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01/02/12--20:39: Freethrows, DCs and Luck (Tuesday Gumbo) (chan 1735492)

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!






01/05/12--07:52: Boiler Resume Thus Far (chan 1735492)

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.






01/05/12--20:08: Embarrassed in Sleepy Valley: Boilers Lose 65-45 (chan 1735492)

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.








01/06/12--08:04: Rehashing the Debacle: Stats (chan 1735492)

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






01/08/12--19:02: Boilers Beat Gophers and Ghosts in the Barn: 79-66 (chan 1735492)

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.






01/11/12--07:11: Expecting The Unexpected (chan 1735492)

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.






01/11/12--20:04: Rush The Court Remembers Glenn Robinson (chan 1735492)



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.






01/12/12--06:00: Get Your Hate On: Wisconsin (chan 1735492)

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 Wisconsin Badgers.





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.






01/12/12--21:54: Boilers Make it Tougher on Themselves by Losing to Wisconsin at Mackey (chan 1735492)

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.






01/13/12--06:00: Friday Gumbo (chan 1735492)

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.






01/14/12--09:11: Log Jam Ahead: Marve to Return (chan 1735492)

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. 






01/17/12--07:08: Get Ready To Fight Fight Fight Iowa (chan 1735492)

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 Iowa Hawkeyes.





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.






01/17/12--20:00: Football Rumours (chan 1735492)

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.






01/17/12--20:30: Good Black and Gold 75; Evil Black and Gold 68 (chan 1735492)



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.






01/17/12--20:50: Fact Fondue - Michigan State (chan 1735492)

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






01/19/12--07:21: Looking Ahead At The Boilers' Murderous Schedule (chan 1735492)




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.






01/20/12--07:24: Watch My Points Keep Growing: MSU Haterade (chan 1735492)

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 Michigan State Spartans.





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.






01/21/12--12:07: Embarrassed in East Lansing: 83-58 (chan 1735492)

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.






01/23/12--13:20: Do The Boilers Have A Leadership Problem? (chan 1735492)

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?






01/24/12--08:37: Hatin' With Might and Main: Michigan (chan 1735492)

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 Michigan Wolverines.

What should you not like about the maize? Manny Harris' elbow, for starters, which was of course "accidental." And resulted in an ejection.

The Fab Five still is a stain on Big Ten basketball. Those guys were openly being paid off and then we're supposed to feel sorry that their banners aren't hanging in Crisler? Hey, you guys can visit your banners anytime you want in the storage closet.

Ann Arbor is a....well, you know.

Zach Novak.

The whiney 'bags from American Pie were from Michigan.

You're welcome to add your own.

7 PM, ESPN.






01/24/12--19:57: Boilers Gut-Punched In West Lafayette, 66-64 (chan 1735492)

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.






01/25/12--07:52: A Quick Second Look at Last Night (and special note) (chan 1735492)

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.

-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 it 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.






01/27/12--07:28: Grabbing Loose Balls Against The Purple-Headed Warriors (chan 1735492)

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 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.






01/27/12--15:11: Important One Ahead...and notes (chan 1735492)

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.






01/28/12--17:53: Boilers Survive in Evanston and Advance to Bye Week (chan 1735492)

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.