I wasn't at Purdue's loss at Nebraska Sunday, but I was at the Boilermakers' loss to Washington State a few months ago in Florida, sitting in a chair awaiting the start of a press conference tournament officials almost called off while the Boilermakers decompressed and soul-searched for a long, long time in their fortress of solitude near-by.
At that time, it didn't seem like things could get much lower for the Boilermakers.
But they reached those depths months later, when things matter much more, in Purdue's 19-point loss to Nebraska. On paper, it was Purdue's worst loss of the season, the margin its widest. To the human eye, it was definitely worst, even worse than that abomination against Washington State or whatever the hell you'd call what happened at Northwestern.
It wasn't that Sunday happened, but how it happened.
Purdue played one of its best games of the season against Nebraska, then about as well as you can in any 15-point loss against Michigan State, at least at the offensive end.
A few very important players were trending well and Purdue was really clicking on offense, taking the right shots, making the right passes, playing as a collective entity.
Then, just like the game against, yes, Nebraska, in the Big Ten Tournament last year, inexplicable regression.
Bad passing and even worse shooting. Nebraska is a good team, especially at home, but not so good Purdue should have gotten blown out the way it did. Again this season Nebraska beat Purdue; Purdue blew itself out.
I was just watching on TV, but from afar - albeit high-definition "afar" - it sure looked like when Nebraska was up big, it just was more engaged in the game, more driven. More "caring," a derivative of the term Rapheal Davis used afterward.
Feb. 23 and we're talking about caring?
This has been a very disappointing season. Purdue should be better.
No one's getting fired over this, nor should they, as the blood-thirst crowd will hate to hear, but the issues that came to bear again Sunday speak to the wiring of those on the court, the inconsistency of personalities, the "caring" and whatever else.
Yes, coaches hand-picked these guys and have had plenty of time with each of them to instill the right things. No one is free of blame during this season gone wrong, one in which Purdue legitimately should be better.
Purdue's best reasonable hope now is to make the NIT. You simply can not play in the College Basketball Invitational again.
But even that path to the NIT may be an up-hill one. The softest opponent left on the regular season schedule is Northwestern, which is awful, but 1-0 against these Boilermakers this season. Purdue's other games are against Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, all them the caliber of Big Ten opponent the Boilermakers are winless against this season, two of those games on the road, where Purdue is typically solid, but has dreadful in Big Ten play this year.
Purdue has four regular season games left and at least one - you'd hope more - in the Big Ten Tournament.
So it has five games left to make something of this season beyond, "At least they beat IU."
Lately Purdue looked capable. Sunday, it did not.
Purdue trailed Nebraska at one point Sunday by 27 points.
Yikes.
Other stuff
Sure hope Sterling Carter is OK enough to at least play again. Keep in mind that at this late stage of the season, a meniscus could be season-ending. Carter has done everything right in this, his one and only season at Purdue and his void would be a huge one for this particular team.
He got hurt trying when others didn't seem to be all that much. If Purdue needs more "caring" and doesn't have Carter, he will be missed.
Good for Bryson Scott to produce a double-double. The day will come when he is productive in games Purdue wins instead of games Purdue falls way behind in.
I'm never one to ever put all that much on any one game when it's so easy to label anything a "must-win" but this Michigan game coming up is a big one. Of course, Michigan is really good, but it's Purdue's last home game against anything that would resemble a quality opponent.
At that time, it didn't seem like things could get much lower for the Boilermakers.
But they reached those depths months later, when things matter much more, in Purdue's 19-point loss to Nebraska. On paper, it was Purdue's worst loss of the season, the margin its widest. To the human eye, it was definitely worst, even worse than that abomination against Washington State or whatever the hell you'd call what happened at Northwestern.
It wasn't that Sunday happened, but how it happened.
Purdue played one of its best games of the season against Nebraska, then about as well as you can in any 15-point loss against Michigan State, at least at the offensive end.
A few very important players were trending well and Purdue was really clicking on offense, taking the right shots, making the right passes, playing as a collective entity.
Then, just like the game against, yes, Nebraska, in the Big Ten Tournament last year, inexplicable regression.
Bad passing and even worse shooting. Nebraska is a good team, especially at home, but not so good Purdue should have gotten blown out the way it did. Again this season Nebraska beat Purdue; Purdue blew itself out.
I was just watching on TV, but from afar - albeit high-definition "afar" - it sure looked like when Nebraska was up big, it just was more engaged in the game, more driven. More "caring," a derivative of the term Rapheal Davis used afterward.
Feb. 23 and we're talking about caring?
This has been a very disappointing season. Purdue should be better.
No one's getting fired over this, nor should they, as the blood-thirst crowd will hate to hear, but the issues that came to bear again Sunday speak to the wiring of those on the court, the inconsistency of personalities, the "caring" and whatever else.
Yes, coaches hand-picked these guys and have had plenty of time with each of them to instill the right things. No one is free of blame during this season gone wrong, one in which Purdue legitimately should be better.
Purdue's best reasonable hope now is to make the NIT. You simply can not play in the College Basketball Invitational again.
But even that path to the NIT may be an up-hill one. The softest opponent left on the regular season schedule is Northwestern, which is awful, but 1-0 against these Boilermakers this season. Purdue's other games are against Michigan, Wisconsin and Iowa, all them the caliber of Big Ten opponent the Boilermakers are winless against this season, two of those games on the road, where Purdue is typically solid, but has dreadful in Big Ten play this year.
Purdue has four regular season games left and at least one - you'd hope more - in the Big Ten Tournament.
So it has five games left to make something of this season beyond, "At least they beat IU."
Lately Purdue looked capable. Sunday, it did not.
Purdue trailed Nebraska at one point Sunday by 27 points.
Yikes.
Other stuff
He got hurt trying when others didn't seem to be all that much. If Purdue needs more "caring" and doesn't have Carter, he will be missed.
