SB Nation - John Hart

Purdue 81, IPFW 56: Boilers End Non-Conference Season With Balance

BoilerTMill — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:59:16 -0000

This is the game we all wanted tonight. We had a dominant first half, struggled somewhat in the second half, but never really let it get out of hand. I don't think IPFW got within 20 point at all in the second half, which is good given our recent struggles with the lead. In the end we got extensive minutes from the reserves and may have even found our designated free throw shooter in Neal Beshears if the NCAA allows us to have one. I kid, of course, but any time a walk-on gets his first career points he is worth a mention.

What impressed me the most was our balance. Six different players reached double figures tonight and combined for 62 points. Anthony Johnson and D.J. Byrd led with 11, but Ryne Smith, Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson, and Kelsey Barlow each had 10 points. Yes, it was only against IPFW, but this was a game we desperately needed to build our confidence before Big Ten play. It gets very real starting next week at Iowa, and that means little to no margin for error.

Positives From The IPFW Game:

D.J. Byrd - It started with back-to-back 3-pointers and ended with Byrd's best game of the season. D.J. has been virtually AWOL so far, and quite frankly, we need him. He may be one of the most indispensible players on the entire roster. I say that because he is one of the few that is capable of giving Rob a break for longer stretches. He is also very important if we want to go with a bigger lineup if Byrd, Hummel, and Lawson/Carroll/Marcius as three forwards. Whether he does it by scoring or some of the little things that don't show up in the box score, we need at least 12 quality minutes per minute out of Byrd.

Travis Carroll - The favorite whipping boy of the open threads had little margin for error tonight and ended up having himself a nice game. Once Jacob Lawson went to the bench with a second foul and Sandi Marcius was limited with his calf injury Carroll was the only option in the post. He was playing against Trey McCorkle too, a legitimate 7-footer. Carroll held his own and was actually aggressive on offense too. It paid off with six points, five rebounds, and a steal. Sure, we're not going to start stitching a banner to go up next to JJ's tomorrow, but this is a big step forward for Travis and hopefully builds his confidence.

John Hart - It was good to see Hart get in there and get some run for the second time this year. He finally cracked the scoring column at the end and made sure that everyone on the roster (except for Marcius, who did not play) scored tonight.

Kelsey Barlow - I only had one "Dammit Barlow" tonight, and it was a stretch even at that. We got good Kelsey tonight and he made a difference early on with his jump shot. I still say Barlow may have the most raw talent on this team. I just pray he can harness it because his ability to get to the rim and rebound is unmatched.

Anthony Johnson - AJ needs to be another player that needs to be more aggressive at getting to the basket. He reaped the benefits in the first half of us scoring in transition as well as breaking down the defense. Part of the struggles against Xavier and Butler came from us not attacking. AJ si one of the players that can attack the basket, so he needs to do it.

Free Throw Shooting and Rebounding - It has to start somewhere, right? We won the glass 39-30 (getting a double-double from Robbie) and shot 75% from the line (9 for 12). The misses came from Lawson, TJ, and LewJack. Beshears was 2 for 2, so if he can hit free throws we need to play him when teams are fouling on purpose. You think I am kidding.

Defense on Frank Gaines - Gaines is one of the top players in the Summit League and averages over 20 points per game. We held him to 2 of 11 from the field and nine points. Only three of his points came in the first half.

Robbie Hummel and Lewis Jackson - Robbie had a quiet 10-10 (except for his rim-rocking, "I didn't know he could do that" dunk) and LewJack had a 10-4-3 line. Most importantly, we didn't need them much in the second half and got to rest them.

Dru Anthrop - The Bastard Son of Bobby Buckets got a basket and a highlight move balancing on the railing out of bounds. Now that he is on scholarship (at least for this season) I could see him playing a key role in a game or two down the road.

Negatives From The IPFW Game:

Jacob Lawson - He'll learn, but at least three of his five fouls were of the dumb variety. Of the three forwards I think he has the potential to be the biggest difference maker in the Big Ten because of his athleticism, but it won't happen if he is on the bench in foul trouble.

3-point shooting - It cooled off after a hot start, but we're still settling for threes too much in the second half instead of attacking.

Up Next:

As I said, it gets real in about a week. We need to take this time off at Christmas to rest and enjoy the holidays, because we could be in for a battle for an NCAA Tournament berth if we're not ready. I am reminded of the 2008 season, when I had the formula of 10 wins for a berth, and anything more would be for a seed. 10 conference wins puts us above .500 in the league and with 20 wins overall. As long as Butler truly turns it around and wins the Horizon League it would be with no bad non-conference losses either.

I am thinking Iowa (twice), Penn State (twice), and Nebraska need to be must-wins. Illinois is looking shaky right now, so it is nice we get them in the second game at home. Beating Minnesota without Trevor Mbakwe would be nice to put us at seven wins. Then we beat Wisconsin (because the Badgers never win in Mackey. Look it up), Northwestern, and Indiana (in a huge "atmosphere" game that, quite frankly, we have to win) at home would get us to the 10 we need with some room to spare. Michigan and Michigan State at home also look like games we're very capable of winning.

Strangely, I wouldn't count us out of the Big Ten race totally because we have the major advantage of not going to Wisconsin and only playing Ohio State once. If we split those games that's only one loss against the two best teams in the league instead of possibly four. Our schedule is also set up to start strong if we can hold serve at home, so you never know what can happen.

For now though, let's rest. Have a Merry Christmas, everyone.

Purdue 61, Eastern Michigan 36: Boilers Win A Laugher

BoilerTMill — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 01:38:33 -0000

After the unnecessary excitement that was the High Point and Western Carolina games, it was nice to stifle a team defensively in the second half and walk away with a comfortable 25 point win. Sure, it was only a sub.-200 MAC team, but with the difficulty we have had of late against some pretty mediocre teams, I'll take what I can get. I feel like we're hitting a bit of an early season wall right now, especially with the Puerto Rico tournament and some other big-time games like Xavier. It will be nice to have a week off now with no games due to finals.

These games make it hard to learn anything about your team. If you win a close game, people are worried. If you win in a blowout like this you only did exactly what you were expected to do. It's kind of a lose-lose situation. All you can really do is go out and win like you are expected to win.

The good part is that we got a total team effort in this one. Jacob Lawson, Sandi Marcius, and Travis Carroll gave us a halfway decent game in the paint with a combined 11 points and nine rebounds. Those are numbers we can live with if we get them as a combined effort every night. We shared the ball with 14 assists and outrebounded them by nine. At this time of year you want small steps like this.

Positives From The Eastern Michigan Game:

Rebounding - We do not have a singular player that is going to give us 10 boards per night, so we're going to have to rebound by committee in each game. I think Kelsey Barlow can be our best rebounder because of his ability to crash the glass, but it is always a question of effort for him. Today we spread things around. D.J. Byrd gave us six boards. Carroll had five. Robbie Hummel had eight. Ryne Smith had five. There are too many good big men on our upcoming schedule to not work on rebounding, which is always more a question of effort and position than size.

Assists - Purdue is at its best when it shares the basketball and gets everyone involved. We had 14 assists on 20 made field goals. We had 12 different players play and 11 of them scored. The only one that didn't was playing in his first game since yet another foot injury.

John Hart - It was extremely good to see him back on the court. Hart is never going to be a consistent 20 point-per-night scorer, but he has had some very big moments in his career. He has a knack for only scoring a few points per game, but they come at exactly the right time. He is a guy that can be on the floor at any time because he tends to be forgotten, only to hit a big basket. Remember: he hit the 3-pointer to break the 17-0 run at Minnesota in THAT GAME.

Negatives From The Eastern Michigan Game:

Free Throws - Come on guys, this is not that hard. Hit your damn free throws!

Field Goal Shooting - We shot 36.4% at home and won by 25. That will do against the likes of Eastern Michigan, but most Big Ten teams would destroy us.

Up next:

For the first time this year I am a little concerned. We're just not playing good offensive basketball right now even though the defense was vastly improved over game like the Iona game. We have two games left before conference play, but it seems like we are playing with very little confidence despite a 9-2 record. The Xavier game wrecked us a little. It seems like most teams in the conference are getting better. Illinois is finding ways to win. Indiana is light years better than before. Ohio State (with a healthy Jared Sullinger) is terrifying. Michigan State and Michigan are cruising. We're still struggling with basic things like free throws. This isn't good.

I felt this could still be a special year, such as a top 3 Big Ten finish, when the year started. Unfortunately, there are too many major mistakes like the free throw shooting right now. I hate to admit it, but we are a fringe NCAA team that can play well and beat some good teams, but our lack of consistency at the five and our inability to hit free throws are too major fallacies that cannot be ignored. These things need to be corrected, or things could get ugly in a hurry in conference play.

Southern Indiana Vs. Purdue: Closing The Exhibition Season

BoilerTMill — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 15:00:35 -0000

Will this be the last time we see Jacob Lawson or Donnie Hale play this season? Matt Painter has stated he would like to redshirt one of them, but I would rather see both play because I feel they can be ready to contribute if needed. I'm not a big fan of redshirting in basketball because it can end up hurting a team in the long run. John Hart redshirted, and now we're in a scholarship crunch for next season if Gary Harris commits. Sandi Marcius redshirtted, and it turned out we could have used him as a post player later that season. Will a similar issue arise if Hale or Lawson redshirts?

That is probably the biggest mystery of the day. Utah, West Virginia, and Butler have proven that you need to take these exhibition games seriously or they can become losses, but in reality, there is no excuse for ever losing one of these games. USI is usually a pretty good Division II team, but they were recently involved in an NCAA scandal. They are currently ranked 12th in the Division II poll, meaning they can provide a bit of a challenge. They should be more of a challenge than Northern State. We should fear them because they feature Kurtis Anthony, who is probably the best player in Division II because he was in Jesu-, I mean, Cody Zeller's presence the last four years at Washington High.

Your tipoff time is at 5pm and BTN.com will once again be providing video. I have Colts tickets today, so consider this your OpenThread as usual. Robbie Hummel, Travis Carroll, Anthony Johnson, Hale, Lawson, and Marcius are your players to watch as we need to figure out their roles.

2011-2012 Purdue Preview

David P Funk — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:50:51 -0000

In consecutive seasons, Boiler Nation thought it had visions of the Final Fours dancing in their heads...only to have their hearts ripped out.

Things are different this year. Expectations from the outside world are down. It could be Purdue that sneaks up on the unsuspecting giant in 2011-12.

Any personnel discussion of the Boilers 2011-12 campaign begins and ends with one player; Robbie Hummel.

It's not that Hummel is all Purdue has to work with. There are other weapons. The fifth-year senior returning on a twice surgically-repaired knee is just the biggest, most beloved and possibly most fragile gun in the cabinet.

Few in the basketball community, even rivals, want to see the Valparaiso, Ind. native do anything but succeed. And word is Hummel has looked good in early practices. Assuming he stays healthy, all indications are that the two-time All Big Ten forward will again play at a very high level.

The biggest question mark on this squad is probably scoring. Losing E'Twaun Moore (18 ppg) and JaJuan Johnson (20.5 ppg) leaves a gaping hole in the offense. Aside from Hummel, guards Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson will be expected help alleviate that problem. But the team as a whole will have to contribute more offensively.

Defense is always a major focus of coach Matt Painter and he has said this season's Boilermakers could very good on the opposing end of the court.

This year's jack of all trades will be 6-5 junior D.J. Byrd. He'll be expected to play at least four positions at some point on both ends of the floor.

Kelsey Barlow is back after off-court issues led to his suspension from the 2011 NCAA tournament. Barlow will be the first guard off the bench and needs to get to the bucket and make things happen offensively. Redshirt freshman Anthony Johnson will also play a significant role in the front court. He's a former four-star recruit out of the basketball factory that is Whitney Young in Chicago who can reportedly shoot the lights out. Terone Johnson and John Hart will also figure into the mix once they fully recover from injuries.

Travis Carrol and Sandi Marcius return down low. One of the two 6-9 sophomores will probably have to start early. Carroll's jumper and motor improved as last year went on while Marcius (pronounced Mar-Chew-Ch) seemed to see less playing time as the games became more important.

A pair of newcomers --Donnie Hale and Jacob Lawson-- will help out on the block. Hale, a 6-8 New Albany, Ind. native, spent a year at Bridgton Academy refining his skills. He's a lefty whose defensive game is ahead of his offensive one. Lawson is the more talented of the two and could see major minutes by season's end.

Purdue is dealing with several health issues right now. Jackson is nursing a foot injury but is practicing. Terone Johnson went under the knife for a torn meniscus during the offseason and redshirt junior Hart is dealing with a fracture in his foot and may miss some time.

Overall, the Boilers are a team that could surprise some people. If Hummel can play like his old self and others improve in key areas, this could be a darkhorse conference champion candidate.

24 Days To Purdue Basketball: Ryne Smith

BoilerTMill — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:00:28 -0000

I have rarely been able to spend time with any player on Purdue's basketball team (other than a pickup game with Brian Cardinal when I was a freshman), but this summer I got to enjoy an evening in the company of Ryne Smith. Ryno is a personal friend of Jordan, Keith, and John here at Hammer & Rails. With Keith being a Bulls fan and the Pacers hosting the Bulls in the first round of the playoffs, I offered to grab him some tickets from the Conseco Fieldhouse box office for game 3 of their series. He had me get tickets for him, Ryne, and Ryne's girlfriend Lauren (which, of course they repaid me for in full before anyone picks up a phone to call compliance). We all sat together for the game and had an enjoyable evening as the Pacers blew another lead.

Upon meeting Ryne he is exactly what you would expect. He's an engaging young man that loves basketball and excited about the coming season. I would expect no less from him, especially since the 2010-11 season was a breakout year for him. During his first two years on campus we heard that he could absolutely fill it up from long range better than almost anyone on the roster. He didn't have many opportunities to show it in games though, until last year when he blew up more than medicare part d.

His freshman year he averaged only 1.1 points in 5.3 minutes per game. For much of the Big Ten season he was an afterthought deep on the bench with several DNP's or trillions. His sophomore year was much better. He scored a career high 16 against St. Joseph's in the Paradise Jam, but he had only eight points total in Big Ten play and none after the January 9^th loss at Wisconsin.

Just as some fans were ready to give up on him Ryno blew up last year. In several games he took advantage of all the attention Smooge and JJ were getting to bury triple after triple. While John Hart was the first third option, Ryno picked up the slack once Hart went down with an injury. He went on an absolute spree to start big Ten play, scoring 17,13, 20, and 18 in the first four games of the conference season. He hit 18 of 27 three-point attempts during this stretch, and suddenly teams had to worry about him too.

Ryne cooled off after that, but still had 15 in a home win over Minnesota and tied his career high with 20 against VCU in the final game of the season. Now that he is a senior, Ryne will be called upon to be the long-range bomber and defensive specialist he has become in the last few years. I can see him taking another leap forward and becoming a possible double-digit scorer this season after he averaged just over six points per game last year. He has the ability to stretch defenses with his long range shooting, and it seemed like he gained a lot of confidence from that hot stretch he had to start Big Ten play.

We need Ryne to increase his scoring some if we're going to replace the scoring we lost with JJ and Smooge. I'd like to see him go from six to 10 per game (not impossible) while maintaining his defensive intensity. The slashing ability of Kelsey Barlow and Lewis Jackson can also help in this, as they can find him for kick-out, catch-and-shoot threes.

Welcome A.J. Hammons

BoilerTMill — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 14:12:26 -0000

(Sorry for the lateness of this post. The news broke last night as I was going to bed and I had to sub teach away from internet most of the morning. As you read this I am likely driving toward State College, PA)

Our friends in Bloomington were awful proud of themselves a few months ago when Rivals rated them as the #1 recruiting class in the country for 2012. Led by players like Hanner Perea and Kevin Ferrell, they have some talent coming in that will try to lead the program back. Many Hoosier fans perceived their return as a God-given right, and the top recruiting class was evidence of that. They mocked up for our own recruiting efforts of merely being a top 10 class.

As one of their former coaches would say, "Not so fast, my friend."

I use Indiana as an example because, like it or not, we're going to be compared to them in this state even though we're more on par with Michigan State and Ohio State in the conference. We really need to look at this class as Tupac's "Hit ‘em up". "Cody's five stars couldn't stop me, I took it smiled."

You see, the 2012 classes are not solidified. Our original group of Kyle Mollock, Rapheal Davis, and Jay Simpson was a solid class, but we've known about them for awhile. In the past few months alone we have seen Mollock decommit, only we turned him into Ronnie Johnson (younger brother of Terone Johnson). Patrick Bade then decided he would rather sit the bench for football instead of basketball, thus opening another spot for 2012. Last night we turned that scholarship into the big center we have coveted for some time.

I'm sure you know by now because of Twitter and the good folks at Boiled Sports, but we got A.J. Hammons last night. Hammons is nothing less than a true center that when paired with the talent we have returning next season, can be an immediate impact player without the pressure of having to do everything from day one. As much as I want Gary Harris, we needed a big banger in the paint to make this team more versatile. We now have that banger.

You see, that is where we differ from Indiana at the moment. They have excellent talent coming in, but they are being asked to raise a team that has resided in the Big Ten's basement for the last three years. Cody Zeller this year makes them better, but few are expecting them to be an NCAA Tournament team immediately. Hammons, Simpson, Davis, and RJ come into a program that has recently won a Big Ten championship, has been a top four seed for two years running in the NCAA's, and is starting from a much higher place than the Hoosiers.

It is easier to reach the top when you start higher. If you're climbing Everest it's easier if you start at 20,000 feet than 15,000 feet. Right now, Indiana is at about sea level and we're at least on the Tibetan plateau. He will have every advantage that JaJuan Johnson never had. During JJ's four years here is what we had to help him in the post:

Nemanja Calasan - Not a true center and more of a power forward that shot threes for his two seasons.

Chris Reid - a practice player at best.

The Traitor - Left after one year

Robbie Hummel - injured for the last 1.25 seasons.

Carroll - A 6'10" freshman for one season that lacked the definition and experience to bang in the Big Ten.

Marcius - A center who had the size, but little basketball experience for one season.

Bade - Very green as a freshman, saw his minutes deteriorate as a sophomore.

Meanwhile, here is what Hammons will have:

Carroll - with two years of experience and ability to add bulk in the new weight room

Marcius - with two years of experience and hopefully more polish. His European hook shot could be a nice weapon

Lawson - He looks like a prototypical rebound and dunk guy. Just ask Ohio State how much they enjoyed Dallas Lauderdale doing that and only that.

Hale - Robbie 2.0?

Simpson - JJ 2.0?

Hammons gets all of that with him, not scattered across his four years like JJ had. JJ's best year came when he had the most help, but that was only with the limited Hanson Brothers this past season. Hammons will get no less than five other post players.

Of course, the biggest question now regards this entire class and if we are done adding guys. I am of course referring to Gary Harris. It seems like Indiana is botching the final stages of his recruitment in every way possible, and I am unsure of their scholarship situation in the first place. The easiest way to figure out our scholarship situation is to look at what we lose. This year Robbie Hummel, Lewis Jackson, and Ryne Smith will finish their eligibility. We also had an extra scholarship open with the departure of Bade, but it is filled right now by Dru Anthrop, who was rewarded with a scholarship this year because of the opening and his two years as a walk-on. We are technically full, with room for our one oversign.

The key player in the Gary Harris sweepstakes is John Hart, who is in his fourth year in the program, but third in eligibility. There have been rumors that he will graduate and finish his career this year, thus opening a spot for Harris. There is also the very unlikely, but possible, option that Harris throws a curveball and comes to Purdue for football, only to walk-on to the basketball team. His scholarship would then count towards football, not basketball.

On paper this class, with Harris, is virtually perfect and could unseat IU as the #1 class in the nation. We would get a starter caliber player at all five positions on the floor with RJ at the point, Harris as the athletic two, Davis as a solid and versatile three, Simpson at the four, and Hammons at the five. Better yet, Davis and Simpson are playing together this year already at LaLumiere, and they are learning the weaknesses of Perea's game too. Each player would have a talented older mentor for them. I'd imagine a senior Kelsey Barlow would start at the point next year based on experience. TJ will be a junior and likely a starter (and you know RJ knows how to play with him). D.J. Byrd would be a senior starter at the three. The Carroll-Marcius-Hale-Lawson group would be solid players too. I haven't even mentioned Anthony Johnson, a four-star shooting guard and potential three-point assassin that we had the luxury of redshirting. If he can come in and just be the guy that cans open jumper after open jumper because teams are worried about everyone else he will be a dangerous weapon.

One of my favorite things about Painter is that he sees how players fit together as a team. Instead of looking for great individual talent he looks for pieces that will fit within his system. He sees the offense and defense as one functioning unit as opposed to five separate parts. The team he has assembled for 2012-13 has all the pieces in the right place and even depth behind them. With superior talent than anything he has had in his time at Purdue, these guys can accomplish amazing things. Just look at how well the 2009-10 team was playing before That Game in Minneapolis. We had talent, depth, experience, and poise. As a result, we were destroying the competition because everyone was functioning as a single unit. This 2012 class has the ability to be better than that and they have more experienced pieces in place with them. They then can be the experienced guys when a talented 2013 and 2014 class gets there. Realistically, this class can dream of multiple Final Fours if they stick together.

32 Days To Purdue Basketball: John Hart

BoilerTMill — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 13:21:25 -0000

As we get closer to the first regular season basketball game (and that's what this countdown is based on, not the two exhibitions) the health of today's player is in question. John Hart has been an almost forgotten player at times. He redshirted his first year on campus, which is a rare action these days (unless you're Anthony Johnson or Sandi Marcius). then he played very little in his redshirt freshman season until a trip to Champaign.

That trip to Champaign was stunning. We came in having lost three straight after a 14-0 start. We were struggling, so much so that coach Painter shook up the lineup. He brought Hart in off the bench for his first action in almost a month. He wasn't even in the official scorebook, thus prompting a technical foul when he scored. He had scored only 8 points in seven games to that point, all against Buffalo, but he exploded for 14 after taking off his cotton scrubs in a critical 84-78 win over the Fighting Illini. That win would help propel us to the Big Ten title.

He hasn't has as big of an impact since then, but there have been some solid moments. In the infamous Robbie Game up in Minneapolis he scored only three points, but it was a three-pointer that broke Minnesota's 17-0 run since Rob's injury. That triple woke us up and set things up for our own comeback. He later had five big points off the bench at Penn State in the 64-60 win that clinched a share of said Big Ten title.

Last season was also up and down. While people wondered openly who our third scorer would be once Rob went down, Hart filled in for awhile without people giving him proper credit. He notched double figures in four of the first six games with a career high 16 against Alcorn State. After scoring eight against Alabama he missed the next nine games with a stress fracture in his foot. He would only score nine points the rest of the year as the foot injury was nagging and his minutes fell off.

That injury is once again an issue as we enter 2011-12. He had surgery again this offseason and his availability is in doubt to start the year. No one projects him as a starter, but I am very pleased with the role he has played in the first two years of his career. He has not been an every game player, but he is the perfect Matt Painter type because he is ready at any time to make an immediate contribute, like that Illinois game. It is safe to say that we do not win the Big Ten two years ago without John Hart.

Hart's role this year will be dictated by his health, but I have little doubt he will be ready for whatever role we ask of him. He looks lost in a rotation at guard with Ryne Smith, Terone Johnson, Anthony Johnson, Kelsey Barlow, and Lewis Jackson, but he's a worker. There will be minutes for him there.

The real question is will he be there in 2012-13? As a 5th year senior, His spot might be reserved for Gary Harris, especially if Hart graduates and decides to transfer for his final year of eligibility. Regardless, I am grateful for his contributions.

http://www.blueskyscrubs.com/

34 Days To Purdue Basketball: Jacob Lawson

BoilerTMill — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 12:33:24 -0000

With the Golden Gophers in town I know most of you are naturally concerned with the health of Robbie Hummel. When it came out yesterday that he was having some tendonitis in his non-repaired knee I couldn't help but think of the news as sphincter-tightening. Robbie should be wrapped in bubble-wrap for the weekend.

He's not the only player coming off of injury this year. John Hart is recovering from another foot surgery. His contributions early last season and in the infamous Illinois game cannot be overlooked. Terone Johnson also had knee surgery (not good for E'Twaun 2.0). We also have today's featured player, Jacob Lawson, recovering from a torn Achilles.

First of all, Jacob is a freshman, so he needs a nickname for our Open threads. I don't think he can be a Hanson. He's not the Hitman, TJ, Byrdman, Ryno, LewJack, or anything natural like that. We can't go with something long like, "I fought the Law and the Law won." I am proposing "The Lawman". It's short, rolls off the tongue, and hopefully represents the role he will play.

Jacob is a 6'8", 220 pound forward, and we need him to play exactly like a 6'8" 220 pound forward should. We don't need any of this, "guard in a forward's body" crap. We have enough of that with D.J. Byrd, Kelsey Barlow, and it seems like virtually everyone else on the roster. Coach Painter needs to pull no punches with him. He needs to go up to him today (if he hasn't already) and tell him he needs to anchor himself on the low block, rebound, and in general lay down the law in the low post. Only Travis Carroll, Sandi Marcius and Rob are true post players coming back. We need someone to play with an attitude, and if Lawson wants to embrace this role from day one he will get a lot more playing time.

I admit that I don't know a lot about Jacob other than what Andy has written about him. Andy says he often finishes with a dunking flourish and he glides down the floor. If this guy wants to, he can hustle to both ends of the floor, play with an attitude, and generally do the dirty work that will allow the Hansons to play on the other side and free up Rob to generally destroy anyone guarding him as a three.

I think how much Lawson plays relies on his attitude. If he is fine with working his butt off and becoming a run, rebound, and defend guy he will find a lot of minutes. If he thinks he can only play on the perimeter he will find himself anchored on the bench because we already have a ton of perimeter guys. Few players on this roster have his physical gifts for the post. How he chooses to use them will go a long way toward our success.

39 Days To Purdue Football: Joe Gilliam and Devin Hill

BoilerTMill — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 12:57:00 -0000

I have been excited to see Joe Gilliam get to the field. I think he is a player that will benefit greatly from being redshirted. He is one of two players featured today that will be a newcomer on the field this year.

Joe Gilliam - Fr. (RS)

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN (Southport HS)

Linebacker

6'1", 211 pounds

2011 projection: Reserve at linebacker, Special Teams contributor

Gilliam was part of a renaissance at Southport High School. During his junior season the Cardinals went 9-2, won Conference Indiana, and reached the second round of the sectional. That may not seem like much, but before that season they had won 10 games total in the past seven seasons, and only three int he past four. His crew helped Southport come out of nowhere. He was also a high school classmate of Purdue baseball's Cameron Perkins. Gilliam amassed 80, 96, and 90 tackles in his last three seasons at the high school level to help Southport make that jump. According to Indy Sports Nation, he is the first Southport player in 20 years to move on to Division 1.

Devin Hill- Fr.

Hometown: Columbus, OH (Northland HS)

Running back

5'10", 228 pounds

2011 projection: Likely Redshirt

We got Jared Sullinger('s high school classmate)! Yes, Devin Hill went tot he same school as the Ohio State basketball phenom. At Northland he was a running back and linebacker that had a decent rating, but chose to walk on at Purdue. The limited statistics I found on him had 210 yards rushing and four touchdowns in six games of the 2009 season. It is pretty safe to say he will redshirt this year, but with his size I would not discount him seeing the field at fullback eventually.

Boilermakings Notes:

College Football 77 in 77: #61 Purdue Boilermakers
It seems weird to not list any WRs or QBs in the BMOCs when previewing Purdue, a school known as the cradle of quarterbacks and during the apex of Joe Tiller's reign basketball on grass. Don't expect anything exciting and fun like that in 2011.

Hart, Hummel updates | Purdue Insider blog | The Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
An update on John Hart and Robbie Hummel, two players with similar injury luck.

Boiled Sports: Molto Bravo! Smooge to Italy (and gumbo)
Hat tip to Boiled Sports for finding that Smooge is headed to Italy. Good luck, young man!

Second-Annual Military Appreciation Day
For its 2011 football season opener, Purdue Athletics would like to honor members of the military and their families by providing as many donated tickets as possible for these individuals to attend the game.

Things I Will Not Ask At Big Ten Football Media Days - Maize n Brew
Things I Will Not Ask At Big Ten Football Media Days

Critical Story Lines for Big Ten Football Media Days - Maize n Brew
Critical Story Lines for Big Ten Football Media Days

Boilers Announce Future Football Schedule Changes
Purdue athletics director Morgan Burke has announced changes to the future football schedules in regards to Marshall and Cincinnati.

What To Expect When You’re Expecting: The Future Of Purdue Basketball

BoilerTMill — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:05:35 -0000

This fall is the dawning of a new era in Purdue basketball. The Mackey Arena Renovation will be finished. This even includes a new floor after God Himself decided that the old one had seen us suffer enough without a Final Four. Some view the 2011-12 season as a waiting period before the new class of 2012 and 2013 recruits can get on campus to deliver a championship. I refuse to believe that. Instead, I can see this as a transition year that prepares the program for even greater heights. Those heights are simple: The goal each season needs to be a Big Ten championship and a Final Four, both of which we will achieve in the next four years.

Remember, the 2006-07 season was a similar year to what we have coming. We were coming off two of the worst seasons in school history, but the return of David Teague and Carl Landry from injury (they were the first to be sacrificed to the ACL-hating god). Saw us return to the NCAA Tournament. JaJuan Johnson, E`Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, and Chris Kramer took us to the next step by hanging two more Big Ten banners. While three of those four will be gone next year, I think we can have a surprising amount of success before the "We Got next" classes arrive. We're entering 2011-12 as a transition year like 2006-07, but in a much better position to succeed.

2011-12 Projections:

Starters: Hummel, Ryne Smith, Lewis Jackson, Terone Johnson, Travis Carroll

Bench Rotation: Kelsey Barlow, D.J. Byrd, Donnie Hale, Sandi Marcius, Anthony Johnson, Jacob Lawson

The more that I look at this team the more I like it. Sure, we lose the conference Player of the Year and a 2,000 point scorer, but Purdue's best teams have been ones that thrive on unselfish offense and stifling defense. The guard play is going to be solid. When you have a guy like John Hart, who hasn't throw up huge numbers but has still been silently a key player in a handful of victories buried on the bench how can that be a bad thing?

The key will be our interior presence. Carroll and Marcius have to improve this offseason and both Hale and Lawson need to be ready to go from day one. If those four can combine to give us say 15 points and 15 rebounds per night I think we're going to be much better than people expect. I also think that something good has to happen for Robbie Hummel. The kid is one of the most beloved players in school history and one that deserves a happy ending after all he has gone through.

Just close your eyes an imagine this scene: Local hero and Purdue LEGEND Drew Brees giving the Boilers a pep talk in the Superdome locker room as we prepare to play in the Final Four. Sounds crazy, doesn't it. As crazy as, say, Butler and Virginia Commonwealth playing each other in a Final Four, right? I'm not saying it will happen, but that's why the NCAA Tournament is so awesome. Anything can happen.

Honestly, I can see us still competing for a Big Ten championship. We have three quality senior leaders, solid guards, and a chip on our shoulder. There is also no runaway favorite in the conference. Ohio State? Jared Sullinger is good, but how will he perform without Lighty and Diebler? Everyone else the conference loses a lot of key seniors, with the usual suspects (Wisconsin, Illinois, Michigan State) still solid, much like us. I think it is going to be a very competitive league, so why not us? Our next team is going to have to thrive on Purdue-style basketball, meaning tough defense, everyone doing the dirty work, and hustle. It won't be the best team of the next few years, but it will be fun to watch if everyone gives it there all. It is a team that can be much better than the sum of its parts.

Projection: Top 3 Big Ten Finish, Sweet 16.

2012-13 Projections:

Starters: TJ, Carroll, Hale, Byrd, Barlow

Bench: AJ, Ronnie Johnson, Lawson, Jay Simpson, Marcius, Hart (if he returns), Rapheal Davis, New Commit X

I am going to like this team for several reasons. First, Hart is a wild card, most likely depending on his minutes this coming season. If he emerges in a role like he did before getting hurt this past year he is a pleasant surprise and a solid senior contributor. If he is buried on the bench I can see him graduating and either forgoing his final year or transferring to get a free year of post-grad work somewhere else.

Second, the young guns are going to have to come in and fight for playing time with some pretty solid older players. I only see good coming from this. Coach Painter will not pre-ordain a starting job for anyone. Those that are established will have to play hard to keep their jobs, and the young studs will have to come in and earn their place. That only makes everyone better. I think guys like Marcius and Carroll can be solid role players by this point, and Marcius especially could be a pleasant surprise by then. No one has his size, and if he wants to be a dirty work/set screens/rebound/putback player then that is EXACTLY what we need and have been missing for some time.

I can see Hale becoming Hummel 2.0, TJ becoming Smooge 2.0, and Barlow emerging as a Kramer 2.0 as long as the fire that Painter lit under his ass is still burning. Can you just imagine Barlow as the evolutionary, more athletic version of Kramer? By this point I think AJ can solidly replace Ryno as the designated sharpshooter. Lawson and Simpson should both be pretty good power forwards, allowing Carroll and Marcius to be our 5's. Ronnie Johnson is an excellent bench point guard, and this is before you get Mitch McGary/AJ Hammons/Gary Harris as your X factor. Now THAT is a team that has the pieces fitting together as a deep contender.

I am big on having a deep bench and 8-10 guys that can contribute unlike Ohio State's ironman philosophy. That is what you need to make a deep run in March, and guys have to be unselfish. Look at what happened to us in March. We had lost Hart and Barlow, ran into a team that could exploit our lack of depth, and we got run off the floor. Depth allows you to be versatile and play any style. That is what the 2012-13 Boilers will have. By the time the 2012 guys get here the program will be in a better place than when the 2007 guys got here, and it is easier to go higher when you start higher.

Projection: Top 3 Big Ten Finish, Sweet 16.

2013-14 Projections:

Starters: 2012 New Commit X (Harris?), Carroll, Hale, RJ, TJ

Bench: Simpson, Davis, AJ, Marcius (if he returns), Lawson, Derek Willis, Kendall Stephens, Bryson Scott, Basil Smotherman

Pardon my language, but Holy Fuckballs does this team look good! Marcius is a wildcard, as he too could be a John Hart by this point and leave as an early graduate and pursue his final year elsewhere in search of a post-grad degree. There is so much depth and talent here that I don't even know where to begin. You're talking at least eight four star players on this roster, with two more (if RJ gets upgraded and certainly 2012 New Commit X will be at least four) possible. Who is winning those recruiting battles now, bitches!

Scott and RJ give you two excellent point guards. TJ, AJ, Stephens, and Davis can flank them as all four-stars in the backcourt, allowing us to play three or even four at any time if we want to go small. If we want to go big, we can throw out Marcius and Carroll as senior bigs, with Hale and Lawson as junior power forwards. Simpson will have a year under him (and he will know the beloved Hanner Perea's moves after practicing with him all year this year. Step 1 in his evil plan was moving to LaLumiere). Smotherman and Willis are mere luxuries at this point. We can go big with Marcius, Carroll, or even the 6'10" Simpson at the 5, Lawson/Willis at the four, and have Hale annihilate people at the three

Oh, and I haven't even slotted in New 2012 Commit X yet. Technically, if we get a guy for 2012 we would be one scholarship over the limit at this point, but that is an easy fix. It can be remedied by a few options:

1. Someone goes to the NBA early, say TJ if he explodes in the next two years

2. Marcius transfers for his 5^th year if he doesn't develop, his minutes decrease, and he pursues and education elsewhere for a post-grad degree.

3. One of the 2013 guys (Smotherman?) goes to prep school and reclassifies to 2014.

4. Someone else is unhappy and transfers out.

5. One of the 2013 guys changes his mind.

6. It's unlikely, but we don't get New 2012 Commit X and Painter banks the scholarship.

This is why we don't need to worry just yet. If we get New 2012 Commit X and he signs during the early period with Simpson, Davis, and RJ, this lineup is going to look pretty good. We can play with virtually any combination of talented players and much of the team will have experience at every position too. Sure, IU's beloved 2012 class (which may not even be #1 by the time we're done) will have experience with Jesu-, I mean Cody Zeller being a junior by this point (if he doesn't bolt to the NBA), but Tom Crean has talent right now and is still 3-41 away from Assembly Hall. I am not worried at all.

Projection: Big Ten Champions, Final Four.

2014-15 Projections: It's too far out there to dream just yet, but remember this: The 2015 Final Four is back in Indianapolis and we'll still have at least eight four-star players on the roster.