I'll admit that there were times Wednesday night where you just thought that a Purdue program that's been an NCAA Tournament fixture was too good to be playing this time of year in front of 3,000 people against Western Freaking Illinois.
But when viewing the College Basketball Invitational's value, you just have to get past that superficial stuff.
There is just no reason for Purdue not to be playing these games and Wednesday night reminded of that.
Yes, Western Illinois - without its two best players - probably shouldn't have been as much of a pest as it proved to be, but it's good for Purdue to have to struggle and experience a positive outcome. The way the season went, a premier Big Ten opponent would have taken the same nine-point lead the Leatherfaces uh, Leathernecks did and doubled it before halftime.
In this case, Purdue had the margin for error to fall behind like that and still have no one in the arena doubting who'd actually win the game.
It's good to knock out a Glass Joe every now and then, particularly for a fragile young team that just so badly needs to exit this season at least playing well for its own psyche.
It's good for A.J. Hammons to get more chances to be successful to enter the offseason with some juice to him. It's good for Ronnie Johnson, who's come a long way, but is still nowhere close to where he can be. And for Rapheal Davis, who was really good in the second half.
You had to wonder how Purdue was going to perform.
There were mixed feelings on players' parts about playing in this thing, but as Matt Painter so bluntly put it earlier in the week, kids often don't know what's best for themselves.
What else would they be doing?
Playing pickup games, maybe? Individual workouts? Video games?
Games are better.
So why not play?
What, the $35,000? Pffft. Not a big deal. Not to anyone but the guy who handles the books anyway.
But I digress, per usual.
Purdue's interest in playing, there was some early drowsiness, for sure, and Western Illinois sucker-punched the Boilermakers a bit by making a bunch of jump shots.
But if there were any two players who could have been least interested, it might have been seniors D.J. Byrd and Dru Anthrop. They're going out playing in a tournament they may not have heard of before a couple weeks ago, making senior day no longer their final Mackey Arena memories, as perfect as that afternoon went, all things considered.
Neither mailed it in, not even close.
Byrd was quiet in the first half, not that that has been all that uncommon, but made his first three threes in the second, one of them shortly after diving on the floor for a steal.
Anthrop was great all across the board. The smallest guy on the floor finished with the most rebounds.
Purdue seemed to care Wednesday night.
If it keeps caring - and keeps forcing turnovers and making shots - it may win this thing. Texas is out, and the enigmatic Longhorns looked like the only team that could match Purdue's collective talent. But we'll see what happens.
If Purdue wins the CBI, it will obviously have been worth it.
Even if it doesn't, though, who cares? Games are better than nothing.
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.
But when viewing the College Basketball Invitational's value, you just have to get past that superficial stuff.
There is just no reason for Purdue not to be playing these games and Wednesday night reminded of that.
Yes, Western Illinois - without its two best players - probably shouldn't have been as much of a pest as it proved to be, but it's good for Purdue to have to struggle and experience a positive outcome. The way the season went, a premier Big Ten opponent would have taken the same nine-point lead the Leatherfaces uh, Leathernecks did and doubled it before halftime.
In this case, Purdue had the margin for error to fall behind like that and still have no one in the arena doubting who'd actually win the game.
It's good to knock out a Glass Joe every now and then, particularly for a fragile young team that just so badly needs to exit this season at least playing well for its own psyche.
It's good for A.J. Hammons to get more chances to be successful to enter the offseason with some juice to him. It's good for Ronnie Johnson, who's come a long way, but is still nowhere close to where he can be. And for Rapheal Davis, who was really good in the second half.
You had to wonder how Purdue was going to perform.
There were mixed feelings on players' parts about playing in this thing, but as Matt Painter so bluntly put it earlier in the week, kids often don't know what's best for themselves.
What else would they be doing?
Playing pickup games, maybe? Individual workouts? Video games?
Games are better.
So why not play?
What, the $35,000? Pffft. Not a big deal. Not to anyone but the guy who handles the books anyway.
But I digress, per usual.
Purdue's interest in playing, there was some early drowsiness, for sure, and Western Illinois sucker-punched the Boilermakers a bit by making a bunch of jump shots.
But if there were any two players who could have been least interested, it might have been seniors D.J. Byrd and Dru Anthrop. They're going out playing in a tournament they may not have heard of before a couple weeks ago, making senior day no longer their final Mackey Arena memories, as perfect as that afternoon went, all things considered.
Neither mailed it in, not even close.
Byrd was quiet in the first half, not that that has been all that uncommon, but made his first three threes in the second, one of them shortly after diving on the floor for a steal.
Anthrop was great all across the board. The smallest guy on the floor finished with the most rebounds.
Purdue seemed to care Wednesday night.
If it keeps caring - and keeps forcing turnovers and making shots - it may win this thing. Texas is out, and the enigmatic Longhorns looked like the only team that could match Purdue's collective talent. But we'll see what happens.
If Purdue wins the CBI, it will obviously have been worth it.
Even if it doesn't, though, who cares? Games are better than nothing.
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.
