I guess everything matures at a different rate.
You know, some kids never eat paste. Some do and learn not to when they're 3. Some do and learn not to when they're 6 or 7. Some of us still do.
After spending 80 percent of this regular season not only eating paste but spilling it all over itself, Purdue has matured, as evidenced by its play lately, particularly this past week.
When Purdue came back from Italy, the hope had to be that it would hit the ground running this season and the maturation process would be accelerated. Didn't seem to be.
After the Boilermakers fumbled away several non-conference wins and stumbled into Big Ten play at 6-6, the hope had to be that the lessons learned in those games would benefit Purdue even as the competition stiffened. Didn't seem to.
After Purdue got itself blown out time and again by better teams - better teams beat Purdue; Purdue got Purdue blown out - the hope had to be that some sort of prideful instinct or whatever would kick in and put a stop to it. Didn't happen, at least not until it was too late.
Whatever was the catalyst for Purdue's transformation has been, whether it was experience, pride, hard-learned lessons, Sandi Marcius, Rapheal Davis, Terone Johnson or whatever, it's been all-encompassing.
I don't need to be redundant here and talk about how Purdue has looked like a completely different team. You're watching. You know.
It was just five weeks ago that Purdue went up to Northwestern and got trucked by a team that can't beat anybody and is probably going to fire its coach. Northwestern didn't beat Purdue that day; Purdue simply beat the tar out of itself, letting a historic loss to Indiana - same story there - linger and showing up in body only in Evanston.
Now, Purdue is playing like an NCAA Tournament team, that opportunity, though, having long past, aside from its long-shot Big Ten Tournament hopes.
Make no mistake here: Purdue is playing well, best it has this season. But it is only playing like it can compete with great teams, not yet to beat them. That was illustrated Wednesday night, when Purdue was good enough to lead Michigan by 12 in the second half, but not quite good enough to prevent the best guard in the country from pulling the football out before Charlie Brown could kick it. No shame in that.
Minnesota was another story. Purdue dominated the schizo Gophers, a team that can't beat anyone outside Williams Arena.
So take that for what it's worth.
But when Purdue was losing big, it was the way that Purdue lost that told the story. Now that it's winning big - factoring in how it took out Northwestern at home and Wisconsin at Wisconsin - that's telling the story, too.
A complete transformation, one that could have been expected at some point this season considering Purdue is relying so heavily on freshmen, but one that in a perfect world would have come under the Christmas tree, not on the eve of Selection Sunday.
Therein lies the conflict here.
It's great for Purdue that it finally apparently took this step - a week ago Matt Painter wanted his team in the postseason and now he wants his team in the postseason - but it's tinted somewhat with regret that it took this long.
Be that as it may, better late than never.
For all the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands that occurred this season over this player or that player or this recruit or that recruit, Purdue has had talent good enough to win with.
The issues have been intangible in nature, whether they be tied to experience or whatever else.
Purdue's playing Purdue basketball again, to regurgitate a common cliche. It's playing well.
It's too late, almost certainly, for Purdue to meet its standards of winning 20-plus games and finishing its season in the NCAA Tournament, but given the depths seen this season, oh well.
What's important in the light finally coming on right now is that it shows this thing isn't broken.
The players are good enough, the coaching works when it's adhered to and the sum is a quality product. A great product? That's a stretch, but a quality product.
It's a shame for D.J. Byrd and Dru Anthrop that their senior years were collateral damage in the process, but maybe they can watch a team next season that returns damn near everybody and should be pretty good and take some satisfaction that they were part of the groundwork.
It's been a painful year for everybody.
You just can't eat that much paste without getting a tummy ache.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2013. 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.
You know, some kids never eat paste. Some do and learn not to when they're 3. Some do and learn not to when they're 6 or 7. Some of us still do.
After spending 80 percent of this regular season not only eating paste but spilling it all over itself, Purdue has matured, as evidenced by its play lately, particularly this past week.
When Purdue came back from Italy, the hope had to be that it would hit the ground running this season and the maturation process would be accelerated. Didn't seem to be.
After the Boilermakers fumbled away several non-conference wins and stumbled into Big Ten play at 6-6, the hope had to be that the lessons learned in those games would benefit Purdue even as the competition stiffened. Didn't seem to.
After Purdue got itself blown out time and again by better teams - better teams beat Purdue; Purdue got Purdue blown out - the hope had to be that some sort of prideful instinct or whatever would kick in and put a stop to it. Didn't happen, at least not until it was too late.
Whatever was the catalyst for Purdue's transformation has been, whether it was experience, pride, hard-learned lessons, Sandi Marcius, Rapheal Davis, Terone Johnson or whatever, it's been all-encompassing.
I don't need to be redundant here and talk about how Purdue has looked like a completely different team. You're watching. You know.
It was just five weeks ago that Purdue went up to Northwestern and got trucked by a team that can't beat anybody and is probably going to fire its coach. Northwestern didn't beat Purdue that day; Purdue simply beat the tar out of itself, letting a historic loss to Indiana - same story there - linger and showing up in body only in Evanston.
Now, Purdue is playing like an NCAA Tournament team, that opportunity, though, having long past, aside from its long-shot Big Ten Tournament hopes.
Make no mistake here: Purdue is playing well, best it has this season. But it is only playing like it can compete with great teams, not yet to beat them. That was illustrated Wednesday night, when Purdue was good enough to lead Michigan by 12 in the second half, but not quite good enough to prevent the best guard in the country from pulling the football out before Charlie Brown could kick it. No shame in that.
Minnesota was another story. Purdue dominated the schizo Gophers, a team that can't beat anyone outside Williams Arena.
So take that for what it's worth.
But when Purdue was losing big, it was the way that Purdue lost that told the story. Now that it's winning big - factoring in how it took out Northwestern at home and Wisconsin at Wisconsin - that's telling the story, too.
A complete transformation, one that could have been expected at some point this season considering Purdue is relying so heavily on freshmen, but one that in a perfect world would have come under the Christmas tree, not on the eve of Selection Sunday.
Therein lies the conflict here.
It's great for Purdue that it finally apparently took this step - a week ago Matt Painter wanted his team in the postseason and now he wants his team in the postseason - but it's tinted somewhat with regret that it took this long.
Be that as it may, better late than never.
For all the gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands that occurred this season over this player or that player or this recruit or that recruit, Purdue has had talent good enough to win with.
The issues have been intangible in nature, whether they be tied to experience or whatever else.
Purdue's playing Purdue basketball again, to regurgitate a common cliche. It's playing well.
It's too late, almost certainly, for Purdue to meet its standards of winning 20-plus games and finishing its season in the NCAA Tournament, but given the depths seen this season, oh well.
What's important in the light finally coming on right now is that it shows this thing isn't broken.
The players are good enough, the coaching works when it's adhered to and the sum is a quality product. A great product? That's a stretch, but a quality product.
It's a shame for D.J. Byrd and Dru Anthrop that their senior years were collateral damage in the process, but maybe they can watch a team next season that returns damn near everybody and should be pretty good and take some satisfaction that they were part of the groundwork.
It's been a painful year for everybody.
You just can't eat that much paste without getting a tummy ache.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2013. 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.
