Thanksgiving Preliminaries: Purdue Hosts Western Michigan

by BoilerTMill on Nov 23, 2011 10:19 AM EST in Men's Basketball

I admit that I likely won't pay a ton of attention to tonight's game. I might be headed to Kokomo to see my No. 3 rated Wildkats open their season. This is a bonus game anyway. Thanks to NCAA rules we get to add a game to our official Puerto Rico tournament slate, so Western Michigan agreed to come to Mackey Arena for tonight's game. It wasn't even included in the season ticket package, so it will likely combine with tomorrow's holiday to be the lightest home crowd of the year.

It should be a win too. WMU was the team that went 0-4 down in Puerto Rico, losing to Temple, Iona, and Colorado. They also lost to South Dakota State in their opener as well. As far as their all-time mark against Purdue, we lead the series 7-1 with the last meeting being a 65-56 win back in 1996. Their only win in the series came in 1994 when they won 90-81 at home over a team that eventually went on to win the Big Ten.

The Broncos haven't been to an NCAA tournament since 2004, and they only have two other appearances, 1998 and 1976, in addition to that 2004 showing. Last season they were 21-13 and lost in the second round of the CIT tournament to Buffalo. The year before that they were 18-15, so they do know how to win some ballgames. What they lack is a win over a really good team in that time.

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
Matt Stainbrook	4	31.8	8.3	11.8	70.2	0.3	0.3	100.0	2.8	4.8	57.9	3.8	4.8	8.5	0.5	2.3	1.0	1.3	2.5	19.5
Demetrius Ward	4	33.8	5.5	13.0	42.3	1.5	5.5	27.3	2.8	4.3	64.7	1.5	5.0	6.5	4.0	1.3	1.5	0.0	3.0	15.3
Mike Douglas	4	30.0	3.0	8.5	35.3	0.5	1.8	28.6	3.3	5.3	61.9	0.5	3.0	3.5	4.0	2.3	1.3	0.5	2.5	9.8
Flenard Whitfield	4	29.3	4.0	9.5	42.1	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.8	4.0	43.8	3.3	5.3	8.5	1.5	3.5	0.3	0.5	2.5	9.8
Nate Hutcheson	4	28.0	2.8	8.0	34.4	1.3	4.3	29.4	2.8	3.8	73.3	1.5	3.8	5.3	1.8	2.3	0.3	0.5	3.0	9.5
Austin Richie	4	14.0	1.0	4.0	25.0	1.0	3.5	28.6	0.5	0.5	100.0	0.3	0.3	0.5	0.5	0.5	0.3	0.0	1.5	3.5
Shayne Whittington	4	11.3	1.0	2.3	44.4	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.8	1.3	60.0	1.0	1.8	2.8	0.3	0.8	0.0	0.0	2.0	2.8
Hayden Hoerdemann	3	8.3	1.0	1.7	60.0	0.7	1.3	50.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	1.0	1.0	1.7	0.3	0.0	0.0	1.7	2.7
Muhammed Conteh	1	2.0	1.0	1.0	100.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.0
David Brown	4	11.0	0.3	1.8	14.3	0.0	1.3	0.0	0.5	0.8	66.7	0.3	1.0	1.3	0.0	1.3	0.3	0.0	1.0	1.0
Dan Loney	2	4.5	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	1.0	50.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5
Brandon Pokley	2	4.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.5	0.0	0.5	0.0	0.0	0.5	0.0

Matt Stainbrook and Demetrius Ward have proven to be the two best players over a small sample size this season. Stainbrook is an excellent big man at 6'9" 190 pounds who averages 19.5 points and 8.5 rebounds as a sophomore. Since we need Jacob Lawson, Sandi Marcius, and Travis Carroll to get reps against good bigs this will be a very nice test for them.

Ward is a 6'3" senior guard that is averaging 15.3 points per game. He also distributes well with four assists per contest. Mike Douglas, Flenard Whitfield, and Nate Hutcheson round out their starting five and each averages better than nine points per game. Whitfield also pulls down more than eight rebounds per game, giving them a good pair of forwards with Stainbrook on the other side. Once again, Marcius, Carroll, and Lawson will be tested.

On our end, this may be our first chance to see Donnie Hale in a regular season game. Coach Painter said a decision would be made after the Puerto Rico trip. In my opinion we need all the help we can get on the glass and in the paint. If he can spell Hummel for a few minutes as a scorer and rebounder he will be an asset. If he can outrebounds Lawson, Carroll, or Marcius he can be an asset. We have seen so much depth at guard that it perplexes me as to why we haven't tried to do the same with our forwards.

This should be a good test. They have just enough talent to make us work for this win, but not too much that we should ever feel like we are in danger. I expect a strong 10-15 point win tonight where we get to continue working on the important areas of defense, rebounding, and free throws.

Tweet Comment 21 comments | 0 recs |

Do you like this story?

Comments

I'll be there...

In the club seats!

by mfennema on Nov 23, 2011 10:51 AM EST reply actions

TV

Is this game on BTN – I can’t find it?

by BoilerRick on Nov 23, 2011 11:47 AM EST reply actions

Sorry guys

BTN.com

A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance

HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog

by BoilerTMill on Nov 23, 2011 11:50 AM EST reply actions

TV

BTN TV is showing it at noon on Thurs,

by BoilerRick on Nov 23, 2011 12:04 PM EST reply actions

confirmed.

But my Dish Network DVR thinks that it’s “From San Juan, P.R.”. I heard that this game is a continuation of the PR Tipoff field, but I had no idea that Mackey Arena was in Puerto Rico…..

To your call once more we rally....

by BoilerPaulie on Nov 23, 2011 1:07 PM EST up reply actions

Be Careful

…the Boilers have a tough one here and I hope we don’t just start looking ahead. This is a decent team with strengths at our weak points…the paint. Let’s hope we see more flashes from Sandy and Lawson on this one. It’s a great test for both of them. Plus, seeing Hale would be a treat. Seems consensus amongst smart fans (those of us reading this site regularly) is that he needs to play. But we trust in Painter.

The glory days will return! You must Billieve!!

by OverdueBillsFan on Nov 23, 2011 1:20 PM EST reply actions

No Hale

According to J&C, it is pretty clear that Hale will be redshirted. I trust that Coach Painter knows more than we do, and in a way, I’d agree that is probably the better decision for both Hale and the team in the long run. No doubt Hale may be able to contribute in a game or two, and plays maybe 3 mins a game on average (and many DNP-CD), I think at this point there is really just no mintues for him unless one of our front-court players get hurt (which I really don’t like to see happening).

by charlespig on Nov 23, 2011 2:22 PM EST up reply actions

That sucks

I think it’s the wrong decision:

There is no long-term in b-ball, unless someone’s health is at risk. He could provide a spark off the bench, and matchup problems against certain teams. Plus I think this hints at the wrong mentality for Purdue re: recruits going forward. We should be transitioning in the next few years to a team that snags a 5 star almost every year and reloads every 2 to 3 rather than depending on players who are 5th year seniors. The former mode of team wins NCAA championships, the latter wins B10 championships.

Think about the frontcourts top teams can through out at us:

Michigan: 6-9, 6-8, and 6-5
MSU’s 3 front court players: 6-7, 6-6, 6-10
Illini – 7-1, 6-8, 6-5
Wisci – 6-10, 6-6, 6-6
OSU – 6-9, 6-11, 6-7

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to out-athlete these matchups with Lawson at the 5, Hale at the 4, and Hummel at the 3? I would love to see that for short stretches of some games. If only for that possible look I wish Hale would play. He’s ready, and I’m sure he would be fine with 5-10 minutes a game.

This all seems predicated on some crystal ball thinking that Hale will be all-B10 or something when he’s a senior. I don’t want to risk a possible great future recruit, Hale’s frustration, or this year’s team success on that prediction.

by boilerhen on Nov 23, 2011 5:38 PM EST up reply actions

Absolutely no

You claim that he is ready for 5-10 mins a game but the way you are describing makes it sound like Hale is gonna be a real difference maker (which unless he can contribute 20+ minutes he won’t be), which couldn’t be farther from the truth. Hale is rail thin and all those front-court teams you mentioned is gonna rape the kid. At this point, if he manages to stay on the court for 5 mins without picking up a foul (and keep his guy from feasting on him), it is considered a huge victory. Pls be realistic here about how much Hale can contribute this season, and whether that justifies basically wasting a year of scholarship.

And call it the wrong decision all you want, but Painter is the one making it and he is paid $2M to do so. If anything, I’d think he knows the team and the player better than you and I trust Painter more than I trust you. Furthermore, he’s already made the decision so you can either support him and cheer, or you can keep second-guessing and tell us how wrong it is. I am not saying we should always blindly and naively agree with the coach (esp. with the coach’s name is Hope), but then in this case, I really think Painter knows better and makes the right call, albeit a short-term difficult one.

by charlespig on Nov 25, 2011 11:57 AM EST up reply actions

Hale

After reading Journal Courier article it sounds like Hale will redshirt. As much as I would like to see him play this season I can also understand the rationale behind it. Byrd is the who. Is best suited to spell Hummel and Painter has indicated he prefers the 10 man rotation so even a guy like Hart really has no spot either. The other thing at play, perhaps, is having Hale redshirt in order to have some insurance against not getting Derek Willis for the flex 3-4 spot in the rotation.

by ZoKnowsDefense on Nov 23, 2011 1:25 PM EST via iPhone app reply actions

I won't put my money on Willis

The kid is too fickle. Whether we red-shirt Hale or not, we still don’t have a scholarship opening for Willis in 2013 unless 1) someone leaves the program, 2) one of the 2013 kids go to prep, or 3) Sandi chooses to graduate.

Lastly, Willis has shown flashes of brilliance, but he is still not a can’t-miss prospect.

by charlespig on Nov 23, 2011 2:26 PM EST up reply actions

Let him Play

I’m for not redshirting Hale for a couple of reasons:

-I prefer Hale over Byrd as a backup to Hummel. If the player he is gaurding is beefier then Lawson. I don’t want to see Byrd at the 4 anymore against D1 schools.
-Next season, I want the playing jitters out of the way. A couple minutes of here there will help if he plays this year.

Ignorance can be fixed. Stupidity is forever.

by Zboiler on Nov 23, 2011 2:28 PM EST up reply actions

The massive cash windfall gained from keeping this game out of the season ticket package should give them enough money to hire Urban Meyer, right?

by Ray Williams? on Nov 23, 2011 2:55 PM EST reply actions

They better sell a lot of hotdogs

by weasel cleaner on Nov 23, 2011 2:56 PM EST up reply actions

i would buy a pool full of Mackey/Ross Ade hotdogs if we could get a decent football coach

Football recruiting guy for Hammer and Rails
Lead blogger for 5 other sites.
Follow the Twitter for all the details

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Riles23
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Big10RantPurdue

by HawkeyeBoiler on Nov 23, 2011 4:09 PM EST up reply actions

That's Alot

of kraut!

by ZoKnowsDefense on Nov 23, 2011 4:31 PM EST via iPhone app up reply actions

Even though I am not a student anymore

I think they should just make this game free to the first 10k fans showing up (I’ve heard 10k tickets available since it is not included in the season ticket package). This makes good P.R. and let those who won’t see Mackey a chance to see it. The stadium is gonna be empty anyway with most of the students left for Thanksgiving. Make it the “Fan appreciation” night or sth.

As an aside, even if we have the $, why would Urban Meyer come to Purdue, ever? If he just loves the state of Indiana, I’m Notre Dame will fire Brian Kelly in a heartbeat to land Meyer.

by charlespig on Nov 23, 2011 4:11 PM EST up reply actions

For the right price, you could get pretty much anyone.

by Ray Williams? on Nov 23, 2011 4:15 PM EST up reply actions

That's a moot point

Sure, at some price you can get ANYONE.

The “market” price for Urban Meyer is rumored to be $40M for 7 yrs. Purdue would have to pay an additional $1-2M+ premium per year to be an attractive option (i.e. the “right price”). They didn’t even pay that much to the coaches in the NFL.

Frankly, I am kinda disgusted at the coaches’ salary in this day and age with a collapsing economy and so many ppl are struggling to make ends meet. Yet Painter just gets a 100% pay raise! And we are talking about MILLIONS.

I know, I know, we are just paying Painter the “market price”, and I am glad that we are able to pay and him to stay. But can’t ppl see that, these arms race aren’t helping the schools at all?

When one school makes a dumb offer and double the coach’s salary, coaches in other school complain and say to their school, “Hey, I have more wins than him, so you should at least match my salary to his.” Then it ends up everyone just pays 2x the price for the same coach, and yet no one gains any competitive advantage. The only ppl benefit from the arms race is the coach himself! The raise in average coaches’ salary is far exceeding the pace of inflation. This just doesn’t make any sense.

by charlespig on Nov 23, 2011 4:32 PM EST up reply actions

Coaches get paid relative to the money they bring in. There are far too many people in this country with a salary disproportunate to their actual value to be concerned about the salaries of professional athletes and coaches. This is especially true at Purdue, where we know Burke will be as stingy as possible. If Painter’s success didn’t bring back much more than he’s being paid, he’d be at Missouri right now.

The only way to keep coach salaries down is collusion.

by Ray Williams? on Nov 23, 2011 4:53 PM EST up reply actions

Not true

Corporate America CEOs should be a position that is most based on merits. If you are good, you got paid lots of $; if you suck, you are fired. There is supposed to be a liquid market where companies make careful hiring decisions, and that everything is scrutinized so you can’t hide anything.

Those are all nice IN THEORY. We’ve seen how CEOs are grossly overpaid, got a big severance package when they are canned, led the company to bankruptcy (most recently Jon Corzine of MF Global) and still got paid in millions, and that the medicore CEOs just kept surfacing at another company.

The same can be said for coaches. Wake up from your naive fantasyland my friend.

by charlespig on Nov 25, 2011 11:22 AM EST up reply actions