aThis week, FanHouse is taking a look at the top teams heading into 2008 with a BlogPoll decided on by our college hoops bloggers. To help with the team capsules, we've brought in some of the top fan bloggers around the internets to give us insights on their teams.The Boilermakers haven't been hyped this much in basketball since Gene Keady's early-90s teams. The point where it was fun to joke about Keady doubling as the mascot, and not tinged with sadness at the way things were ending. T-Mill of Off the Tracks provides the insight and knowledge on Matt Painter's group.
When I was a senior at Purdue during the 2001-2002 basketball season, my roommate and I had student section tickets three rows from the floor. By the end of the year, we were nearly alone in the Gene Pool as the Boilermakers suffered their first losing season under coach Gene Keady. Little did we know that it was only the beginning of a descent that brought about a poor end to Keady's tenure, and also a rough beginning to current coach Matt Painter's time on the sidelines.
Last season, I watched in envy as the students stormed the floor in a spontaneous celebration rarely seen in Mackey Arena's history, when the "Baby Boilers" upset Wisconsin. After that game, I wrote that we had finally arrived back at the mountain. It wasn't the peak of the program; rather, it was an announcement that we were again finally ready to compete nationally after a long, long slumber. It was time to start climbing that mountain and get back to the Final Four for the first time since 1980. While I think that a true Final Four season is still about a year or two away, the way this team surprised many last year, it would not be a total shock to see them in Detroit in early April.
Why they should be ranked here:
The Big Ten favorites are invariably Top-10 teams, and that's why Purdue and Michigan State are ranked this high. As I wrote in my season preview, the backcourt is absolutely loaded and balanced. Chris Kramer is a defensive stopper. E'Twaun Moore is a player that can score from anywhere, and Keaton Grant is fully healthy after knee surgery. When a player like Grant can get lost in the mix, you know you have a very good team. Last year, he was voted team MVP even though some other names made bigger national headlines.
The front court returns everyone, with JaJuan Johnson expected to show vast improvement after an underrated freshman season. Nemanja Calasan is, as I described, a Bosnian Brian Cardinal. Chris Reid is a big body that should contribute more this year. Marcus Green can do a little bit of everything and will do great things in both the front court and back court.
Why they should be ranked higher:
Only point guard Tarrance Crump graduated. He is replaced by incoming freshman Lewis Jackson. Jackson won't start at first, but he is expected to be the true point guard we need to run the offense, distribute the ball, and create quick points. He is expected to be better than Crump and will be asked to contribute immediately. Scott Martin's transfer to Notre Dame was a loss, but incoming freshman Ryne Smith gives us another shooter off the bench.
Robbie Hummel is also a pretty good player in his own right. Robbie is another "do everything" type of player that plays off of his teammates. He can shoot from outside. He can rebound. He can create his own shot. He also takes defenses away from all our other weapons. Because we have so many weapons, we can play fast or slow, as shown in last year's NCAA tournament win over Baylor. If we play Calasan and Johnson at the same time, that also allows us to go big or go small at different moments. This team is incredibly versatile, and Hummel may be the most flexible of all.
Finally, everyone on this team is totally on board with a "team first" attitude. Otherwise they wouldn't be playing, because that attitude is what Coach Painter demands. In 2006, George Mason made the Final Four with a solid seven man rotation and excellent team chemistry. That allowed them to topple teams that had superior talent but some "me first" attitudes, such as Michigan State, North Carolina, and Connecticut. These Boilers are supremely talented and they play together very well. Everyone compliments everyone else. Any one of about nine guys can give you 10-15 points on any night. There isn't one player on our team that you can point to and say, "If we stop him, we stop Purdue."
The fans have also made Mackey Arena a place that even great teams fear. During the last two seasons, the Boilers have only lost twice on Keady Court. Two years ago, that loss was to Greg Oden's #1-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes, and last season's only home court stumble was an inexplicable loss to Wofford.
Why they should be ranked lower:
Rebounding was a major issue last season and could be the case again this year. If Johnson develops into the player we expect him to be, it should help, but unless we get something more from Chris Reid there isn't a ton of size. Preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Robbie Hummel isn't exactly a banger in the paint, leaving us with just Johnson, Calasan, and Reid as true post players. Xavier's strength in the paint is what eliminated Purdue in last season's NCAA tournament. In nearly every loss last season, rebounding was a glaring weakness.
Second, how will this team handle being the hunted? The non-conference schedule has enough heft to prepare them well for the Big Ten, and the Big Ten itself isn't that strong outside of Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan State, and Wisconsin. The December 2nd game vs. Duke in the Big Ten/ACC challenge is being hyped as the biggest game in Mackey Arena since Lew Alcindor's UCLA team opened the building in 1967. I purchased season tickets just to make sure I would be at that game, as it will be an excellent test to see just how far this team can go.
More information and optimism on the Boilermakers than anywhere else. That's some great stuff from T-Mill. For more of that and to follow Purdue all year long, be sure to keep reading over at Off the Tracks.
