I'll just say this: Purdue played its ass off Wednesday night against Michigan.
Pardon my language if your sensibilities are so delicate, but it's for effect. Purdue, in the throes in the echoing thuds of this season, responded proudly tonight to one of its lowest moments Sunday, when it got trucked by Nebraska.
This inconsistent, sometimes fragile team could have gone either way.
It played Michigan, who's positioned to win the Big Ten and ranked, both of those things for good reason.
Purdue was short-handed, down two important guys, each for their own reasons.
The Boilermakers beat Michigan like five times before ultimately losing on Glenn Robinson's stake through the heart. Of course, it had to be Glenn Robinson.
Now Purdue knows how Penn State felt.
Look, Purdue is a limited, flawed team and even when it was up nearly three touchdowns in the first half, those limits and flaws were still bound to show themselves.
They did. They revealed themselves in the bad shots a couple freshmen took during Michigan's early second half run, erasing Purdue's cushion and changing the complexion of the game. With a lineup on the floor Purdue just needed to maintain status quo with, young guys made mistakes. Bryson Scott took a bad shot and turned it over. Basil Smotherman took an iffy jumper.
Did Kendall Stephens miss that free throw because he's a freshman? Who knows? But the reality is he did and he is, so maybe. You have your best foul shooter at the line with a chance to push out a lead and, probably (probably) seal a huge win.
It's what you want, though, to be in that position.
What got Purdue in that position? Seemed to me like pride.
Terone Johnson could have gone either way. If he pouts, that resonates in the locker room, not just this season, but maybe years from now, long after the senior is gone. What if a freshman sees a senior act one way, then finds himself in the same situation in three years? He might too.
Instead, Johnson responded. He carried Purdue at both ends of the floor, matched only by his brother, Ronnie, who was excellent for the third time in four games.
Purdue played hard. The Johnsons did. Rapheal Davis did. A.J. Hammons did. Others, too.
Game could have gone either way. I know it's hypotheticals and thus meaningless but had any number of 50/50 situations not turned blue, Purdue wins. One of those two Stephens threes that went halfway down, one of those fouls goes uncalled, whatever. What if Hammons is at the rim in the final second? He blocks that shot with his forehead. What if Simpson is out there?
The reality is, though, that none of that stuff happened and it's really just another loss, Purdue still a 15-12 team with this game meaning nothing in black-and-white terms unless it leads to a win over Iowa over Wisconsin. We'll see there
Purdue lost and there's no way changing that.
But after a game in Lincoln in which its effort and "caring" were called into question, Purdue really tried hard and cared in a difficult situation.
Purdue was good enough to win, on one hand; on the other, it was not quite good enough.
But it share as hell tried.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
Pardon my language if your sensibilities are so delicate, but it's for effect. Purdue, in the throes in the echoing thuds of this season, responded proudly tonight to one of its lowest moments Sunday, when it got trucked by Nebraska.
This inconsistent, sometimes fragile team could have gone either way.
It played Michigan, who's positioned to win the Big Ten and ranked, both of those things for good reason.
Purdue was short-handed, down two important guys, each for their own reasons.
The Boilermakers beat Michigan like five times before ultimately losing on Glenn Robinson's stake through the heart. Of course, it had to be Glenn Robinson.
Now Purdue knows how Penn State felt.
Look, Purdue is a limited, flawed team and even when it was up nearly three touchdowns in the first half, those limits and flaws were still bound to show themselves.
They did. They revealed themselves in the bad shots a couple freshmen took during Michigan's early second half run, erasing Purdue's cushion and changing the complexion of the game. With a lineup on the floor Purdue just needed to maintain status quo with, young guys made mistakes. Bryson Scott took a bad shot and turned it over. Basil Smotherman took an iffy jumper.
Did Kendall Stephens miss that free throw because he's a freshman? Who knows? But the reality is he did and he is, so maybe. You have your best foul shooter at the line with a chance to push out a lead and, probably (probably) seal a huge win.
It's what you want, though, to be in that position.
What got Purdue in that position? Seemed to me like pride.
Terone Johnson could have gone either way. If he pouts, that resonates in the locker room, not just this season, but maybe years from now, long after the senior is gone. What if a freshman sees a senior act one way, then finds himself in the same situation in three years? He might too.
Instead, Johnson responded. He carried Purdue at both ends of the floor, matched only by his brother, Ronnie, who was excellent for the third time in four games.
Purdue played hard. The Johnsons did. Rapheal Davis did. A.J. Hammons did. Others, too.
Game could have gone either way. I know it's hypotheticals and thus meaningless but had any number of 50/50 situations not turned blue, Purdue wins. One of those two Stephens threes that went halfway down, one of those fouls goes uncalled, whatever. What if Hammons is at the rim in the final second? He blocks that shot with his forehead. What if Simpson is out there?
The reality is, though, that none of that stuff happened and it's really just another loss, Purdue still a 15-12 team with this game meaning nothing in black-and-white terms unless it leads to a win over Iowa over Wisconsin. We'll see there
Purdue lost and there's no way changing that.
But after a game in Lincoln in which its effort and "caring" were called into question, Purdue really tried hard and cared in a difficult situation.
Purdue was good enough to win, on one hand; on the other, it was not quite good enough.
But it share as hell tried.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
