NEW YORK CITY ? Purdue's basketball team is talented.
It might not be full of future pros ? though it might end up having a few when all is said and done ? and it might not be so awesomely gifted at basketball that it transcends experience and good sense.
But it is talented. It does have talent, good enough talent to be a winning basketball team. Purdue's won with far less.
But as the 2K Sports Classic, both in its West Lafayette and Manhattan "regionals," showed us, talent is only part of it.
There's something missing with Purdue. I don't know what it is, but you kind of know it when you see it. It's the ability to win. Purdue doesn't have it yet.
Now, granted, you can put asterisks next to a couple of these losses if you're so inclined; Purdue, for whatever it's worth, did get some independent verification via the Big Ten that it did in fact get jobbed by the refs against Villanova, not that it even matters now.
But the fact of the matter is Purdue is 1-3 and if not too ridiculous to even mention this now - Playoffs?! - its streak of NCAA Tournament bids looks a bit wobbly right now. Yeah, it's only been four games, but three precious potential wins have already gone by the wayside and Purdue's not even played a game yet in which a win would have been considered an upset. That's my nice way of saying, "a game people expect Purdue to lose."
Purdue's in this position because it's missing something right now.
In all three of its losses, Purdue was tied or led in the final minutes of regulation, but couldn't finish. In all three games, though, it showed its ability to play at a high level in getting in positions at all.
Fair or not, the 2007-08 season sort of became my reference point when projecting how this year's Purdue basketball team would do, because it was the last time the Boilermakers were this young and, more appropriately, this new. Young and new are two different things, I think.
Comparing one team to another is really kind of stupid anyway, especially when every single player has turned over, but it makes for entertaining discussion and, for people like me, easy copy.
The 2007-08 team was really good as it turned out. It wasn't right away.
That team was talented just like this one is talented. But that team, even if it didn't always show it early, knew how to win and it seemed to know how to prepare.
It was never easy for Robbie Hummel and E'Twaun Moore, even if they gave the illusion it was. Moore in particular had his rough moments.
But even still, those guys, by every account, were so advanced between the ears and so mature beyond their years, which rhymes.
Having covered all of Purdue's freshmen for years before they ever set foot on campus, I'm not sure this group has those intangibles to the same level. As Danny Hope would say, that's not a "defect of character" on their part. It's just that they're kind of typical freshmen just like JaJuan Johnson was while Hummel and Moore were atypical.
That point kind of came out a bit after the game as Matt Painter ducked a question about Ronnie Johnson's forgotten jersey. Hell, as someone who spent five minutes today frantically searching for his wallet and considering every doomsday scenario a lost wallet in New York City the day before a return flight home would bring, I know that stuff happens.
But just like John Wooden taught his kids to tie their shoes, coaches often harp on guys' meticulousness, how all the little minutia runs together into the product you see on the floor.
Am I saying Purdue's 1-3 because Ronnie Johnson forgot his jersey? Of course not.
I'm saying Purdue's 1-3 because it doesn't appear to be ready to not to be 1-3.
If it were, the Boilermakers wouldn't have gotten punked ? I believe that's what the kids call it nowadays ? in the first half by Oregon State, a team which I'm guessing will end up being just OK this season just like Villanova will.
Purdue was a cold fish in the first half.
I'm no mind-reader ? and thank God, because I just got a New Jersey Transit train and would never want to know ? but you can't tell me in hindsight that Friday's start didn't have at least something to do with Thursday's finish.
It has to be maddening for all involved, because you see the way Purdue played in the second halves against Villanova and Oregon State and you see a team that's good enough to win, but just isn't.
If they just sucked, it wouldn't be so frustrating.
Matt Painter, his staff, and this team's leadership, whoever it is and whoever it might still be, have their hands full.
Because this team, as we knew would be the case, has some growing up to do if ? yes, if - it is going to be good this season. After four games, "when" has turned into "if," in my opinion.
Is the potential there? Of course it is.
Since comparisons are so awesome, remember how the '07 team blew all those leads and lost all those close games early. They turned it around. But they were never 1-3.
That team was good at times and bad at times early, before ultimately turning out to be good.
But it can go the other way.
A mature team that's good enough might not let it.
Painter said his team needs to become more mature.
This could get interesting.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2012. 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.
It might not be full of future pros ? though it might end up having a few when all is said and done ? and it might not be so awesomely gifted at basketball that it transcends experience and good sense.
But it is talented. It does have talent, good enough talent to be a winning basketball team. Purdue's won with far less.
But as the 2K Sports Classic, both in its West Lafayette and Manhattan "regionals," showed us, talent is only part of it.
There's something missing with Purdue. I don't know what it is, but you kind of know it when you see it. It's the ability to win. Purdue doesn't have it yet.
Now, granted, you can put asterisks next to a couple of these losses if you're so inclined; Purdue, for whatever it's worth, did get some independent verification via the Big Ten that it did in fact get jobbed by the refs against Villanova, not that it even matters now.
But the fact of the matter is Purdue is 1-3 and if not too ridiculous to even mention this now - Playoffs?! - its streak of NCAA Tournament bids looks a bit wobbly right now. Yeah, it's only been four games, but three precious potential wins have already gone by the wayside and Purdue's not even played a game yet in which a win would have been considered an upset. That's my nice way of saying, "a game people expect Purdue to lose."
Purdue's in this position because it's missing something right now.
In all three of its losses, Purdue was tied or led in the final minutes of regulation, but couldn't finish. In all three games, though, it showed its ability to play at a high level in getting in positions at all.
Fair or not, the 2007-08 season sort of became my reference point when projecting how this year's Purdue basketball team would do, because it was the last time the Boilermakers were this young and, more appropriately, this new. Young and new are two different things, I think.
Comparing one team to another is really kind of stupid anyway, especially when every single player has turned over, but it makes for entertaining discussion and, for people like me, easy copy.
The 2007-08 team was really good as it turned out. It wasn't right away.
That team was talented just like this one is talented. But that team, even if it didn't always show it early, knew how to win and it seemed to know how to prepare.
It was never easy for Robbie Hummel and E'Twaun Moore, even if they gave the illusion it was. Moore in particular had his rough moments.
But even still, those guys, by every account, were so advanced between the ears and so mature beyond their years, which rhymes.
Having covered all of Purdue's freshmen for years before they ever set foot on campus, I'm not sure this group has those intangibles to the same level. As Danny Hope would say, that's not a "defect of character" on their part. It's just that they're kind of typical freshmen just like JaJuan Johnson was while Hummel and Moore were atypical.
That point kind of came out a bit after the game as Matt Painter ducked a question about Ronnie Johnson's forgotten jersey. Hell, as someone who spent five minutes today frantically searching for his wallet and considering every doomsday scenario a lost wallet in New York City the day before a return flight home would bring, I know that stuff happens.
But just like John Wooden taught his kids to tie their shoes, coaches often harp on guys' meticulousness, how all the little minutia runs together into the product you see on the floor.
Am I saying Purdue's 1-3 because Ronnie Johnson forgot his jersey? Of course not.
I'm saying Purdue's 1-3 because it doesn't appear to be ready to not to be 1-3.
If it were, the Boilermakers wouldn't have gotten punked ? I believe that's what the kids call it nowadays ? in the first half by Oregon State, a team which I'm guessing will end up being just OK this season just like Villanova will.
Purdue was a cold fish in the first half.
I'm no mind-reader ? and thank God, because I just got a New Jersey Transit train and would never want to know ? but you can't tell me in hindsight that Friday's start didn't have at least something to do with Thursday's finish.
It has to be maddening for all involved, because you see the way Purdue played in the second halves against Villanova and Oregon State and you see a team that's good enough to win, but just isn't.
If they just sucked, it wouldn't be so frustrating.
Matt Painter, his staff, and this team's leadership, whoever it is and whoever it might still be, have their hands full.
Because this team, as we knew would be the case, has some growing up to do if ? yes, if - it is going to be good this season. After four games, "when" has turned into "if," in my opinion.
Is the potential there? Of course it is.
Since comparisons are so awesome, remember how the '07 team blew all those leads and lost all those close games early. They turned it around. But they were never 1-3.
That team was good at times and bad at times early, before ultimately turning out to be good.
But it can go the other way.
A mature team that's good enough might not let it.
Painter said his team needs to become more mature.
This could get interesting.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2012. 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.
