I'm hyped about next year's team...

[Abugabby]

I just saw a pic of Dakota and Cline and it got me to thinking...we've got a pretty solid squad next year!

1. Swanigan - Big time talent, great motor, elite rebounder, not afraid to take a big shot.
2. Haas - One of the best big men in the country, awesome production, good motor.
3. Cline - excellent shooter, not afraid to take the big shot, good defender.
4. Mathias - Great shooter, will take and hit big shots, high basketball IQ, good leader.
5. Smotherman - team player, good motor, good defender, athletic, mature
6. Edwards - versatile athletic team player with a motor, leader, good defender.

We've got an experienced (albeit limited) point guard, a ranked point guard coming in, good-to-great 3 point shooters, good defenders, good chemistry...I think next year will be more fun than this year was.

 

[purdue4sure]

I just saw a pic of Dakota and Cline and it got me to thinking...we've got a pretty solid squad next year!

1. Swanigan - Big time talent, great motor, elite rebounder, not afraid to take a big shot.
2. Haas - One of the best big men in the country, awesome production, good motor.
3. Cline - excellent shooter, not afraid to take the big shot, good defender.
4. Mathias - Great shooter, will take and hit big shots, high basketball IQ, good leader.
5. Smotherman - team player, good motor, good defender, athletic, mature
6. Edwards - versatile athletic team player with a motor, leader, good defender.

We've got an experienced (albeit limited) point guard, a ranked point guard coming in, good-to-great 3 point shooters, good defenders, good chemistry...I think next year will be more fun than this year was.

Lots of veteran talent. And it's real talent. It should make for a fun year.

 

[Mcluck]

Nope. Not going to do it. I want to be hyped... I really do. But I am going to temper expectations this year.

 

[dal9]

unrealistically optimistic sunshiner is hyped...stop the presses!!
last year was the year we should have gone for it.


to add something substantive, people are way underateing the loss of AJ

 

[BBG]

people are way underateing the loss of AJ

I doubt that. We're going to be a "different" team next year without AJ. No one is saying he isn't a significant loss by the way. And I think it's more some are way underrating the talent that remains.

 

[proudopete]

 

[boilersallthewaynow]

I doubt that. We're going to be a "different" team next year without AJ. No one is saying he isn't a significant loss by the way. And I think it's more some are way underrating the talent that remains.

Come on, put your feet back down on the ground.

Purdue basketball = Summer hype, Fall football sucks so can't wait for a great basketball season, Winter yea basketball is finally here- ride the roller coaster, Post conference so-so, Post season train wreck, iu fans heckling at us.
Repeat process.

Optimism is good just keep the Big Picture in mind.
Painter ain't no coaching Dynamo.

Our guards are overall too slow, not terribly athletic and won't stop dribble penetration or cover enough of the perimeter and are way too streaky as shooters.
Center position is not always an asset.
Forwards should be really solid.

Next season will go very much like last season and then we take a few steps backwards.

Recruiting and coaching are shaky.

Painter has a proven and sadly predictable track record.

 

[gelesen]

unrealistically optimistic sunshiner is hyped...stop the presses!!
last year was the year we should have gone for it.


to add something substantive, people are way underateing the loss of AJ

That would be true for any team that didn't have an Isaac Haas to fill those shoes.

 

[Cleanface]

Come on, put your feet back down on the ground.

Purdue basketball = Summer hype, Fall football sucks so can't wait for a great basketball season, Winter yea basketball is finally here- ride the roller coaster, Post conference so-so, Post season train wreck, iu fans heckling at us.
Repeat process.

Optimism is good just keep the Big Picture in mind.
Painter ain't no coaching Dynamo.

Our guards are overall too slow, not terribly athletic and won't stop dribble penetration or cover enough of the perimeter and are way too streaky as shooters.
Center position is not always an asset.
Forwards should be really solid.

Next season will go very much like last season and then we take a few steps backwards.

Recruiting and coaching are shaky.

Painter has a proven and sadly predictable track record.

 

[rgarlitz]

I think Purdue could be pretty good again next year (25+ wins), but I have a few concerns:

1) guard play. I don't know what Spike and Carsen Edwards can do, but none of the returning guards can break down defenders one-on-one. That wouldn't be too bad if outside shooting was more reliable. Also, we need to see continued improvement in feeding the post.

2) Team defense. Purdue lost its two best defenders from a team that was good but not great (ranked 31st) in scoring defense last year. Just about all of the returning players have room for improvement, especially Cline, Haas, and Swanigan.

3) Managing foul trouble. That's a routine thing, but it's been a while since Painter & Co has had to put much thought into it.

4) Advancing in the NCAA Tournament. I know that's waaayyyy down the road. Still, it's been two straight years of late game meltdowns followed by gut-wrenching OT losses in the Round of 64. Purdue has to find a way to do better than that.

 

[FLAG HUNTER]

I blame Painter all the way for the team not advancing in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Boiler Buck]

I just saw a pic of Dakota and Cline and it got me to thinking...we've got a pretty solid squad next year!

We've got an experienced (albeit limited) point guard, a ranked point guard coming in, good-to-great 3 point shooters, good defenders, good chemistry...I think next year will be more fun than this year was.

Good maybe they will compete for a B1G title & we will advance past the first weekend in the NCAA tourney.....but experience as a Boiler fan teaches me to wait and see....

 

[lbodel]

I just saw a pic of Dakota and Cline and it got me to thinking...we've got a pretty solid squad next year!

1. Swanigan - Big time talent, great motor, elite rebounder, not afraid to take a big shot.
2. Haas - One of the best big men in the country, awesome production, good motor.
3. Cline - excellent shooter, not afraid to take the big shot, good defender.
4. Mathias - Great shooter, will take and hit big shots, high basketball IQ, good leader.
5. Smotherman - team player, good motor, good defender, athletic, mature
6. Edwards - versatile athletic team player with a motor, leader, good defender.

We've got an experienced (albeit limited) point guard, a ranked point guard coming in, good-to-great 3 point shooters, good defenders, good chemistry...I think next year will be more fun than this year was.

I think the team has the potential to be pretty solid, but you cannot sugar coat it (yet) too much.

Swanigan has a lot to work on. He was helped out a lot by Hammons last year. When he got the "attention" from defenses, he really struggled at times. He has to cut down on the turnovers and needs to be a more solid defender. People have pointed out we lose a great defender in Hammons. However, I think the combination of Swanigan stepping up and becoming a better defender along with Haas - that combo can still provide fits for teams. But last year Hammons really "filled holes" in our defense because of Swanigan.

Haas, for example, is someone to be excited about. But he played backup to another great center. He has not really had the responsibility of being a "starting" big man, which requires endurance and discipline (fouls) - two things Haas has struggled at times with. And with that being said, Haas is not going to be a 35-40 minute guy - so how we do when he's not on the court is also a question.

Edwards needs to become more consistent. He started to get there last year, but he can sometimes disappear (even though he's still contributing in other ways - he can be a big match-up problem for teams and needs to expose that).

Smotherman is coming off a redshirt year. He showed some great flashes to be excited about, but will need to make sure he's productive.

As for Cline/Mathias, they both had good years. They both can still work on their defense, but they'll be fine with it as time goes on. Cline needs to add some strength (the primary reason a lot of people thought he may redshirt).

And overall, turnovers were a big problem for this team last year. And while Hammons/Davis/Hill were not stellar in this area, the problem also is not going away because they are no longer here. This was THE downfall of the team last year. Obviously it's easy to finger point to a guy like Swanigan - but guys like Edwards really struggled with careless turnovers too.

 

[PurdueCF12]

Love how ANY piece of optimism quickly gets shot down, and I KNOW people will come back and say "That's what life is like as a Purdue fan". *Eyeroll*

 

[DG10]

That would be true for any team that didn't have an Isaac Haas to fill those shoes.

Except Haas is nothing like Hammons and does not provide what Hammons did at either end...a solid (literally) player certainly, and a very good one in the post potentially on the offensive end, but not even close to the overall skill, athleticism or player that Hammons provided.

 

[BBG]

Love how ANY piece of optimism quickly gets shot down, and I KNOW people will come back and say "That's what life is like as a Purdue fan". *Eyeroll*

Yep. Optimism is not allowed.

 

[DG10]

I doubt that. We're going to be a "different" team next year without AJ. No one is saying he isn't a significant loss by the way. And I think it's more some are way underrating the talent that remains.

Except the talent that remains has never shown the consistency that Hammons did, and none of them has impacted the game at both ends of the floor (never mind one end for that matter) to the extent that Hammons did...Hammons dominated games at either end, and at both ends on occasion.

 

[boilerzz]

Except the talent that remains has never shown the consistency that Hammons did, and none of them has impacted the game at both ends of the floor (never mind one end for that matter) to the extent that Hammons did...Hammons dominated games at either end, and at both ends on occasion.

Wait. I thought AJ was inconsistent? Now I'm soooo confused!

 

[BBG]

Except the talent that remains has never shown the consistency that Hammons did, and none of them has impacted the game at both ends of the floor (never mind one end for that matter) to the extent that Hammons did...Hammons dominated games at either end, and at both ends on occasion.

Soo people can't improve? VE, Haas, Cline, Spike, Dakota and Swanigan all stand the potential to impact the game in a different way.

So I stand by what I said. AJH is a big loss and this team will not be the same, but there are players that can impact the game in a different but just as substantial way.

 

[B-Westy]

Except the talent that remains has never shown the consistency that Hammons did, and none of them has impacted the game at both ends of the floor (never mind one end for that matter) to the extent that Hammons did...Hammons dominated games at either end, and at both ends on occasion.

Ewww... Weird take. Hammons consistent? That's a stretch. & im not sure how that relates to the guys coming back. AJ was a great player but an enigma. Your team tends to take on the attitude of your best player & no offense to AJ, but he's not the killer that Vince & Caleb are. Those two are the leaders now. I expect a better team than last year due to our returning talent & different leaders in the locker room.

 

[proudopete]

Hopefully Haas not being "the player AJ was" will allow Painter to not focus on the post exclusively.

I think many of us are looking forward to a more balanced offensive attack and admit the defense may not be as good.

 

[DG10]

Hopefully Haas not being "the player AJ was" will allow Painter to not focus on the post exclusively.

I think many of us are looking forward to a more balanced offensive attack and admit the defense may not be as good.

I would contend that Painter focused more on the post when Haas played, so I don't see that emphasis going away...and whereas Hammons was able to (and did) pass out of the post to shooters or cutters, Haas is far less likely to, or astute at doing so. In addition, Swanigan was less effective when playing with Haas than with Hammons, so that issue potentially remains as well.

 

[DG10]

Ewww... Weird take. Hammons consistent? That's a stretch. & im not sure how that relates to the guys coming back. AJ was a great player but an enigma. Your team tends to take on the attitude of your best player & no offense to AJ, but he's not the killer that Vince & Caleb are. Those two are the leaders now. I expect a better team than last year due to our returning talent & different leaders in the locker room.

Hammons was indeed consistent last year...he produced throughout, and the numbers he put up back that up.

Davis was the leader...no questioning that...and nobody has shown the qualities to lead that he did (never mind from early on in his career), including VE or Swanigan...and those two were not even around after the season ended, as both were involved in the NBA process. Both are talented/gifted players, but neither has shown anything from a leadership standpoint to date. Hopefully that will change, but it is not as easy as saying that the two most talented guys on the team suddenly become leaders of the team, nor that they would be the leader(s) that Davis was.

 

[DG10]

Soo people can't improve? VE, Haas, Cline, Spike, Dakota and Swanigan all stand the potential to impact the game in a different way.

So I stand by what I said. AJH is a big loss and this team will not be the same, but there are players that can impact the game in a different but just as substantial way.

People can improve certainly, but player development has not exactly been a strength of this staff...does not mean that it will not happen obviously, but it is a common refrain of Purdue fans that has not come to fruition more often than it has unfortunately, especially in recent years.

AJH is more than just a big loss...literally and figuratively...and there is nobody on the present roster that can impact the game in as substantial a way that he did, never mind that he could (and did on occasion) do it at both ends of the floor.

That does not mean that Purdue cannot or will not be good potentially...as there is definitely talent on the roster, and hopefully it will indeed improve and develop to the extent that most Purdue fans believe and wish for, but it is not the same as knowing what you had and were going to get out of AJH.

 

[BuilderBob6]

Somet

I would contend that Painter focused more on the post when Haas played, so I don't see that emphasis going away...and whereas Hammons was able to (and did) pass out of the post to shooters or cutters, Haas is far less likely to, or astute at doing so. In addition, Swanigan was less effective when playing with Haas than with Hammons, so that issue potentially remains as well.

Sometimes I read your posts and I'm not sure we're watching the same team.

 

[BoilerBiker]

Ill play devil's advocate a bit since I was pretty optimistic last year - competing for the big ten title (we did show the potential in the BTT) and winning several tourney games.

I think we can compete this coming year also.
However... others countered some of my optimism last season with the notion that we simply lack the recruiting, players with raw athleticism, etc to compete at a top level, even at the level of Arkansas little Rock/guard play.

At seasons end, I was wrong, they were more-right with the results.

So next year, how does our returning talent, additions of SA and CE, and changing of leadership improve significantly to change the level of optimism?
How will that all overcome the perceived lack of raw talent, athleticism, etc to compete and make a strong tourney run?

(Specifically,
returners - They say the biggest leap is usually year 2 and that is CS and RC only. Others can improve too but would that be a bit of false hope of older equals better (similar to (not exact I know!) the previous thinking of footballs 'returning/upperclassmen' OL)?

Additions - do they have the elite level talent that the rest of our team may have lacked? Or are they only an improvement vs existing guards? can they learn/adapt to the new system? Healthy enough?

Leaders - ajh was far from a vocal leader but it seemed like IH learned and played quite well with him. And RD was our best/most clear leader in some time, a DPOY no less.
)

 

[PU52Chevy]

I will take the stance and stand behind it and say we will be good and a 25+ win team and do well in the regular season, BTT and NCAAT.

I think we have the right mix of talent both inside and outside and great potential leaders in Smotherman, Edwards, Mathias, Cline, Thompson, Spike, Biggie and Haas and great role players such as J.Taylor and C. Edwards

I also think we can play both up tempo and a solid half court game....which will be key for us.

I always say being unpredictable is what will eventually make Purdue successful and next year we should be unpredictable with scoring coming from many players on any given night.

Will be fun to watch...Boiler Up!

 

[MJ-79Boiler]

Last year, the issue was guard play - could we handle the press. This year, my question is: Can we effectively play man-to-man defense. Offensively, we will be fine.

Overall, I see a similar win-loss record. I believe defense/foul troubles will determine our post season performance.

 

[BoilerBF]

People can improve certainly, but player development has not exactly been a strength of this staff...does not mean that it will not happen obviously, but it is a common refrain of Purdue fans that has not come to fruition more often than it has unfortunately, especially in recent years.

What was your "scouting report" on AJH after his sophomore year? Did he "develop"?

Did Ray Davis come to Purdue as a BT DPOY candidate? Has Vince developed? Did Biggie get better later in season? Did PJ improve since freshman? Has Dakota improved?

Player development not a strength of this staff? Huh? Just because Kendall regressed this year....doesn’t mean nobody else developed....they did.

 

[BoilerBiker]

Surely we will do better in tourney play,
But it will be impressive if we better our peak ranking of AP #9 and season ending #12.

 

[nagemj02]

Ewww... Weird take. Hammons consistent? That's a stretch. & im not sure how that relates to the guys coming back. AJ was a great player but an enigma. Your team tends to take on the attitude of your best player & no offense to AJ, but he's not the killer that Vince & Caleb are. Those two are the leaders now. I expect a better team than last year due to our returning talent & different leaders in the locker room.

AJH wasn't consistent last season? Are you being sarcastic?

Just as an example, look at his game log from this past season: http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/player/gamelog/_/id/61274/aj-hammons

If we mention say, scoring, he scored in double-figures in every game but two from the game at Pittsburgh on 12/1/15 all the way through to the season-ending UALR game on 3/17/16.

 

[B-Westy]

AJH wasn't consistent last season? Are you being sarcastic?

He was consistent with his numbers but some nights I felt like he could've went harder. I'm AJ's #1 fan but it doesn't take a genius to tell that some games he wasn't posting as hard or demanding the ball.

This is Juniors team now. We have more vocal leadership from guys who can actually get it done on the court. Add Biggie's killer instinct to bring it ever single night & I would take that leadership over Rapheal & AJ any day. We'll miss AJ's numbers, we won't miss his demeanor & lack of leadership.

 

[nagemj02]

He was consistent with his numbers but some nights I felt like he could've went harder. I'm AJ's #1 fan but it doesn't take a genius to tell that some games he wasn't posting as hard or demanding the ball.

This is Juniors team now. We have more vocal leadership from guys who can actually get it done on the court. Add Biggie's killer instinct to bring it ever single night & I would take that leadership over Rapheal & AJ any day. We'll miss AJ's numbers, we won't miss his demeanor & lack of leadership.

I added his game log for the 2015-2016 season to my above post.

 

[B-Westy]

I added his game log for the 2015-2016 season to my above post.

Trust me, I watched every single game last year & attended over half the schedule in person. There were clear instances where AJ could've gone harder. That just goes to show how good he is how he can post those numbers night in & night out when sometimes not going 100%.

 

[TC4THREE]

Hammons was able to (and did) pass out of the post to shooters or cutters, Haas is far less likely to, or astute at doing so.

Hammons was terrible at that early in his career too. In fact, I wouldn't rate it as something he did well until his senior year. We will see how Haas develops but it's not really fair to compare the senior version of AJ to the sophomore version of Haas and not allow for potential improvements in Isaac's game because Hammons game evolved quite a bit over four years.

 

[nagemj02]

Trust me, I watched every single game last year & attended over half the schedule in person. There were clear instances where AJ could've gone harder. That just goes to show how good he is how he can post those numbers night in & night out when sometimes not going 100%.

That might be true on offense (although I didn't see too much of that), but at least on defense, sometimes he wouldn't try as hard on one or two possessions where the play was already at the rim because he didn't want to get into foul trouble. Throughout his career, anytime someone in his vicinity flopped, A.J. would get called for the foul. So, he had good reason to avoid going for blocks or trying to draw charges (they'd probably bounce off of him anyway, lol) every once in awhile (as long as it wasn't at the end of a close game).

 

[B-Westy]

That might be true on offense (although I didn't see too much of that), but at least on defense, sometimes he wouldn'tt try as hard to get to one or two plays that were already at the rim because he didn't want to get into foul trouble. Throughout his career, anytime someone in his vicinity even flopped, A.J. would get called for the foul. So, he had good reason to avoid going for blocks or trying to draw charges (they'd probably bounce off of him anyway, lol) every once in awhile (as long as it wasn't at the end of a close game).

Yeah I get that. My whole point is that I think (with all due respect to Ray) that we will be a better team just because our team leaders are now our best players. What does the team think when Ray can't even buy a bucket in a big game? We know AJ never said much. We didn't have anyone with a killer instinct leading our guys. That's why I think we had composure issues with the press & late mental breakdowns.

 

[mathboy]

People can improve certainly, but player development has not exactly been a strength of this staff...does not mean that it will not happen obviously, but it is a common refrain of Purdue fans that has not come to fruition more often than it has unfortunately, especially in recent years.

AJH is more than just a big loss...literally and figuratively...and there is nobody on the present roster that can impact the game in as substantial a way that he did, never mind that he could (and did on occasion) do it at both ends of the floor.

That does not mean that Purdue cannot or will not be good potentially...as there is definitely talent on the roster, and hopefully it will indeed improve and develop to the extent that most Purdue fans believe and wish for, but it is not the same as knowing what you had and were going to get out of AJH.

Can't disagree more when you contend that player development is not a strength of this staff. For the life of me, I can't see where you would get that idea. Your post sounds bitter and doesn't seem to reflect much hope. Hard to go through life that way.

 

[DG10]

Can't disagree more when you contend that player development is not a strength of this staff. For the life of me, I can't see where you would get that idea. Your post sounds bitter and doesn't seem to reflect much hope. Hard to go through life that way.

Agree to disagree...as for where I get the idea, several considerations:

1. Ridiculous amount of roster turnover, with "key" guys/recruits leaving the program on an annual basis.

2. Reliance on 5th year transfers...for the third year in a row, Purdue is relying on a 5th year guy at arguably the most important position on the floor.

There is no bitterness, nor a lack of hope...just a long time Purdue fan and being realistic.

 

[boilerzz]

Agree to disagree...as for where I get the idea, several considerations:

1. Ridiculous amount of roster turnover, with "key" guys/recruits leaving the program on an annual basis.

2. Reliance on 5th year transfers...for the third year in a row, Purdue is relying on a 5th year guy at arguably the most important position on the floor.

There is no bitterness, nor a lack of hope...just a long time Purdue fan and being realistic.

Anyone who thinks Purdue has a ridiculous amount of roster turnover isn't paying attention to the epidemic occurring in college basketball. Hell, Thad Matta just lost 80% of a large class.