‘This is it’

[Born Boiler]

Hearing the jet blast off for Madison at sunset, I could’ve sworn I also heard Kenny Loggins’ song that became the theme of the 1980 NCAA Tournament -- “This is it.”

Purdue fans know that year. That wasn’t it.

Now it’s do or die for the trophy I place above all others in Mackey’s case -- the big brass ball for the Big Ten Conference Championship. We have two dozen. We should have another.

The Big Ten Tournament in reality means little more than a November exhibition. The NCAA is the most treasured, although it takes just four games to reach what is the grandest goal for all too many, the Final Four. Again, that isn’t it. Winning it is. The Big Ten Conference Championship, however, requires a 20-game war of beating and exceeding all your closest peers who know everything there is to know about you. Win it, and the seeds are planted for everything else. And we show everyone another big brass ball.

For this team, Mad City is it.

 

[bonefish1]

A Big 10 title is nice, but March is what matters and determines how you’re viewed as a program nationally.

 

[Born Boiler]

A Big 10 title is nice, but March is what matters and determines how you’re viewed as a program nationally.

March is here.

 

[collegehoopsfan123]

A Big 10 title is nice, but March is what matters and determines how you’re viewed as a program nationally.

Final 4 this year, book it!

 

[BoilerTom90]

A Big 10 title is nice, but March is what matters and determines how you’re viewed as a program nationally.

Final 4 this year, book it!

We could end up 4th in the conference!

 

[collegehoopsfan123]

We could end up 4th in the conference!

True. Not that I want to remember the 2000 Elite 8, but Wisconsin finished 6th in the conference and went to the Final 4. In March Madness, anything can happen. Just my gut feeling we make the Final 4 next month. As for winning the BT, seen enough of that. Boiler Up!

 

[TheGunner]

Stakes are certainly on the line, great prep. As I see it, we have three tournaments

A 4-team tournament that starts tomorrow and ends Saturday.

An 8-team tourney that starts next Friday and ends next Sunday (not this Sunday)

And then a 64-team tournament that starts the following Th/Friday. (Or 3 4-team tournaments if you wish)

It’s survive and advance mode from here on out

 

[DAG10]

Stakes are certainly on the line, great prep. As I see it, we have three tournaments

A 4-team tournament that starts tomorrow and ends Saturday.

An 8-team tourney that starts next Friday and ends next Sunday (not this Sunday)

And then a 64-team tournament that starts the following Th/Friday. (Or 3 4-team tournaments if you wish)

It’s survive and advance mode from here on out

Really tough task to survive the initial one, and, it is the one that looms largest in that it impacts the ones that follow.

 

[DAG10]

Hearing the jet blast off for Madison at sunset, I could’ve sworn I also heard Kenny Loggins’ song that became the theme of the 1980 NCAA Tournament -- “This is it.”

Purdue fans know that year. That wasn’t it.

Now it’s do or die for the trophy I place above all others in Mackey’s case -- the big brass ball for the Big Ten Conference Championship. We have two dozen. We should have another.

The Big Ten Tournament in reality means little more than a November exhibition. The NCAA is the most treasured, although it takes just four games to reach what is the grandest goal for all too many, the Final Four. Again, that isn’t it. Winning it is. The Big Ten Conference Championship, however, requires a 20-game war of beating and exceeding all your closest peers who know everything there is to know about you. Win it, and the seeds are planted for everything else. And we show everyone another big brass ball.

For this team, Mad City is it.

If there were a National Title trophy in the Mackey case for Men's Basketball, it would be the one placed above all others and treasured more as well.

A ton riding on tomorrow night...largely because of failing to take care of business a couple of times already, and, as recently as Saturday. Winning tomorrow would be huge in the immediate, and, for the bigger picture as well.

I am glad that they have the opportunity that they do, but, I am concerned admittedly in that they have struggled as they have at times and in ways to this point...especially on the road in conference play.

 

[CookyMonster]

Hearing the jet blast off for Madison at sunset, I could’ve sworn I also heard Kenny Loggins’ song that became the theme of the 1980 NCAA Tournament -- “This is it.”

Purdue fans know that year. That wasn’t it.

Now it’s do or die for the trophy I place above all others in Mackey’s case -- the big brass ball for the Big Ten Conference Championship. We have two dozen. We should have another.

The Big Ten Tournament in reality means little more than a November exhibition. The NCAA is the most treasured, although it takes just four games to reach what is the grandest goal for all too many, the Final Four. Again, that isn’t it. Winning it is. The Big Ten Conference Championship, however, requires a 20-game war of beating and exceeding all your closest peers who know everything there is to know about you. Win it, and the seeds are planted for everything else. And we show everyone another big brass ball.

For this team, Mad City is it.

Youd take a B1G regular season co champion trophy over a final four?

 

[Professor Emeritus]

Clearly the best strategy tonight will be for CMP to agitate Gard during their pre-game chat, inducing Gard to grab Matt's forearm. All bets are of course off per the Howard Doctrine.

Meanwhile, Lewis Jackson, to whom Painter has granted a bench pass, will stealthily slug Krabbenhoft in the nuts. Paybacks are hell.

Wisconsin will be so thrown off their boring (but effective) Bo Ball, the disarray will lead to a Boiler blowout.

 

[SCBoiler1]

Youd take a B1G regular season co champion trophy over a final four?

It's not an either/or. You can do both. Heck, you can win the B10 , the B10 tourney and make the FF. Why wouldn't you try and do all three?

It sounds like the guy who just lost that says I didn't want to win anyway, I guarantee Painter wants to win the B10 Championship.

 

[bonefish1]

March is here.

Nobody outside the B10 cares about a B10 title. it's what you do in the NCAA tourney that people care about.

 

[bonefish1]

If there were a National Title trophy in the Mackey case for Men's Basketball, it would be the one placed above all others and treasured more as well.

A ton riding on tomorrow night...largely because of failing to take care of business a couple of times already, and, as recently as Saturday. Winning tomorrow would be huge in the immediate, and, for the bigger picture as well.

I am glad that they have the opportunity that they do, but, I am concerned admittedly in that they have struggled as they have at times and in ways to this point...especially on the road in conference play.

Purdue has lost 3 of it's 5 games on opponents making shots with under 10 seconds. In those 3 games, the other team had a guy go for a career high (or very close to it). It lost the WI game after leading by 10 in the 2nd half. The UM game is the only one we were never in.

The 4 close losses were mainly due to 2 things: turnovers and poor 3 pt shooting.
The easiest thing to clean up is the TOs. Shooting comes n goes (but one bad shooting night in the NCAA and you're heading home). They need to value every possession, don't force things, attack when it's there but work the ball until the D gives you a gap.

PU doesn't have to rely on the 3 for pts even though we have a bunch of 3 pt shooters. it can get pts a lot of ways. But, with it's porous defense, it can't afford to give another team a bunch of extra possessions like it did to MSU.

 

[MLB007]

 

[MLB007]

Hearing the jet blast off for Madison at sunset, I could’ve sworn I also heard Kenny Loggins’ song that became the theme of the 1980 NCAA Tournament -- “This is it.”

Purdue fans know that year. That wasn’t it.

Now it’s do or die for the trophy I place above all others in Mackey’s case -- the big brass ball for the Big Ten Conference Championship. We have two dozen. We should have another.

The Big Ten Tournament in reality means little more than a November exhibition. The NCAA is the most treasured, although it takes just four games to reach what is the grandest goal for all too many, the Final Four. Again, that isn’t it. Winning it is. The Big Ten Conference Championship, however, requires a 20-game war of beating and exceeding all your closest peers who know everything there is to know about you. Win it, and the seeds are planted for everything else. And we show everyone another big brass ball.

For this team, Mad City is it.

incomplete
I hope you're right. I fear for our team like all teams that can't defend very well. Going to have to hit on all cylinders.

 

[DAG10]

Purdue has lost 3 of it's 5 games on opponents making shots with under 10 seconds. In those 3 games, the other team had a guy go for a career high (or very close to it). It lost the WI game after leading by 10 in the 2nd half. The UM game is the only one we were never in.

The 4 close losses were mainly due to 2 things: turnovers and poor 3 pt shooting.
The easiest thing to clean up is the TOs. Shooting comes n goes (but one bad shooting night in the NCAA and you're heading home). They need to value every possession, don't force things, attack when it's there but work the ball until the D gives you a gap.

PU doesn't have to rely on the 3 for pts even though we have a bunch of 3 pt shooters. it can get pts a lot of ways. But, with it's porous defense, it can't afford to give another team a bunch of extra possessions like it did to MSU.

Spot on, but, my concern is that they have not cleaned up the turnovers issue...it is something that won't go away entirely, but, it has gotten worse of late rather than better, and, it absolutely was critical with respect to the outcome.

"D" is a potential fix as well, but, has not been fixed for the course of the year unfortunately.

We know Wisconsin is not going to turn the ball over...because they value possessions...just a basic tenet of who they are and what they do...if Purdue even had half the focus and commitment in that regard, it would have already clinched at least a share of the Conference...instead, it is in a must-win game at one of the toughest places to win with a ton riding on it.

 

[boil65er]

We'll see if the ref's cave in to the crowd's booing EVERY call that goes against them, while ignoring the scrote punchers antics.
The ref's, in Kohl Center have been Wisconsin's best friends in the past.
I expect more of the same,

 

[Aamesker]

It's not an either/or. You can do both. Heck, you can win the B10 , the B10 tourney and make the FF. Why wouldn't you try and do all three?

It sounds like the guy who just lost that says I didn't want to win anyway, I guarantee Painter wants to win the B10 Championship.

Winning the B1G regular season means you've proven yourself over 20 games, BTT tourney means very little and the NCAA tourney is obviously the ultimate goal but it's such a crap shoot every year that it shouldn't spoil what was a great regular season.

In the last 6 tourneys, there's been 4 teams that have been to multiple F4s, Gonzaga, Michigan State, North Carolina and Villanova. It's a matter of time when we get a break in a busted bracket that we make it, keep ending up a top 4 seed and we'll make it

 

[Gman544]

To have a good chance to win: Turnovers must be no higher than 10. Davis kept under 30. Davidson under 20. Three point shooting at least 35%. Free throw shooting at least 70%.

 

[bonefish1]

Winning the B1G regular season means you've proven yourself over 20 games, BTT tourney means very little and the NCAA tourney is obviously the ultimate goal but it's such a crap shoot every year that it shouldn't spoil what was a great regular season.

In the last 6 tourneys, there's been 4 teams that have been to multiple F4s, Gonzaga, Michigan State, North Carolina and Villanova. It's a matter of time when we get a break in a busted bracket that we make it, keep ending up a top 4 seed and we'll make it

Not sure hoping for a busted bracket is the best strategy. You usually have to beat a couple of really good teams to get to the FF.
Sure, there's a little luck involved but Purdue hasn't been unlucky for the last 41 years.

 

[BoilerDeac]

Winning the B1G regular season means you've proven yourself over 20 games, BTT tourney means very little and the NCAA tourney is obviously the ultimate goal but it's such a crap shoot every year that it shouldn't spoil what was a great regular season.

In the last 6 tourneys, there's been 4 teams that have been to multiple F4s, Gonzaga, Michigan State, North Carolina and Villanova. It's a matter of time when we get a break in a busted bracket that we make it, keep ending up a top 4 seed and we'll make it

I get what you're saying -- and it would be great to get a busted bracket -- but relying on that is not the mentality to have, in my opinion.

The tournament is a crapshoot, but mostly in the early rounds. Sure, a double-digit seed might make the final four every now and then, but, typically, the highest seeds make it pretty far.

92% of the NCAA Champions were 1 - 4 seeds.

Before UCONN won it all in 2014 as a 7 seed, the lowest seed to win it all was 6-seed Kansas in 1988.

End of the day, if Purdue is actually a top-tier team, it needs to sack up and beat other good teams.

No more excuses.

 

[Aamesker]

Not sure hoping for a busted bracket is the best strategy. You usually have to beat a couple of really good teams to get to the FF.
Sure, there's a little luck involved but Purdue hasn't been unlucky for the last 41 years.

But some of the best Purdue teams have been unlucky in the tournament recently, Hummel, Haas, UVA.

I get what you're saying -- and it would be great to get a busted bracket -- but relying on that is not the mentality to have, in my opinion.

End of the day, if Purdue is actually a top-tier team, it needs to sack up and beat other good teams.

No more excuses.

I mean there's nothing wrong with hoping for a busted bracket to help us out... anything to get the monkey off our back. The team will be prepared to beat the best, but if we get a chaotic bracket then so be it

 

[BoilerDeac]

But some of the best Purdue teams have been unlucky in the tournament recently, Hummel, Haas, UVA.

I mean there's nothing wrong with hoping for a busted bracket to help us out... anything to get the monkey off our back. The team will be prepared to beat the best, but if we get a chaotic bracket then so be it

I don't think the Hummel team was the result of the tournament being a crapshoot. It was the result of a devastating regular season injury.

Losing to Arkansas Little-Rock and North Texas weren't the result of the tournament being a crapshoot.

Obviously would love a chaotic bracket though!

Just hope Purdue comes ready to play to its potential. That's the only way it will advance to the E8 or F4.

 

[Aamesker]

I don't think the Hummel team was the result of the tournament being a crapshoot. It was the result of a devastating regular season injury.

Losing to Arkansas Little-Rock and North Texas weren't the result of the tournament being a crapshoot.

Yea that's what I meant about Hummel's team, they were rolling until the injury.

Yea those two aren't great losses, but last season's tournament was a weird one where teams were seeded lower and higher than they should have been based on little to no non-conference games. Still should have absolutely won but it happens, can't do anything to change it now

 

[TheGunner]

Not sure hoping for a busted bracket is the best strategy. You usually have to beat a couple of really good teams to get to the FF.
Sure, there's a little luck involved but Purdue hasn't been unlucky for the last 41 years.

We have been “unlucky” in some years related to injuries (big dog, Hummel x2), but not related to NCAAT seeds, at least not since the NCAA went to neutral courts (mid 80s losses to Memphis St and LSU would fit this exception).

We had a great “broken” bracket opportunity in 2000 and didn’t convert…Wisconsin did. The same could be said for 1998 in St Louis with Stanford (#3), Rhode Island (#8) and Valpo (#13) and us as a #2 (RI knocked off Kansas as the #1).

It’s time we make our own luck (like tonight and the BTT) or be able to deal with the consequences.

 

[purdueplayer]

Maybe Brian is right and this team is built more for the tournament than the Big Ten season. I certainly hope so.

 

[SDBoiler1]

We could end up 4th in the conference!

Oh FFS

 

[MLB007]

Maybe Brian is right and this team is built more for the tournament than the Big Ten season. I certainly hope so.

I think it makes a lot of sense.

 

[Dryfly88]

To have a good chance to win: Turnovers must be no higher than 10. Davis kept under 30. Davidson under 20. Three point shooting at least 35%. Free throw shooting at least 70%.

If Davis gets 29 and Davidson gets 19 we're in trouble. Need to hold them both to their averages (21 and 14). Don't let anyone else go off and have career night and we have a good shot.

 

[purdueplayer]

I think it makes a lot of sense.

I agree and maybe thats why we looked so great in non-conference. I guess we will find out.