And so, a tough year ends...

2008 has not been a good year for me on any front. Last night was just a microcosm of that. I was excited all day to be covering a game for my Kats then following it up with the tape of the Purdue-Illinois game. I had little luck in avoiding the Purdue score as they kept announcing it at the Kokomo-Westfield game. As it turns out, both the Boilers and Kats ended up finishing gut-wrenching overtime losses at about the same time.

What a fitting ending to a craptacular year.

These games tend to affect me too much. I haven’t even watched the tape of Purdue yet (and doubt I will now) but it give me that sinking feeling in my stomach. I actually had trouble sleeping last night from both losses. With Kokomo, they didn’t even seem interested until they were down 18 and turned up their defensive pressure to make a furious comeback. They actually took a 1 point lead with 13 seconds left before fouling and letting Westfield tie it from the line. Purdue was in a similar fate, as they announced that the Boilers were ahead by a point with seconds to go.

In a way, I feel like I don’t need to watch last night’s tape. I think I watched the same game only at the high school level. My Kats shot only 61% from the line while Purdue shot 55%. Kokomo was 4 of 12 from 3-point range, Purdue was 4 of 16. Both teams shot worse than 45% from the field. The result was even eerily similar on the scoreboard. Kokomo’s game was 73-68 while Purdue’s was 71-67. It was my first time seeing Kokomo this year, but both teams clearly are better than they are playing right now.

In talking with Kokomo coach Brian McCauley last night he mentioned how his guys have to realize they can’t just flip a switch at game time and expect to win. They were a top 10 team to start the season, but have now lost four in a row when they probably should have won three of those four. Doesn’t this sound an awful lot like Purdue at the moment? We’ve been in the top 15 all year, but we feel like we can just turn it on at game time to win. It doesn’t work that way.

This team has to start shooting better. The GBI forums are saying Painter was outcoached last night, but if we just shoot better and hit our free throws we win easily. The free throw woes are the most infuriating, but when you’re not hitting from the field it carries over to the line. There is absolutely no reason this team should ever shoot worse than 75% from the line in any given game. JaJuan Johnson gets it with an 8 of 10 night, but even one of his two misses came at a critical time as it would have won the game.

If you look at the stats last night we clearly lost the game from the line. We took away the 3-pointer (one of Illinois’ strengths), but they did exactly what I warned about in the preview. They went inside to Tisdale and Davis to pound away. They were 14 of 29 from the field (nearly half their shots). We let Alex Legion, a guy playing in just his 4th game of the season, have a season high 12 off the bench. We won the battle on the glass despite a size disadvantage and one of our main post players only playing four minutes. This was offset by the fact that Illinois, a turnover-prone team, had just 6 turnovers.

This was an incredibly frustrating loss because if we simply shoot the ball better or force more turnovers (things we do often) we win. Now we’re down a game in an already tight Big Ten race before it even starts. We cannot afford to lose at home if we’re going to win this conference. We have to shoot better and we have to force more turnovers. The fixes are small, but in a race like this even small fixes can mean the difference between victory and defeat. We haven’t proven we can fix those things yet. Until we do, we are not ready. I hope this serves as a wake up call. Unfortunately, we have been hitting the snooze button for awhile.

We can still win this conference. No one is going through it undefeated this season. Shoot, we still even control our own destiny. The absolute best case scenario of us running the table over the next 17 games would give us at the very least a tie for the championship since we still have another game against Illinois. As tight as things are, four or even five losses could get a share of the title. We cannot drop another home game though. We have to win 8 straight at Mackey and get at least six on the road. We are capable of doing that, but we have to shoot the basketball better.

2008 in review

As we wrap up this terrible year I wanted to hit some of the highlights of the past 365 days in Purdue athletics. Football hasn’t helped us out much, but there were some major steps forward all-around.

January 27th – Robbie Hummel swats Wisconsin



I wrote then that this game simply announced we had arrived at the mountain to begin climbing it again. It was the first of many signature Big Ten victories for this team.

February 9th – Purdue 72, Wisconsin 67 – Our first major road victory in many years. I was actually in West Lafayette that day and wish I had stayed to watch the game at Harry’s or something. The fact the student met the team at the airport that morning was amazing. We were no longer the Baby boilers.

March 9th – Purdue 58, Illinois 56 Women’s Big Ten Tournament final – I have to give the ladies some credit here. This may have been the grittiest women’s team in Purdue history. They were down two of their best players all year and needed a Big Ten tournament title in order to keep a streak of 14 straight NCAA appearances. They did just that with Kiki Freeman’s buzzer-beater. They even justified their entry by winning a game in the tourney.

March 20th – Purdue 90, Baylor 79 – So much for being a grind it out team. Coach Painter lets the Boilers run and we blow past Baylor playing their style.

May 18th – Purdue softball makes history – The women’s softball team made its first ever NCAA Tournament appearance in 2008 and managed to win a game in a loaded UCLA regional. Purdue was the least experienced team by far, but used the pitching of Dana Alcocer to beat Cal State Fullerton 4-2 after losing its opening game to Nevada. The Wolfpack then knocked the Boilers out 2-1 in the next game, but Purdue’s 35-23 season was easily its best. The Boilers also won spring invitationals in Waco, Texas and Greenville, NC. The NCAA win over Cal State Fullerton actually avenged an early season 5-0 loss to the Titans.

May 24th – Purdue baseball finishes as runner-up in Big Ten Tourney – A 32-26 season may not sound like much, but the baseball Boilers finished one of their best seasons in history by falling just short of winning the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Boilers set a school record for conference wins with a 21-10 Big Ten mark. It would have been good enough to win the conference in several recent seasons, but Michigan had a top 15 program for most of the year and cruised to the title. Purdue was runner-up to the Wolverines for both the regular season and tournament titles. If not for a nine game losing streak to start the season in which Purdue lost four one-run games to nationally ranked Baylor and Kentucky the Boilers might have squeezed an at large tournament berth. Purdue has still only made one NCAA baseball tournament appearance.

Mid-August – Incoming freshman diver David Boudia and senior javelin thrower Kara Patterson compete in Beijing – Boudia very nearly came home with a medal while Patterson was the first Purdue woman to compete in an individual Olympic event. It should also be noted that former baseball player Mike Dursmaa played for the Netherlands’ team.

September 20th – Joe Tiller passes Jack Mollenkopf –

It was one of the few highlights of the season, but Kory Sheets’ big run against Central Michigan gave coach Tiller the Purdue record for wins as a head coach. There is no word on if the Central Michigan safety still randomly falls down when thinking about the move Kory put on him. The run also gave Sheets Purdue’s all-time touchdowns record. I also include a bonus video of the high point of the football season. If this Oregon game turns out differently I think Purdue wins 7-8 games.

November 22nd – The Bucket returns by force – I know it was a down year, but it was very satisfying to send coach Tiller out in style by thoroughly beating the Hoosiers 62-10. Any time you can hand a historically bad program its worst loss in school history as described by its own fans you have achieved something. The fact that it was a major rival makes things even better.

December 28th - Drew Brees passes 5,000 yards in season, leads my fantasy team to its second consecutive championship - Yes, I have become that guy that talks about his fantasy team. I don't care. Last year it was the New Orleans Looters and this year it was the Bitches Ain't Shit (but hoes and tricks). Mr. Brees has been my QB for three straight years now. Once again, He led me team to a championship. It would have been three straight if Adam Vinatieri hadn't kicked a meaningless field goal in a Monday night game against Cincinnati two years ago to knock me out of the first round of the playoffs (as the number 1 seed) by one point. Special thanks go to Kyle Orton (my backup QB), Dustin Keller (tight end with Dallas Clark), Jacques Reeves (a contributor as a random defensive player), Shaun Phillips (the same), and Anthony Spencer (I had the Dallas defense) for their contributions to this title.

I hope everyone has a safe and productive 2009. I will not be sad to see this year go, as it has been on of much personal adversity. I am very thankful to have this blog and the wonderful athletes at Purdue as a distraction from everything. I am very thankful for you readers as well. I admit that the Illinois loss last night made me feel like this was a waste of my time because I felt the Big Ten dreams were flushed away in the first game. It is never a waste of time though with you readers. Everyone, please celebrate safely tonight. I already have the Mt. Carmel Copper Ale (perhaps the finest Ale I have ever tasted. Even better than Breckenridge Brewery Avalanche) cooling in the fridge and I’ll crack open a cold one to you all at Casa de T-Mill tonight.

Brickless

I am very encouraged today after a few days in the dumps. As I write this, the 1998 Alamo Bowl is playing on the Big Ten Network’s Greatest Games. I know I have it on tape thanks to Boilerdowd, but if it is on TV it simply calls to me. You readers selected it as the second best win of the Tiller Era, and I certainly agree.

I am also heartened by the fact today is a big basketball day for me. Not only is Purdue opening the Big Ten season with at home against Illinois, but I get to go cover my beloved Kokomo Wildkats as they face Westfield tonight. It is the first time I will get to see this year’s team with promising freshman D.J. Ballentine. From everything I hear about him he may be a potential recruiting target for coach Painter in a few years.

For the purposes of this blog, however, Illinois needs to be the focus of the day. The Illini bring in a very strong record. They are more than capable of derailing our march to the Big Ten title before it even gets started. Before getting to the preview, I recently had the chance to speak with Joe from Paint the Town Orange about the Illini and here is what he had to say:

1. In your opinion, what is the biggest difference in this year's team from last year, especially since they are now winning close games instead of losing them.

The biggest difference between this year’s Illini team and the '07-08 team is our front court. The anchor of last years team was the combination of Brian Randle at forward and Shaun Pruitt at center. I feel bad to pin so much on these two players, but neither of them could run the motion offense very well because of their lack of mobility, and for as big and strong as they were, they would both vanish when it came to rebounds for long stretches. Pruitt also had a long standing feud with Weber that bubbled over a few times last year, and his complete inability to make even 50% of his free throws lost the Illini at least one game that I can think of. This year’s front court, at the very least can make its free throws, which has contributed to our turnaround in close games this year.

2. With 12 wins already in the bank and some good ones in that group, how many Big Ten wins are you expecting to seal an NCAA bid?

It’s tough to say how many wins it will take to make the tourney this year, especially given how much better the conference seems to be this year. I am almost positive that given the high profile non-conference victories the Big 10 has had this year, we will be sending 5 teams. Last year a 10 and 8 Big Ten record was good enough for 5th place, so that’s what we would need, at the very least. We also really need to beat up on one of the 5 teams that should finish better than us. I am hoping Michigan or Minnesota. Realistically an NIT is far more likely for the Illini this year.

3. With four players averaging in double figures who is the true go to guy on this Illinois squad? What do you see as this team's weakness?

On a team that starts 3 Sophs, a go to guy one game might vanish in the next. Our two seniors don't fit the description either as one is not known for scoring, and the other has been very inconsistent shooting the ball while being guarded. As the year goes on, it will become more and more McCamey and Legion who will make the big shots but both are still learning the offense or learning to play their hardest in every game. The weakness for this team will be when our 3 pointers aren’t falling and our front court will be over matched by size and strength. When it comes to Big 10 play we will need scoring from the guards every night, because we are just too light at center and forward.

Thanks Joe!

Record: 12-1, 0-0 Big Ten
2007-08 Postseason: lost 61-48 to Wisconsin in Big Ten Tournament final (eliminated Purdue 74-67 OT in quarterfinal)
2007-08 Final Record: 16-19
Blog Representation: Paint the Town Orange, The Quad

Illinois was the biggest disappointment in the Big Ten a season ago. They were a team that was certainly good enough to make the NCAA Tournament, but free throw shooting was a major Achilles heel. They showed how good they were by making a Big Ten Tournament run that nearly netted the automatic bid. Ultimately, they ran out of gas against Wisconsin. Non-conference losses to Miami (OH) and Tennessee State were prime examples of that weakness. All told 13 of Illinois’ 19 losses came by 10 points or less. Sweeps by Indiana and Penn State were especially grueling.

There will be no 19 loss season for the Illini this year. They are once again on of the teams in the Big Tent hat has a serious chance at an NCAA berth. Their 12-1 is very nearly a 13-0, as a two point losses to unbeaten Clemson in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge serves not only as their lone blemish, but it tipped the challenge in favor of the ACC. They are not only winning this year, they are winning decisively.

The best win came at Vanderbilt back on November 20th. The Commodores have been to the NCAA’s the last two seasons and are a threat to do go again. Georgia and Missouri are also a couple of good wins. They have faced a pair of common opponents with us. They pounded Detroit by 31 but struggled a little with Eastern Michigan this past weekend.

Illinois may have gotten better this year because of addition by subtraction, as noted by Joe above. Long time contributors Brian Randle and Shaun Pruitt are gone, but they had major flaws in their games. Pruitt was an abysmally bad free throw shooter of Shaq-like proportions. Randle wasn’t much better as he was below 60% for his career. Teams exploited this a season ago and it was painful to watch the pair brick games away.

One player I am very sad to see return is an even bigger factor now. Demetri McCamey only had five points in the game in West Lafayette last year, but he had 15 in Champaign and blew up for 26 in the Big Ten Tournament contest. In Indianapolis McCamey was 6 for 6 from 3-point range. One of those threes came with Kramer in his face and sent the game to overtime with 18 seconds left.

The sophomore is back for more this year and is just as dangerous. He is tied in scoring with Trent Meachem at 12.2 points per game. Forward Mike Davis is just a tenth of a point in back of them as the Illini are very balanced at the top of their scoring charts. When you throw in 7’1” sophomore Mike Tisdale’s 11.6 points per game they feature four guys averaging better than 11 points per game.

That balance is very similar to our own in that you don’t really know who is going to lead Illinois in scoring each night. Tisdale is obviously a matchup problem for us, especially with the 6’10” Davis helping him out in the paint. A solution is to go big with Calasan, Johnson, and Hummel together inside, but that leaves us dangerously short on personnel if someone gets in foul trouble. If Illinois is smart they will exploit this advantage. Tisdale has had a career high of 25 twice this year, but he’s also been shut out in a game.

Davis is just as up and down in scoring. He only had a point against Eastern Michigan, but had 28 against Clemson. That’s especially odd considering that Eastern Michigan may be the worst team they have played and Clemson is likely the best. Meachem is probably the more dangerous shooter than McCamey. McCamey can be a little streaky, but Meachem shoots 50% both from the field and from 3-point range. He also shoots almost 92% from the free throw line.

That is probably the biggest difference for Illinois. As a team they are shooting almost 73% from line, which is a vast improvement over last season. McCamey is 89% from the line while Davis is the weakest of the big four at 72%. Considering that Randle and Pruitt were both comfortably under 60% it is a huge step forward.

Despite their size advantage Illini is not a strong rebounding team. At 7’1” Tisdale should accidentally get 8 rebounds per game, but he only averages 4.7. Davis is the leader at 7.8, but as a team they only average 34 per game. Part of it does come from the fact that they are shooting better, meaning fewer chances for offensive rebounds. Tisdale does have a good number of his rebounds on the offensive glass, so it will be important to box him out on every shot attempt.

The scoring numbers also suggest that Illinois shares the ball very well. The assist totals back them up on this. Meachem and McCamey are very good at distributing the ball, averaging 2.7 and 4.5 assists per game. McCamey currently ranks 6th in the conference in that category. The duo doesn’t even lead Illinois as Chester Frazier plays the role of the true point guard. He’s only scoring 6.2 points per game, but he leads the Big Ten with 6.5 assists per game. Frazier is the engine that drives this team. It will be paramout to prevent him from controlling the pace and getting the ball to his teammates in the right spots. Unfortunately, McCamey and Meachem have proven they are capable of distributing the ball as well.

Illinois also features a very deep bench. Dominique Keller, Calvin Brock, Richard Semrau, and the son of the Great One: Jeffrey Jordan have all played in very game. They mostly spell the starting five who do most of the work. Brock plays the most while Keller contributes more than 6 points per game.

If Illinois has a weakness it is turning the ball over. They give the ball away 14 times per game and Frazier turns it over almost half as much as he gives an assist. The reality though is that Illinois is the second best shooting team in the conference. They also stay out of foul trouble. This will be a strong test for us to begin the conference season.

The area that we have to watch out for is if Illinois gets an inside-out game going on us. If we collapse down on Davis and Tisdale their guards can light it up from long range. If we stay out on them we open ourselves to getting killed in the paint. I do not feel good about this game because of these issues. It will take a tremendous defensive effort for us to win.

Some teams may have less overall talent than others, but for whatever reason they match up extremely well with certain opponents. I feel Illinois is like that with us. Jacksonville was awful this year, but for some reason they just match up well with the Colts and give them fits. The same is true for San Diego. Good teams find a way to overcome this and still win. If we’re truly a top 10 team we will find a way to do this, especially at home. We need the Purdue that played against Davidson to show up, not the Purdue of the last two games. I think we will answer the call because we often play to our level of competition. We have better competition than our last two games and I expect to respond accordingly. Purdue 69, Illinois 65

Big Ten Non-conference review

It certainly wasn’t pretty yesterday, but Purdue wrapped up the non-conference portion of its schedule with an 11-2 record. Yesterday’s 59-45 victory was not the best win in the history of basketball, but it was a win. We were down two of our regular eight players (Calasan played sparingly, so I count him as down) but even with only 75% of our normal lineup we won by 14. Another one of those eight players, Marcus Green, gave us virtually nothing that was measured on the stat sheet.

This was a positive win for those factors and more. Valparaiso played a very determined game. Remember, they made North Carolina, the consensus best team in the country, work a bit for a win last week. It is no surprise that their toughness let them hang around a little longer than expected. We weren’t shooting well, and players like Buggs, Diebler, and Igbavboa can give them a puncher’s chance if they are playing well. We also got unexpected contributions from Bobby Buckets and Ryne Smith.

Bobby Riddell’s game was also very important. To me, there is no reason he can’t play at least a few minutes at the point each night. He has demonstrated that he is more of an offensive threat than Chris Kramer is. He works hard defensively as well. We badly needed a spark yesterday and his two first half 3-pointers were that spark. He’s a smart, veteran player who has been through a lot in his career. It’s not like he hasn’t played a lot either. His minutes have been down the past two seasons, but it was necessary for him to play early in his career.

I’m not going to break this game down into positives and negatives like I have the past few games. Instead, I wanted to take a larger look at this team as we reach the de facto end of the first third of the season. First you have your non-conference season, then your conference season, and hopefully an extended post season of several games.

The biggest thing I have noticed about this team is that aside from the Duke game, we tend to play to the level of our competition. I attribute the Duke game to us having a poor night against a very good team. In a rematch I think we could give them a much better game. In the other 12 games we have generally played as well as our opponents have played. I consider Oklahoma a dead even game. One possession the other way changes the outcome against them. We had a great gameplan against a very good Davidson team and blew them out.

Conversely, we have played down in a lot of games this year. We struggled against Valparaiso, Indiana State, and IPFW. I believe part of that comes from the fact they are in-state teams. They are filled with players that probably wanting to play for Purdue or Indiana, but weren’t quite good enough to make it. Playing an in-state non-conference game, especially in a basketball crazy place like Indiana, is always dangerous because of that extra chip on their shoulders. They want to prove themselves in their one chance against the programs that dominate the state headlines. There is plenty of talent to go around in this state. If you can get a bunch of guys that flat out shoot the basketball, which is what many Indiana kids are, you can hang around against anyone.

Because of that, I don’t think it is any coincidence we struggled somewhat against our four in-state opponents. Is Valpo a threat to get hot in March and steal the Horison League bid? Absolutely! Can IPFW compete in the Summit league? Of course! Ball State and Indiana State are rebuilding, but it’s not exactly like success is foreign to them. Indiana has proven that it is home to the best high school basketball tradition in the country, so it is not a surprise to see those attitudes of hustle, shooting, and defense carry over to its smaller college programs.

Going back to ending the first third of the season for a moment; we’re probably right about where people thought we would be. Duke and Oklahoma are not bad losses. Oklahoma easily couldn’t be a loss anyway. Each win, aside from the Boston College one in New York, has been by 14 points or more. BC gives us an unexpected quality win for now, while Davidson gave us a nationally televised showcase to refute the Duke performance. Are things really that bad?

We have looked bad in some respects, but I would much rather look bad against IPFW and still win comfortably than look bad against Wisconsin and lose. The Big Ten season will be much tougher than expected, but we have plenty to build on. With that being said, here are my Big Ten rankings from bottom to top listing each team’s biggest strengths and weaknesses.

11. Indiana (5-7) – Strength – I am not one to relish Indiana’s great struggles this year. Yes, they brought it upon themselves, but as we have proven things can change back in their favor quickly. Right now their biggest strength is surprise. No one expects them to even compete in the conference, let alone win a game. Because of that, they will surprise someone.

Weakness – Rebounding, turnovers, shooting, defense, depth: essentially, all the fundamentals of the game of basketball.

10. Northwestern (10-2) – Strength – I think there is a huge gap at the moment between Indiana and everyone else. No one has really played well enough to be the head and shoulders favorite, but that is a good thing. From 1 through 10 this conference is very balanced and should make for some exciting games. Northwestern’s biggest strength is its patience in running that offense. They lull people to sleep with it.

Weakness – For the first time in a long time Northwestern is a legit threat in every conference game. Unfortunately, I think they lack the necessary depth to truly compete each night. They will win their share of games, but can they win at least 11 conference games to steal an NCAA bid? That’s what it would take. Fortunately, there are no bad losses to kill the NCAA dream for now.

9. Iowa (10-3) – Strength – Iowa has played a lot of guys plenty of minutes so far. They spread things around and play pretty tough defense.

Weakness - Iowa hasn’t really beaten anyone yet. They struggle away from Iowa City with the only win coming at the Citadel and in a tournament vs. Kansas State. I would still give them one more year.

8. Penn State (11-2) – Strength – This is another promising young team like Iowa. They played very well at the end of last season. They have a very strong trio of Cornley, Battle, and Pringle that can keep them in any game. They can also score plus take care of the ball.

Weakness – They have put up some big numbers statistically, but only a win at Georgia Tech can be considered a good one. The two losses came to good but not great Temple and Rhode Island. Everyone else was a creamy cupcake.

7. Wisconsin (9-3) – Strength – I place the Badgers here not because I think they are bad, but because they whiffed in all three chances for a good win. They remind me a bit of Ohio State last season. They are a very balanced team almost like our own that will win plenty of games.

Weakness - They also struggled with Long Beach State, Iona, and Idaho State. Something just doesn’t feel right, as they should be better than this. They still have one of the best home court advantages in the conference.

6. Illinois (12-1) – Strength – If 20 wins is the magic number the Illini are in a very good position for a return to the dance. They are more than good enough for a 10-8 conference finish that would easily qualify them. A win at Vanderbilt is also very nice. The free throw shooting, something that cost them dearly a season ago, is much better.

Weakness – They lack a truly dominant big man, but Mike Davis can easily grow into the role. This is a very dangerous team that will be looking to make a statement tomorrow night in Mackey Arena.

5. Minnesota (12-0) – Strength – They currently have the confidence of being unbeaten. They got a very big win by beating Louisville and controlling the game throughout. I remember another team last year that beat Louisville on a neutral floor to build its confidence.

Weakness – The next best win is over an awful Virginia team. They also open with Michigan State and Ohio State at home for a very tough beginning. Rebounding could also be a major issue as they do it by committee.

4. Ohio State (9-1) – Strength – They had probably the most impressive stretch by beating Miami, Notre Dame, and Butler in succession. Those are three really good wins to bank for March.

Weakness – In their first major test without David Lighty they got absolutely pantsed by West Virginia. The Mountaineers lost to Kentucky, who lost to Miami, so explain that. The Miami win was extremely lucky to as the Canes’ Jack McClinton was ejected early and they blew a big lead at home.

3. Purdue (11-2) – Strength – We’re incredibly balanced and, if you count Riddell, we can go nine deep on the bench. The way we play defense, especially against Stephan Curry, shows we can shut down anyone.

Weakness – We rely too much on the 3-point shot. Our rebounding has gotten better, but we have to attack the basket more. We haven’t played our best basketball yet outside of the Davidson game.

2. Michigan (9-2) – Strength – No one else in the country can claim two wins over top five teams. In fact, one of the two losses was essentially erased in that. Harris and Sims may be the most dynamic one-two punch in the conference. Harris’ overall profile have him, in my opinion, as the early Player of the Year in the conference.

Weakness – Can they be too confident? Did they blow their load early? It has been a very long time since Crisler Arena has seen event his much success. Much like us last year, there are questions as to how this young team will respond to success.

1. Michigan State (9-2) – Strength – I still think this team is the team to beat. They struggled early, but Kalin Lucas scares the crap out of me. Now that Raymar Morgan has Goran Suton back to help him down low they probably have the best frontcourt in the conference. That gives them a grind it out edge over everyone else.

Weakness – Once Suton gets back fully they can have five guys averaging in double figures. They can play inside-out. How do you stop that? Their only problem is turnovers. Free throw shooting in close games could be costly too.

Conference Outlook:

I think it is entirely possible that six or even seven teams can get an NCAA bid this season. If the magic mark is 20 wins seven is entirely possible. Very rarely has a 20 win Big Ten team been left out. Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Michigan are virtual locks to get to 20 wins if they continue to play as well as they have. Ohio State’s three big non-conference wins give them a little leeway where 18-19 might be enough. Penn State might get enough to get to 20. A conference this even also leaves some room for a team to get hot in Indianapolis and steal the automatic bid like Illinois nearly did last year. Only Indiana is truly out of it at this point.

The Last Crusade

I had planned to update tonight much earlier with some bigger news after a day full of high school basketball, but things did not go according to plan. I was asked to cover the Zionsville Holiday Tournament today featuring future Purdue forward Patrick Bade as a centerpiece with his Class 4A #3 Franklin Central Flashes. My responsibility was to cover host Zionsville. After the Eagles handily won the opening game 69-30 I figured I would get a chance to see them face off against Bade in the championship, so I left early to enjoy my afternoon.

This is where the first thing went wrong.

Franklin Central was upset by a feisty Lafayette Central Catholic squad 65-59. I wanted to get up there in time to catch the tail end of their third place game, but a return at Best Buy on Michigan Road went longer than expected. As a result: I didn’t get to see Bade do much more than warm up before the afternoon game.

Tonight’s update was delayed further by a sudden power outage at Casa de T-Mill, much to the dismay of Mrs. T-Mill. She was forced to watch the majority of the second half of her Canes’ bowl game with Cal via cell phone gametracker. Power was restored just in time for Jacory Harris’ backbreaking fumble and two-minute drill that made Donovan McNabb’s Super Bowl performance look rushed. In reality he had to think it was a two hour drill.

In short: I have no first hand account of Bade’s skills, Jacory Harris’ two-minute drill can be timed with continental drift, my afternoon matinee of Seven Pounds was good, but depressing, and I am on my fourth attempt to get the original Guitar Hero to work on my Playstation 3. Fortunately, Drew Brees and Dustin Keller are poised to lead me to my second consecutive Fantasy Football league title tomorrow.

This has nothing to do with tomorrow’s non-conference finale against Valparaiso, but at least it is likely a more entertaining lead in to the preview.

Valparaiso Crusaders

Record: 3-8, 1-1 Horizon League

2007-08 postseason: 91-67 loss to Houston in Second Round of Collegiate Basketball Invitation Tournament

2007-08 final record: 22-14

Blog Representation: none

Valparaiso will always be remembered for their sweet 16 run in 1998 and Bryce Drew’s deadly 3-point shooting. During that season we actually came close to playing them for a Final Four berth in the Elite 8. They have had quite a bit of success on the court outside of that one season. They have seven tournament appearances in the last 12 years and went to the inaugural CBI tournament last season. They have a tendency to struggle against ranked teams, however.

They lost all five games a year ago played against ranked opponents. This year is no different as they have already lost to #1 North Carolina. ESPN’s records go back to the 2001-02 season and they don’t have a victory over a ranked team in that time. Most of those games haven’t even been competitive.

Valpo lost by 22 to North Carolina, but that is a pretty good showing against the best team in the nation. Unfortunately, the rest of the schedule hasn’t been kind. The only wins are against Central Florida, Youngstown State, and Marian College. They beat Central Florida by 17, but that was reversed on Monday when the Golden Knights won in Orlando by 25. They also lost all three games in a tournament in the Virgin Islands.

Valpo is not a strong offensive team. Only two players, Urule Igbavboa (who has the best hair of any opponent) and Michael Rogers, average in double figures at 10.4 each. As team they only put up 61.5 points per night. Their shooting percentages aren’t that strong, either. They hit only 41% from the field and a dismal 59.5% from the line. 3-point shooting is slightly better at 31%.

The Crusaders feature a regular eight man rotation, but they struggle to rebound more than we do. No one gets more than six rebounds per game. This comes from an extreme lack of size. Igbavboa is the tallest player on the team at 6’9”. Cameron Witt is also a 6’9” that plays, but has struggled against everyone except Central Florida and Marian. The Crusaders are also incredibly young with seven freshmen and two sophomores on the roster.

One player to watch out for is freshman point guard Erik Buggs. The 6’ 150 pound Buggs is a good distributor at almost three assist per game. He had eight dimes in the Crusaders’ last game. He can also be a threat to score as he was in double figures for the first three games of his collegiate career. He is prone to turnovers, but so is the entire Valparaiso team.

As much as Valpo struggles to score they are even worse defensively. For them the equation is simple. If they hold a team under 60, they win. If they give up more than 60, they lose. Giving up 85 points to North Carolina may be a good thing, but giving up 85 to the same Central Florida team you previously held to 52 is not.

Like most 3-8 teams, it is hard to find something that Valparaiso does particularly well. They are young, they struggle to score, they turn the ball over, they don’t defend well, and they can’t rebound. 12 assists per game is good, but that can only take a team so far. The Crusaders had a strong year in their first season of Horizon League competition, but this year will be much more difficult.

Meanwhile, we are facing injuries. Even then, I don’t think it will be enough of a difference to swing this game in Valpo’s favor. It is our final tune-up before Big Ten play. Honestly, if we lose a game like this we have no business considering ourselves as a conference favorite. Stranger things, such as Portland State over Gonzaga last week, have happened. We should be encouraged by a number of things statistically. Nothing is more encouraging than the fact that our last opponent, IPFW, handled the Crusaders by 17 points on their own floor.

This is not a good team. I am not going to blow smoke and talk about how hard they play and all that. They are inferior to us and even if we sit Kramer and Calasan so they can heal we should still win easily. This is nothing more than another chance to fine tune things before getting into conference play. Tuesday’s game against Illinois is far more important.

I look for JaJuan to have another big day against a smaller opponent. It’s good too, because these types of games are critical to his confidence. Robbie Hummel should have a decent night as well against the home town team. Keaton Grant and E’Twaun Moore need to keep working on their shooting, so there should be plenty of chances for that. Valpo allowed Central Florida to shoot better than 65% from the field in its last game, and allowed 13 of 22 for the Golden Knights from 3-point range. It would take a horrible night by our entire roster to make this one close. Purdue 80, Valparaiso 55

Merry Christmas from Off the Tracks

Hey guys, I'll be taking a break over the next few days to spend some time with family and recharge the creative batteries. I wanted to thank my readers for making this year the most successful so far. You guys are what makes this thing worthwhile. I'll probably be back around Saturday with a Valpo preview. If not, it will be Sunday with Non-conference season wrap, Illinois preview, or some power rankings.

In the meantime, I wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas.

Also, as a quick note, the Boiler Sports Report is under new management and is making a comeback. In the world of Scout vs. Rivals GBI has been winning for a long time, but things could be changing soon. Topher Smith and Alan Trieu have taken things over and imrovments are forthcoming. They offer a different voice on recruiting and current events. Some schools have quality Scout sites in addition to Rivals sites for dynamite coverage. Miami is one of them, as their Scout site is probably better than their Rivals. Anyway, feel free to check it out!

Also, if you're int he market for Cheerleading Trophies I know of a few great places for them. It is also a great place for football trophies and soccer trophies.

A Milton Berle game

ESPN’s Bill Simmons is a polarizing figure. I happen to like his writing, but I recognize that many people don’t. He did come up with the term “Milton Berle game” to describe events like what happened in Mackey Arena last night. I’ll save those wanting a more family-friendly atmosphere from the full explanation, but basically, we took out just enough to win.

I wrote in the preview that we should be concerned if the final margin was under 20 points. I realize now I was wrong in that. I’ll give credit to IPFW for playing a defensive-minded game. Still, we kept the lead comfortable with no serious charges throughout the second half. We also played the bench mafia, unlike in the Davidson game. Both of those factors clearly contributed to the closer than expected margin. Even then, IPFW did score the game’s final five points in the last minute.

Positives from the IPFW game:

JaJuan Johnson – He had to play extended minutes because of the injury to Calasan and made the most of it. I like that he is learning to use his size against these smaller teams. It is a critical step in his development. His play at the end of the first half was a play that he probably would not have made a year ago. Getting into the conference schedule will be another major step for him. As long as we have Calasan healthy in order to take some of the burden off of him it will allow JaJuan to develop at his own pace. JaJuan was also key in stepping up for an off night from Robbie. JaJuan took a lot of high percentage shots down and kept his fouls down.

E’Twaun Moore – Speaking of taking a step forward, E’Twaun did last night with a better performance. His shooting was better, but more importantly he didn’t turn the ball over. Three-point shooting was still an issue, but it was for the whole team. I’ll take any game where E’Twaun scores 19 and gets to the line a few times.

Marcus Green – Green is another player that filled in very well for the cold Hummel and injured Calasan. 12 and 9 is not what we expect out of him, but as I keep saying, the mere fact he can give us 12 and 9 is what makes us so good.

Lewis Jackson – I agree with Boilerdowd in that sometimes LewJack doesn’t appear to do much in the box score, but the way he pushes tempo has a huge effect on the game. The fact he had nine points and no turnovers in a pretty controlled game is even better. It will be interesting to see if he maintains his starting spot once we get into Big Ten play.

Negatives from the IPFW game:

3-point shooting – Clearly this is going to be a hot and cold issue throughout the season. I’d much rather have it be cold against a team we can dominate inside like IPFW. Keaton Grant went back into hiding. He and E’Twaun combined to shoot worse than 20% from long range. We need to use nights like last night to develop more scoring options inside for the Big Ten games that we’re going to struggle from long range. This was really the only negative from last night.

Up next:

We have one final tune up this coming weekend against a Valpo team that actually played North Carolina fairly well. It should be a good game in the sense that we can’t totally go through the emotions against them. We also have some health issues now with Kramer and Calasan, but at least they get a week to heal before opening Big Ten play. If we can beat Valpo without them, and I know we can, I wouldn’t play them at all.

Ultimately there isn’t a lot you can take from last night. We beat a team we were supposed to beat. That’s all you can really say, unlike, say, losing at home to Northeastern by 13 and setting a new record for futility in your own building.

Opponents’ update:

Detroit (3-7, 0-2 Horizon League) – The Titans finally got another win, but it was against a Division II school. They also just got lit up against Illinois 82-51. We’ll get no help from them schedule-wise.

Eastern Michigan (2-9, 0-0 MAC) – Both wins came against non-Division I teams. They’ve also lost games to Brown, Detroit, and Oakland. They are one of many teams dragging down our RPI as we seem to play good or awful teams with no middle ground.

Loyola (IL) (7-5, 0-1 Horizon League) – The Ramblers have been pretty good of late in winning five of their last six. The only loss was a conference one to Illinois-Chicago. Unfortuantely, the best of those five wins is either Holy Cross or Missouri-Kansas City

Coppin State (1-8, 0-1 MEAC) – The Eagles have lost eight in a row and have yet to play a home game. They are in the midst of a Wisconsin-Syracuse-Colorado-Oklahoma-Missouri road trip.

Boston College (9-2, 0-0 ACC) – RPI-wise they are our best win to date. According to CBS Sports they are 24th in the RPI and they haven’t lost since we beat them. They should be 12-2 before starting a tough ACC slate that will help us with each victory they get.

Oklahoma (12-0, 0-0 Big 12) – They haven’t really played anyone other than us and Davidson. Still, they haven’t lost. They are #2 in the RPI and are projecting as a #1 seed in ESPN’s Bracketology. We happen to be the #3 seed in their region, and I certainly wouldn’t mind a rematch.

Duke (10-1, 0-0 ACC) – Very nice win over Xavier this weekend. I definitely give them credit for scheduling five non-conference games away from Cameron Indoor. Two were true road games too.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (1-9, 0-0 SWAC) – They finally got a win over Southern Methodist. ESPN projects them as the SWAC representative too. That should tell you how bad that conference is. I think every team we have played would beat them.

Ball State (5-5, 0-0 MAC) – They are 1-1 since our game, losing to Eastern Kentucky but beating transitional D-I member Presbyterian. Somewhere, Danny Hope vows revenge.

Indiana State (2-8, 0-0) – They should lose points for beating DePauw. AN improving IUPUI squad is playing them at Conseco as I write this and is leading them 42-30. Harry Marshall makes them a better team and will probably mean a couple of wins.

Mastodon Power!

When I was at Purdue a fellow TV production friend of mine did a mockumentary of the original Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers. I still have the footage to this day somewhere in my forgotten projects file, but in it, I played the Blue Ranger. For those who didn’t follow the mid-90’s program, it was essentially a knock off of cheap Japanese Godzilla movies. One of the “Dinozords”, the one controlled by the black ranger was a giant robotic mastodon (for reasons unknown, since it wasn’t a dinosaur). The quality of show was only slightly better than our little mockumentary, by which I mean not very good.

I mention that because we face the IPFW Mastodons tonight, and they would likely need a giant robotic mastodon in the paint in order to come away with a win. They are a relative newcomer to Division I, and as a result they are taking as many paycheck games as they can. That is what tonight really is: a paycheck game for our sister school in Ft. Wayne to take its beating and go home.

Record: 4-7, 0-2 Summit League
2007-08 Postseason: Lost 58-42 to Oral Roberts in semifinals of Summit League Tournament
2007-08 final record: 13-18
Blog Representation: Dane Fife: The Official blog

IPFW is probably best known for Dane Fife as the youngest Division I coach in the country. Fife actually married a girl from my hometown, but I remember him more for being the IU guard that caused us pain and suffering during the early part of this decade. He took the job at IPFW just three years after his playing days ended, so with some sustained success he could set himself up for quite a career. Before we can worry about him breaking Bobby Knight’s wins record, however, he needs to turn a transitional program into a consistent winner.

The Mastodons are about what you can expect for a team playing just its 8th year in the top division of college basketball. They lived a vagabond existence around the country as an independent before finally finding a conference home last season in the Summit League. The 13-18 mark in 2008 with 9-9 conference record was by far the team’s best season since moving up. Still, the Summit League won’t be confused for the Big Ten any time soon. It is a one-bid league in which IUPUI, one of the stronger low-majors last year, finished 26-7 yet still did not get invited to any postseason tournament. IPFW’s three wins outside of the Summit League came against either non-Division I teams or against another transitional member.

This year is a little bit better. The ‘Dons swept a home and home with Eastern Illinois and grabbed a convincing 63-46 win at Valparaiso. They actually hosted Michigan State early in the year and fell by only 11 to one of the Big Ten favorites. Purdue will be their fourth game against a ranked team as they have losses to Xavier, Marquette, and the Spartans. Their most recent game was a 75-48 loss to 7-2 Nebraska on Saturday. In that loss, IPFW actually led 34-29 at the half before falling apart in the second half. Jeremy Mixon led them with 15 points, but they were outscored 46-14 in the second half. Losses to Southern Utah and Missouri-Kansas City already have them down 0-2 in league play.

The ‘Dons have a strong Indiana flavor on their roster. Seven players hale fromt eh state of Indiana. Two players in Muncie Central’s John Peckinpaugh and Benn Botts were quality high school players that went toe-to-toe with Greg Oden’s Lawrence North teams in consecutive state championship games. Botts is one of IPFW’s leading scorers at 11.2 points per game as a sophomore. Peckinpaugh plays each night, but is barely averaging more than a point per game.

Much of the offense revolves around 6’7” forward David Carson. Carson leads the team with 14.7 points per game and is the second leading rebounder at 5.4 per contest. Carson is a fifth year senior that has steadily improved each year in the program. He is a decent 3-pointer shooter, so he does not exclusively limit himself to the post. I think of him as a poor man’s Carl Landry.

As mentioned, Botts is next on the team in scoring and is the only other player averaging in double figures. Botts is more of an outside threat as he lit up Michigan State for 22 points. He is an excellent free throw shooter when he gets to the line, hitting 92% of his attempts. If he heats up from long range we could have some trouble, especially if Carson can keep the pressure off of him by scoring inside.

Deilvez Yearby is another strong post player averaging 7.6 points per game and 6.7 rebounds. Yearby and Carson will have to have unbelievable nights while the perimeter players knock down shot after shot for the Mastodons to have a chance. Yearby had a season high of 13 against Valpo, and 10 in the Michigan State game. Guards nick Daniels and Zach Placemeier round out the starting lineup as their numbers are similar to Yearby’s.

After the starting five, however, the numbers in both production and minutes drops off dramatically. IPFW has very little size with reserve Trey McCorkle being the only player at 6’10” or above. He plays, but only about 12 and a half minutes per night. He did have a season high in a loss to Ball State. This lack of size often leads to poor efforts ont eh glass. IPFW only gets about 32 rebounds per night, and many of those are not of the offensive variety. This is essentially a one and done team. With the success we had at keeping Davidson to one shot per possession early on Saturday we should be able to continue that trend.

The ‘Dons are also not a strong offensive team. They shoot just 41% from the field and that is without playing a really strong defensive team like our own. Their 62 points per game average will be hard to come by against out defense unless they simply shoot the lights out.

This will likely be a game that is very similar to the Arkansas-Pine Bluff game. The ‘Dons are probably better than the Golden Lions, but they have already lost to Ball State. That likely puts them as our second weakest opponent with the possible exception of Eastern Michigan. Statistically there is nothing that stands out and makes me quake with fear at facing them. Considering we just played a nearly flawless game against one of the better teams in the country it will likely take us completely falling apart in order not to win. IPFW simply does not have the talent to beat us unless we beat ourselves.

One positive that the ‘Dons have is defense. Coach Fife was a defensive player of the year at Indiana. He has carried that philosophy over to his team. Good teams like Xavier and Michigan State did not score a ton of points like you would expect over a low major opponent. That defense could keep them in the game for a little while, but I don’t think it will be enough for a win.

The most I am looking for tonight is to see if Keaton Grant continues to improve and to see if E’Twaun can get out of his funk. Other than that, I expect the bench mafia to get plenty of minutes at the end of what will most likely be a blowout. If this game is closer than 20 points at the end we should be very concerned. Purdue 80, IPFW 55

That's what I'm talking about!

Many of Purdue’s devout fans saw yesterday as a challenge. Despite our record, it seemed like a paper 8-2. Both losses were to the only ranked teams on our schedule, who each happened to be in the top 10. A third loss to a ranked team would raise even more questions.

Consider those questions answered.

This was an unbelievable game yesterday. The crowd was somewhat tentative at first, but quickly warmed to multiple standing ovations as we jumped out to a 21-0 lead. There is little we could do wrong. Even in the inevitable lulls of the game we had success. One example I can think of is a stretch with about nine minutes to go in the game.

Davidson was on a little 12-2 run that got them to 66-49. We took possession with 9:50 to go after a 3-pointer and though we didn’t score, we had about a minute and a half long possession that drew three fouls and featured two offensive rebounds. At that point, scoring wasn’t nearly as damaging. Davidson got the ball back on a steal with 8:15 left, but by then we had taken away almost a fifth of the remaining time for any comeback.

It is little stretches like that which can make a huge difference in games down the road. It seemed like the final 10 minutes was one long such stretch. After running them down the floor on offense for 30 minutes, we backed off and took away what they needed most: time. This was teh textbook way you want to win a game. Build a big lead early, keep pressuring them on offense, then take the air out of the ball late.

Positives from the Davidson game:

Defense – Isn’t it obvious? We took the nation’s leading scorer, who was averaging 32 points per game and hadn’t had a game below 27, and we held him to 13. Stephen Curry didn’t have a moment’s respite whenever he had the ball. Kramer led the way, but special credit needs to be given to E’Twaun Moore, Lewis Jackson, and Keaton Grant for picking him up at key times. Every time he managed to shake Kramer someone else was right there to greet him. Kramer got the glory on ESPN, but this was truly a team effort in shutting down one of the best in the game. The shots he did make were challenged. Fortunately, he only had a couple, “Man, he is REALLY good,” types of shots that dropped.

As I said last night, Curry couldn’t even go to the bathroom without Kramer or someone else there to help. He’ll probably have more room to do stuff on the flight home to North Carolina.

Offensive balance – This is the type of offense we need the rest of the way. Jackson didn’t score and Kramer only had an early lay-up, but our other six guys contributed almost evenly. It helps a lot that we hit 3-pointers at a 61% rate (11 for 18). We spread those around too. Five different players had at least two triples. Chally had two big ones, as his first really kick started the 21-0 start. His second came at almost the exact same point in the second half and showed we weren’t going to rest on the lead. Marcus Green got involved too, especially on the Little Things side of the ledger. JaJuan had a good game to build his confidence in the post.

We’re at our best when this happens. I have no problem with Calasan and Johnson combining for 22 points and 8 rebounds. We need Marcus Green to do all the Little Things and chip in points where he can. He is a source of unexpected offense and gives teams one more thing to worry about when he is scoring. Kramer was vintage Kramer on offense early on, but after he took a fall on a drive in the first half he became timid again. Lewis Jackson seemed like he certainly did a lot more than take two shots and dish out only one assist. I guess it just feels like more when the entire team performs this well.

I think it feels like Jackson did more because he pushed the tempo at just the right moments. He may not have made the big pass for the assist, but he quickly brought the ball up the floor in the first half and allowed us to attack before Davidson got set. This was absolutely huge in building the big lead early. We were relentless with our offensive pressure just as much as we were defensively.

Robbie Hummel – The Big Ten is officially on notice. Robbie has had a pair of solid games in a row and seems to be getting better each week. He was a rebounding machine yesterday. He was very smart with the ball in his hands too. He never forced anything and ended up with 18 points and four dimes. He was like the offense as a whole, which was a picture of efficiency.

Keaton Grant – Welcome back! Our team MVP from a year ago has been sorely missed. 15 points was a new season high. He found his shot too with three 3-pointers. We need Keaton to score. If he is scoring and Green is dropping 6-10 points per night at the right moments, who are you going to stop for us?

Free Throw shooting and rebounding – These areas have both been temperamental in the past, but they were huge strengths yesterday. Robbie did his part on the rebounding end with 14, but I was especially proud of how we kept up the pressure even from the free throw line. We were 15 of 18 from the line as a team, and all three misses were in the final minutes when the game was long decided.

The Paint Crew – I have to give thanks to these kids from coming down to Indy and taking over a section of the lower bowl en masse. Last year we were outnumbered by Louisville fans at the Wooden Tradition. This year there was little question as to whose house we made it. Massive credit needs to be given to the Paint Crew. I’ll admit we missed their presence last year. After halftime I moved down from my $10 seat up in the corner to sit in the section directly behind the Paint Crew. It wasfun to see them in action in a venue other than Mackey Arena. The challenge is now issued though. We have the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis, followed potentially by a Dayton-Indy-Detroit run in the NCAA’s. Please keep coming! I promise to meet you there.

Negatives from the Davidson game:

E’Twaun Moore – It is nitpicking, but E’Twaun really struggled after hitting a few big shots early. His layup at the 5:13 mark of the first half gave us a 20 point lead, but he struggled to shoot the rest of the game. Since both Robbie and Keaton have started to come on I hope E’Twaun is next. He still is feeling a little off on his shots and turnovers are becoming an issue.

Switching defense – We did a good job when we had to switch screens on Curry, but struggled a little when Davidson tried to go inside-out on us. The only thing that kept them marginally alive was a spate of 3-pointers off of kickouts to Archambault, McKillop and Barr. Those guys are good shooters in their own right. Imagine how different things would have been had Curry gotten his usual 32 and change. Davidson is a team that will be heard from again. We took their star away from them, something very few teams have done, and they struggled because of it. If other teams can’t do what we did they will win a lot of games. Barr was actually under his average with just 6 points.

Up next:

This was a much needed win. It is the type of win that makes me wish we could get a second shot at Duke and Oklahoma. I have little doubt we could beat Oklahoma in a rematch. If we played Duke like we played yesterday it would have been the barn-burner everyone expected. This team responded very well to the week off and now we have two more tune ups before conference play begins against Illinois. Everything simply feels better about this team now.

Yesterday was a statement day for the Big Ten. Minnesota and Michigan State grabbed huge wins while even Northwestern was impressive in a road loss at Stanford. There are going to be very few easy games along the way. It is the rare year where not playing Indiana twice is actually a disadvantage because they are going to be so bad. When the new polls come out on Monday I expect Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Minnesota to be ranked, while Illinois, Wisconsin, and Northwestern have been receiving votes in previous polls.

It is not going to be easy to win a much improved Big Ten this year, but I like it that way. A much improved Big Ten means more chances for quality wins to improve our NCAA seed. Last season the conference was top heavy with only five teams (Purdue, Indiana, Michigan State, Wisconsin, and Ohio State) being even marginally good enough for the tournament. This year there are twice as many if you consider Iowa (who lost to Drake yesterday) in the same boat. Winning this conference will mean a lot more this year, and that is how I like it.

Along the same vein we must also hope Davidson goes on to have a successful year in the Southern Conference. They have one big game left at Duke before the tournament. Unless they fall apart in the Southern Conference they will go to the tournament. It is entirely possible they will go there with a 30-3 record and the only three losses coming against us, Oklahoma, and Duke. We have to hope they do just that so we can get the maximum value out of this win.

Pillar of Davidson

When the 2008-09 schedule was released I was naturally excited about the strong potential for Purdue's first Big Ten championship Since 1996. Aside from that, there were two games I circled on my calendar as must see events. The first was the Duke game, which ended with a resounding thud. The second was tomorrow's game with tiny Davidson.

Why would I be excited about seeing Purdue play a tiny college of 1,700 students from the hills of North Carolina? This college is literally smaller than my high school (enrollment 1,937). They are playing in Indianapolis for one reason and one reason only.

Stephen Curry

I like to consider myself a true fan of the game of basketball. I love my teams, but I also have a special appreciation for seeing the game played the proper way. That is why Butler is one of my favorite non-affiliated teams to watch. The same is true for George Mason when they made their Final Four run a few years ago. To me, the game is incredibly entertaining when five guys are on the floor functioning as one single unit. This is also why I hate watching the NBA.

It is also special when a player comes along and simply transcends the game with his greatness. This is made even more rare when said player plays for a team that still functions as one unit so well. Stephen Curry is that type of player at the college level. He is the very definition of a pure shooter. Some consider him undersized for the NBA, but who cares? This is a kid that literally only needs to be within sight of the basket in order to hit it. It is uncanny how he is averaging better than 31 points per game while drawing double and triple teams each night. As seen earlier this year when his team played Loyola-Maryland, he's not afraid to get his teammates involved either as long as it means they win. He is a selfless superstar, and though I am heading downtown tomorrow to see the Boilers, I want to see this kid play in person just as much.

Record: 8-1 (1-0 Southern Conference)

2007-08 postseason: lost 59-57 to eventual national champions Kansas in Midwest Regional final,

2007-08 final record: 29-7

Blog Representation: Lefty's Legacy, Davidson basketball (on hiatus), 16 Point 8, Wildcats Pride, Will's World

As much press as Curry gets (and it is well deserved) the Davidson Wildcats are a lot more than one superstar guard. How many times in college basketball do you find the nation's leading scorer on some small school in a bottom level conference? Many times that player's team is incredibly lucky to make the NCAA tournament because they are a one man show. If you look at the top five leading scorers in Division 1 right now, you will see Curry at the top averaging 31.9 per game, followed by kids from Cal State Fullerton, Chicago State, Virginia Commonwealth, and North Dakota State. That means in that top five only Curry's Davidson squad and maybe Eric Maynor's Virginia Commonwealth team have a realistic shot at grabbing an at large NCAA bid.

That fact alone shows me why Davidson is dangerous. They are far from being a one man team. Curry has a good supporting cast around him that can carry things if he is struggling, then support him when he decides to go nuts. That is precisely what happened in Davidson's last marquee game against West Virginia in New York. Players like 6'8" forward Andrew Lovedale and 6'4" guard Bryan Barr buoyed things until Curry went apeshit in the final minutes. He had 13 of Davidson's final 15 points in a 68-65 win.

I would even argue that this year's Davidson team is better than last year's. There was some question last season as to if the Wildcats would have gotten into the NCAA tournament had they lost the Southern Conference Tournament. A season ago they went 0-4 in resume building contests against Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and UCLA. They also had a couple of bad losses to UNC-Charlotte and Western Michigan. It ended up not mattering though as they were spotless in Southern Conference play before beating Gonzaga, Georgetown, and Wisconsin in the NCAA's.

This year they already have some good wins as padding. They have major conference wins over West Virginia and NC State while the only loss was a four point setback at Oklahoma in the second round of the NIT. Curry had 44 in that game, and had they won we would likely be viewing this game as a rematch.

I still point to their game against Loyola-Maryland as a prime example of why they are so dangerous. In that game, the Greyhounds placed a double team on Curry for the entire game. Instead of forcing things like many selfish stars would do, Curry was content to sit in the corner and say, "okay, you want to do that, fine. I'll let my guys play 4 on 3 and just stand here taking up two guys without doing anything." Davidson won by 30. It is this attitude of putting his team first that makes him a dangerous player.

Of course his sheer talent also plays a large hand in that. The Loyola game is the only game in which Curry was held below 27 points. He is a 39% shooter from 3-point range, usually jacking up 10 shots from long range per night. He hits 48% of all shots from the field, and is 87.7% from the line. He has the ability to break down one-on-one coverage off the dribble and get to the basket. He can create his own shot from anywhere on the floor. If he does get a totally open look, you might as well put the points on the board and run to the other end because he isn't going to miss. For good measure he is getting his teammates involved by averaging almost 7 assists per game. That's like adding another 14-18 points per game to his average. He is a thief on the defensive end with almost three steals per game, and rarely turns the ball over.

Curry is complimented by a strong supporting cast. Lovedale (13.9ppg) and Barr (9.7ppg) are secondary weapons that are often the benefits of Curry's assists. These guys can score when Curry draws a double team, and as a whole the offense flows very well. If Curry is double teamed, as he often is, this offense is good at finding the open man and still scoring. Loveldale provides the bulk in the paint with 10.7 rebounds per game as well.

Other strong contributors include 6'6" Will Archambault (8.7ppg, 2.1apg) and 6'7" Steve Rossiter (6.3ppg, 7.2rpg). Depth is a bit of a concern, however, as it is with most small schools. Davidson only goes eight deep, and only six of those eight average better than 21 minutes per game. The reverse side of that coin is that these guys are conditioned for long stretches of play, so it is nothing unusual for them at this point.

Davidson is also a pretty strong defensive team. They gave up 95 points to Tennessee-Chattanooga in their last outing, but they generally hold opponents under 70. If they give up more than that they are more than capable of keeping pace with scoring of their own. Davidson has cracked 90 points four times in nine games, and two of those saw them go over the century mark. Since Curry himself hasn't been higher than 44, that is another sign that he is far from being the only weapon.

This team rebounds well at almost 40 per game and they share the ball extremely well. They are averaging an astonishing 15.3 assists per game. They also get almost 9 steals per contest, leading to fast break points. Turnovers are not an issue, as they have a miserly 11.8 per game average. The team as a whole is full of good shooters. They can keep a lead with a 73.5% average from the free throw line. Lovedale and Rossiter allow them to play inside-out, as they hit 36% of their 3-pointers while having those two hold their own in the paint.

Do not let Curry fool you. He is an excellent player, but this is a very, very good team around him. This is one of their final "name" contests of the season too. They get us, then Duke in early January before a steady diet of the Southern Conference. As much as they are going to get every team's best shot in that conference, this is a chance for them to get a big win and set themselves up for another run in March with a good seed. Should they get either us or Duke and run the table again in the SoCon I do not think it is a stretch to consider these guys as a top four seed. This is especially true if they somehow get both.

Fortunately, it is also a chance at a very good win for us. If we get them, we most definitely want them to get Duke in January. That (and a sweep of Michigan) would show that maybe we simply had an off night against the Blue Devils. We need this win as a jewel from non-conference play. Get it, and we're most likely looking at 11-2 before starting the Big Ten with a very good Davidson win, a decent Boston College win, a close loss to top 5 Oklahoma, and a not bad loss to duke. A loss, however, will continue to raise questions of how god we are.

So how do we beat them? When facing a dominant player such as this I am often an advocate of shutting down the other four guys on the floor and daring said player to score 60 and beat us by himself. The thing with Curry is he just might do exactly that! The Kramer vs. Curry matchup will be intriguing. I do not expect Chris to completely shut him down. But if he can at least limit what Curry does offensively without us having to commit a second defender it will greatly improve our chances of victory. By limit I mean hold him under 30, which won't be easy. Still, if he can do that I am confident our other four defenders can match up well with the other four Davidson threats. Statistically they are superior, and they may have even played a better overall schedule to this point.

On the other end of the floor we must find more consistent sources of offense. We have a slight size and depth advantage, so we must exploit it. If the three ball isn't falling, pound it inside. E'Twaun must start creating his own shot again. Chris Kramer needs to shake off his fears and drive to the basket. Keaton Grant simply needs to hit some shots. Robbie Hummel is coming along, so he needs to keep improving. JaJuan and Chally need to keep giving us a combined 22 and 10 in the paint.

I also think depth could be a major factor here. We have eight guys that not only play a ton of minutes, but they are capable of starting as well. Ryne Smith and Bobby Buckets also give us a pair of guys we can use for quick minutes off the bench. They are good shooters too, so they aren't total liabilities when they are on the floor. I expect a very tight game where hopefully our depth can wear them down. Unfortunately, with a player like Curry they have a chance to win any close game. He is more than capable of taking over the final minutes and swaying any contest in their favor. Purdue 70, Davidson 69

Boilermakings for 12/18

For being a team coming off of a 4-8 season Purdue has had an awful lot of good news football-wise this week. With everything that has happened, the 2009 could surprise some folks. I think it will look totally different from any of Joe Tiller's coached teams, and that is a very good thing. It is clear that the program has become stale. There is enough talent, however, to expect a big turnaround, but only if everything clicks just right. I will admit that it is a pretty big if, but as bad as the Big Ten was outside of its top 2-3 teams this year we can turn things around quickly. I wouldn't exactly book reservations for Pasadena on New Year's Day 2010, but I at least expect a bowl game.

Purdue set to make it rain with its own ATM

I've already commented on the Brock Spack situation earlier this week. That is an area that will be a make or break hire as far as the 2009 season goes. Yesterday's news was solely on the player front, as four-star Florida running back Al-Terek McBurse announced he was heading north to Purdue. I am trying to temper my excitement some because we have had four-star guys hurt us before (see Roundtree, Roy and Nelson, Jerico). ATM feels different though. He wants to see the field and he knows he could be "the man" for four years at Purdue. He had plenty of huge runs on his highlight reel, but that was against high school competition. That will change next year.

Fortunately, we now have a very crowded backfield that will allow him to adjust to the life of being a college back. Jaycen Taylor will come back as a fifth year senior and will be a huge boost to the team. We also have Dan Dierking back for a third year. I like Dan, but I have never really seen him as a big Ten running back. Still, he does bring experience. I like Ralph Bolden. What little I saw of him this season shows me he can be a playmaker. We can't forget Frank Halliburton either. With those four guys, plus Siller and now McBurse, we should be able to do a lot of things with the running game that we couldn't do before. This will also take pressure off the passing game.

Then there is the dream scenario if we can still get big back Toben Opurum to come to West Lafayette. It really is a sign of change if two four star running backs are considering Purdue in the same class. Can you imagine what a thunder and lightning duo Opurum and McBurse can be? Sure, we won't be throwing the ball 60 times per game, but who cares? I am not picky. I don't care if we run the ball, throw it, or the quarterback bends over and fires it out of his rear end. As long as we move the ball and score points I am happy.

These guys are also a positive sign of the new recruiting attitude brought by coach Danny Hope. For the longest time the 2009 class was shaping up to be lackluster at best. We now have a big name in that class, and there could be more to follow. I don't expect a deluge of 5 star guys to descend upon us, but if we can get 2-4 four star guys and a bunch of 3 stars that will be pretty good. From there it becomes a coaching issue. For years Notre Dame has taught us that star rankings mean exactly dick unless there is good coaching in place. Once the guys get here we have to get them to perform. Our recruit with big name recruits the past few seasons is bleak too.

I liken it to the basketball team's NCAA tournament success. Purdue seems to do better when there are lesser expectations. The 1996 team very nearly became the first #1 seed to ever lose to a 16 seed. They didn't even make it past the tournament's opening weekend. Meanwhile, the 1999 team that many said should have even made the tournament went to the sweet 16. A year later we nearly made the Final Four as a six seed. The same is true for football recruits. The unwanted two-star Dustin Keller became a first round draft pick while J.B. Paxson, Garret Bushong, Jason Kacinko, and Bruce Gordon didn't even see the field for us. For us to turn the corner as a program we have to have success with the Dustin Kellers and the Garret Bushongs. That's why we can't forget our PIN number to cash in with this ATM.

Good God, that's Stephanie Lynch's music!

It is always nice to see when Purdue players in any sport achieve the coveted All-American status. The latest such player is Volleyball player Stephanie Lynch. The senior middle hitter from New Albany, Indiana became just Purdue's second volleyball All-American and first since 1985. I admit that I know very little about volleyball or the requirements of each specific position, but this is still a pretty cool honor. If she is setting school records in the categories that are listed in the release there she has to be good. Thank you, Miss Lynch, for coming to Purdue. This honor is well-deserved.

Another Hawaiian Brees

It has been a rough year for Purdue football, but it is good to see that our most celebrated player is headed to Hawaii for his third Pro bowl. Drew Brees is the only former Purdue player headed that way after the season, but he is far from the only one that has had a good year professionally. He still has a shot to break Dan Marnio's single season passing yardage record, and I certainly hope he does. The fact he is facing the winless Lions this week will great help my New Orleans Looters repeat as National Freeball League champions.

The best part about it is that Drew continues to be such a model citizen off the field for us as well. Not only is he a great player, he is a great human being. My time at Purdue coincided with his, so my memories of him playing are a little more special. I already have a sneaking suspicion that the strange package that arrived in the mail the other day is none other than a brand new Drew Brees New Orleans Saints jersey to replace the #15 Purdue jersey that seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Congratulations, Drew, on another good year. Thank you for being such a wonderful person.

Other Boilers in the NFL

I don't know if I would call it an honor, but I had the chance last week to watch three former Purdue players in action when I went to the Colts-Lions game here in Indy. While it wasn't pretty, it was good to see three former Purdue players have a good day. Cliff Avril didn't do much, but John Standeford had his best day professional with four catches for 36 yards. He also spent most of the day as Detroit's #2 receiver. Granted, being the #2 option on possibly the NFL's first 0-16 team isn't exactly something to brag about, but I was proud of John anyway. He clearly hasn't quit in pursuing a dream, finally getting some regular season playing time after so many years on the Colts' practice squad.

The third guy was none other than crowd favorite Stu Schweigert. Stu was one of my all-time favorite players at Purdue, so much so I have a gold #9 jersey and a black one (works for Dorien Bryant and David Pender too). I actually wore the black #9 to the game because Stu was playing. Stu has had a rough year, bouncing to his fourth team in the past calendar year, but hopefully he has finally found an NFL home.

As a side note, is anyone else not surprised that Jim Colletto is somehow involved with maybe the worst team in NFL history? This guy couldn't find a W on the fifty yard line at Wisconsin.

Hummel named Big Ten Player of the Week

This is old news at this point, but Robbie Hummel was named Big Ten player of the week last week for his efforts in wins over Ball State and Indiana State. This is strange, but I actually had a dream this week he dropped 55 points on a team in the first half of one of our upcoming games. It's unlikely, but I would love to see it happen, specifically this Saturday. I know I will be there Saturday afternoon. As a basketball fan I would have to turn in my fan card if I didn't want to see one of the greatest pure shooters maybe ever to play the college game.

Weight Machine 1, Nemanja Calasan 0

The final item this week is one of the strangest I have ever reported here. According to the Lafayette Journal and Courier, Nemanja Calasan had a pretty frightening accident last week before the Indiana State game. Apparently during a weightlifting session, the cord on the machine snapped and dumped weights on both his head and neck.

This raises a couple of questions. First of all, what kind of exercise was Chally doing that his head and neck were right below the weights. Second, should we be concerned one of our few big bangers wasn't lifting enough to cause a more serious injury in this case, or was he lifting a house and he's just that tough? Third, in relation to the last question, was the cord just in that bad of shape, or is Chally just so manly he has to lift an inhuman amount of weight for a good work out, then can shrug it off when it falls on him? Fourth, can't we get better equipment than this? This had better be at the top of the list for the Mackey Renovation.

Between a Brock and a hard place

I would like to thank Brock Spack for accepting the new head coaching job at Illinois State yesterday. If anything, it gives me something to write about on a rather slow news week because of finals. That aside, it is obvious an important turning point for the football program.

The 2009 Boilers will now look almost entirely different from a coaching standpoint than the previous 12 incarnations. That much was already obvious with new head coach Danny Hope and new offensive coordinator Gary Nord. With Spack gone, we have a new defensive coordinator for the first time in 12 years. That’s a turnover of the top three positions in just one season. While that is pretty common at a major college program accustomed to some success coming off its worst season in 12 years, it is uncommon for only one of those spots to be open as the result of a firing. Only offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher took the fall for our dismal 2008 season. Tiller and Spack left on their own accord.

The news of Spack’s departure leaves me with mixed emotions. I am surprised since he is a “Purdue guy” with very strong ties. It’s not a surprise because he clearly was seeking a head coaching job. I would argue strongly that had Tiller decided to leave 2-3 years ago he would currently be Purdue’s head football coach. This is a position he has wanted for a long, long time, but unfortunately the play of the defense, his bailiwick, from 2005 onward likely cost him the job.

That poor play will also tarnish what was a pretty good legacy. Of the 27 Boilermakers currently on NFL rosters 17 are defensive players. Of those, 16 were players that Brock Spack personally coached while at Purdue. Seven of those guys come from the 2003 defense that was one of the best in the nation during his tenure. That is what makes the sudden dropoff so stunning. We graduated a ton of guys from that 2003 defense, but we still had a good one in a “rebuilding year” of 2004. It was 2005, when we had all the pieces in place for an even better defense, when things absolutely fell apart.

I’m still not sure what happened that year. Ray Edwards and Bernard Pollard were part of it. Those two had a “me first” attitude not often seen in our defense. I lost count of how many times Pollard celebrated a tackle after a 15-20 yard gain like he just personally won the Super Bowl. Sure he was a big hitter, but when you make the tackle long after the first down you have no reason to celebrate. Spack failed to corral those guys' attitudes, and the team suffered as a result.

That season was also the year that our defense seriously fell into the trap of simply refusing to make any in-game adjustments. That has been the biggest problem of the past few seasons. We still have decent raw talent on the defensive side of the ball, but it absolutely maddening to see teams make the same plays time and time again while we flat out refuse to adjust to them. I have been screaming about this since I started to write Off the Tracks before the 2006 season, and it is still an issue.

Ultimately, that lies with Spack. No matter what he has done for Purdue over the past decade plus, he is the one responsible for what has happened defensively the past few seasons.

That said, I am a little discouraged because going into 2009 the defense looked like it was going to become a major strength. From the bottom point of 2006 when we couldn’t stop the French army, we improved to 64th nationally in total defense this past season. This was actually one spot ahead of Oklahoma (who has had a decent year), and several spots ahead of teams like Oregon, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. The defense really was pretty good this year, especially when you consider that our offense couldn’t keep them off the field.

While I wouldn't necessarily bet on Brock Spack definitely returning to Purdue, there is something definitely worth betting on. The NFL playoffs are just around the corner. I'm not much of a gambler, even if I am in the top four of the Big Ten blogger's pick 'em contest. If you do feel like dropping some coin on a little wager, however, feel free to head over to BetUs.com. You can take advantage of plenty of Superbowl betting at any time.

From the second half of the Notre Dame game forward the defense played extremely well. I, like many, ripped them for quitting in the second half of that game. They played more than well enough for us to win games against Penn State, Ohio State, Minnesota, Oregon, and Michigan State only to have the offense let them down. The best part is that most of that unit will be back.

That is why it is critical for our new defensive coordinator to keep this momentum going while figuring out that we are indeed allowed to make in game adjustments. Virtually our entire secondary on the two deeps (if Torri Williams decides to pursue a medical redshirt) returns with starting experience. We have three very promising linebackers (Joe Holland, Chris Carlino, Nickaro Golding) returning with three years of eligibility remaining. If the long-awaited Jason Werner plays we’ll have depth too. Mike Neal and Ryan Kerrigan are very good building blocks along the defensive line. That is the only area where we will be looking for new starters. Players like Kawann Short and Kris Cooke are promising replacements.

There is also the question of recruiting. One of our top targets, Jordan Barnes, already mentioned that he is disappointed that coach Spack left. We are in a critical part of our recruiting cycle. Several of the better players we have been looking at are on the fence and were being courted by Spack. We cannot lose the headway that head and coach Hope were making, especially in an area that has been a deficiency for some time.

Whoever replaces Spack has to keep the defense improving. It is our one hope for having a good 2009. If the defense stays the same or even improves a little I am confident that our offense can make enough positive strides to get us back in contention for a bowl game. If it takes a step back under a new coordinator wins will be hard to come by. I am already looking at games against Toledo, Northern Illinois, and Indiana as likely wins. Oregon, Notre Dame, Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Northwestern, and Minnesota are all possible wins, but we obviously must play better.

I wish Brock Spack the best in his new pursuit. He leaves Purdue in a very interesting position. We would not have had as much success as we have had without him, but we may not have been as bad the past few years without him. He is still young enough to return as a head coach somewhere further down the line, as I am sure he will be first in line if Danny Hope doesn’t work out. Until then, his primary responsibility is the Illinois State Redbirds.

Weekend update

My colleague Boilerdowd over at Boiled Sports had a wonderful wrap up of Saturday’s Indiana State contest. I didn’t get a chance to watch much of the game until later Saturday night, but the best words that describe it are as follows:

It was a win.

Sometimes that is all it really boils down to. Did you score more points than the other team? College football is probably worse than college basketball when it comes to this, but it is still pretty unique. In both cases, it is one of the few places in sport where your margin of victory is sometimes just as important as the victory itself. As an example, I attended yesterday’s Colts game. They beat the winless Lions 31-21 in a pretty lackluster effort. Had they needed the BCS, it would be a “bad win” since they beat an awful team by only 10 points and were tied in the fourth quarter. Instead, it was chalked up as another win, and counts just as much as their blowout of Baltimore a few months ago. Sure, you have your strength of victory tiebreakers and everything, but ultimate the result is more important than how it was obtained.

We tend to lose sight of that in college sports. We see Indiana State on the schedule at 1-7 and think automatically that another 35 point win is in order. Most of this comes from the fact we have a little #17 in front of our name, as if it is a talisman that will waive off any attempts by a lesser team to beat us. In the college game, kids are too prone to simply have an off night to think that each game is automatic.

I will agree that Purdue hasn’t looked solid so far. Since falling in overtime to a very good Oklahoma team things have been a bit off. With finals this week, maybe the guys were naturally a bit distracted. After all, if they don’t perform in the classroom this week, Indiana State could be the last game for some of them for a long while. I don’t know of anyone in academic trouble, but if we had a guy or two sweating a final I am sure a 1-7 team wasn’t fully on their minds.

As a student who attended many games like this, I’m sure the crowd thought it was pretty automatic as well. No one counted on the fact that Indiana State was getting one of its better players back. They are a hustling team that can make life difficult if a few things go their way. They also gave us some troubles a year ago, so to me it is no surprise that we struggled a bit. Still, it is good to be at hte point that an emotionless game like this comes off as an easy win. Three years ago it would have been a loss.

Watching sports, especially when it comes to Purdue, is one of the few areas of my life where I am eternally optimistic. Even when we trailed Michigan State 21-0 this year in football I was working out scenarios in my head as to how we could come back, win, and keep the bowl hopes alive. Right now things are not as dire as that. I think this week off will do the guys some good. If we can beat Davidson in Indianapolis things will look much better going into the conference season (provided we don’t spike ourselves against IPFW or Valpo).

Positives from the Indiana State game:

Robbie Hummel – Welcome back! That is the kind of effort we have expected from him all season. While everyone else was stuck in a malaise Robbie was taking the initiative and creating his own shot. The entire second half was his playground. Robbie is one of many guys we have that can take over a game like that for stretches. E’Twaun did it for a time in both New York games. Keaton Grant, JaJuan Johnson, and I think even Lewis Jackson are capable of doing the same. I am confident that this team will be even better if Robbie keeps playing like this and both Keaton and E’Twaun can find their shot.

Lewis Jackson – LewJack had a very good game. He had a key 5-point stretch in the first half that gave us the lead for good. He was smart with his shot selection, hitting 5 of 7 from the field too. I was disappointed we were only in single digits for assists, but LewJack still had four to lead us in that category.

It was a win – Again, are things really that bad if, for the most part, we can play like crap and still win by 14 without ever being truly challenged in the final 30 minutes? This is why I am not really panicking yet. We haven’t come anywhere close to playing our best basketball and we’re 8-2. That 8-2 could easily be 10-0 with a few less fouls called against Oklahoma and a much better game against Duke. As I have said before, I would much rather play our worst basketball now and work out all the kinks instead of in March.

Negatives from the Indiana State game:

Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer – This is another point I have made before, but Chris Kramer has not been the same since knocking himself silly against the basket support at Clemson last year. Since then, he hasn’t been nearly as aggressive as he can be on the offensive end. Chris can be a great slasher. If he ever gets that aggressiveness back he could be a great asset but cutting to the basket. He seems more content to sit on the perimeter and shoot only when necessary now. He goes to the basket only on fast breaks after he creates a steal. If he is going to be the leader that this team expects him to be he has to get back to attacking the basket.

As for Keaton, I don’t know what the issue is, but he clearly needs to find his shot. Boilerdowd pointed our both players’ defensive issues, but those can be corrected with a good swift kick in the rear by coach Painter. Keaton has lost all confidence in his offensive abilities. Some are speculating that he isn’t in full game shape after knee surgery held him back over the summer. That could be part of it, but we need him to become a bigger offensive threat as well. If we can get both of these guys scoring again that will free things up for E’Twaun, JaJuan, and Robbie.

3-point defense – One look at the stats shows why Indiana State was able to make this closer than we expected. They hit 9 triples at a 37.5% clip. Just as our own 3-point shooting kept us in the game against Oklahoma, it kept Indiana State from being blown out. We’re not rotating well right now with our perimeter defense. Too many teams are getting unchallenged shot. This was as true against Duke as it was against Arkansas-Pine Bluff.

Up next:

Davidson has truly set itself up as a crossroads game. Stephen Curry is one of the greatest natural shooters in the history of college basketball, but the Wildcats are much more than him. If you take away that crazy Loyola-Maryland game where he was held scoreless, no one has kept him below 27 points. Because his teammates can do so much it is hard to prepare a game plan for them. If he’s going to drop 30 point regardless, how do you stop them?

First off, we need to use this week to rest and refocus. Academics are the primary concern. The 2003-04 season came undone when Chris Booker got himself academically ineligible for the second half of the year. We cannot afford to have that happen again. If any of the guys on the team are reading this, please, stop now and get ready for your next final!

Secondly, we need to focus on many of the issues mentioned above. They are easy fixes though. Once we get past those we can be a very dangerous basketball team once again.

Someone bring me an axe...

For the longest time the Indiana State men’s basketball program was the answer to a trivia question. They were the only school that had played in the Final Four in every NCAA Tournament it had been invited to. That was true until they were invited to the 2000 NCAA tournament and lost to Texas in just their second appearance. They followed that up a year later when Michael Menser and company upset 4th seeded Oklahoma in the first round.

Since then the Trees haven’t done much. The program of Larry Bird is often one of the bottom teams in the Missouri Valley Conference. Since going to the dance in 2001 they have seasons of 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 13, and finally 15 wins last year.

Record: 1-7
2007-08 postseason: lost 68-46 in second round of Missouri Valley Conference Tournament
2007-08 Final Record: 15-16
Blog Representation: None

After steady improvement the past few seasons Indiana State has taken a major step back. The Sycamores won 15 games a year ago, but had major issues playing away from the Hulman Center in Terre Haute. At home they were 12-2, but finished a meek 2-13 on the road before splitting a pair of games in St. Louis for the conference tournament. Among those losses was a 71-60 loss to Purdue on December 1st in Mackey Arena

This year the venue hasn’t mattered much for the Sycamores. The lone win came last Sunday by just two points over Lamar in one of the consolation games of the Marques Maybin Classic down in Louisville. JuCo transfer Rashad Reed hit the winner with less than a second to go for the 68-66 win. It could even be qualified as a good win, as Lamar is 6-2. In that three day tournament the Sycamores suffered losses to host Louisville and Ohio.

The Sycamores began the season with close losses to Northern Illinois (86-79), Murray State (67-61), DePaul (75-70), and Arkansas State (56-54). They have been competitive in most games. But in the one game against a team of our own caliber or better they were blown out by Louisville 83-43.

Indiana State is a very young team. The lone senior on the roster is 6’8” 255 pound forward Jay Tunnell. It is no surprise that Tunnell is the team’s leading scorer at 12.4 points per game and rebounder at 6.6 per game. The Sycamores feature a nine man rotation, but only Reed (11.3 per game ) and sophomore Aaron Carter (11.6 per game) average in double figures with Tunnell. Scoring is not Indiana State’s strong point. As a team they only score about 62 points a night.

This should also be a game in which we have little trouble winning on the boards. Indiana State only averages 33 boards per game, and since they only shoot 39% from the field there are plenty of missed shots. They are short on size except for Tunnell and 6’11’ Josh Crawford. Crawford has been inconsistent. In three games he scored 41 points, but only has six points in the remaining five games. As far as contributions elsewhere Reed and Tyler Cutter are both solid distributors, averaging more than 3 assists per contest.

As with most 1-7 teams though, most of the numbers aren’t good. Reed is the team’s main 3-point threat with 18 bombs on the year. The Sycamores shoot better than 37% from long range, so they do have the ability to get hot from outside. Honestly though, they would likely need to shoot out of their minds to have a chance against us. They also do take care of the ball with less than 15 turnovers per game.

It is hard to judge exactly what Indiana State does in winning games with just one win on its record. Carter was the leading scorer against Lamar. In that game Indiana State trailed big late before a 14-4 run at the end of the game to secure the win. The Sycamores are a team that has had to play from behind most of the year, so if we can get a big lead on them we shouldn’t have much trouble.

Honestly, this game should be about as much of a mismatch as the Ball State game. Indiana State simply doesn’t have the talent to compete with us if we are playing well. It is the type of game where the only way we lose is if we beat ourselves. Last year we struggled against them, but that was in one of our worst stretches of the year.

There were plenty of positive signs during the Ball State game. We improved our defense and didn’t allow an overmatched to even have a chance of pulling an upset on its home floor. This is the final defensive tune up before a huge game with Davidson next week. We should expect little trouble from one of the bottom teams in the Valley. Purdue 75, Indiana State 50

Boilermakings 12/11

In light of a slow day Purdue-wise, here is a quick Boilermakings for a wider look at all things Boilermaker

Frank Duong up for Rudy Award

At Purdue we are required to hate all things Notre Dame. I take a little bit of a different view. I don’t mind Notre Dame’s past. You cannot argue with what that school accomplished before 1990. I consider their loss of respect to have occurred when Lou Holtz left the program in 1996. From that point forward the arrogance has grown while they have accomplished little to nothing on the field.

That being said, their tradition paved the way for Rudy, who lends his name to one of the more unsung awards in college football. The Rudy Award is in its second season as a postseason honor. It awards players who exhibit character, courage, contribution and commitment during their college careers. These are often walk-ons or former walk-ons who scratch and claw their way to playing time.

Purdue’s own Frank Duong is on the list as one of five Big Ten players nominated for the award. This is a great honor because I can respect guys like Frank. Jake Standeford is another guy who should have been up for last year’s award. I admit that I have a problem with motivation. If it is something I want to do I will practically kill myself to do it. If not, I am very apathetic. Guys like Frank and Jake are people who saw something they wanted to do, and went out and did it. I view Frank’s crowning achievement as his pick six against Central Michigan this season. Yes, he was an unheralded walk-on safety for a 4-8 team. For those few seconds though, he was on top of the world. He made a huge play and had 60,000 people screaming for him to get in the end zone. How many people would give everything they had to be the focus of 60,000 people for a few seconds like Frank commanded? That was the pinnacle of five years of hard work, and I thank Frank for that.

Women’s Vollyball in the Sweet 16

Tomorrow could be the biggest day in the history of Purdue volleyball in 26 years. In 1982 the lady Boilers advanced to a regional final in what was the best season in school history. Should Purdue top Hawaii tomorrow night in Ft. Collins, CO they will match that mark.

The Wahine are pretty good. They carry a #6 national seed into this game while Purdue is only has a #10 national seed. Hawaii is no stranger to the sweet 16 in volleyball as this is their 24th appearance in this round. They carry a 30-3 overall record into this round with the three losses coming to New Mexico State, UCLA, and Penn State. Penn State this year may be the greatest women’s college volleyball team ever assembled, so there is no shame in losing to them.

Where would Purdue have an advantage here? Hawaii has played only 10 matches off of the islands, so that’s a start. The two teams also met in the same place four years ago in the second round of the NCAA’s with Hawaii winning in straight sets.

I’ll be blunt. We’re facing one of the premier programs in college volleyball. A win would be a great step forward, but the volleyball team has already had a great year in drawing more positive attention to the university. I expect a loss, but a win would put the ladies into the Elite 8 nationally against either Florida or Stanford. We haven’t played either in over 13 years.

Women’s basketball team loses to Valpo, needs swift kick in ass.

I went to Purdue in the greatest height of its women’s basketball tradition. We won a title my freshman year and were runner-up by a basket when I was junior. It is program that has accomplished more on a national scale than any at Purdue. That said, the loss last night at Valpo was embarrassing.

Part of the joy of not being officially associated with the athletic department is the ability to speak my mind without fear of reprisals. I do not have to ascribe to the party line BS of, “we just had an off night. Valpo is a great team, etc.” I am sure the Valparaiso University Crusaders are a good team in the Horizon League. One of the greatest basketball players in the history of my high school, Cari Stover, was part of our back-to-back state championships and #1 national ranking in 1993. She played her college ball at Valpo, so I respect the program. They still have no business even competing with a program like Purdue.

This year we were on the short list for the women’s Final Four. We have an incredible amount of talent, and we need to freakin’ act like it. Just like I called out the football team for the horrible effort at Notre Dame, it is time to play better. You know you can, so do it.

Football recruiting notes

Let’s face it, the past few years have left little reason as to why the top high school recruits should beat down the path to West Lafayette. We are reduced to hoping 1 or two four star guys choose us, and five star Bryce Brown is probably a tease. Still, new coach Danny Hope is at least being ambitious.

The fact we are even in the discussion for Brown, the nation’s #2 overall prospect according to rivals.com, is a huge step forward. We’re not Notre Dame. We’re not going to get 5 star guys on name alone. Many five star guys don’t work out anyway because they expect their ass to be kissed from day one (again, see Dame, Notre) instead of working and improving themselves.

To me recruiting is more about seeing how hard kids will work. Every year there are stories about how x 5 star recruit failed while y walk-on succeeded because he worked his butt off. Those are the type of kids that succeed at Purdue, and it is my hope that we have 13 players currently recruited that will work until they fall over to be better.

Four 3-stars, 7 two-stars, and 2 no-stars are what we currently have. It’s not the recruiting class that will cause the college football elite to crap themselves in fear. If they want ot work, though, they can play for me any day.

Personally, I believe recruiting is highly overrated but necessary. Ron Powlus taught us that lesson. What will happen with the 2009 recruiting class will happen on the field. Probably not in 2009, but in 2011 and beyond.

My official Heisman vote:

In college football news, it is the biggest news of the coming weekend. Everyone wants to give Tebow the nearly unheard of honor of a second Heisman.

Personally, he doesn't deserve it because he hasn't done anything to glue me to the TV each Saturday. Archie Griffin is the only 2-time winner, and to be a 2-time winner you must glue me to the TV each week. Tebow did not do that.

Therefore, I designate Shonn Greene of the University of Iowa as the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner. He was a human badass unlike others (100 yards per game unlike others this year) this season That is why he gets my vote.

Getting Defensive

Last night was a good win. Yes it was over a pretty weak opponent, but we went into someone else’s house and put on a defensive clinic. Ball State is our only true road contest of the non-conference season. We don’t normally play a ton of road games, but I was surprised that this is the best road opponent we could come up with. It will have to do though. We won’t get another opportunity in a hostile environment until we go to Penn State on January 6th.

The numbers don’t lie though. This was a beatdown. I would even say the defense was much improved compared to the UAPB game. Against the Golden Lions we won mostly because they are simply awful. The Cardinals actually have a little bit of talent, but we were able to smother it. There is a still a way to go for us offensively, but this was a positive step.

Positives from the Ball State game:

Limited turnovers – Just last Saturday in a 48 point win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff we had a sloppy game. Yes we forced 33 turnovers, but we committed 22 ourselves. This prevented any real flow to the offense, but the sheer difference in talent prevailed. Last night we took care of the basketball against a better team and cut things down to 12 miscues. This is the first step in getting the offense back in a flow. We also didn’t rely on the 3-pointer as much as we have in past games and looked for other options to score.

If our 3-pointers are falling that is great. That allowed us to offset the free throw differential against Oklahoma. Last night they still fell well (38%), but we used our strength to score in other ways. This increases our versatility and prepares us for games where the triple isn’t falling. Limiting turnovers helps in this because we seem to have more when we try and force the ball inside. If we can successfully get it down low to Calasan, Johnson, Hummel, and Green without having the ball knocked away it will open things up on the perimeter.

Defense – This was probably our best defensive game so far. This is how we are going to beat the better teams we face, and we desperately need to improve here with Davidson coming up. Ball State shot 26% from the field, had 21 turnovers, and had 39 points. According to ESPN, that’s their lowest scoring output since the Truman administration. Anthony Newell was the only player in double figures and had to work incredibly hard to crack 11 points. The value of that 11 is taken away when he does it on 3 of 12 shooting from the field and 4 of 10 from the line. We basically dared their best player to beat us single-handedly, then took him away.

Ryne Smith – The freshman only played five minutes, but they were a big five minutes. He missed the previous five games because of a nasty skin infection but knocked down a pair of threes for six points. Getting him some valuable PT will help as we look to expand depth. He and Bobby Buckets are the critical 9 and 10 guys that aren’t called upon often, but when they are they need to be ready to contribute. I like that both are pretty good shooters and are capable of hitting a big three if other options are covered. I’d still play Bobby in a tight spot before Ryne, but Ryne’s time will come.

Robbie Hummel – Welcome back! Please keep giving us 15 and 9 every night. To this point I have felt that Robbie has looked a little off in games. He hasn’t done much in the first half and many of his points have been what I call “inconsequential baskets”. By that I mean he has been doing a lot of scoring after the game has been decided and it has made his overall numbers look better. Last night he was a much larger part of the offense, just like a Big Ten player of the Year should be.

Chris Kramer – The Secretary of Defense is back. I don’t have a problem with Chris not scoring as long as he keeps rebounding, providing assists, and playing tough defense. He had 6 dimes last night against zero turnovers.

Rebounding – We won this battle 39-34. As much as we have struggled in this area I look at it as a positive any time we out-rebound a team no matter the opponent. The way we forced poor shots from Ball State led to plenty of chances too.

Negatives from the Ball State game:

None – This was a very workman-like win. It was a Purdue-style win too. We made Ball State play our style of basketball for 40 minutes and walked out with a 29 point victory. It’s hard to see anything bad with that.

Up next:

We need to have more of the same Saturday against an Indiana State team that barely has a win on its record. They are a very young team in rebuilding mode, so we should expect another large victory margin where everyone gets to play.

It is also a final tune up for what should be a huge game against Davidson in Indianapolis a week later. We desperately need that game as a marquee win since the Wildcats are gathering plenty of their own.

Opponents updates:

Here is a quick look at our eight previous opponents and how they are currently fairing. Most of them won’t give us much help on the strength of schedule, but we could always benefit from a couple of surprises.

Detroit (2-5, 0-2 Horizon League) – the Titans have already started conference play with road losses to the Wisconsin schools (Green Bay and Milwaukee). Both of those teams are 2-0 along with Butler at the top of the league. The two wins have come over Eastern Michigan and St. Louis. The St. Louis one hurts a little more as explained later.

Eastern Michigan (2-6, 0-0 MAC) – So much for this being a breakout year for the Eagles in the MAC. Their loss to us started a six game losing streak that featured losses to Brown and Detroit. They very nearly upset Georgia in the NIT, but no dice there. The two wins are over Marygrove College and Wayne State, who aren’t even Division 1. To make things even more fun, their coach was recently suspended for an altercation with a fan after the Detroit loss.

Loyola-Illinois (4-5, 0-1 Horizon League) – The Ramblers have an improving win over Georgia, but I think if we had a shot at the bulldogs ourselves it would have helped us more in the end. Georgia is an improving team at 6-3 and playing in the SEC will bolster their schedule. It’s unfortunate, but Loyola’s big win denied us a chance of a “name” win. Loyola opened conference play with a loss to crosstown rival Illinois-Chicago. The opening loss to non-D1 Rockhurst drags them down even further, making me wish we had played Georgia even more. Georgia is their only win of note.

Coppin State (1-4, 0-1 MEAC) – The only win came in a non-D1 game against Wilmington. The MEAC is a pretty weak conference and they are down with a 14 point loss to 3-6 Morgan State. Like UAPB, they don’t play a home game until much later, a December 29 game against Colorado of all people. A later game at Oklahoma should allow for some comparison.

Boston College (6-2, 0-0 ACC) – This is easily our best win to date and likely only one that can get even better. A good showing in the ACC is paramount for this win to have some value, and BC is capable of doing that. The only other loss came to the same St. Louis team that has lost to Detroit. Wins over Iowa and UAB help BC’s profile at the moment, but they were just taken to overtime by 1-6 UMass. Expect the Eagles to be up and down all season.

Oklahoma (8-0, 0-0 Big 12) – I really, really want this one back. Since beating us they survived against USC at home and pulverized Tulane. They are also the only team to beat Davidson so far, and the Wildcats have gotten not one but two major conference wins that eluded them in the regular season a year ago. Had we finished off the Sooners we would still likely be a top 10 team and we would have a major win on our resume.

Duke (8-1, 0-0 ACC) – Circle February 15 when Duke travels to Boston College as a big chance for our loss to be somewhat vindicated. I think we just picked a bad night to have a really off game. If we can sweep both Michigan games and BC can knock off the Blue Devils things may look a little more even. They also get Davidson at Cameron Indoor on January 7th meaning another chance for those who do wild opponent comparisons to speculate. The bottom line is that it was still a loss, and hte margin makes it worse.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-7, 0-0 SWAC) – Expect zero help from the Golden Lions this year. Their conference as a whole is just 10-63 and the best record is Prairie View A&M at 3-5. Yikes. Of these 10 wins, just one (Grambling State over Morehead State) came over a full member of Division 1. The rest came against the likes of Ecclesia, Southwest Assemblies of God, Champion Baptist College, Southern-New Orleans, William Carey, Tougaloo, Tuskegee, Houston Baptist (provisional D-1), and North Carolina Central (provisional D-1). Couldn’t we have scheduled Butler instead?

State of the Balls

It’s an old joke, at least for me, but I have always wondered if the President of Ball State University has to give a State of the Balls address each year. I know surprisingly little about our MAC brethren in Muncie. I have only been there a few times, mostly for a couple of parties with friends while in college. When you look at those cases, my view of the campus is even more skewed since I didn’t see much of it sober. The University is responsible, however, for the one highlight of my brief musical career. That’s right, this write was an outstanding trombone soloist at the 1998 Ball State jazz festival.

It’s okay to take a minute to bask in my fame and greatness.

Seriously though, the Ball State basketball program is one filled with ups and downs. When the Cardinals are good, they can beat anyone in the country. Their last great moment was the 2001 Maui Invitational when the Cardinals shocked #3 Kansas and #4 UCLA before losing to Duke in the final. Several stumbles in MAC play meant all the work did not turn into an NCAA berth, but they did make an elite appearance in that year’s NIT.

Ball State’s most famous NCAA Tournament appearance of their seven visits probably came in 1990. That year the Cardinals parlayed a #12 seed into upsets of Oregon State and Louisville into a Sweet 16 appearance. Once there, Ball State came within a basket of upsetting eventual champion UNLV. The Runnin’ Rebs Sweated out a 69-67 win, their closest of the tournament. Had Ball State won, they would have faced the infamous run and gun Loyola Marymount (led by Bo Kimble during their magical run) in the West Regional Final.

Ball State hasn’t been to the NCAA’s since 2000, and their more recent history is forgettable. Tonight they will look to come out of those dark times by hosting Purdue in one of the biggest games ever at Worthen Arena.

Record: 4-3
2007-08 postseason: lost 59-55 to eastern Michigan in MAC tournament opening round
2007-08 record: 6-24
Blog Representation: I had found two earlier, but I lost the links

The 2008-09 season is already a major step in the right direction for Ball State. After finishing with a 6-24 record (spurred by an 0-11 start) Ball State has already gathered two thirds of its wins from last year. The four wins aren’t great (E. Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, IPFW, and Division 1 transitional member Southern Illinois-Edwardsville), but they are wins. The Cardinals struggled mightily with very few scholarship players last season in the wake of the Ronny Thompson debacle. They were similar to Indiana this year in that they played hard, but simply didn’t have the talent to compete each night. I respect that.

We will be the fourth in state team that Ball State will face this year. The Cardinals have already lost in trips to Butler (64-55) and Evansville (73-63). Both of those teams are playing some pretty good basketball at the moment with a combined 12-1 record. The only loss in those 13 games came when Butler beat Evansville.

Depth is still an issue with the Cardinals as they list only 10 players on the roster. Because of that, all 10 players play extensive minutes to keep everyone as fresh as possible. Everyone plays an average of about 9 minutes per night, so we will get a variety of looks. This is also a fairly young team with only three seniors.

It is no surprise, then, that three of Ball State’s leading scorers are those seniors. 6’5” forward Anthony Newell is the team’s best player averaging better than 15 points and 10 rebounds per game. He has been a starter for three years through the storms, so he is pretty much the current face of Ball State basketball. He shoots about 15 times per night and can step out and hit the three. His numbers are probably very similar to what Marcus Green would put up as top banana on a MAC squad, and they are very similar types of players.

6’8” Freshman Jarrod Jones is the team’s second leading scorer from the other forward spot. He averages 12.4 points per game and almost seven rebounds. Jones works almost exclusively in the paint, and it is reflected with a 55% accuracy rate from the field. Ball State will probably try and work him down low against Calasan and Johnson while playing the inside-out game with Newell.

The other two seniors are guards Brandon Lampley and Laron Frazier. Both average just over 9 points per contest. They can be dangerous from 3-point land as each shoots over 40% from long range. Lampley is especially good at distributing the ball to his teammates with better than four assist per game.

Outside of this core group of four, however, Ball State doesn’t have a lot. No one in the other group of six regulars is averaging better than five points per game, but freshman Randy Davis and sophomore Malik Perry can be dangerous players. Both players did not play the first two games for whatever reason, but have contributed some value since. Perry in particular had 13 points against the Boilers in Mackey Arena last year. The overall lack of production shows that while there is depth, it is not truly developed yet.

This year’s Ball State is clearly better than last year, but it is probably still a year or two away from being able to seriously compete with the likes of a major program. Once again we find ourselves playing Ball State at a time where we are struggling somewhat to find our own identity. The 70-57 win over a then winless Cardinal club was anything but dominating, but we still pulled it off. I am not convinced a similar effort will allow the same result tonight. The Cardinals are better, and with a home crowd feeding them energy we could be in trouble if we don’t take the game seriously.

The Cardinals take care of the basketball for the most part and are a decent rebounding team. These two elements, if executed well, could provide us with headaches all night long. They also hit better than 68% of their free throws, so we must avoid getting in foul trouble. This is especially true of our bigs, who will have an advantage we must exploit in the paint.

Fortunately the game plan looks easy on paper. If we can key on Newell and Jones, containing them, we should be able to win. Ball State simply cannot afford to let its two leading scorers have an off night and expect to win. They are night a high scoring team, but good defense on their end has allowed them to keep each opponent except Evansville under 70 points.

We, however, are averaging 77 per game with four players averaging in double figures. Ball State hasn’t quite seen the talent level we exhibit either. Even if Robbie is sidelined for another game I still feel pretty confident we can get this one. We’re probably at the best time of the season for him to miss a few games, as we will be heavily favored both tonight and Saturday against Indiana State. If we go inside to Johnson and Calasan repeatedly we have an advantage. If E’Twaun and Keaton can find their shots we should have little trouble as well. We should only be wary if our defensive inconsistencies continue, we keep turning the ball over, and no one can shoot. Personally, I think this will be a good game to get everything firing the right way again because the Cardinals can challenge us. That in mind, it is a challenge we can easily overcome if we get moving back in the right direction. Purdue 80, Ball State 65.

Big Ten basketball rankings overrun with Dead Hookers

It has taken me awhile, but I think there is finally enough data to do a preliminary ranking of the Big Ten. This past weekend also showed me that my original thinking was a bit flawed. The Big Ten is a league that is better than most people think. Yes, we lost the ACC/Big Ten challenge again, but it was only by a 6-5 margin. Three of the six losses were hotly contested games, but it doesn’t help that two of them (North Carolina over Michigan State and Duke over Purdue) were blowouts involving the supposed best of each conference. It also doesn’t help that the Big Ten was the home team in each of those games.

I have also held off because I have struggled to come up with a creative comparison in which to theme the rankings. Last year’s metaphor of the Simpsons drew rave reviews. The Star Wars characters and Kevin Smith film characters saw fewer comments, but I still liked them. For this inaugural review it is time to dust off the old Dead Hooker in the Trunk theory.

For those unfamiliar with my Dead Hooker in the Trunk theory, it is quite simple. I believe that certain athletes or teams can become so famous and loved by their fans they can get away with most anything. Some even reach the rare status where they are forgiven even if they are caught with a dead hooker in the trunk of their car. For example: Shortly after winning the Super Bowl, Peyton Manning could have probably gotten away with having a dead hooker in the trunk of his car if caught in the city of Indianapolis.

I have since expanded on the theory. Last year I stated that some players could be so loved they could be caught with multiple dead hookers. Which brings up the interesting question: Does it take more forgiveness for two dead hookers in one instance, or two separate instances of one dead hooker? I think it would take more forgiveness for two separate instances simply because the first (two at one time) could be explained away as a freak accident. With two separate instances it is clear that the person in question clearly did not learn his lesson. That leaves us with the following scale of what a player can get away with for least to most:

No dead hookers
One dead hooker
Two dead hookers at one time
Two separate instances of 1 dead hooker
Three or more at one time
Multiple instances of varying numbers of dead hookers

As you can see, I have clearly put way too much thought into this. There also is not a direct correlation between ranking in this poll and what a team can get away with. A team more accustomed to success can be highly rated, but have less leeway because of said historical success. Conversely, a team can achieve a high ranking and have more leeway simply because there is very little historical success. With that in mind, here are my current rankings of the Big Ten.

DISCLAIMER: Off the Tracks does not condone the use of hookers, nor the killing of them. Off the Tracks is enough of a pimp that he has no need for hookers, dead or alive. If you do come in contact with a hooker, please do not kill them. Instead, give them the utmost respect in the form of a large tip or tasty, alcoholic beverage of their choice. These working girls need a break. If you come in contact with a dead hooker, please report the sighting to the proper authorities immediately. Remember, blogs are supposed to be fun. If you don't laugh and take this all too seriously, please consult your doctor.

1. Michigan (6-2) – I place the Wolverines at #1 for the moment because they have a pair of wins over top 5 teams. They just beat Duke by 8 after the Blue Devils spanked the preseason favorite in the conference by 16. This is also a very good win since it avenged a 15 point loss to the Blue Devils two weeks prior. Losing at Maryland isn’t bad, but it would have been nice if the Wolverines could have gotten it and given the Big Ten the Challenge. The most curious result is a narrow 2 point overtime against… Savannah State (2-28 in 2005-06). The UCLA and Duke wins give them the best profile.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: Two at one time – Michigan basketball hasn’t mattered for 10 years. This is a major step forward and they have to be in the discussion of conference favorites. The fact they have had some previous success prevents them from multiple instances of 1 hooker, but the good times can still roll at Crisler Arena. They even get some Cristal.

2. Ohio State (5-0) – The Buckeyes had a great week last week with a pair of wins over top 25 teams away from Columbus. The Miami win came with the Hurricanes missing two of their best players for most of the game, but the Canes still blew a big lead. Butler and West Virginia provide some good tests at home before conference play begins, which might see OSU remain undefeated until then.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: None – It’s Ohio State. They are going to yet another BCS bowl and played for the national title two years ago with Oden. Plus, who knows what they already get away with if you listen to Maurice Clarett.

3. Illinois (7-1) – Last year Illinois had some serious head-scratching losses before conference play even started. So far they have avoided that. Only a 2-point loss to Clemson at home prevented them from being unbeaten (and the Big Ten winning the Challenge). They have a nice road win at Vanderbilt and just blasted Georgia, so they are not bereft of wins over major conference opponents. Michael Jordan’s son also plays for them. He has the money to buy the entire team out of any legal trouble should he want to.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: One at one time – Based on the Jordan factor and last season’s struggles.

4. Purdue (6-2) – This feels about right. We shouldn’t be #1 because of what happened against Duke. We’re also not playing our best basketball right now. Still, we’re a huge free throw discrepancy away from beating Oklahoma. If that game had ended as a win we could chalk up the Duke loss as simply a bad night. Unfortunately, we don’t get another shot at a really good win until much later. The questions will really arise if we lose another non-conference game. That includes Davidson, the only good team we have until conference play begins.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: One at one time – Based on the rapidly disintegrating goodwill from last year.

5. Northwestern (6-1) – Yes, these are basketball rankings. The Wildcats had the most surprising win of the Challenge by knocking off previously unbeaten Florida State. FSU then went and beat Florida last night. The only loss came at Butler, which is far from a bad loss especially since they were brave enough to go to Hinkle. If the Wildcats can win their remaining four non conference game and somehow snag 10 wins in a somewhat down Big Ten they might finally break the NCAA drought. Those remaining four non conference games are Missouri-Kansas City, at Stanford, SMU, and Chicago State. That would mean two good non-conference wins (Stanford and FSU). I don’t think it will happen, but the fact that Northwestern can dream of it is a huge step.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: Two separate instances of one dead hooker – It is Northwestern after all, where an NIT bid is a huge triumph. I don’t expect them to finish this high, but they deserve a reward.

6. Minnesota (8-0) – Yes they are 8-0, but the toughest win was by a point at Colorado State. Hopefully the winning shot didn’t occur after the buzzer, as many Purdue fans remember how sketchy the timekeeping is in Ft. Collins. A game against Louisville on December 20th will give us a good indication of how good the Gophers are. I think they can definitely be an NCAA team, but I question if they can legitimately threaten to win the Big Ten. Since they are another team that has been mired near the bottom for awhile they deserve an extra bonus. Number and

Frequency of dead hookers allowed: One at one time – We’ll call it a test for now to see how they handle the situation.

7. Michigan State (5-2) – I’m very disappointed in the Spartans so far. They have whiffed badly in two chances against the ACC (what is it with Maryland vs. the state of Michigan, anyway?). The North Carolina game made our effort against Duke look good. Not only that, they have struggled against teams like IPFW and Bradley. They get another shot by playing Texas on December 20, which is the next big day for everyone in the conference. Until then, they are on probation.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: None – And they would probably get in trouble for even looking at a hooker.

8. Wisconsin (6-2) – This is another team that has not impressed so far. They are the defending conference champs, but they haven’t played up to even lowered expectations after losing their core to graduation. Iona, Long Beach State, and Virginia tech were probably a little too close for comfort. They weren’t even close against UConn. They host Texas on December 23rd in what would be a very good win if they can get it. Last year’s last second win in Austin will be fresh in the Longhorns’ minds.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: None – They can still solicit one, but I don’t know if I would want to in Madison.

9. Penn State (7-2) – The Nittany Lions probably should be 9-0. They got a very good win at Georgia tech, but lost to Rhode Island and Temple. The Temple loss came at home too. They have very little margin for error if they want to make the NCAA’s, so both losses will likely hurt them come March. They don’t even have a good game left before conference play to erase either of them. They will probably be in the NIT, but not the NCAA’s.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: One at one time – Simply because the NIT is an improvement and Penn State basketball isn’t a power.

10. Iowa (7-2) – There are no bad losses, but only Kansas State is marginally close to a good win. They’ve struggled against teams they shouldn’t struggle against either (Texas-San Antonio, Oakland). In the Big Ten if you struggle with a State-City team you’re in trouble. That might be a step below a Directional State opponent, but still above Random Name State. The Hawkeyes will now tour their home state before opening the conference.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: None – The legal troubles of the football team have the Iowa City police keeping a close eye on everything. Better to be safe than sorry.

11. Indiana (4-4) – Here in Indianapolis we have been beaten over the head with a number of articles saying, “Well, they play hard”. I don’t doubt that. It is something that will pay dividends in the future. Tom Crean is doing things the right way and I really do think the Hoosiers will be much better off in 2-3 years. For now, expecting them to compete night in, night out is a stretch. Playing hard will gain them an upset or two this year (hopefully not in West Lafayette), but they are going to get beaten up most nights.

Number and Frequency of dead hookers allowed: They can’t even look at a hooker. The NCAA is watching them too closely. They probably have to go to church after each practice now and Tom Crean is relegated to reaching recruits via carrier pigeon. As for the hookers, if they hit their free throws and don’t turn the ball over I’d give them an edge.

The Big Ten strikes back

I just got home from one of the ugliest 48 point wins you will ever see. The news, however, is not really on Purdue. The Big Ten had a banner day in basketball. Really, we were a 3-pointer in a couple of games in the ACC/Big Ten challenge from winning that thing (Iowa and Illinois each lost by 2). That would have made for an even better week. Today, though, was a great bounce back day for the conference:

Ohio State 67, #7 Notre Dame 62 (The Buckeyes’ second win over a ranked team this week)

Northwestern 63, DePaul 36 (The Wildcats are 6-1 with just a loss at Butler, so credit for actually going to Hinkle.)

Illinois 76, Georgia 42

Michigan 81, #4 Duke 73 (That’s two top five wins for the Wolverines)

Even Indiana didn’t fully embarrass itself today against Gonzaga. This is all great news for a conference in need of some in either football or basketball. Right now you could argue that 10 of the 11 teams are at least threats at the moment to make the field of 65. Purdue, Michigan State, Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Michigan would definitely be in if making the field today, while Minnesota, Illinois, and even Northwestern would get some serious bubble consideration. Iowa and Penn State aren’t far away either.

I’ll likely look a little closer at each Big Ten team later this week, but this good news for us. Even in winning by 48 tonight it was obvious we still have quite a bit to work on. That’s fine though. I’d rather get our worst stretch of basketball out of the way now during a UAPB-Ball State-Indiana State stretch rather than in March. This wasn’t going to be a contest regardless of how great or how poorly we played. The bottom line is that we got out of it with what everyone expected: a very convincing win against one of the worst teams in the country.

Positives from the UAPB game:

Forcing turnovers and defense – 35 turnovers? Are you kidding me? Tyree Glass had the rare double-double of Points (18) and turnovers (11) for the Golden Lions. I know the talent differential was very large tonight, but 35 turnovers? They also only hit 11 shots from the field, and just four of those came inside the 3-point arc. For the longest time they were running on just 3-pointers and free throws. Credit goes to the defense for not even allowing the hint of an upset.

Starting Calasan and Johnson – I kind of like the idea of starting both and playing both at the same time. It was a bit of a necessity with Hummel out, Kramer, ill, and further depth compromised with Ryne Smith battling a weird skin infection. It worked well though. Chally had a nice double-double and JaJuan dropped 10 with multiple power dunks. I was very impressed with Chally’s effort on the offensive glass. Really everyone was good here with 22 second chance opportunities.

Marcus Green – The king of the Little Things on our team had a really good game. He did most of his scoring in the second half, but he seemed to be all over the floor when he was out there. Green is a deceptive player. It may not seem like he is doing much, then you look up and see he has 12 points and seven rebounds.

Rebounding – I will take any game in which we out-rebound an opponent. A 49-33 edge is exactly what should have happened in a game like this. Everyone got involved. Chris Reid even grabbed three boards. It should also be noted that we shared the ball well with 21 assists. LewJack had five, with a couple more botched because of turnovers. The same is true for E’Twaun.

The Bench Mafia -- Bobby Buckets has 8 with a pair of threes. Mark Wohlford hit a pair of free throws (and had a great hustle play to earn them). Even Chris Reid scored. it was a good night for everyone! I think I might have even played a few minutes if I had brought a jersey.

Negatives from the UAPB game:

Turnovers – As well as we played on defense, we had a large number of bad passes and stupid mistakes. At least four of our 22 turnovers were carries. This is becoming a growing area of concerned. We’re not playing disciplined basketball. Part of the reason is the large talent gap tonight. That can lead to sloppy play on our end as we try to do a little too much because of our abilities. E’Twaun Moore was especially guilty with 7 turnovers in addition to 15 points. We can get away with 22 turnovers in a game like this. Davidson in two weeks is a different story.

Free Throw shooting – Like the turnovers, we can get away with this now, but later it will hurt. It certainly felt like we missed more than 12 free throws. I could be over-exaggerating here, but we clanked a lot of shots.

3-point shooting – For the second straight game we were very cold from outside. We shot 6 of 23, but two of those makes were Bobby Riddell pleasing the Paint Crew with late bombs. When we made a commitment to get the ball inside to Calasan and Johnson we had mixed results. It either led to a basket, or the pass was knocked away. We’ve got to find our shooting touch before conference play begins. Fortunately 22 offensive rebounds helped.

Final Thoughts:

We won by 48 points with maybe a “C” effort from the main rotation. That rotation of eight was even shorthanded since Hummel was out and Kramer allegedly was battling the flu. That should say volumes about the level of competition we were playing. I really do feel for teams like UAPB. They are working with minimal talent. They are working on a minimal budget. They have to come out night after night knowing this, yet they still play hard. I respect that.

Next we travel to Ball State. The Cardinals are still reeling from the John Thompson III debacle, but they are a feisty bunch. Getting a nationally ranked Big Ten team at home is the biggest game of their season. We should still win easily, but if we’re not sharp I would not be surprised if they made us sweat.

Arkansas Pine Bluff First Look

Record: 0-6
2007-08 postseason: lost to Mississippi Valley State (conference champ) in second round of SWAC tournament. 13-18 final record
Blog representation: none

I apologize for not having any Big Ten Power Rankings yet. I had an entry planned for yesterday with a great breakdown comparing each team in the Big Ten to a historical disaster. I chose this since the conference is reeling from a poor football season and another ACC/Big Ten challenge loss. Many are calling this a disaster, and I tend to agree since the Big Ten’s perception has rarely been lower in either sport. Unfortunately, my flash drive decided to mysteriously erase itself when I plugged it into my laptop. I don’t mean the article, either. I mean EVERYTHING I had saved on it was mysteriously erased just by moving it from desktop to laptop as I have done dozens of times.

I was pretty pissed. Ask Mrs. T-Mill. There was swearing.

Instead, we get a brief preview today of tomorrow’ night’s opponent in the Arkansas Pine Bluff Golden Lions. Basically, this is a checkbook game. Morgan Burke will cut a large check to one of the worst teams in one of the worst Division 1 college basketball conferences. The Golden Lions will then lose by 30 or so and head back to Arkansas with said check. Purdue will get back in the win column. If it doesn’t, it will officially be time to panic.

UAPB is the oldest Historically Black College in the nation. Success on the basketball court has not come with that age though. Last season was one of the best in school history. They were 13-18. They are not a strong team historically, as their page on ESPN is fraught with single digit win seasons. The nadir of that time came with a 1-26 finish during the 2003-04 campaign. Last season saw only four wins outside of the conference for the Golden Lions. They swept a home and home with Louisiana Tech and did the same with non-division 1 Philander Smith. Since the SWAC is consistently one of the worst conferences in the land their lack of success in said conference is a telling sign.

So far this season the story is no different. The Golden Lions are 0-6 and won’t even play a home game until opening conference play with defending champ Mississippi Valley State on January 3rd. They have toured the country losing by double digit margins at Colorado, Texas A&M, Creighton, Nebraska, Georgia Tech, and Missouri. They have yet to ever play Purdue. The Missouri game should tell us all we need to know. The 6-1 Tigers absolutely ROCKED UAPB 95-41 Tuesday night.

The Golden Lions do not have a single player averaging in double figures. Junior guard Terrance Calvin (9.7ppg, 5.8rpg) and 6’8” forward Lebaron Weathers (8.3 ppg, 7.2 rpg) are the two best players statistically. Weathers is a JuCo transfer playing his first year of division 1 basketball. He had an impressive debut against Colorado with a 22 point, 10 rebound effort, but as a major conference team Colorado is merely a shade above godawful.

Scoring is not UAPB’s strong point and neither is defense. We should be able to do whatever we want to do on either end of the floor. The Golden lions have yet to top 56 points in a game, and that came in the opener at Colorado. They still lost by 20 and haven’t held a team below 67. That 67 came in their closest game of the season, a 67-53 loss to Nebraska. At least the Huskers are currently undefeated.

Tavaris Washington (8.3ppg) and Tyree Glass (8ppg) are threats to score, but as a whole UAPB only averages 49 points per game. 34.3 of those points come from these four guys. As can be expected with a winless team, UAPB does not take care of the basketball. They turn the ball over more than 22 times per game and this is without facing our normally stout defense.
Weathers is their one 3-point shooting threat, hitting five of the 13 long range shots the Golden Lions have hit all year. UAPB only hit 61% of its free throws too. That’s good when you look at their 17% accuracy rate from 3-point land. Even if you move them inside the arc the Golden Lions are just a 34% shooting team from the field. If those numbers don’t spell mismatch I honestly don’t know what does.

In simply looking at the numbers it is difficult to find one thing that the Golden Lions do well. Weathers looks like a solid player, but that is about it. They shot 16 of 60 from the field against Missouri. This is the same Missouri team whose helter-skelter pace often allows for easy baskets in transition. All of these numbers have come against teams that are expected to be substantially worse than us. We are the only ranked team on UAPB’s schedule.

The bottom line is that this shouldn’t even be close. We’re reeling a bit right now, but we are given an opponent that will allow us to work on many of the things we need to work on. Weathers is a real live post player that will challenge Calasan and Johnson, but not in an overwhelming manner. We should get plenty of open looks to work on our cold shooting against a poor defense. Marcus Green should have an opponent he can do all the “little things” he does so well against. Finally, this is a team that we should be able to work on positioning and rebounding. If we can’t outrebound them then we aren’t even trying to rebound.

Some people have suggested that we juggle the starting lineup some. I’m not sure about that. I know we need to do something. Robbie Hummel has been a virtual non-factor in the first half of many games. He did little against duke until the game was decided. E’Twaun Moore did even less. I’ve also been disappointed in Keaton Grant’s struggles. Fortunately, this is happening now. We have plenty of game to work on all of this. Coach Painter will make sure it is worked on, too. I would much rather struggle now with time to fix things than in March. With almost three months until selection Sunday we’ve got plenty of time.

Tuesday night was disappointing. The more that I have thought of it, though, the more I realize that we simply had a very bad game against a really, really good team. In turn, Duke had a really good night. If you play that game later on, things could easily be different. Duke came ready to play and seized the moment. We came somewhat ready, but had an awful performance. The bottom line is we’re still a very good team. I think people will see that in the end.

That said, I still think tomorrow night is a convincing win even if we play worse than we did against Duke. UAPB is probably our weakest opponent, and it will show. Purdue 97, UAPB 50

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Room for improvement

Well, that was ugly.

In walking up to Mackey Arena last night everything was going to plan. The place was packed and you could feel the charge in the air before tipoff. As tightly as we were crammed into the seats I think the ticket office found a way to cram at least one more person into each row of each section. I know the way I had to twist my spine to fit between my wife and the gentleman next to me wasn’t comfy, but at the time it felt more than worth it. The Paint Crew was perfect, the crowd was loud, and everything else felt like the college basketball game of my dreams.

On the drive up I was battling a severe headache and fatigue. After a pretty stressful week I was actually questioning if I had the energy to go to the game. Once I walked into the arena though, that energy fueled me. I felt alive because you could literally feel the collective good vibes.

Then we had the tipoff.

I will say this: Duke is a very, very good team. They are better than I expected, and that is saying much because I already knew they were very good. We made a ton of mistakes last night. The Blue Devils, in return played a very clean, focused game. They made us pay for every single mistake that we made. The bottom line is that we could never generate any positive momentum. Any time we came close to making a move Duke made a play or coach K peed on our collective fire with a savvy timeout.

In a game like this where your opponent has superior talent and experience you cannot afford to have the number of mistakes we did. Tow in, you need to play a near perfect game and see which way the fortuitous bounces go. You can’t count on them to just have an off night. Everything that was fortuitous seemed to go Duke’s way, be it a favorable bounce on a rebound, a key loose ball, or a kickout for a big 3-pointer. Unlike the Bucket game where there were barely any negatives, this was a game in which there were hardly any positives. We embarrassed ourselves at home on national TV. It will take a long time to get that respect back.

Key Factors in the loss:

Defensive breakdowns – Duke was incredibly good at driving into the paint to initiate a double team, then kicking it out for a wide open jumper. Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer did most of the damage here. They only combined on five three’s, but each of them seemed like a dagger. Because of that and our own dearth of outside shooting it seemed like more.

We didn’t only have defensive breakdowns here, but Duke seemed to be able to create its own shot whenever it wanted to. We struggled against their defense to find any daylight. E’Twaun Moore didn’t even get on the board until the final ten minutes. Still, when Duke needed a big basket it was able to find the open man or break us down off the dribble. Singler and Scheyer also killed us by going a combined 13 of 14 from the line.

Rebounding – This was flat out terrible. The couple of times we did play good defense and forced a missed shot with the clock running down Duke was able to grab the offensive board for a second chance. They also had numerous little tips for easy baskets as a result of failed box outs. I don’t know why it is so hard for us to grab the ball on a rebound. Many times we were in position last night only to have a couple of guys fight over it. A few times we simply didn’t just grab the ball when it was right there. Something has to change. We cannot win games like this when we are outrebounded by 18.

Offensive discipline –In the second half Duke was more than content to work the clock for a good shot. That’s a great luxury that a double digit lead affords. Most of the time they still got good shots. When they didn’t, they were at least in position for the offensive rebound. We had no such discipline. By the second half it seemed like we were so frazzled by Duke’s smothering defense we simply waited for the first open look and took it. We had our two bigs in Calasan and Johnson handling the ball on the dribble 18 feet from the basket! We were actually getting some calls, but a few key blocked shots made us too timid to drive the lane. Our two best scorers in Hummel and Moore were essentially no shows until the final minutes when we were already down big. We weren’t hitting jump shots, and only Johnson and Calasan were legitimate threats to score for 30 minutes.

Once we missed our first few shots and fell behind 7-0 you could feel this team’s collective sphincter tighten. It was really over from there, which is sad because you could tell a great crowd was itching for any reason to explode. The best moment was when Keaton Grant pulled up for about a 23-footer from the top of the key with 3:03 left in the first half. If he hits that the roof comes off the place and the game is changed. It was a miss, and we never recovered. There were too many 4-6 point shifts because we would miss a big shot or even an easy one only to have Duke come down and score in transition.

Much of the credit does go to Duke’s defense. Their man defense completely disrupted anything we tried to do. Even when we tried to adjust we couldn’t get open looks. I cannot discount Coach K’s coaching ability. Twice in the second half he saw a situation where we had the smallest amount of momentum going and the game clock read seconds before a TV timeout. He called a timeout on both dead ball occasions and allowed both stoppages to kill our momentum. Those are little plays that get lost in the game, but in my opinion they were big. They came just before the 8 minute and 4-minute TV timeouts of the second half. Each time we had just made a big defensive play to get the ball, but generated nothing on the following possession.

Where do we go from here?

This was easily the worst game we have played since probably the Wofford loss a year ago. Still, I did like a couple of minor things. I liked that once against that Calasan and Johnson were threats to score inside. They held up their end of the bargain, but got very little help.

Second, we just got beat by one of the best teams in the country. It is my belief that Coach Painter will not let this team forget these two losses. I think this team saw the crowd and simply thought it would carry them to victory. They really didn’t know any better. We’ve only lost twice (or less) in Mackey Arena in these guys’ careers, so they have grown accustomed to the home court advantage. They felt that Duke would welt in the face of that crowd, but Duke almost never does that. They are who they are for a reason. They don’t flinch in situations such as this. As this team gets better I expect we can challenge the Dukes and North Carolinas of the world. Last night, however, we unraveled over the course of the game and Duke made us pay.

The rest of the non-conference season is very easy with only Davidson at Conseco Fieldhouse as a major test. That is now a must-win game. This loss doesn’t hurt us that badly. It’s not going to be a “bad loss” in terms of tournament positioning. At ebst, we blew a chance at a major win and a better seed. Numerous teams have provent hat you only need to make the tournament to make a big run, and we have historically done better when the expectations haven’t been as high. If we go through and win the Big Ten we will still be a top 4 seed somewhere. I still think we’re one of the best 15 teams in the country, but it is not going to be as easy to hold on to that as originally thought.

A side note to remember is this. Many were comparing last night's game and it's build up to win UCLA and Lew Alcindor opened the building in 1967. We actually lost that game in convincing fashion.

A little more than a year later we were in our first Final Four and finished as national runner-up

One final note: I do want to thank the reader sitting about two seats over from me last night. It was nice to meet you and thanks again for reading!

Pre-Duke Boilermakings

Before heading up to West Lafayette tonight I wanted to do a quick Boilermakings. There has been plenty of other Purdue news to report on of late, but I haven't had time to say much about it. Fortunately, that is changing and I can soon go back to truly making this All Things Boilermaker.

Reshuffling the deck

We should be talking about bowl preparation and opponent speculation, but instead we are discussing coaching changes as the Danny Hope regime has officially begun. Coach Tiller hasn't even left town yet, but it looks like he will have to help offensive coordinator Ed Zaunbrecher and tight ends coach John McDonnell clean out their offices as well.

Both moves are a little curious to me. The offense was obviously hampered severely by injuries, especially along the offensive line. You could place this on the coaches because they didn't develop the necessary depth to cover those injuries, but that is even scarier because Danny Hope served as offensive line coach. The reality is that we had too many games that would have been wins if our offense was operating even at half of its normal efficiency. We had four games this season, all losses, when we scored 7 points or fewer. In each we held the respective opponent to 21 or less, so it is not like we got blown out. Considering we only had four such games the previous four seasons combined it is easy to see why we finished 4-8. Ultimately, that lies on the offensive coaching staff.

McDonnell coached a position that was also hurt badly by injuries this year, but it was supposed to be one of the deeper positions on the team. Kyle Adams and Colton McKey both got hurt. Jerry Wasikowski was never intended to be the first option as a pass catcher at tight end. He did perform admirably later in the year. I like Jeff Lindsey's attitude and effort, but it feels like his 4-star talent is being wasted at the position.

No tight ends coach has been named, but we do officially have three new coaches on staff. The biggest news is Gary Nord coming over as the new offensive coordinator from Florida Atlantic. Nord had an underwhelming 14-34 record as the head man at UTEP. He has been an assistant at Louisville, Oklahoma, and Pittsburgh in the past, working with Hope at the first two spots. The Owls were coming off of a Sun Belt Conference title going into this year, but are awaiting a possible bowl bid after only a 6-6 finish.

FAU finished the year on a 5-1 kick after a 1-5 start, but that was against Sun Belt competition. Against the best teams FAU played (Minnesota, Michigan State, and Texas) his offense managed only 13 points. This is with a pretty good quarterback in Rusty Smith. In looking at FAU's stats they had a nice balance between the run and the pass. Unfortauntely, FAU was much like Purdue has been the past few years: Great against the bad teams, but very stagnant against the good teams on its schedule. Time will tell what he can do with the facilities and talent upgrades that the Big Ten brings.

J.B. Gibboney will take over one of Mark Hagen's old duties as he moves from graduate assistant to special teams coach. This could be a good thing or a bad thing. Other than the opener against Northern Colorado, special teams was a liability for most of the year. We had some highs (a school record 53 yard field goal by Carson Wiggs) and lows (an absolute killer of a punt return for touchdown against Oregon). Special Teams is much more than simply kicking the ball. Tackling was generally poor on kickoff returns and too many times there wasn't enough protection for the specialists. The punt return given up to Oregon may have been the turning point of the entire season. Even against Michigan it's not like we suddenly helped their offense come to life. We gave them over 270 return yards and a punt return for a score. This had a very large say in their best offensive day of the year.

Finally, Sean Clark moves in as the new offensive line coach. Since this was Hope's specialty and he was Hope's O-line coach at Eastern Kentucky I kind of like this move. He has his work cut out for him though. I hope he is a doctor and can somehow keep everyone healthy for an entire season. Should that happen, we could see dramatic improvement from the offense as a whole. There are pieces to build around here, but we have a long away to go.

There is some speculation that the moves aren't done. Boilerdowd in particular seems to be plugged into the rumor mill and thinks Brock Spack may be on his way out of town as well. I admit I was a little rash about Spack, especially after the Notre Dame game. The way the defense simply rolled over against one of the worst rushing attacks in college football left a bad taste in my mouth. The rest of the season showed his unit was much better than advertised. Indeed, they did their jobs very well on days when the offense did nothing. Spack's defenses have been good in the past too. There is enough coming back on defense to expect it to be a major strength for the first time in years, so I hope he stays or we can at least find a better replacement to work with them if he does leave. I've been wrong before, so I might be here too.

Women's volleyball enters NCAA Tournament as #10 overall seed

If one team on campus had a better than expected fall it was the women's volleyball team. The Boilers will take a 24-8 record into the NCAA's and play the first two rounds at home on Belin Court. They open up play Friday night against a Louisville team they have already defeated in straight sets once. The winner of Middle Tennessee State and Miami (OH) awaits in the second round.

This is the fifth straight tournament appearance for the Boilers and 12^th overall. During this five year streak Purdue has reached at least the second round in each of the previous four years. Only one of its losses 93-2 to Utah State) came outside of a stacked Big Ten Conference. Illinois, Minnesota, and #1 overall seed Penn State were all named as national seeds. St. Louis was also named as a national seed, and the Boilers already beat them in the 7^th match of the season.

Purdue is probably not going to win the whole thing. Penn State not only is undefeated at 32-0, but they didn't even drop a set all year. That has never happened at any level of NCAA competition. Still, a sweet 16 or elite 8 appearance is a very reasonable goal for this squad. They are lead by senior middle hitter Stephanie Lynch, who was a unanimous all-Big Ten selection.

Women's basketball returns from Hawaii

The Lady Boilers' basketball season has gone much like the men's so far. They are 5-1 heading into their own ACC/Big Ten Challenge with the one loss coming in overtime to a top 5 team with red as a primary color. This loss came to #5 Stanford in the opening game of the Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic last week. Interesting non-conference tests against Maryland this week, then Notre Dame and Texas remain, but Purdue is still in its familiar position as one of the Big Ten favorites.

Turnovers have been the largest issue with this team so far. They shoot the ball well. They share the ball well, but sharing is not supposed to involve the other team. If they can solve that problem they will be a threat for the women's Final Four once again. They should have a very good test in the women's ACC/Big Ten challenge against Maryland this week.

Len Dawson: Distinguished American

You can read about it here, but Len Dawson continues to honor Purdue even as the oldest in the fraternity that is the Cradle of Quarterbacks.

Dustin Keller helps my fantasy team to #1 seed, kids with autism

Obviously helping kids with autism is much more important than helping my fantasy team defend its title. I ran across this article the other day concerning first round draft pick Dustin Keller. We are even more lucky to have had him as a Boilermaker when no one else wanted to give him a chance. Thank you, Dustin.

Saturday tickets available:

If anyone is interested in tickets for Saturday's game with Arkansas-Pine Bluff feelf ree to e-mail me.

That is all for now. Everyone BOILER UP tonight!

Here come the Dukies

Section 112, row 13, seat 114.

That is where I am going to be tomorrow night. Saturday’s loss to Oklahoma took some of the luster off of this game, but losing to Oklahoma on a neutral floor is not like losing to Wofford at home last year. There is little more you could ask for in this game. You have a pair of teams on the short list for this year’s Final Four. Both teams will spend ample time in the top 10 all season. A rematch in March is not out of the realm of possibility either.

It is a game so exciting that my own wife, who doesn't like college basketball, is excited about going. Believe me, that is an accomplishment. the University of Miami baseball program knows all about Those Loud Girls, and one of them will be making a cameo in West Lafayette tomorrow night.

Duke represents what we want to be as a program. Three national championships. 14 Final Fours. Dozens of All-Americans. Blue Chip recruiting classes without even trying. This is what we want. this is what we can be. With all that history, some are calling this the biggest game played in Mackey Arena since John Wooden and some guy named Lew Alcindor with UCLA opened the building more than 40 years ago.

I am in agreement with Boilerdowd on this one. If we lose this game, we are suddenly 0-2 in real non-conference tests with only Davidson remaining. That would be a little too close to acting like the football team. The Daily Gopher is already openly questioning this Purdue team. My answer is: Of course we’re tense when we get called for a foul anytime we’re within five feet of a player. A win can quiet some of the critics like this, but more importantly it will position us better for March and help the Big Ten finally win the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Duke Blue Devils (7-0)
2008 Postseason: lost in second round of NCAA Tournament 73-67 to West Virginia
Final Record: 28-6
Blog Representation: Just Duke

The reason a win would position us so well is because Duke has been Duke so far. They are 7-0, in the top 5, and have only seriously been challenged once. Because of Michigan upsetting UCLA they have yet to play a ranked team, but they did top the Wolverines in the 2k Sports Classic rather easily. They will actually play the Wolverines again this weekend before facing Davidson and Boston College down the road as common opponents.

The one game in which the Blue Devils have been challenged came as an unexpected shock. In between the opening rounds and finals of the 2K Sports Classic Rhode Island visited Cameron Indoor Stadium and very nearly shocked the nation. The Rams fell 82-79 after leading for most of the game, Duke scored on its final seven possessions and needed a defensive stop in the final seconds to hold on for the win. Rhode Island isn’t a bad team, but they aren’t really in Duke’s league.

This will be Duke’s first true road game. Like us, they have played all home games except for a pair in Madison Square Garden. That is like a second home for Duke anyway. Our defense must be up to the task against a team that is averaging nearly 84 points per game. It will almost be like looking in a mirror. They don’t have one dominant player like Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, but they have plenty of talented players in key roles to spread around the scoring. their style of play is similar to our own in that they rely on outside shooting and defense.

Four players average in double figures while a fifth is just short at nine points per game. 6’8” sophomore forward Kyle Singler leads the team with 16.7 points per game and almost 7 rebounds per contest. He is a lot like Robbie Hummel. He hits better than a third of his 3-pointers, yet he can play inside. The matchup between these two sophomore players should be one of the best individual subplots of the night.

There is a similar type of matchup at the guard position as E’Twaun Moore will face off against fellow sophomore Nolan Smith. Smith averages 12.4 points per game and can create his own shot much like Moore. I’m not sure if Smith will play on Moore defensively, but you can expect Mr. Kramer will definitely get a look at him on the other end of the floor.

John Scheyer is the latest in a long line of white guy outside shooters that is hated by everyone outside the Duke program. He joins Greg Paulus and J.J Redick as guys that are excellent players, yet they receive and unusual amount of enmity by opposing fans for what they do. I am not one of those fans. I love watching hard workers and pure shooters. The 6’5” junior from nearby Northbrook, IL annoys everyone by simply refusing to miss free throws when fouled. Still, free throws win ballgames and he does what is asked of him at the line. I resepct that. He had a season high 23 against Rhode Island and averages more than 12 points per game. He isn’t as much of a 3-point threat as Smith and Singler, but he can hit it from long range.

One player that concerns me is junior Gerald Henderson. We tend to have trouble with versatile swingmen like him, and he is more than capable of causing that trouble. His points and rebounding numbers are down from a year ago, but he still gets more than 11 per night. His best game came against Southern Illinois when he hit four of five 3-point attempts in a 20 point effort. He is listed as a guard-forward, so he plays in one of the more dangerous swing positions on the floor.

The fifth starter reminds of John Allison. I say that because he is 7’1” and he only gets 3.7 rebounds per game. Brian Zoubek underperforms for his size. He starts, but only plays about 14 minutes a night, chipping in 6 points. Those rebounding numbers are just sad though. A 7’1” guy should accidentally get at least seven rebounds per night. Of course, he does play limited minutes and that undoubtedly contributes to lower numbers.

Paulus and Lance Thomas are the top guys off the bench. Thomas is a 6’8” forward that can cause some problems inside for us. He is coming off a career high 21 against Duquesne, but the junior hasn’t been as consistent as some would like. Paulus is a former starter who has played a much reduced role this year. He is only averaging 5.5 points per game after being in double figures each of the past two seasons. We cannot forget about him when he is in the game though.

Paulus is the only senior that sees extensive time in what is essentially an eight man rotation. Freshman Elliot Williams rounds out that rotation at 3.3 points per game in 16 minutes a night.

There are two major reasons that give me hope for tomorrow night. Duke is not a strong rebounding team, and they are prone to turning the ball over. If our defense is on we can truly take advantage of this, especially the turnover aspect. Duke actually averages more turnovers (15.1) than assists (14) per night. They haven’t exactly played some stout defensive teams either. Michigan is probably their best win. Montana, Georgia Southern, and Presbyterian aren’t exactly known for their defense.

They rebound by committee just like us. They spread scoring around just like us. Those two major areas are pretty much dead even. I was very pleased with the way we handled Blake Griffin on Friday. He still got his numbers, but he had to work a lot harder than anyone expected. If we can continue to play in the paint like that we should have a much easier time against Duke. They don’t have that true post presence, while Nemanja Calasan showed a lot of heart in the Oklahoma loss. If he can get some help from JaJuan inside we will have a major advantage.

Henderson is a major advantage that Duke has on the defensive side of things. Both he and Scheyer have been known as thieves, and Henderson may be one of the better finishers on a fast break in the country. Duke gets almost 11 steals per night, so taking care of the ball is paramount. We cannot afford to give up transition baskets with dumb turnovers. Whoever controls the defensive timbre of this game will come away with a win.

To me, these teams are nearly equal. They have experience in all the right places, and both have enough coming back to think next year could be even better. That doesn’t take away from this season, however. I think this game will be decided in the paint. The backcourts of each team are nearly equal, but Calasan and Johnson have each performed better than Duke's frontcourt. I am especially encouraged by Calasan’s effort against Oklahoma. That was probably his best game as a Boilermaker, and it came against one of the premier post players in the country.

JaJuan needs to step up and help him though. He was saddled with foul trouble against Oklahoma. If we can get him the ball inside he should have some room to operate. He has to stay out of foul trouble though. This is true for everyone else, though I don’t expect there to be a huge difference in foul shooting like the Oklahoma game. I should hope not, playing at home.

Robbie Hummel needs to play like Robbie Hummel. E’Twaun Moore has been very impressive so far, but Hummel has been fairly quiet. He only had 10 points in each game in New York, and most of his points have come later in blowouts. He is due to take over a game. I like that he is hitting almost 50% of his 3-pointers too. If he and everyone can hit them like we did against Oklahoma it will be a major positive.

Finally, there is the crowd. I want it loud. As I said late last week, if you’re going to sit I don’t want you there. Stay home and give your ticket to someone else who is going to be loud from the opening tip until the final buzzer. Duke allegedly has the best home court advantage in the country. This is our chance to prove those people wrong. We have a nationally televised game that is going to be watched by everyone who follows college basketball. I know the Paint Crew is going to do its part, but I want the alumni to do their part as well. Everyone needs to act like a Paint Crew member for one night. Let’s have some fun, you fellow alumni. Paint your faces, dress up. Stand up and shout all night long. It won’t kill you to act like you’re 21 again for one night. If we can all do that we can turn what I think will be a win anyway into a fun blowout.

People are starting to doubt us. Let’s go make a statement. Purdue 71, Duke 65