SB Nation - Lewis Jackson

Q&A with Hammer and Rails

MRickman84 — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:30:16 -0000

We had a chance to talk with the excellent Purdue blog Hammer and Rails for the Deacs' upcoming game against the Boilermakers on Tuesday. You can find our questions and their answers after the jump.

What does the loss of Lewis Jackson mean for the team?

Not as much as I thought after seeing Kelsey Barlow play in the Paradise Jam. We’re used to playing point guard by committee. Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer played that role in the 2007-08 season before LewJack arrived. They can handle things, while Barlow grew up quite a bit as a freshman in the Virgin Islands. If there is such a thing as a fortunate injury it is this one because we are so guard heavy. Even former walk-on Mark Wohlford can bring the ball upt he floor a little. Where we miss LewJack the most is his ability to penetrate and score. Barlow isn’t quite there yet, but he is getting close.

How do you plan on defending Wake's bigs?

This is where injuries can be an issue. 6’9" freshman Sandi Marcius has yet to play because of a foot injury, but he is very close to returning. He may even be back for this game. We need him. Aside from JaJuan Johnson we don’t have a true, dedicated post player. Robbie Hummel is a good rebounder, but he plays on the perimeter more offensively. Freshman Patrick Bade has done well in relief of Johnson so far, but he is still very green. Both Bade and Johnson fouled out against Tennessee and we were lucky the Volunteers did not attack the paint on the final play.

To be quite honest, our lack of depth on the interior is a major reason that I think we are one year away from truly contending for a national championship. We have JaJuan Johnson and that is it. We have some promising bigs coming in the next recruiting class, but they won’t help us this year when they are still playing high school ball. We will be fine if we can keep JJ out of foul trouble, but that is a big if.

Obviously we know what we're getting from E'Twaun, Hummel, Johnson and Kramer, but who is the X-Factor that Wake should be looking out for?

Our X-factor is that we can have any player we put on the floor go for 10-15 points on any given night. Case in point: in the Paradise Jam semifinal Mark Wohlford had 10 points (he had four points in his career coming in) and Ryne Smith had 16. These guys are role players, but they carried the day. We are at our best when our role players like Smith, Wohlford, Grant, and other can contribute. They free up the floor for JJ, E’Twaun, and Robbie.

Speculate: Why will Purdue make the Final Four?

Because it is a goal and it is so close to home. I was junior at Purdue in 2000 when we made the elite 8. We fell to Wisconsin in the west regional final. It was out third loss in four games against the Badgers that year. The Final Four was also in Indy, costing Gene Keady maybe his best chance of making a Final Four.

This team is ready for that step. They have seen it on the schedule and know how close it is. I don’t want to make the Final Four. I want to win the whole damn thing.

Same deal: Why won't Purdue make the Final Four?

Depth in the middle. As I said before, we have JJ and that is it. We have another true center on his way in Travis Carroll, but he won’t be here until next year. That is why I want JJ to say for his senior season. He can helped lead us to a title while teaching Carroll as his understudy. We would also have Marcius, Bade, and Donnie Hale (another 2010 recruit) to provide depth in a very weak area this year. Basically, I view our 2010-11 team as the best team in Purdue history is JJ, Robbie, and E’Twaun stay because all the pieces will fit perfectly. If they all stay, anything less than a national title in 2011 will be a disappointment in my eyes.

Who has made the biggest jump from last year?

It is a tie between Ryne Smith and Mark Wohlford so far. Kelsey Barlow, Patrick Bade, and DJ Byrd are freshmen. Event though they are very talented, they are still freshman. Smith was the 10th player in a nine man rotation last year as a freshman. He has improved his game greatly and is emerging as a 3-point shooting specialist so far. He went apeshit in the second half against St. Joseph’s. Anyone who can regularly throw the ball in the basket from 20 feet away like Smith is good enough to be on my team. Wohlford is a great story. He is a former walk-on that was cut as a freshman, worked his way back on the team, and is now a regular contributor as a senior. He is a tenacious defender and every point he gives us on offense is a bonus. He even had a big three in the Tennessee game.

It's prediction time: who wins, what's the score and why?

The Boilers are playing at home, and I will pick this Purdue team against any team in the country in Mackey Arena. The core group has lost only four games at home to Wofford, Duke, Illinois, and Northwestern. The Wofford and Northwestern games were severe aberrations. I saw this team in person systematically dismantle Michigan State in Mackey Arena last year 72-54. Those Spartans then had a pretty good postseason run. I am concerned about Wake’s size, but I can’t pick against the Boilers at home. Purdue 74-70

Paradise Jam Finals Preview: #7 Purdue vs. #10 Tennessee

Will — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:15:10 -0000

by Brennan Linsley - AP

about 1 month ago: Purdue's E'twuan Moore scores past an attempted block by South Dakota State's Clint Sargent, during a game in the Paradise Jam basketball tournament, in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, Friday, Nov. 20, 2009. Moore was the top scorer of the game, with 22 points which helped Purdue win 74-63. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)

View full size photo »

The marquee matchup everybody wanted will take place tonight in the Paradise Jam Tournament finals, as Purdue and Tennessee square off in the first top ten showdown of the college basketball season. The Vols were untested by East Carolina in their first game in the Virgin Islands, but pushed throughout by DePaul in a defensive battle won by UT 57-53. Purdue has struggled in the first half of both of their Paradise Jam games, but pulled away in the second half each time: they lead South Dakota state by two at the break in the opener before winning by eleven, and led St. Joseph's by only one before outscoring them 54-30 in the second half.

The Boilermakers went 27-10 last year, winning the Big Ten Tournament and advancing to the Sweet 16. They returned six players with starting experience, but lost guard Lewis Jackson to a foot injury. Like all good teams, Purdue can hurt you from inside and outside. The Vols will face one of their most difficult tests of the season in terms of post defense, going against 6'8" Robbie Hummel (13 points, 6 boards per) and leading scorer 6'10" JaJuan Johnson (15 points, 7 boards per). Hummel is also capable of stepping out and hitting the three. Guard E'Twaun Moore dropped 22 on South Dakota State and is the team's second leading scorer.

The contrasting styles of both teams may hold the greatest key to victory: the Vols want to run and have struggled in the halfcourt offense ever since Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith left, while Purdue would love to slow the pace and use DePaul's blueprint with their superior talent to grind the Vols down. If Purdue can slow Tennessee down, will the Vols be able to score in their halfcourt offense? And how will Tennessee defend against Purdue inside?

The Vols will need Scotty Hopson to play well - a good performance against a top ten team will ease everyone's mind about his 2 for 11 display yesterday, but if Hopson struggles again, we'll have to throw that inconsistent label back on him for now. If Cameron Tatum heats up from outside again, even better. We know we'll get the usual from Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism, but will it be more than Purdue gets from Hummel and Johnson?

This will be a great test for the Vols against what should turn out to be the type of team we'll have to beat in March to reach our ultimate goals. Tennessee hasn't won a tournament of any kind in nine years...can this group break the trend and make a huge statement that this team is good enough to achieve its goals and reach new heights this season? 8:30 PM EST, Fox College Sports (simulcast on Fox Sports Net).

For more on Purdue, check out Hammer & Rails.

Basketball 2009-10: The Returning Players

BoilerTMill — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:39:43 -0000

I can barely contain my excitement. Growing up in Indiana, basketball is in my blood, and I can literally feel it coming around the corner. It felt like it began this morning when ESPN released its preseason coaches poll and Purdue was rated 7^th.

So I have decided to make basketball a three part preview before next week's exhibition opener. Part 1 was up a few weeks ago talking about the huge crop of eight newcomers to the program. Today I'll hit on the returning players and what wee need from them in addition to what they already give us. Finally, I'll talk about the schedule in part three and what we can expect as a reasonable record.

The reason this team is so highly ranked is because of its returning cast. All five starters are back. A key player off the bench is back. These are all guys that have now been around for quite awhile, so much is expected of them. Lewis Jackson is the only returning starter that is not at least a junior, and big things are expected of him too.

Seven months ago I said we needed to remember this moment because we would be back to avenge it.

Consider us back.

JaJuan Johnson - My regular readers know that I am trying subtle hypnosis to get JaJuan to stay in West Lafayette after this season. I am of the opinion that if he stays, we will win the 2011 national title because he will have an experienced Sandi Marcius as a backup and a young Travis Carroll to teach for the future. Having those three on the same team for one season in 2011 could help Purdue jump into the realm of the country's elite.

We know what we're going to get from JJ. He has a solid mid-range jumper. He is developing into a great low post player. No one abuses the rim on thunder dunks like him. If anyone ventures within five feet of him the ball will quickly be going the other way on a swat. Now we just need him to become a dominant rebounder. Ultimately, I can see that part of his game holding us back if he doesn't develop. We no longer have Calasan and Green to help him on the boards. Marcius' development will help in this, as will Patrick Bade's. The game at Michigan last year showed what can happen when JJ gets in foul trouble, so it is critical that we don't rely on him too much.

Seriously, how much fun is this? I can't dunk, so will someone who can please tell me?

Back to the hypnosis: It's too early, JaJuan. Education is important. You want to win a title and be a legend. You're not 21 yet so you haven't experienced Harry's or the Cactus...

Robbie Hummel - I honestly don't know how Robbie does it. He is a scorer, a rebounder, a deadly accurate shooter. He is also a tenacious rebounder and hustler. Robbie is a player that makes everyone else around him better because of the matchup problems he creates. If we have a smaller guy on him he can go inside and open up the 3-point shot for E'Twaun and Keaton Grant. If teams go big on him he draws that big man outside, opening up the middle for JJ. There really is no great way to guard him.

If Robbie can stay healthy this year Purdue has an excellent chance at a special season. Robbie single-handedly kept the UConn game in last year's tournament close. Purdue can win a lot of games with just Robbie Hummel playing well. With Hummel and everyone else playing well, it is very hard for them to lose games. We just need Robbie to be Robbie this year and stay healthy. If everyone steps up around him I don't think there is a team in the country we can't beat.

E'Twaun Moore - If 2008 was Robbie's breakout year as a freshman and 2009 was JJ's as a sophomore, the third of that "Baby Boilers" group is due this year. I think we have yet to see E'Twaun's talents as a pure scorer. I call him a scorer because he is a player that can create his own shot nearly anywhere on the floor. He is capable of taking over a game and exploding for a personal 12-0 run at any time.

E'Twaun has been far from a disappointment so far. He is a consistent scorer. We know we're getting 13-15 from him every night. What I want to see from him is the ability to just go apeshit and drop 30 on anyone at any time. I know he has it within him. We saw flashes of it last year in the losses to Oklahoma and Penn State, where he put the team on his back for long stretches. We also got a taste when he had a season high 26 on 10 of 14 shooting against IU. There was also the game at Illinois in 2008 when he went for 24 on 10 of 12 shooting. I want E'Twaun to be a bad, bad man that other teams fear. I want him to be the assassin that closes games out with absolutely backbreaking baskets. You know the type, when a team needs a stop and they defend until the shot clock runs down only to have someone drill a 17 foot jumper with a hand in his face. E'Twaun is that type of player, and this is his year.

Chris Kramer - Is he really a senior? I know I have talked about him coming back to play football next year, and that is a rumor that continues to grow legs. We still get one more year of basketball and Chris has made his goal clear: he wants his Defensive Player of the Year award back.

Kramer is the type of player where you love him if he is on your team, but hate him if you're facing him. I am convinced the man cannot feel pain. He is tenacious and drives other teams nuts with his mere presence. His scoring has gone down every year, but we don't need him to be a scorer. If he can generate a few points every night on turnovers and icing free throws that is fine with me. We have plenty of other guys that can score. Kramer generates plenty of offense through steals and assists even if he isn't the guy that actually puts the ball in the basket. We just need Kramer to be Kramer.

Keaton Grant - Any time you can have a guy like Keaton Grant come off the bench you know you're a good team. His scoring was down a little last year, but that is because he had a reduced role in the offense and was still recovering from knee surgery. With him completely healthy we have another great 3-point shooter. In 2008 he shot 44% from long range, but dipped to 35% last year with more attempts.

Keaton needs to be a shooter, plain and simple. We need him to return to his 2008 shooting form where he buried nearly every open look from beyond the arc. Part of the reason his numbers dropped could be because they moved the 3-point line out a foot, but he can still be a dangerous weapon off the bench from long range.

Lewis Jackson - I thought LewJack was the missing piece coming into last year. We needed a distributor who could force tempo and make us run at times. He filled that role perfectly, and now we just need him to mature both on and off the court. He offseason arrest for alcohol and pot was not a step in this direction. One has to think he is on very thin ice coming into this season, as he is already suspended for both exhibition games and the opener against Cal State Northridge. Honestly, it is a pretty toothless suspension. We don't need him in the exhibitions and Cal State Northridge is a game we should win regardless of who plays. Still, LewJack must learn and grow.

As a point guard, LewJack needs to improve on his assist to turnover ratio (nearly 3:2 last year, so not bad) and he needs to be a better free throw shooter. He is going to have the ball in his hands a lot at the end of games. He also will be driving the lane a lot and drawing contact, so 58% from the line won't cut it.

Ryne Smith - I have read a lot about how Smith has bulked up and is ready for more minutes this year. He is an interesting case. If you read the message board chatter after last season ended, Smith was a candidate for transfer because surely the newcomers would take what few minutes he had. It appears he has bulked up and improved his shooting stroke though.

Smith is almost exclusively a 3-point shooter. He was 6 of 21 from the field last year, but only four attempts were inside the arc. He was 5 of 17 from 3-point range, so if he has improved his stroke I know we can use him as a 3-point shooting specialist for a few minutes each night. In the college game you always have room for a kid that can just shoot the basketball, especially from long range. Smith gives us another option in this area.

Mark Wohlford - Wohlford is the only returning player that is not expected to have a huge impact on the court. The walk-on has only played in 18 career games, mostly as a final minute replacement when we've had a big lead. He has four career points. Wohlford will still be a leader though.

We have a lot of walk-ons. Bubba Day, Stevie Loveless, Kyle Coleman, and Dru Anthrop give us a virtual practice squad of players. Wohlford will likely take on a leadership role in this group, giving us essentially our own team to practice against. How can you not like that? If Wohlford has to play in a game and can give us anything at all it is gravy.

Final Analysis:

There is a reason we're ranked #7 in the preseason and on the short list for the Final Four. This is a damn good basketball team with a lot of returning talent plus some pretty good freshmen. All the parts fit each other well. That is the biggest aspect, especially in the style we play. We are not an individualistic team. We don't feature one guy that when you stop him, you stop us. We thrive on spreading around the scoring and playing team defense.

Tell me, Digger: Will you be using the highlighter to point out how wrong about Purdue you have been? If so, let me give you a few more so you don't run out.

Of course, the media doesn't like this. We'll probably piss of Digger Phelps all season long by <gasp> playing defense and doing what we need to do to win games. So what if we don't score 95 points per game. Who freaking cares! You don't need to score 95 when you can hold opponents under 60. The object of the game is to win. It doesn't matter if you win by 1 or 100. This team is built to win basketball games, and it will win a lot of them.

BtB 2009-10 Big Ten Preview

Chris Dobbertean — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:44:34 -0000

For all of the beating that the Big Ten took during a particularly rough and tumble regular season, the conference really validated itself in the postseason. Those March and April performances bode well for this season, especially considering that the Big Ten's main contenders didn't lose as much as the contenders in other conferences. For example, all five players on the coaches' All-Big Ten team from last season are back.

The two teams who progressed furthest in the NCAAs, national runner-up Michigan State and regional semifinalist Purdue are the clear favorites in the league, and both teams could make a serious run at a MIdwestern Final Four. Penn State, the NIT champions, will look to improve their standing enough to get into the Big Dance this time around. And of course, Northwestern will look to really shake things up in the league and make it to the NCAAs for the first time. In between, the Big Ten's other five NCAA entrants will attempt to stay in the field. The biggest thing for the conference this year is separating itself from the other BCS leagues, especially in non-conference play. With the Big Ten being hyper-competitive this year, its members really need to distinguish themselves during the early part of the season. Otherwise, teams will be clumped together on lines 8 through 12 of the bracket like last year, which doesn't bode well for sustained tourney runs. More on all 11 teams after the jump.

To refresh your memory, let's take a look at how the Big Ten standings looked at the end of the 2008-09 regular season.

Big Ten Conference Standings

(updated 4.7.2009 at 12:23 AM EDT)

	Conf		Overall
	W	L	W	L
Michigan St. Spartans	15	3	31	7
Purdue Boilermakers	11	7	27	10
Illinois Fighting Illini	11	7	24	10
Penn St. Nittany Lions	10	8	27	11
Ohio St. Buckeyes	10	8	22	11
Wisconsin Badgers	10	8	20	13
Minnesota Golden Gophers	9	9	22	11
Michigan Wolverines	9	9	21	14
Northwestern Wildcats	8	10	17	14
Iowa Hawkeyes	5	13	15	17
Indiana Hoosiers	1	17	6	25

Now, here are my picks for 2009-10, presented in reverse order. If a school's name appears in red, that's a link to its SBNation site. You can go there for more detailed analysis throughout the season.

Iowa (last NCAA: 2006) The long rebuilding process continues for Todd Lickliter. It looks to be another long year in Iowa City, especially since the Hawkeyes have real point guard issues after Jake Kelly (transfer to Indiana State for family reasons) and Jeff Peterson (transfer to Arkansas) left the program. 6-1 frosh Cully Payne will have to adjust to the Big Ten game fast, as he will have to be the main option. If he doesn't, expect sophomore Anthony Tucker (10.4 ppg, 0.6 apg) to move over from shooting guard. The team's only other returning double-digit scorer, Matt Gatens (10.8 ppg), will be a force as he can really shoot the ball (40.3 % from the perimeter and 90.4 % from the free throw line). The Hawkeyes really need more contributions inside, where Jarryd Cole has battled injuries and struggled offensively, which has also been a problem for the rest of Iowa's frontline players.

Indiana (last NCAA: 2008) Tom Crean is also in a rebuilding situation, but he loaded up on recruits this offseason, something Lickliter couldn't quite do. Jeremiah Rivers, son of Boston Celtics coach Doc and a Georgetown transfer, is now eligible and will run the offense. Rivers' steady hand should improve a team that rated near the bottom of Division I in assist/turnover ratio. Meanwhile, the incoming freshmen are so highly regarded that last year's leaders may see reduced playing time. Rivers' arrival, and that of freshman Jordan Hulls, will eat into Verdell Jones' playing time (11 ppg, 3,6 apg). 6-5 Maurice Creek will take time away from Devan Dumes (12.7 ppg). In the frontcourt, Tom Pritchard (9.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg) will still see significant time, and he'll be joined by freshmen Bobby Capobianco, Derek Elston, Bawa Muniru, and Christian Watford. Considering that Crean's returning frontcourt players not named Tom Pritchard only average 0.8 ppg, they should see plenty of action. If they adjust to the Big Ten quickly, the Hoosiers may win some of those close games they tended to lose in 2008-09.

Penn State (last NCAA: 2001) You rarely see teams as happy about winning the NIT than the Nittany Lions last year. PSU had a real case for an NCAA bid, thanks to 10 league wins, but a non-conference schedule full of cupcakes cost them. On that front, the Lions hope they can get some big wins in the Charleston Classic to help their case this time around. In terms of personnel, the good news is that all-Big Ten first teamer Talor Battle (16.7 ppg, 5 apg) is back. The bad news is that his backcourt mates, Stanley Pringle (12.8 ppg) and Danny Morrissey (5.3 ppg) are gone and so is star forward Jamelle Cornley (14.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg). The effectiveness of their replacements will dictate the Nittany Lions' chances of moving up. Sophomores Chris Babb (2.8 ppg) and Cammeron Woodyard (2.2 ppg) will have to step it up to replace Pringle, but incoming freshman Tim Frazier will also play a big role in the backcourt. In the frontcourt, 6-9 Andrew Jones (6.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg) is expected to increase his production to make up for Cornley's graduation, so will David Jackson. Both Jones and Jackson played key roles in PSU's NIT run. Serbian freshman Sasa Borovnjak and redshirt frosh Billy Oliver will also see lots of time inside.

Wisconsin (last NCAA: 2009) The Badgers struggled on offense and defense last year. However, Bo Ryan's team was able to right the ship after dropping six in a row in January to sneak into the tournament and grab a first round win over Florida State. However, Ryan lost two key performers off that team, swingman Joe Krabbenhoft and F Marcus Landry. Jason Bohannon (10.3 ppg, 1.7 apg) and Trevon Hughes (12.1 ppg, 2.8 apg) are back, however, so the backcourt remains in good shape, typical of a Ryan-coached team. The returning frontcourt players, led by 6-10 F Jon Leuer (8.8 ppg, 3.8 ppg) and 6-8 Keaton Nankivil (4.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg) will have to be tougher to adequately replace Landry and Krabbenhoft. Look out for the Badgers' two redshirt freshmen, Jared Berggren and Ryan Evans, as they should see significant frontcourt time as well. If the frontline improves significantly, the Badgers could go dancing for the 12th straight year.

Northwestern (last NCAA: None) While Wisconsin (and the rest of the league) has become a consistent NCAA performer, the Wildcats are the complete opposite. Once again, NU is the only team in a BCS conference to fail to qualify for a single NCAA tournament. On March 4, the men from Evanston stood at 17-11, after winning at Indiana, against Iowa at home, and at Purdue. They then managed to lose at Ohio State by 5 to finish 8-10 in the conference. If that wasn't bad enough, they then fell to Minnesota by 13 in the opening round of the conference tournament. The Wildcats cannot let something similar happen this season. Personnel-wise, the Wildcats bring back nearly everyone from last year, most importantly all-Big Ten second teamer Kevin Coble (15.5 ppg, 4.8 apg) and point guard Michael Thompson (9.9 ppg, 3.7 apg), a deadly three-point shooter (41.7%). The major loss is guard Craig Moore (14.3 ppg, 2.7 apg) who graduated. Incoming frosh Drew Crawford could slide into Moore's slot on the roster. He's the son of NBA referee Danny Crawford. If coach Bill Carmody can squeeze a little more from his returnees, who provided solid, if unspectacular and inconsistent performances throughout last season, the Wildcats will finally make the field of 65.

Minnesota (last NCAA: 2009) Expectations are high for Tubby Smith's third season in the Twin Cities. The Gophers will have to find a way to play Michigan State and Michigan better, as they didn't manage to win a single game against those two teams (0-5). The Gophers return all of their key performers from last season, including leading scorer Lawrence Westbrook (12.6 ppg), second leading scorer Damian Johnson (9.8 ppg), point guard Al Nolen (6.5 ppg, 4.3 apg), and big men Ralph Sampson III (6.3 ppg, 4.2 rpg) and Colton Iverson (5.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg). Sampson and Iverson should see more time at center thanks to the arrival of 6-7 freshman Royce White and JC transfer Trevor Mbakwe, if he's ever cleared to play. Mbakwe is due to go on trial for assault in South Florida in December. Nolen could also see the bench if he's as inconsistent as he was during Big Ten play, thanks to the arrival of freshman PG Justin Cobbs. The Gophers are drawn against Butler in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, which should be a good indicator of how well this team will perform in 2009-10.

Michigan (last NCAA: 2009) Much like with Tubby Smith's Minnesota team. great things are expected in Ann Arbor during John Beilein's third season. Beilein's offensive and defensive philosophies usually take consistent hold in that third season, and the team's performance improves as a result. One of the Wolverines' biggest needs is in the frontcourt, where DeShawn Sims (15.4 ppg, 6.8 rpg) was often left on an island last season. Seven-foot, redshirt freshman Ben Cronin should provide some help, as should 6-8 frosh Jordan Morgan, if he plays. Beilein may redshirt him depending on how well he's recovered from offseason knee surgery. 6-10 frosh Blake McLimans and 6-6 junior Anthony Wright may be called into duty frequently. The backcourt is the strength of this UM squad, led by all-Big Ten performer Manny Harris (16.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.4 apg). Harris should get more time to drive to the hoop (and get to the foul line), thanks to the arrival of freshman Darius Morris, who is expected to take over at the point. The reserve backcourt players need to show more consistency, as none averaged more than 6.7 ppg, despite some impressive shooting nights.

Illinois (last NCAA: 2009) While the Illini lost guards Chester Frazier and Trent Meacham, the returnees and Bruce Weber's best ever recruiting class should keep the squad near the top of the Big Ten. Demetri McCarney (11.5 ppg, 4.6 apg) already has plenty of experience at the point to replace Frazier. Incoming freshman D.J. Richardson will be called on to replace Meacham, especially from the defensive perspective. Brandon Paul, another heralded recruit, will be an inside-outside threat. In the frontcourt, Mike Davis very nearly averaged a double-double last season (11.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg), so he'll continue to be a force. Mike Tisdale could be a star if he's more aggressive. He has plenty of room to improve on the 10 points and 4 boards he averaged last season.

Ohio State (last NCAA: 2009) The Buckeyes did pretty well last season, winning 22 games and making the Big Ten title game despite losing G/F David Lighty in the seventh game of the year. With Lighty back and all-Big Ten selection/jack-of-all-trades Evan Turner still around, the Buckeyes should be even better this time around. Joining Turner as offensive forces are guards William Buford and Jon Diebler who both averaged a little more than 11 points a game. While Thad Matta has a lot of guys who can shoot, he doesn't have a true point guard. Not that this issue really stopped the Buckeyes last year. Jeremie Simmons (6.8 ppg, 2.5 apg) and P.J. Hill (3.2 ppg, 1.9 apg) saw some time at the point after Anthony Crater's departure for South Florida, with Hill making more of an impact. If the two have issues, Turner, who averaged 4 assists per game last year, could spend some time running the offense. Turner will also see time in the frontcourt, where Lighty will serve as OSU's power forward (9.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg). 6-8 junior Dallas Lauderdale and 7-foot UAB transfer Zisis Sarikopoulos will occupy the post. OSU will be tested early, thanks to a matchup with defending National Champion North Carolina at the Coaches vs. Cancer event in New York, followed by a game with either California or Syracuse.

Purdue (last NCAA: 2009) The Boilermakers bring back nearly everyone from last season's team, which fell to UConn in the West regional semifinals. Thanks to the graduation of Nemanja Calasan, Matt Painter has only two returning post players. However, they're two good ones. Robbie Hummel (12.5 ppg, 7 rpg) should be fully recovered from a stress fracture in his back that cost him five games last season. Meanwhile, 6-10 junior JaJuan Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) is one of the most electrifying players in the country. They'll be backed up by a crop of freshmen, led by 6-10 Croatian C Sandi Marcius. Purdue's backcourt remains intact. Chris Kramer will provide the defense, E'Twaun Moore the scoring--and some assists (13.8 ppg, 3.0 apg), while Lewis Jackson (5.9 ppg, 3.3 apg) will run the show. The Boilermakers' commitment to defense, led by Kramer, Johnson, and Jackson, is a major reason why they will seriously threaten to make the short trip to Indy this season. If they avoid the health issues of last season, they should get a seed that will help their path.

Michigan State (last NCAA: 2009) While the Boilermakers will attempt to do what the Spartans did last year, make a short trip in state to play in the season's final weekend, don't discount MSU, a team that has plenty of history of its own in Indianapolis. Tom Izzo has a team that may be able repeat Sparty's 2000 triumph. Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten Player of the Year is back at the point. Raymar Morgan is back in the frontcourt. But the biggest questions are how well the Spartan frontcourt plays without Goran Suton and who replaces Travis Walton's defensive prowess in the backcourt. Junior Tom Herzog and incoming freshmen Derrick Nix and Garrick Sherman will be given every chance to fill Suton's shoes. Meanwhile, Lucas will have to play more of a defensive role this season than in the past, to make up for Walton's absence. While Lucas is the unquestioned star of the team, he'll need lots of support from players like guards Chris Allen (8.4 ppg) and Durrell Summers (8.6 ppg), and F Delvon Roe (5.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg) to make a second straight Final Four run.

So, the Spartans will hold the Big Ten's auto bid in my 2009-10 Final Preseason Bracket, which I will release on November 9. Check in then to see what other teams from the conference I've penciled in at the start of the season. To wrap up this preview, here is my preseason All-Big Ten team, featuring the best returning players from last season.

Preseason All-Big Ten Team

Player of the Year: Evan Turner, 6-7 G/F, Jr. (Ohio State)

Remainder of the Team
Talor Battle, 5-11 G, Jr. (Penn State)
Manny Harris, 6-5 G, Jr. (Michigan)
JaJuan Johnson, 6-10 F, Jr. (Purdue)
Kalin Lucas, 6-0 G, Jr. (Michigan State)

Poll

Who is your pick to win the Big Ten this season?

Illinois

72 votes

Indiana

4 votes

Iowa

5 votes

Michigan

12 votes

Michigan State

106 votes

Minnesota

9 votes

Northwestern

5 votes

Ohio State

14 votes

Penn State

20 votes

Purdue

49 votes

Wisconsin

4 votes

300 votes | Poll has closed

Basketball 2009-10: The newcomers

BoilerTMill — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:41:34 -0000

As promised, I do have a basketball entry in me for this week. I figured we could use some good news since we're about to get crushed by Ohio State at home. Just remember, as you hear the Buckeye fans chant O-H-I-O in our own stadium as they did two years ago: basketball practice started the day before and the first exhibition game is a few weeks away on November 3^rd.

The last two seasons have been defined by the impact that newcomers have had on the program. Two years ago it was the impact of Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore, and JaJuan Johnson as freshmen. Last year the newcomers had a lesser impact, but true freshman Lewis Jackson gave us a much needed presence at the point guard position. This year we have an astounding nine players that will be making their first on the court contributions to the program. This includes four walk-ons that were good enough to grab a scholarship elsewhere, but chose to come to Purdue and walk-on. Here is what we can expect from everyone:

Instant Impact guys:

D.J. Byrd - 6'5" 214 lbs - N. Montgomery HS (Crawfordsville, IN) - Byrd is the type of player that will get better at Purdue because he will not be expected to carry the load. That has been his role at North Montgomery since I first saw him play as a freshman four years ago. Over time, I ended up seeing him play in three tournament games. Each time I saw him play he exhibited the grit and toughness we have come to expect from Purdue basketball players. I kind of look at him as a bigger, more offensively talented version of Chris Kramer. injuries could be an issue though, as he battled injuries his entire high school career.

This past season he showed he had matured as well. I covered his sectional championship game and I was impressed for many reasons. First, he was playing his first game after tearing a meniscus in his knee a few weeks earlier. He did not have his full spring or first step he normally had, but he was content to do the dirty work of rebounding and defending while his teammates did the rest. He had 12 points in the game, and all 12 came during a nine minute stretch in the middle of the game when his team needed him to dominate.

Best of all, he is a kid that never had a question that he was going to play for Purdue if he was good enough. He committed early and never wavered even as his stock rose. I can see him helping off the bench at the small forward position and giving us another "dirty work" type of player that can produce unexpected offense. He doesn't have the 3-point range of a Keaton Grant or E'Twaun Moore, but his has an excellent mid-range jumper. He is a solid rebounder as well.

Sandi Marcius - 6'9" 261 lbs - LaLumiere School (LaPorte, IN) - Losing a player like Nemanja Calasan puts a lot of pressure on JaJuan Johnson as our only true post player, but Marcius may be an upgrade in terms of rebounding and second chance points. Honestly, that is all we need from him when he is in there. We need him to clog the lane defensively, get rebounds, and get putbacks on the offensive end.

He is a tad unique from the rest of the newcomers in that he is already used to a campus setting. He has been here for a few years from his native Croatia, as LaLumiere is a private boarding school in LaPorte. As he matures, I really hope JaJuan stays for his senior season. That would give us an amazingly big front line of Johnson, Marcius, Travis Carroll, Patrick Bade, and Donne Hale for the 2010-11 season.

Kelsey Barlow - 6'5" 199 lbs - Cathedral (Indianapolis, IN) - With Barlow we get a big, bruising guard that can bang inside and distribute the ball. He will not be a starter right away, but he will be a good complimentary player to Lewis Jackson. If we use him as a point guard it will force teams to shift their defensive strategy from Jackson's quickness to Barlow's strength and size. Since the game of basketball is all about creating matchup issues it is a good idea to have as many versatile players as possible to cause those problems. That is where Barlow comes in. He can play both guard positions as well as the small forward position like Byrd. We can bring him along slowly too as a little things guy to replace Marcus Green.

Patrick Bade - 6'8" 235 lbs - Franklin Central HS (Indianapolis, IN) - JaJuan is reunited with his former understudy as Bade joins the Boilers. Bade is kind of a poor man's version of Robbie Hummel. He plays the same position, but is probably more of a banger and rebounder than Robbie. He doesn't have the range on his jump shot, but he can come in and provide a few minutes of rebounding relief for JaJuan.

To me, that is how we will make the leap from good to fantastic. It will depend on how much heat we can take off of JaJuan Johnson. We have plenty of shooters. We will keep playing solid defense, but we have to provide more of an inside presence so teams do not key on JaJuan as our only big threat. Bade and Marcius are the critical elements there. We don't need them to be fantastic, but we do need them to contribute from the beginning.

The Mystery:

John Hart - 6'2" 195 lbs - Beech Grove HS (Beech Grove, IN) - Hart is a bit of a wild card because he is a newcomer, but he was already on campus redshirting last season. He was first-team all state and the Marion County Player of the Year in 2008, so the guy clearly knows how to play. The man can shoot, can score, and has had an entire year to acclimate himself to the system. I think he could be a major surprise for us, but I don't really see where he can fit in. Who does he take minutes from when E'Twaun, Keaton, and Kramer play his position? Also, Ryne Smith is supposed to have improved greatly in a similar position.

The Walk-ons:

Dru Anthrop - 6' 176 lbs - Central Catholic HS (Lafayette, IN) - If there is a walk on that will earn significant playing time this year my money is on Anthrop. He is a gamer and a winner. Last season he helped Central Catholic to a 20-7 season that ended with a semi-state loss. Along the way he helped beat Kelsey Barlow's Cathedral team, Patrick Bade's Franklin Central, D.J. Byrd's North Montgomery, and he twice lost to Stevie Loveless' Frankfort team. I saw him once against Zionsville and he is the real deal. He also state Mental Attitude Award in helping Central Catholic win the Class A baseball state title.

This is a kid that simply knows how to win, and that overcomes any physical shortcomings he may have. He has the best potential to be our new Bobby Buckets because he is better than Bobby. I see no reason why he can't fill Bobby's same role.

Kyle Coleman - 6'4" 197 lbs - Tipton HS (Tipton, IN) - This was a very interesting pickup. I have covered quite a few Tipton games over the past few seasons and Derek Elston (who is now at Indiana) was a major focus on that team. A major reason Elston was able to do the things he did was because of Kyle Coleman though. Very few teams at the 2A level in Indiana have the advantage of a 6'7" guy like Elston. Tipton was even better because Coleman could play inside and do the dirty work near the basket that let Elston play outside. That made Elston a dangerous mismatch against almost every team because he did not have to limit himself to the paint. Coleman will be undersized for his position in the Big Ten, but he is going to be a solid practice player that makes everyone else better.

Stevie Loveless - 6'5" 196 lbs - Frankfort HS (Frankfort, IN) - It has been a few years since I saw Loveless play, but I can definitely see him as a Kyle Coleman type in practice. Like Anthrop, he had offers at some smaller D-I schools but he chose to stay close to home and walk on at Purdue. At 6'5" he has good range on his jump shot, so he could develop into a regular contributor with time. Fortunately, we don't have to rely on him right out of the gate. We can be patient with him and let him develop. He saw action last year against Anthrop, Byrd, and Coleman as well, so there should be some chemistry there.

Bubba Day - 6' 179 lbs. - West Lafayette HS (West Lafayette, IN) - Our final player is a bit of a mystery, but he comes in as a sophomore walk-on. He is another Bobby Buckets type for more reasons than being a townie. He is a solid 3-point shooter who could eventually evolve into a specialist at that position. He has to be doing something right to make the team after sitting out for a year. Personally, I will take any player that can flat out shoot the basketball. You can never have enough of those guys on your team, and that is what Day can do.

Final Analysis:

Every single player played high school basketball in the state of Indiana. They know what it is like to play in front of passionate fans and big crowds. If you don't think that, you have never seen a team like Central Catholic play on the road.

These kids are winners too. They have played for programs that have won a bunch of basketball games in recent years. Bade was integral in taking down Lawrence North in the regional last season. Lawrence North was absolutely loaded with Division I talent, yet Bade took them down. Cathedral won at least 20 games each of the last three seasons with Barlow, but could never get past powerful programs like Lawrence North and North Central in the sectional.

We lost four very good players in Marcus Green, Chris Reid, Bobby Riddell, and Nemanja Calasan. We replaced them twofold, however. Loveless and Coleman are the practice guys that will fill in for Reid. Marcius and Bade replace Calasan. Byrd and Barlow replace Green. Day and Anthrop replace Bobby Buckets. How can we not get better in that way, especially when most of them are better players than the ones they are replacing?

Boilermakings welcomes Donnie Hale

BoilerTMill — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 15:11:59 -0000

I'm slightly distracted today, as it would have been my grandmother's 92^nd birthday if she had not passed away last September before the Notre Dame game. She was a true Boilermaker fan, even if only by marriage since my dad married her daughter. I was the first person on her immediate side of the family to graduate college, so what better place to do that than Purdue?

Donnie Hale commits for class of 2010 - What we lost with Jeff Robinson not making it is replaced a year later with Hale. I honestly think Hale, even though we have to wait a year for him, will be able to contribute before Robinson would have anyway. Hale is a player that will compliment Travis Carroll very well. If JaJuan and Robbie return for their senior seasons they will also provide much needed depth on a team that I think can win the national championship. That team would be absolutely loaded with all the pieces in the right places (unless LewJack gets arrested again).

The BS/Crimson Quarry war - Our good friends over at Boiled Sports recently drew the ire of John over at the Crimson Quarry regarding some, shall we say, questionable moves for some incoming IU basketball recruits. It really is a well thought out argument on both sides. I will say that it does sound fishy, but as John says, Tom Crean would be one of the biggest idiots in the world to do something that blatantly violates NCAA rules right now.

Akin Ayodele wins mental toughness award - I actually had a couple of classes with Akin's ex-girlfriend when I was at Purdue and learned he was a great guy. This is a wonderful story for the current Miami Dolphin and one of our many great defensive ends.

Antavian Edison one of Purdue's top newcomers - Adam Rittenberg points out that he could be a key return specialist for us this coming season. Edison was our first official recruit during this last recruiting cycle. Some view him as a big sleeper because a major knee injury meant he missed his entire senior season. He's had plenty of time to recover though. If he does contribute it could be a huge plus.

Big Ten announces kickoff times for first two home games - No surprise here. The Toledo and Northern Illinois games will be noon kickoffs and be televised on the Big Ten Network. That sets our entire non-conference schedule now, as well as the first two Big Ten games (all times Indiana time):

Sept. 5 Toledo - noon - Big Ten Network

Sept. 12 at Oregon - 10:15pm - Fox Sports

Sept. 19 Northern Illinois - noon - Big Ten Network

Sept. 26 Notre Dame - 8pm - ABC or ESPN

Oct. 3 Northwestern - noon - TBA

Oct. 10 at Minnesota - noon - TBA

Lake The Posts organizes the Big Ten bloggers' preseason football award - As usual, I have a ballot for this. Here are my preliminary picks. Please let me know if you have any suggestions, especially for the individual player awards.

Big Ten Coach of the Year - Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern
Best Heisman Candidate - Terelle Pryor, Ohio State
Sleeper Team To Crack The Upper Tier - Illinois
Most Likely to John L. Smith (Lose it) - Rich Rodriguez, Michigan
Shonn Greene Award (Player to come from nowhere to forefront) - Joey Elliott, Purdue
Most Likely to Be Highest NFL Draft Pick - Sean Lee, Penn State
Must See Game of the Year - Ohio State-Penn State
Upset Special - Purdue over Oregon

Also please rank each Big Ten team in order of predicted finish 1 through 11:
1) Penn State
2) Ohio State
3) Iowa
4) Michigan State
5) Northwestern
6) Illinois
7) Purdue
8) Minnesota
9) Wisconsin
10) Michigan
11) Indiana

That's all for today. Go and enjoy Purdue Day on the Big Ten Network!

Surprise Additions: Where do the new basketball recruits fit?

BoilerTMill — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 13:00:13 -0000

Purdue's 2009 basketball recruiting class became an unexpected two part act over the weekend. We already knew about Patrick Bade, Kelsey Barlow, Jeff Robinson, and D.J. Byrd. All are Indiana kids who made their decision to come to West Lafayette very early in their high school careers. In Byrd's case, I remember covering a sectional game his freshman year and there were already rumors he was all but committed then. I saw him two other times in sectional play and there is little doubt in my mind we are getting a good one.

The past couple of days have seen us pick up three news players in addition to those four. It is rare that a class grows so much well after signing day, but it is not a surprise. Dru Anthrop and Steve Loveless are both invited walk-ons, while Sandi Marcius is insurance against a possible NCAA eligibility issue with Robinson. So where do these guys fit in?

Sandi Marcius 6'10" 240 lbs, LaPorte, IN La Lumeire School - We got to Marcius late in the party, but we still won out over some decent programs according to the list on his profile. In my opinion, he is actually an upgrade over Jeff Robinson at a position of need. Losing Nemanja Calasan to graduation basically left JaJuan Johnson as our lone post presence. Robbie Hummel rarely plays with his back to the basket and Johnson still needs to work on his rebounding skills. Marcius takes care of both of those needs, and he is more likely to be ready to contribute immediately.

Purdue finally has a widebody in the paint.

Robinson played at Lawrence North, which was absolutely loaded with Division I talent this year. Still, there were many games in which he struggled to get off the bench. If Lawrence North was really that good they would have rolled through the tournament like they did in the Greg Oden days. Instead, they got knocked out 49-36 by a Franklin Central team they dominated 53-39 in the regular season. I'm sorry, but teams "loaded" with Division I talent should score 36 points in a half, not a full game. This is not a knock against Robinson, but I wasn't encouraged that he saw few minutes for them this season.

Marcius is a different type of player. He was the main guy for a prep school that attempted to play a more regional schedule instead of just the state of Indiana. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the quality of basketball in this state. This was the first year that LaLumiere played a full varsity schedule though and they still went 14-5. They played most of the top teams in Northwest Indiana and acquitted themselves with some very nice wins. Gary West was 16-6 and won a Class 4A state title in 2002. LaLumiere beat them 74-64 late in the season. Against teams outside of Indiana the Lakers were 7-0 thanks to Marcius. He averaged 15 points and 15 boards for them.

I think he will compliment this team very well because he is more of a true center than JaJuan. JaJuan is not afraid to step outside and has a very nice 18-footer. JaJuan can draw defenses away from the basket while Marcius prefers to stay down low. He's a bruiser who is not afraid to do the dirty work inside. He also worked with a coach in Delray Brooks at LaLumiere that knows about winning. He has an international pedigree from his native Croatia, where many top-notch players play against older, more physical players as they develop. That only helps him make the jump to the Big Ten.

The coaches love his energy and enthusiasm. I love that he can create a genuine size mismatch if we play both him and JaJuan at the same time. He works on defense, which is something we know a little bit about too. I fully expect him to step in and even be an upgrade over Chally because he won't step out and shoot two random triples per game.

Dru Anthrop 6'1", Lafayette, IN Central Catholic High School - Here is what you should know about Dru Anthrop, who averaged 22.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 steals for Lafayette Central Catholic this season: He is a winner.

Observe:

December 19^th: Lafayette Central Catholic 83, Cathedral (with Kelsey Barlow) 73

December 27^th: Lafayette Central Catholic 65, Franklin Central (with Patrick Bade) 59

January 6^th: Lafayette Central Catholic 72, North Montgomery (with D.J. Byrd) 51

Central Catholic was 20-7 this season and won its third straight class 1A regional. For those not from Indiana, that is the smallest enrollment class in the state. Cathedral and Franklin Central are 4A. Franklin Central was undefeated at the time as well. Ironically, Central Catholic struggled the most against Loveless and his Frankfort team, losing to them twice.

Anthrop is far from afraid of playing bigger, stronger players. Part of the reason Central Catholic is one of the best 1A schools every year is that they play a schedule of much larger schools. This season alone Central Catholic took on Carmel (2^nd largest school in the state), Lafayette Jeff, Franklin Central, Zionsville, McCutcheon, and Cathedral: all 4A schools. The only time they play 1A schools is when they face the three 1A members of their conference and during the state tournament. They have gone 59-20 the last three years as well, only five of those losses were to schools their size, and three were in the state tournament at the semi-state (final 4) level.

Dru Anthrop is a gamer...

This is not your typical walk-on that will struggle to get moments in blowouts. This kid is a legitimate basketball player that led his team to some impressive wins against very good competition. I saw him play once this past season. It was the championship game of the Zionsville holiday tournament. Anthrop had 18 points against a much bigger, stronger team. He showed range from beyond the 3-point arc in that game as well as the ability to drive. Zionsville won 63-61 on a last second shot, but Anthrop really impressed me with his talent and leadership ability.

The parallels to Bobby Buckets are obvious. He is a townie that is coming as a walk-on. Anthrop has a little more size and is more of a pure scorer, but both are kids that love to shoot the basketball. We won't be asking Anthrop to contribute like buckets did as a freshman, but I don't see any reason he can't provide us some depth as a shooter and give us a few minutes off the bench every night later in his career. The only reason I don't see him playing more is because of who is in front of him. How is a walk-on going to see minutes when we can likely go nine or ten deep next season?

I do like the kid though. You have to give him credit for following a dream when he turned down offers to play at some smaller schools. I also like that he has played against nearly everyone else that is coming in this year. He should have some nice chemistry with them and he can definitely be a Buckets-level contributor or more later in his career.

Steve Loveless 6'6, Frankfort (IN) High School - Loveless is another kid that is following a dream. I'm not really sure where he will fit in next season, but because of size and depth I think he is the most likely to redshirt of these three. Marcius will undoubtedly play while Anthrop could be an energy/change of pace guy off the bench. Loveless is a kid that is already eager to come to Purdue and get working in the weight room. This is good because he needs some bulk.

At 6'6" he would probably equal out to be a 2 or a 3 at the division 1 level. He is not going to immediately challenge Kramer, Barlow, Moore, Byrd, and Grant for minutes. The Journal and Courier even touts his academic credentials. The dude got a 1,500 on his SAT! Last season he averaged 23.2 points 11.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists on the season. Much of this was against a weaker schedule than Central Catholic played, but Frankfort still had a pretty good season. The Hot Dogs were 16-7 and lost in the second round of sectionals to West Lafayette.

During the season Loveless did battle some of the state's better big men. He played well against IU-bound Derek Elston in a 60-47 loss at Tipton late in the season. Against Kokomo's Patrick Hopkins the two dueled in the paint before Kokomo won 73-71 in overtime. Of Frankfort's seven losses, six were to teams that were probably much better on paper. Only the loss to West Lafayette in the tournament (after Frankfort beat them 48-31 during the season) was a bit of a surprise, especially since it came on the Hot Dogs' home court.

Perhaps that is the one dig against Loveless, and why he wasn't a little more highly recruited. They didn't get a marquee win all year. North Central and future Purdue recruit Terone Johnson crushed Frankfort by 30. D.J. Byrd's North Montgomery team got an overtime win against them. North Montgomery and Frankfort are in the same conference, so Loveless and Byrd have battled for four years. Loveless' best wins this past season were against Anthrop and Central Catholic twice.

As I said previously, I think Loveless will need some time before we seriously see him on the floor. He did have some smaller D-1 offers, but I don't know if he has enough size yet to match the position he is going to play.

Final Thoughts:

I see this entire class of six or seven guys (depending on Robinson) and I see excellent chemistry. They are a lot like the Hummel-Moore-Johnson class in that they are very familiar with each other. They played a bunch of times against each other, and the scholarship guys know that the two walk-ons are every bit as good as a scholarship player. They pushed them during their high school careers, and even if Anthrop and Loveless don't play a minute next season they will push everyone else in practice.

Marcius, Anthrop, and Loveless haven't known as they were headed to Purdue as long as Robinson, Bade, Barlow, and Byrd, but they will compliment them very well. All seven guys will absolutely erase the depth questions that plagued us during the tournament. Here is what I project as our main lineup:

Starters:

C JaJuan Johnson

PF Robbie Hummel

SF E'Twaun Moore (more of a 3 guard)

SG Chris Kramer

PG Lewis Jackson

Top bench guys:

Keaton Grant (3-point specialist, backup PG)

Sandi Marcius (paired with JJ when we go big)

Kelsey Barlow (PG with size, shooter)

D.J. Byrd (Robbie Hummel-lite)

Patrick Bade (Robbie Hummel-lite-lite)

Top guys in blowouts/there if we need them:

Dru Anthrop (He's better than you think)

Ryne Smith (Potential 3-point specialist?)

John Hart (wild card)

The rest:

Jeff Robinson (I'm not really convinced on him)

Mark Wohlford (the consummate bench guy)

Steve Loveless (give him a year or two0

Obviously the starters are established, but our bench is going to be very young outside of Grant. Once those guys get experience, however, we're going to be VERY good. I am still looking towards the 2010-11 season as a National Championship season if everyone stays and Anthony Johnson, Terone Johnson, and Travis Carroll replace Kramer, Grant, and Wohlford. The lineup we have already gives us at least a punchers chance though. The addition of Marcius also gives us some insurance in case JaJuan goes pro early after his junior year. Marcius and Carroll is a good interior duo. Marcius, Carroll, and JaJuan is virtually unbeatable.

Thoughts on the LewJack situation

BoilerTMill — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 19:00:53 -0000

More photos » by Chris Carlson - AP

8 months ago: In this March 2009 photo, Purdue's Lewis Jackson (23) passes the ball against Connecticut during a men's NCAA college basketball tournament regional semifinal in Glendale, Ariz. Jackson will have to complete community service and spend a year under court supervision after pleading guilty Monday, April 20, 2009, to illegal alcohol consumption and possession of drug paraphernalia. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

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Our esteemed point guard, Lewis Jackson, plead guilty yesterday to a couple of minor counts of minor consumption and possession of paraphernalia. The other two counts were drop as part of the plea agreement. As usual for a first-time offender, he will get no jail and he gets the cocktail of probation, a fine, and some community service. It's no big surprise that LewJack agreed to this, especially after the possession of alcohol and pot charges were dropped. He knew it was an open and shut case that he had done something wrong and would face punishment, so a plea deal was probably the best he could hope for. Now that his matter with the courts is settled, it is time for him to face Matt Painter's justice.

The closest case I can think of to this situation is that of Tarrance Crump before the 2005-06 season. That was coach Painter's first season in West Lafayette and it did not begin well. David Teague was already lost to a knee injury. We would lose Carl Landry five games in as he wasn't fully recovered from his knee injury. Crump then decided to get himself nice and loaded, hit a pedestrian with his car, and flee the scene. A year long suspension passed off as a "redshirt" was the result.

This situation is a little different. I don't think LewJack did was as severe. He didn't hit anyone. He didn't run from the scene which was akin to resisting arrest. From all account he cooperated with law enforcement fully. He now settled his matter in court as well. Crump wasn't kicked off the team, made the most of his second chance, and played his two seasons before graduating last year. I don't believe we'll see another year long suspension handed down, but I would place good money on LewJack sitting for the first few games in November. In the end, it is not a crippling suspension either. He'll likely sit against Sisters of the Poor and Blind and Directional U. as we ease into our schedule. There is the possibility he would miss the Virgin Islands trip, but I doubt it.

I do know that Matt Painter has zero tolerance for such acts after a first offense. He simply must be on his best behavior in his remaining three years or he will likely be gone. I remember the case of Korey Spates. It seems the Purdue point guard position is a breeding ground for negligent behavior in the player's first season. Spates, unlike Crump, chose not to follow the rules and was tossed out of the program the same time Crump was serving his suspension. The result was a bad year in 2005-06, but the program was better for it.

LewJack has a ton of promise. Not only does he make our team better, he can become a better player himself by playing with the talent we have assembled. It is critical that he sees this as a mistake and takes the chance to atone for it. Coach Painter had some interesting comments in the article posted on GBI this afternoon:

"Since he will be here in school this summer, I would expect the 50 hours of community service to be done locally and for him to have it completed by the end of the summer provided this is acceptable to the court. We will work with local authorities to ensure some of the service involves youth work and some exposes him to what can happen in a traffic accident where alcohol is involved. Other conditions, including those required by the court, will be established after we speak and satisfying those conditions will impact whether any playing time will be forfeited next season. Any conditions or disciplinary action will be handled within the team." - Matt Painter

Allow me to simplify:

I can't believe he is this stupid. I am not kicking him off the team, but he is in deep shit with me and you have no idea how much he will be running. He's also on VERY thin ice, and will be gone if he screws up again. - T-Mill paraphrasing Matt Painter.

I'm disappointed that he was this stupid. Personally, I don't care if he drinks or smokes some weed. That's his business. But to do both, then drive around with that stuff in the car is not smart. I do understand he is a 19 year old kid. Mistakes happen, so hopefully he will learn from this one. The choice is his.

Review/Preview time for Boiler Hoops

BoilerTMill — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 14:01:25 -0000

More photos » by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Much more of this is in Purdue's future (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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I hate the month of April. Historically, it has been the cruelest month in my life. If anything can go wrong, it will happen in this month. I think one reason I hate it is because it marks the end of basketball season. Since I am not a fan of the NBA, Last Tuesday night my season ended appropriately in the last hour of the month of March. The Purdue women's team fought valiantly against Oklahoma, but the Sooners were just too good in the end.

As the 2008-09 season fades into memory I wanted to take a look back at the men's team. Few teams can look at a 27-10 record and see where it could have been so much more, but Purdue is one of those teams. Did we overachieve? Did we underachieve? Did we just achieve? If you look at our preseason top 10 ranking, we underachieved. If you base it on where we finished last year, we clearly took a step forward by advancing another level in the tournament and successfully winning a championship. That is why I think we simply achieved. Placing us in the top 10 was probably about a year in advance. Still, I get the feeling it could have been more.

Missed opportunities: Losses to Oklahoma, Penn State, Ohio State, and Northwestern

I can't help but feel like all four of those games could have been wins. Even without Hummel and Kramer we were able to overcome and early deficit to build a second half lead in Happy Valley. Since Penn State won the NIT they are clearly a pretty good basketball team too. To have a game where it felt like one got away without two of our key players it is a good sign for the program. We somehow took a six man rotation (without a top scorer) into that one and nearly got a win.

The others are pretty much the same tune. Oklahoma was the first sign we could seriously compete with a top 10 team. I am confident that had we played almost anyone else in the Sweet 16 we would have won because of the lessons learned against the Sooners, but UConn was a very poor matchup for us. Against Ohio State we missed Hummel and still had one shot to win the game in regulation. Northwestern is probably the only game in which we spiked ourselves. The final 10 minutes of that game was the worst 10 minutes of the season.

Reasons for hope: Stomping Michigan State at home, beating Washington in a virtual road game, winning the Big Ten Tournament.

This is why basketball is all about matchups. We had no answer for Hasheem Thabeet and suffered because of it. Michigan State, however, beat supposedly unbeatable Louisville in convincing fashion, then did the same to UConn because of mathups. The Cardinals were the #1 overall seed, yet they had losses to Minnesota and Michigan State. These are two teams we have very convincing wins against. To me, that shows just how close we are to being a Final Four team.

Beating Washington was important on a different level. Though it was a 4/5 matchup, it was the first time we have beaten a top 4 seed in NCAA play since 2000. The Huskies were a very good team with quality senior leadership. They were the champion of a major conference, yet we controlled the game throughout.

Finally, we have the Big Ten Tournament. For three days in Indianapolis we played some of our best basketball of the season. The Big Ten was a tough conference this year from top to bottom. It will only get tougher next year as all the sophomore talent become juniors. Winning that tournament gave our guys their first taste of a championship of any kind since winning the Great Alaska Shootout over Duke in 2004. As I wrote after the title game, there is a difference between thinking you are a championship-level team and knowing it. We now know we are that type of team. Of the other 11 schools in the conference only Michigan State and some players left on Wisconsin know what that level is like. This experience will be invaluable next year.

Lookaheads to next year for each player:

Robbie Hummel - Robbie needs to get healthy and continue to work hard on the glass. His scoring will come in bursts, but we really need his rebounding effort to stay high since JaJuan isn't a strong rebounder yet. A completely healthy Robbie Hummel unbinds our offense.

E'Twaun Moore - E'Twaun was too timid at times this year. We needed him to take over in the UConn game and he was virtually a non-factor. He is our most dangerous pure scorer and showed he can be a solid rebounder as a guard. He has it in him to be so much more as a player. If last year was Robbie's spring board and this year was JaJuan's, it is only natural that E'Twaun makes the leap next.

JaJuan Johnson - JJ needs to become a strong rebounder. I think he is going to spend plenty of time in the weight room this summer and he can become a dominant force in the conference. Rebounding is the one area of his game that seems to be missing. As long as he can step out and consistently hit 17 footers there will be few teams that can guard him offensively, but he was a non-factor on the glass in too many games. A 6'10" guy should accidently get 7 rebounds a game.

Lewis Jackson - LewJack needs to work on finishing his layups. He has more quickness than most people, but he consistently botches it by not being able to finish at the rim. I love the element his speed gives our offense. With another year to work on that things should flow even more smoothly.

Chris Kramer - We saw a little bit of this during the tournament, but Chris has to become an offensive threat. His defense is invaluable, but since he rarely shoots it is almost like no one bothers to guard him. I still think his is a little timid after getting knocked out at Clemson last season. I'm not asking for much. If he can raise his scoring average to just 8 points per game it gives other teams something else to worry about.

Keaton Grant - I can see Keaton becoming a player that gets lost in the mix a bit next year when other teams are focusing on everyone else. Keaton has some scoring ability similar to E'Twaun's game, We need him to be a consistent 3-point threat as well as the new "Little Things" guy to replace Marcus Green.

Ryne Smith and John Hart - I don't know where they are going to find minutes, but if they can provide valuable depth and shooting it will help. I can see Smith becoming a 3-point specialist. I haven't seen Hart play yet, so who knows.

D.J. Byrd - I can't tell you how excited I am to have this kid coming to Purdue. He's a hard-nosed worker. He can do a little bit of everything. He's a tough kid who, most importantly, grew up LOVING Purdue. He has long known what Purdue basketball means in terms of toughness and tenacity, and he will fit in nicely. He will step into Marcus Green's role and be a better player. From the three times I have seen him play in person he has shown me that he is a tenacious rebounder and he has a nice shooting touch. He's not afraid to do the dirty work on defense either. Think of him as a hybrid of Marcus Green and Chris Kramer with better offense. He had a fantastic IHSAA regional just weeks after knee surgery. Just imagine how good he is at 100%.

D.J. Byrd is a guy that can definitely contribute immediately and will add size, depth, scoring, and tenacity.

Patrick Bade - I missed on a couple of chances to see him this season. I was expecting to cover him in the championship game of the Zionsville Tournament, but Lafayette Central Catholic pulled the upset and I missed the consolation game. I also passed on the chance to see what ended up being one of his best games in the regional championship game at Hinkle against Lawrence North. That game right there said a lot about him. Lawrence North was a team loaded with division 1 talent and Bade put on a virtuoso performance. I look for him to be Robbie's backup and he could be a very big surprise. Another bonus with bade is that he did attend the same high school as JJ. They were two years apart, but there is a familiarity already there of them playing with each other. If we go with a big lineup of JJ, Robbie, and bade the experience JJ and Bade have in playing together will reap huge benefits, as will the experience of JJ with Hummel these past two years.

Kelsey Barlow - I haven't seen or heard much about Barlow. I know he has good size for a guard and could get bigger. That is a benefit because if you can get big, strong guards that can score it can be a huge difference-maker. Just look at what A.J. Price did against us. He was able to get in the lane and muscle shots up with contact. Right now we don't have a player that can do that, but Barlow could be that guy. There will be a logjam of guys trying to get minutes at the guard positions with Kramer, LewJack, Hart, Smith, E'Twaun, and Keaton all returning. Byrd could even be a hybrid guard/forward at the three position. If anything, Barlow gives us quality depth to develop.

Jeff Robinson - If anything, Robinson is the guy that I am most not sold on. Unfortunately, he has the most size of anyone we have coming in (I am not commenting much on Marcius until we have him). We need someone who can come in and immediately give us the same minutes as Calasan if not more. Otherwise, teams will focus on JJ as our only real low-post option and force us to hit jump shots. You can have success that way, but it is a high risk/high reward proposition. The questions surrounding Robinson's eligibility are an issue as well. After working at the NCAA I know that such questions have so many variable that it is hard to speculate on. Even I were still working there I could easily find out the exact issue, but obviously couldn't say anything about it because I'd get fired. Because of that, anything you hear is merely speculation. This is my one concern because he is the one player we have in the area of most need, and he isn't really a proven player. He struggled to find minutes at Lawrence North on a team loaded with talent, and hade minute games where he didn't contribute at all. This is why I think Bade is a player that needs to develop more.

Matt Painter - I know he's not a player, but there are improvements that Painter must make himself. He just passed the 100 win mark as a coach this season, so he is successful, but has a way to go yet. Boilerdowd is big on talking about this lately, so I will just link to his rants on how Painter needs to work the refs more and learn how to attack zone defenses. In high school, my coach was renowned for his 2-3 zone. The guy is a hall of famer with more than 650 wins and two state championships. I have seen so many of his games that I can tell within the first five minutes if a team has a chance against his zone. I say this because it does indeed take proper coaching to make adjustments against zone defenses. Too many teams are content to just jack up threes when they face a zone. You have to attack it and draw the defense to you so you can kick out to open threes or create easy baskets down low. Once Painter learns how to teach this we will make a huge leap forward.

Final Thoughts:

As I write this, it is Apirl 8^th. I am on a plane flying back to Indianapolis from Miami. It is the farthest point possible from the next basketball season, yet I am so excited that I can barely contain myself. The Final Four is in Indianapolis next year. It's less than 60 miles from campus. I currently live so close that if the weather is nice, I can walk to it because it is within 2 miles. I have already resolved one thing: If the Boilers are there, I am going regardless of cost. It will only cost me a ticket, anyway, so why not?

In 2000 I was a sophomore when we made the Elite 8, making it incredibly tempting as well. The difference between 2010 and 2000 is that the expectation is there before the season even starts. When Brian Cardinal & Co. nearly went in 2000 it was a surprise. At no point in that season were we expected to be a Final Four team, yet we made the West Region Final as the higher seed against Wisconsin, knocking off Dayton, Oklahoma, and Gonzaga along the way. We were a 6 seed that pulled just one true upset along the way while someone else took out the 1, 2, 4, and 5 seeds for us. In 2010 we will go into the season likely as a top 10 team with experience and on the short list of teams to make the Final Four.

There is more than enough experience there. We know how to win a championship by winning the Big Ten Tournament. We know how to win in the NCAA's with three wins in the past two seasons. The next logical step is to threaten for a Final Four. At the very least we have to take the next step and make the Elite 8 so we at least play for a Final Four berth. The timing is right, and anything less, unfortunately, would be viewed as a step back.

Purdue: Know Your Glendale Travel Companion

Bill C. — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:00:10 -0000

Yesterday we looked at UConn. Today, the #5 seeded Purdue Boilermakers.

Purdue: 26-9

	Boilers	Opp
Points Per Minute	1.71	1.47
Points Per Possession (PPP)	1.06	0.91
Points Per Shot (PPS)	1.24	1.09
2-PT FG%	49.2%	41.7%
3-PT FG%	34.9%	32.8%
FT%	70.6%	67.2%
True Shooting %	54.2%	47.8%

	Boilers	Opp
Assists/Gm	15.0	12.3
Steals/Gm	7.2	5.3
Turnovers/Gm	11.6	14.9
Ball Control Index (Assists + Steals) / TO	1.92	1.18

	Boilers	Opp
Expected Offensive Rebounds/Gm	11.8	12.8
Offensive Rebounds/Gm	9.8	11.4
Difference	-2.0	-1.4

Where PU's good: Forcing turnovers, forcing bad shots, defensive rebounds, passing, ball-handling
Where PU's not as good: Offensive rebounds, overall points per possession and free throw shooting are only decent but not great

NCAA Basketball Stats

Player	AdjGS*	GmSc/Min	Line
JaJuan Johnson (6'10, 215, So.)	14.42	0.54	13.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 1.3 TOPG
Robbie Hummel (6'8, 208, So.)	13.75	0.47	12.4 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.0 TOPG
E'Twaun Moore (6'3, 180, So.)	11.56	0.35	14.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.6 TOPG
Chris Kramer (6'3, 205, Jr.)	7.71	0.28	5.2 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.1 SPG, 1.4 TOPG
Keaton Grant (6'4, 207, Jr.)	6.21	0.23	8.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.4 TOPG
Lewis Jackson (5'9, 165, Fr.)	5.34	0.23	5.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 3.3 APG, 2.0 TOPG
Marcus Green (6'4, 229, Sr.)	4.63	0.29	4.0 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.0 APG
Nemanja Calasan (6'9, 250, Sr.)	4.58	0.29	6.4 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 1.0 TOPG
Bobby Riddell (5'9, 163, Sr.)	2.23	0.32	2.3 PPG
Ryne Smith (6'3, 175, Fr.)	0.86	0.16	1.1 PPG
Mark Wohlford (6'0, 185, Jr.)	0.19	0.07	36 minutes
Chris Reid (6'9, 251, Sr.)	-0.23	-0.11	30 minutes

* AdjGS = a take-off of the Game Score metric (definition here) accepted by a lot of basketball stat nerds. It does the same thing my previous measure of choice did (it takes points, assists, rebounds (offensive & defensive), steals, blocks, turnovers and fouls into account to determine an individual's "score" for a given game), only the formula is more used and accepted. The "adjustment" in Adjusted Game Score is simply matching the total game scores to the total points scored in the game, thereby redistributing the game's points scored to those who had the biggest impact on the game itself, instead of just how many balls a player put through a basket.

JaJuan Johnson is a much more physically dominant player than his weight would suggest. He's a great shot-blocker and shooter, though I guess really his rebounding leaves a bit to be desired considering he's PU's #1 post man.
Robbie Hummel, on the other hand, rebounds particularly well considering how much time he spends on the offensive perimeter. He's one of the team's best 3-point shooters and its best rebounder. Interesting combination. Purdue's three major seniors are their #7, #8 and #9 contributors. They'll only be better next year.
One thing quickly jumps out, though, when comparing this roster to that of UConn: size. Not a lot of it here...some height, but not a lot of weight.

What does Ken Pomeroy have to say?

You look at KenPom's stats, and you start to think the Purdue-UConn game is going to be about 63-58 one way or the other. Like UConn, Purdue is a defense-first team. They are a reasonable offensively efficient team--#57 in efficiency, #19 in turnover %, high assist-to-FG ratio--but they are in the Sweet Sixteen because of defense (and anybody who watched the last minute of Purdue-Washington can attest to that). They are #5 in the country in defensive efficiency, #9 in Effective FG% allowed, #10 in 2pt% allowed, and #25 in block%.

What are Purdue's weaknesses? They're only an average FT shooting team (#109), and they don't get to the line very much at all (#243). A good passing team can pick them apart (#279 in Assist-to-FG ratio), and as you would guess from all the sophomores contributing for them, they are not high in the experience ratings (#189). And as mentioned earlier, they just do not grab many offensive boards (#265). It's rare for a team to be so great defensively and so finesse- and jumper-oriented offensively, but that's Purdue.

Keys to the Huskies-Boilers Game

Purdue's offensive rebounds. Purdue's offensive rebounding ability vs UConn's defensive rebounding ability is the single biggest statistical contrast in this game. UConn has an extreme advantage here, and the Boilers will either have to get very hot shooting the ball, or they're going to have to find some way to grab some second-chance opportunities.
The hot hand. Points will be at a premium in this game, and neither team has a true go-to scorer--Purdue and UConn both have three guys averaging double digits, and the leading scorer seems to change from game to game. If somebody gets hot, especially from 3-point land (away from the blocked shots in the paint), one nice spurt of scoring could create the necessary distance between the two teams. Will that hot hand be AJ Price? E'Twaun Moore?
Size vs Speed. UConn's a really big team, Purdue not so much. They both play very well defensively, but can Purdue compensate for such a disparity in, um, girth? Hasheem Thabeet (7'3, 265) and Jeff Adrien (6'7, 243) will win any battle of size and muscle over JaJuan Johnson (6'10, 215) and Robbie Hummel (6'8, 208).

However, Johnson and Hummel will have a significant advantage in terms of speed and range. Johnson has decent shooting range, and Hummel actually seems to prefer the perimeter by far, having made the second-most 3-pointers on Purdue's roster. The winner of this mini 2-on-2 battle will probably win the game. If Purdue's skinny bigs can draw UConn's away from the paint, Purdue's options double or triple. If not, then Purdue's going to have to sink a ton of 3-pointers to win this game.

Prediction

Nevermind how well UConn played the first weekend of the tournament. It's ancient history. What clearly resides in the present tense, however, is that Purdue has much less margin for error in this game. UConn will likely dominate the glass on Purdue's side of the court, so Purdue either finds a hot shooter or loses. Hummel or Moore or maybe Keaton Grant can take a lot of pressure off of JaJuan Johnson if they can make some 3-pointers and open up the court a bit, but in the end I just don't think Purdue matches up well. Purdue's strengths are UConn's strengths, only the Huskies seem just a bit better in every category. This will be a halfcourt dogfight, but I expect UConn to end up advancing. UConn 69, Purdue 62.