. Most-notably, DJ Byrd and John Hart both had 8 points...and looked as if they completely expected such a performance. Hart finished with an efficient 8 points in just 11 minutes...and looked very good shooting the three. Byrd scratched and clawed his way to 14 points, 2 assists and a steal in 22 minutes. Perhaps he's finally healthy...or maybe it was just a good night. Regardless, it was not only great to see, but absolutely needed.

Tim Doyle was on color for this game...so I watched large chunks of it on mute. But honestly, I was just happy that BTN was able to broadcast video alllllllll the way from Iowa. That's good of them.

The most interesting point in the game by far was following an assist from AJ to Hummel, Rob looked like he wanted to punch AJ in the face...so did Matty on the timeout...and Coach Shrewsberry didn't look too happy with the RS Frosh either. I went back and watched the play and deduced that AJ missed a screen and wasn't moving on offense and tried to say it was Hummel's fault as they walked off the court...I guess. Whatever it is, it's something to watch. I don't think I've ever seen something like that on a Painter team.

In the closing minutes, it had the feel of the Butler game- Iowa looked fresh, motivated and quick, Purdue looked sluggish as if they were just gutting the game out. And when Iowa's Gatens hit a three that made it a three point game with :49 seconds left, I had that not-so-confident feeling. I'm positive that crept into the minds of the squad as well.

But as they had for much of the night, Purdue answered. This time it was Barlow who finished close to the basket. He finished with a quiet 12 points, 2 rebounds and a steal...but played smart and tough for much of the game. LewJack seemed to end most possessions on the floor. He struggled to stay in control at times and was clearly wincing at times. He finished with 6 points and 4 assists; but turned it over 3 times.

Lawson started again as Marcius stayed home with the calf injury. He finished with just four points, but had 5 rebounds...and as usual, foul concerns kept him out of the game- he only played 14 minutes. Carroll played a quiet 17 minutes and looked more resolute at times, but had 0 rebounds. Ryne Smith struggled from behind the arc, going 1-5. He finished with 5 points and 5 rebounds. TJohn continued his frosty free throw shooting going 0-2. I don't think it's going to change this season, but he must make free throws as he seems to be at his best in traffic...and that game will draw fouls.

Iowa is not a great team...but they're well coached; a lot like Butler. Unlike the somewhat-friendly crowd at Conseco, there were no Purdue fans at this one and Purdue held on to a much-needed road win. Purdue's ability to get good looks and drive made the difference in this one. It's clear that the FT woes are here to stay, sadly. I think the immense amount of points that our Boilers are leaving on the floor will mount up and sting badly as Hightower and Co. get into midseason form while the Boilers travel.

Next up, the Forces of Good return home for a New Year's Eve Celebration v. Illinois. The party will be televised on EsPN2 at 4:00. Everyone in attendance is invited to Burke's office for punch and to watch the ball drop.

Stupidly-Early Look at Spring Football (and Beyond)

2011-12-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

We'll talk in more depth about the recruiting class and their potential impact to the team after signing day. As of right now, I love that Hope now has five verbals from offensive lineman...the shortest guy is 6'5"...the smallest guy is 270 lbs...the biggest, closest to ready Oline recruit is 6'7" and 315 pounds and is a JuCo transfer. The lack of DE commits is still bothersome...But there are a few LBs who seem to be growing into the DE position before our very eyes. Plus, no player should be considered a Boiler until they've signed their letter; we've been through this before.

Don't fall in love with a dream and love the one you're with.

Needs that must be addressed now

QB
Sure, TerBush and Marve both played OK at times...but Hope needs to have a QB that does more than merely trying to not make a big mistake. And the two-QB system needs to go the way of the New Purdue Pete.

If Rob Henry's knee allows it, give him the damned ball and let him play. In my opinion, the guy that was the #1 on the depth chart coming into camp last season should be given the chance to be the outright #1 again.

TE
One of the best ways to make a passing attack respectable in a hurry is to get the tight end involved. Crosby Wright and Gabe Holmes both showed the ability to make plays in '11...With Holmes size, athleticism and his work toward becoming a better blocker will make it tough to ignore him in '12.

Safety
Albert Evans was the only safety this season that seemed to be a threat to pick the ball off or blow up a play with a hard hit...he's now graduated.

It's time to see what Ismael Aristide, EJ Johnson, Taylor Richards and even Raheem Mostert can do...Safety was really the only position on the field this season in which I didn't see any evidence of Hope's "speed first" philosophy.

If it seems like I'm pushing Mostert onto the field in anyway possible, it's because I am.

DE
I'm kind of excited to see what Ryan Russell becomes...he showed some flashes of greatness in the second half of the season. I don't want to see him even flirt with moving inside- I love his athleticism and size and hope the coaches strive to make him leaner and faster in the off-season.

With the mass in the middle of Short, Gaston, Taylor and Isaac, I think speed on the edge is important now. We saw this season how important pass rush, or lack thereof, from the ends really is to the defense.

Brandon Cottom, Jelani Phillips and Robert Kugler might all be good at the position.

PR
Waynelle Gravesande was sure-handed at punt returner, but wasn't a threat to take it to the house. Gibboney's ST units took big strides forward this season, the next thing they need to do to keep the momentum is find a guy who can not only catch it, but do something with it to help field position.

Antavian Edison has shown he can do about anything he's asked to do...and can take a hit. Ismael Aristide and Josh Johnson have both been mentioned as options back there...and Ricardo Allent was given a look earlier this year. One of these guys might be the key to success in one of the most-difficult positions on the football field.

Who's taking over?
RB
Akeem Shavers showed that he'll be the clear #1 as Bolden works his way through rehab. Behind him Hunt, Pegram and Mostert should all push Shavers. I have no concerns at RB.

LB
With Holland graduating and the status of Beckford in question at this point, Purdue will need one or two of the guys who we've been waiting to see make an impact.

Armstead Williams, Joe Gilliam and Mike Lee should all vie for playing time in '12.

K
Purdue has two incoming kickers...one seems to be the clear starter. We'll talk about who that is on signing day.

P
Obviously, this is Webster's job...with Wiggs now graduated, Webster will need to work on his short punting accuracy.

The Scale: Little Caesars Bowl

2011-12-27T22:43:00.000-05:00

"The Scale" is an easily-digested, overly-simplified post-game synopsis from Boiled Sports.

Winning Winning: Boilers Finish '11 over .500

2011-12-27T21:29:00.001-05:00

Today's bowl game seemed to be more important in the broader sense for the program than just what happened on the field. As we've said for a long time and as readers reiterated via Twitter and here, a .500 team from the B1G should beat a MAC team. Period. And while the game leaves us with a slightly-sweet taste in our mouths to savor until Spring football, it had some putrid flavors as well.

I worried about Purdue's DBs and DEs struggling against WMU's pass-happy offense...they did; to the tune of allowing WMU's Carder to pass for 439 yards and three TDs. I was concerned about stupid penalties and generally-stupid play killing my Boilers...it did. But, I was wrong about the outcome; thankfully. Purdue had a double-digit lead at the half and kept the Broncos down for most of the half by a similar margin, but after a few great plays followed by bone-headed situational awareness, Purdue put WMU in a position to win in the closing half.

First, in the third quarter, as Purdue held a commanding lead of 34-18, Gerald Gooden intercepted a WMU pass and headed up the sideline while palming the ball with his left hand like a mini basketball. Instead of putting WMU away, Gooden's lack of situational awareness gave the ball back and WMU scored minutes later making the game 34-25.

In the fourth quarter, it was de ja vu all over again as Ryan Russell picked up a fumble and ran about 30 yards before losing a fumble at around midfield. The result was WMU scored a few minutes later and made the game a 37-32 game; Purdue held onto that five point for the victory.

Our Boilers' Akeem Hunt lost the first fumble for a Purdue RB early in the game (he still averaged 9.5 yards/carry)...but Akeem Shavers ran for just under 150 yards averaging 6.8 per carry and was a workhorse on his 22 carries. Purdue forced 7 turnovers...but lost 4 fumbles.

Raheem Mostert was large on special teams returning a 99 yard kickoff for a TD...but didn't get many shots to impress on offense. I will begin the season in '12 campaigning once again for Mostert to get more opportunities to change the complexion of the game for our Boilers; he's an electric player.

If you didn't watch, yes, Purdue was +3 in the turnover margin, had a kickoff returned for a TD, recoverred TWO STRAIGHT onside kicks...and still only won by five. That is a pretty good microcosm of the season- Purdue played at a high level...at times. But they kept the game interesting by shooting themselves in the foot- 9 penalties; around the average for this team...The Purdue DBs allowed WMU's White to nearly set a bowl record for total yardage; he finished with 265 yards receiving. And on the other side of the ball, Marve and TerBush COMBINED for 177 yards passing and 2 TDs.

I'm always glad to be wrong when I predict a Purdue loss...but this game shouldn't have been as close as it was. I think it's fair to say Purdue had a lot to overcome with the loss of four starters...but like most issues with this team, they're self-inflicted for the most part.

Holland (9 tackles, 2 TFL), Gooden (2 Int & 1 Sack) and Siller (10.8 yards/carry, 44 yds receiving) all played with high effort and in a manner that showed they were aware that this was their last game in a Purdue uniform. Pegram had his first two TDs of his career. Shavers ran hard and had fresh legs in the wake of sitting out due to post-concussion symptoms at the end of the season. Gary Bush filled the shoes of OJ Ross quite well finishing with 6 receptions for 90 yards and a TD. Gibboney had his Special Teams units ready as they played nearly a flawless game (one missed FG). And at times, Hope coached as if the team had nothing to lose- two onside kicks and heavy and effective use of the wildcat and hurry-up, especially in the first half...at other times, the asinine two-QB system seemed to completely disrupt the flow of the offense...and the defense would rush three to give WMU's Carder what felt like years to pick his receiver.

In the last three years, this is what Hope teams have done- they've had some great moments and some that make you cringe and curse. A pal of mine texted me that we are all on this roller coaster for the foreseeable future with Hope's recent contract extension. Honestly, I'm OK with a bit of a roller coaster, but the big hills need to become larger and more regular while the downhills need to become less steep and frequent. But following the '11 season, Purdue is what it is.

At the end of the day, this one goes in the left hand column. At the end of the season, Purdue is 7-6, a winning season...it's not much, but that's a lot more than the program has had to build upon the last few years.