No Shame

As expected, Purdue dropped the second round NCAA tournament matchup versus Florida, 74-67. However, with this loss, there is nothing to be ashamed of. As I posted previously, I said I would be impressed if Purdue put out a great effort. They didn't disappoint. Purdue took it right to Florida and played their hearts out. We enjoyed a consistent lead in the first half (7 points at one point in the game) and ended up leading at the half by 2 points. In the second half, we had the lead for probably 10-12 minutes. Then we clawed back from 5 to 7 point deficits to lead again at the 7 minute mark, 49-47. Ultimately, Purdue could not withstand a flurry of free throws made by Florida, the clutch inside play of Al Horford, and missing their own free throws. Despite fading some in the second half, Purdue never gave up and kept it close.

The physicality of the game was best summarized by Josh Peters in his Yahoo Sports column. Here is the excerpt:

"The Boilermakers gave Florida a taste of Big Ten basketball, and it went down about as well as Castor Oil. A plodding tempo. In-your-face defense. The kind of body slamming usually reserved for a mosh pit."

Landry finished the game with 18 points and 10 boards against the bigger Florida frontline. His effort was inspiring, so much in fact that he earned the respect of Florida stars, Joakim Noah and Al Horford. All three players embraced on the court after the game. It was almost as though Noah and Horford were warriors showing respect for a worthy fallen opponent. Noah later went on to say "I give [Landry] a lot of respect. He's a warrior. There was not a single play when he gave up going for the rebound or for the shot. I feel bad for him because I know how hard it is to lose in the tournament."

Teague and Chris Kramer also played well each finishing with 14 points.

Personally, I would like to take time to thank the seniors for this season. Landry and Teague had great performances throughout the whole year. They were really the catalysts for this year's turnaround. When Purdue fans look back, Teague and Landry will be seen as the firestarters, the guys who brought Purdue back. Hopefully they both can continue their careers professionally.

This game only reaffirms the future is bright for Purdue. Matt Painter and his staff are good. They are good tactically, good at developing players, good at motivating players, and so far good at getting some recruits. Purdue as a team improved substantially as the season progressed. Also Purdue's nationally ranked recruiting class comes in next year. If they can gel with the mainstays, Purdue will be tough once again.

One last thing, Purdue recruit E'twaun Moore and East Chicago Central takes on IU recruit (top 5 talent) Eric Gordon and Indy North Central in the 4A title tilt next Saturday.

March is the best time of year

The month of March is probably my favorite time of the year. The primary reason for this is because the NCAA Division I basketball tournament takes place during this month. The tournament is the biggest and most exciting event in America. There are so many games to follow , and everyone has a reasonable chance at predicting the outcome which makes it very accessible. This last thing in itself gives everyone a stake in the tournament. What other event captivates the attention of so many fans and even their grandmothers? Many are in interested in all the games since each has an effect on their prediction. The excitement is increased because of the nature of the tournament format and the game of basketball itself. Basketball is inherently a game of runs and flows. A team may have a huge lead, but there almost always is a chance to make a comeback. The game goes back and forth and is usually very unpredictable. The other great attribute is the fact the tournament format gives us rare matchups between majors from vastly different power conferences as well as between the good mid-majors and the majors. Since it is not a series format, but rather a one and done game, anyone has a chance to knock off any team on a given night.

We are in the midst of the first four days of the tournament, which I think are the best. In this span, the most games are played simultaneously. Also we usually see the crazy upsets of the first and second rounds. I almost feel the final four and the championship game are anticlimatic in comparison to the first four days.

Anyway now on to Purdue basketball. Purdue pulled out a great win on Friday night to stay alive. They outhustled and overwhelmed Arizona with their toughness. Also Purdue really slowed the game down and forced Arizona to play half court. We imposed our will on them. It really shows that sometimes talent and athletic ability alone cannot win games. It is a combination of many factors. A few of those factors are desire and effort. Friday night Purdue overcame Arizona's edge in athleticism and talent with heart, toughness, coaching, and determination. It was a great win in the Painter era. Hopefully more great things are on the way the next few years.

Purdue now gets the matchup with possibly the best team in the nation, Florida. I don't think realistically Purdue will win the game. Florida is a very complete team and definitely has the inside edge on Purdue. However, anything can happen since the game is a tournament game. Personally, I like these desperate situations. Instead of dread, I look at this as a great opportunity to give one of the best teams your best shot. This is a chance to leave a lasting impression. I am already proud of Purdue's turnaround this season. I will be more impressed if they give Florida all they can handle tomorrow afternoon.

Go Purdue

NCAA Tournament and weekend thoughts (Greg Oden please go pro next year)

This was a pretty solid weekend. Friday, my beloved Purdue Boilermakers claimed victory over Iowa in the Big Ten tournament. Purdue played with alot of energy and as I predicted, Landry and Teague would not be held to another bad performance by the Hawkeyes. The woodshed beating we gave Iowa was the exclamation point and really helped solidify our case for an NCAA bid.

Saturday, I again attended Big Ten Tournament action at the United Center (this time with the Abate brothers). We were treated to their favorite team, the Ohio State, going up against my fav, Purdue. Purdue played really tough and like the other meetings this year hung with Ohio State for 30-32 minutes. However, Ohio State shut our scoring down the last 8-10 minutes and pulled away eventually for a 11 point victory. Landry played really well and showed some versatility going up against superman center, Greg Oden.

Oden just changes the game. He was really the huge reason why tOSU beat us down the stretch. I liken him to Shaq because he just has what I call a "Black Hole" effect on the game. He draws so much attention as well as the opposition's worries. Oden alters people's shots physically and psychologically. He cleans up alot of rebounds. He finishes well in the post. He does so many things that just affect the game. He is a master of intangibles, and the fact of the matter is that his teams just flat out win (look at Lawrence North HS in Indiana). No doubt lingers in my mind that Oden is better than Kevin Durant and should be the #1 NBA draft pick if both players declare. Oden is just a rare player that comes out maybe every 10, 20, or maybe 30 years. It's players like Oden who are the foundation of championship teams and perhaps basketball dynasties (see Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlin) . Durant is good and statistically more flashy, but players with his skills and game come every few years (if not every 1 or 2 years).

Oden had a monster put back dunk on Purdue over Landry and Teague in the game. It was in a way his heralding. The announcement that yes, the basketball superman had just busted out. It's just a shame this highlight reel had to come against my team. All I can say to Oden is that I hope he goes on to success in the future and that hopefully that success will be with an NBA team next year. I don't think the rest of the Big Ten could deal if he comes back for another college season.

So after the loss, I was sweating out selection Sunday. However, with North Carolina and Florida taking care of the upstarts (NC State and Arkansas), I was breathing easier. All of the drama was put to rest, when early in the brackets I found Purdue was set to face Arizona in the Midwest 8 vs 9 matchup.

I am so elated because this is a huge stepping stone in bringing Purdue basketball back to being competitive. Even if we lose the game, we will have great momentum for next season. The future really looks bright. Alot of the credit for this amazing turnaround goes to Matt Painter for being a good coach and to Landry and Teague for their awesome final seasons. Hopefully we can knock off Arizona. Then we could most likely get a shot against defending champion Florida (I love suicide missions).

Regardless of the tournament outcome, go Purdue.

Pregame Thoughts - Purdue vs. Iowa - Big Ten Tournament

I had a pretty good day considering that I went to the opening round action of the Big Ten tournament instead of going to work. I attended the opening day since I had projected Purdue to be in the lower half (6-11) of the seeds. However, the best laid plans of mice and men go awry. Purdue earned the five seed and now plays on Friday. So now I find myself anxiously anticipating a Friday afternoon matchup between my beloved Boilermakers and the Iowa Hawkeyes.

First, let's examine the backdrop for this matchup. After many frustrating seasons (at least the past four), Purdue has turned in a good effort this year. They find themselves 20-10 with a Big Ten regular season record of 9-7. In the preseason there were some good wins over Oklahoma, Depaul, Virginia, and Missouri. In the Big Ten, we creamed Michigan State and Illinois, had a nice win over hated arch rival Indiana, and split the series with Michigan. This is a marked improvement from the past. David Teague and Carl Landry have been outstanding for Purdue this season coming off of major knee injuries. For once, I think the ship is righting its course. Not only has Purdue had an awesome year relative to the recent past, but they bring in a nationally ranked (top 10) recruiting class for next year. So naturally, I am optimistic about the future of Purdue basketball.

With that said, tomorrow's game is pretty important. Lose and Purdue is looking at the NIT. This is an improvement, but why settle for less? At this moment, Purdue finds itself on the bubble in regards to NCAA tournament consideration. If Purdue can pull out this victory, I think they have earned a berth in the NCAA tournament. A victory won't be easy. Iowa killed Purdue a few weeks back in Iowa City. Plus we all know Steve Alford's Big Ten tournament record and the fact that Iowa needs to win the tournament to get in.

Despite all this, I remain positive about the game. It's on a neutral court and I don't think Iowa can hold Landry and Teague to bad games twice in a row. If Purdue wins, this will be a major accelerator in terms of momentum for next year. It would also be a date that many Purdue fans could look back upon and see as a turning point in our basketball fortunes.

Go Purdue.