INDIANAPOLIS - Purdue lost its collective mind Saturday in Bankers Life Fieldhouse, leaving its basketball IQ behind in West Lafayette like a penny thoughtlessly left on a store counter at the mall.
(Hell, it's Christmas, so shopping metaphors, however bad they may be, fit nicely.)
And it was everybody.
In one series of possessions in the first half of Purdue's loss to Butler alone, Johnny Hill made a couple sketchy decisions that led to turnovers. Rapheal Davis drove straight down a street that turned out to be a cul de sac, going nowhere. Vince Edwards took at least one quick shot that might have been against Purdue's best interests. And P.J Thompson drove into the lane and left without the ball.
Yeah, Purdue had a chance to tie or even win in the end against Butler had a different set of circumstances unfolded. But even if they had, they wouldn't have deserved to have, not with the way they played for 38 minutes, the surprising way in which this older, mature, experienced team played like a puppy not yet housebroken.
Turnovers swung this game to Butler, a team, and program, that generally isn't going to beat itself but is happy to let you beat yourself. Purdue obliged.
That was a surprise, because you didn't see it coming. Never mind the fact for a moment that Isaac Haas got neutralized by Butler and A.J. Hammons got neutralized by fouls for half the game. Never mind the fact that Purdue shot very poorly. Never mind the fact that Purdue wouldn't match up with Butler strong-side linebacker Roosevelt Jones or cover big men who can shoot from the perimeter.
This game came down to poise and Purdue didn't have it.
It came down to hustle and Purdue didn't have enough of it.
Butler got 15 offensive rebounds for a lot of reasons, one of them being it just wanted to more.
It was disappointing for Purdue, and surprising. Again, you didn't see this sort of strange performance coming. I say strange because it was an odd covergence of over-eagerness and listlessness.
Here's the thing, though: Good can come from it.
One of the talking points I have been waiting to get to is just that, that for Purdue to take a step beyond what it had been doing prior to the Butler, maybe it would take a loss for that change to be exacted.
That sounds like candy coating right now, I know, but there's no going back on Purdue's inexplicable and uncharacteristic showing in Indy. All it can do now is do better next time.
It's a shame for Purdue that the worst of it came out in this event. I put it that way because I think if Purdue just plays with a level head, it represents itself much better than it did, last-two-minutes rally notwithstanding.
The Crossroads Classic, in the big picture, isn't all that big a deal, but your perception within your own state, your own region, that stuff matters. And Purdue is now 0-5 in this thing. That's a credit to the caliber of the college basketball in Indiana, but also a black eye - or at least a slightly puffy one - for Purdue.
There's no shame in losing to Butler, never is, as long as the effort is a good one. Purdue's effort today was not a good one, as it well knows.
But it'll be fine, that's my guess.
Purdue's a good team that didn't play like one today. Over-reaction and hysterical generalizations are a dangerous business when it comes to college sports.
Yes, Purdue didn't play well against Butler.
Doesn't mean it won't Tuesday vs. Vanderbilt, then 20 more times before the season is over.
Purdue looks like a team with a lot of substance.
Now's the time to prove it.
(Hell, it's Christmas, so shopping metaphors, however bad they may be, fit nicely.)
And it was everybody.
In one series of possessions in the first half of Purdue's loss to Butler alone, Johnny Hill made a couple sketchy decisions that led to turnovers. Rapheal Davis drove straight down a street that turned out to be a cul de sac, going nowhere. Vince Edwards took at least one quick shot that might have been against Purdue's best interests. And P.J Thompson drove into the lane and left without the ball.
Yeah, Purdue had a chance to tie or even win in the end against Butler had a different set of circumstances unfolded. But even if they had, they wouldn't have deserved to have, not with the way they played for 38 minutes, the surprising way in which this older, mature, experienced team played like a puppy not yet housebroken.
Turnovers swung this game to Butler, a team, and program, that generally isn't going to beat itself but is happy to let you beat yourself. Purdue obliged.
That was a surprise, because you didn't see it coming. Never mind the fact for a moment that Isaac Haas got neutralized by Butler and A.J. Hammons got neutralized by fouls for half the game. Never mind the fact that Purdue shot very poorly. Never mind the fact that Purdue wouldn't match up with Butler strong-side linebacker Roosevelt Jones or cover big men who can shoot from the perimeter.
This game came down to poise and Purdue didn't have it.
It came down to hustle and Purdue didn't have enough of it.
Butler got 15 offensive rebounds for a lot of reasons, one of them being it just wanted to more.
It was disappointing for Purdue, and surprising. Again, you didn't see this sort of strange performance coming. I say strange because it was an odd covergence of over-eagerness and listlessness.
Here's the thing, though: Good can come from it.
One of the talking points I have been waiting to get to is just that, that for Purdue to take a step beyond what it had been doing prior to the Butler, maybe it would take a loss for that change to be exacted.
That sounds like candy coating right now, I know, but there's no going back on Purdue's inexplicable and uncharacteristic showing in Indy. All it can do now is do better next time.
It's a shame for Purdue that the worst of it came out in this event. I put it that way because I think if Purdue just plays with a level head, it represents itself much better than it did, last-two-minutes rally notwithstanding.
The Crossroads Classic, in the big picture, isn't all that big a deal, but your perception within your own state, your own region, that stuff matters. And Purdue is now 0-5 in this thing. That's a credit to the caliber of the college basketball in Indiana, but also a black eye - or at least a slightly puffy one - for Purdue.
There's no shame in losing to Butler, never is, as long as the effort is a good one. Purdue's effort today was not a good one, as it well knows.
But it'll be fine, that's my guess.
Purdue's a good team that didn't play like one today. Over-reaction and hysterical generalizations are a dangerous business when it comes to college sports.
Yes, Purdue didn't play well against Butler.
Doesn't mean it won't Tuesday vs. Vanderbilt, then 20 more times before the season is over.
Purdue looks like a team with a lot of substance.
Now's the time to prove it.
