Boilermaker thru and thru. Brutal finish that just really sucked the wind out all of our sails. This one was really the worst I have ever endured. Lots of hopes and expectations, and like most here I expected things from this team, a no question sweet 16 appearance and really expected an elite 8. We got a really good draw and got our hopes up even higher. We had the big guy, playing really well, and Swanigan showing the progress we needed. Edwards was playing really well. We were pounding people on the boards, our outside shooting was really decent the last 8 games, Davis was defending well, we had great depth, and we had the best center tandem in the nation.
We came out tight, didn't shoot the ball well at all, but got the lift we needed with Edward's shot at the end of the first half. We came out stronger, got the nice lead, and all of us breathed a little easier. Couldn't finish for a lot of reasons. And still after their run, when Mathias drained the 3 on the kick from Hammons I thought sure we had it. Sad events and the worst feeling I have ever had as a Purdue fan. No killer instinct. No play hard and strong to win. No leadership, not from the bench, nor from our players, especially our seniors. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Coach shows no confidence in this rotation that had worked all year. When we should have had Haas and Swanigan in the game against their gassed undersized players, they sat. Our pg's tanked. Davis had no game this year yet would try to take over one on one in crunch time. Hill followed suit. We didn't move the ball, we didn't drive and kick, we just forced over and over.
One of my sons called me right after the game and just was so drained. He asked me why when I had the chance did I raise them to be Purdue fans. TIC of course, but only to a point. Two grandsons at Purdue this year, both wiped out. Too bad, because it was still a really good year. But everything comes down to the tournament and we are just the Chicago Cubs of the dance. Keady?, Painter?, doesn't matter. We had a really good team. My sons and I discussed after the Iowa game the fact that as good as we were, we just didn't have the guards to be a great tournament team. When you get to the BTT and the dance, it is a guards game. We just did not that element. I love Davis and everything he brought to us as a Boilermaker, but he was a defensive star that had no game offensively.
PJ had a great year for PJ but he has limitations and there are game situations where he just cannot be successful. Hill did a decent job for us this year but seriously he just was not the guy to be the hero against MSU or Little Rock. Edwards had really good games against MSU and LIttle Rock, but could not make the crunch time plays and made some poor decisions. The brain freeze at the end of regulation just doesn't have an explanation.
Painter. Wow. Goes completely away from his rotations, keeps Hammons on the floor gassed two games in a row, and just didn't show his players that he believed in them. When the second overtime started and he did not have Haas and Swanigan in the game, fresh, against their undersized and wore out players, I was stunned. I am also stunned that he did not have an assistant coach in his ear telling him so. If he did, shame on him for not listening.
We will be really good next year. We still need leadership and better team defense. Our guards will be better, and I think we will be really good up front. As ticked off as we were at Swanigan at times, he is a great player who has to go thru those growing pains to be the playmaker we need him to be. I love that he wants to take the big shots. Edwards the same. He really had a nice second half. Haas is just Haas. I really love him. Painter will work hard to make our backcourt even stronger and will solve the press issues. We just have to keep on keeping on. Plenty of good to build on.
We came out tight, didn't shoot the ball well at all, but got the lift we needed with Edward's shot at the end of the first half. We came out stronger, got the nice lead, and all of us breathed a little easier. Couldn't finish for a lot of reasons. And still after their run, when Mathias drained the 3 on the kick from Hammons I thought sure we had it. Sad events and the worst feeling I have ever had as a Purdue fan. No killer instinct. No play hard and strong to win. No leadership, not from the bench, nor from our players, especially our seniors. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Coach shows no confidence in this rotation that had worked all year. When we should have had Haas and Swanigan in the game against their gassed undersized players, they sat. Our pg's tanked. Davis had no game this year yet would try to take over one on one in crunch time. Hill followed suit. We didn't move the ball, we didn't drive and kick, we just forced over and over.
One of my sons called me right after the game and just was so drained. He asked me why when I had the chance did I raise them to be Purdue fans. TIC of course, but only to a point. Two grandsons at Purdue this year, both wiped out. Too bad, because it was still a really good year. But everything comes down to the tournament and we are just the Chicago Cubs of the dance. Keady?, Painter?, doesn't matter. We had a really good team. My sons and I discussed after the Iowa game the fact that as good as we were, we just didn't have the guards to be a great tournament team. When you get to the BTT and the dance, it is a guards game. We just did not that element. I love Davis and everything he brought to us as a Boilermaker, but he was a defensive star that had no game offensively.
PJ had a great year for PJ but he has limitations and there are game situations where he just cannot be successful. Hill did a decent job for us this year but seriously he just was not the guy to be the hero against MSU or Little Rock. Edwards had really good games against MSU and LIttle Rock, but could not make the crunch time plays and made some poor decisions. The brain freeze at the end of regulation just doesn't have an explanation.
Painter. Wow. Goes completely away from his rotations, keeps Hammons on the floor gassed two games in a row, and just didn't show his players that he believed in them. When the second overtime started and he did not have Haas and Swanigan in the game, fresh, against their undersized and wore out players, I was stunned. I am also stunned that he did not have an assistant coach in his ear telling him so. If he did, shame on him for not listening.
We will be really good next year. We still need leadership and better team defense. Our guards will be better, and I think we will be really good up front. As ticked off as we were at Swanigan at times, he is a great player who has to go thru those growing pains to be the playmaker we need him to be. I love that he wants to take the big shots. Edwards the same. He really had a nice second half. Haas is just Haas. I really love him. Painter will work hard to make our backcourt even stronger and will solve the press issues. We just have to keep on keeping on. Plenty of good to build on.
