Purdue 67, Illinois 62: Boilers Take A Huge Step Toward The Tournament
by BoilerTMill on Feb 15, 2012 10:56 PM EST
in Men's Basketball
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PrintAs I have said all week, this was a major win because it likely meant we were in the tournament with two wins over Nebraska and Penn State while it would also likely eliminate Illinois as a contender for that berth. It was far from pretty, but Robbie Hummel was Robbie and he had Lewis Jackson dominating the first half and D.J. Byrd hitting some huge shots in the second half to win this one.
Now Illinois is far from an earth-shattering win, but it was a key win because it came on the road (giving us four road victories in league play) and it was hard earned. We faced a desperate team in their house and stayed in control (barely) throughout.
This is a much-needed relief. We didn't look as sharp as we have looked in the past two games, but tonight it was enough. I feel like a major part of this win goes to our defense. Travis Carroll frustrated Meyers Leonard all night. D.J. Richardson, one of their leading scorers, was held scoreless. Brandon Paul was held in check. If not for Tracy Abrams going crazy for 22 we win with ease.
On offense, our D.J. got the job done with three absolutely gigantic jumpers when the tide was starting to turn against us in the second half. That's two in a row the Byrdman has won. The Fighting Illini had switched to cover LewJack, so it was Byrd's time to step up.
Now it is time to get greedy. We should be able to hold serve at home against Penn State and Nebraska, but Sunday Michigan State comes to town. I'll be there, they'll be keeping score, so we might as well try to win the damn thing.
I'll have more in the morning because I just wanted to get this up, but let's sleep well tonight.
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Pretty sure this was the nail – or maybe the second to last nail – in Bruce Weber’s coffin at Illinois.
I feel bad for him.
I’ve always liked him going back to all the years he was one of us.
by GeorgiaBoiler on Feb 15, 2012 11:27 PM EST up reply actions
I still like him.
He takes great talent and throws it out the window. I’ll take 7 straight wins against ANY team in the Big Ten.
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Senior All-American Alto Sax
Wow
I knew it had been several wins in a row, but I guess I didn’t realize it was 7! While I am glad we got the win, I too feel bad for Bruce.
Buckeye by birth, but BOILERMAKER by the grace of God!
BTT win in '09
and then three straight sweeps.
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Senior All-American Alto Sax
That doesn't happen often
Painter has his number I guess.
Buckeye by birth, but BOILERMAKER by the grace of God!
I'm glad we won.
But I sure hate that Bruce’s job is on the bubble. He was in the family for many years, I even have a ball that he signed. I wish him the best.
by GeorgiaBoiler on Feb 16, 2012 12:26 AM EST up reply actions
Bring back Weber as a recruiter
Let Painter mold the talent he brings
A futile crusade to prevent mass ignorance
HammerAndRails, SBNation's Boilermaker Blog
I agree
Bring Zook and Weber over as recruiters – amazing how Illini football and basketball self imploded
he's probably not going to get much better than a big 10 assistant postion anyway
obviously he was good at his job under Keady. I’m sure he could handle working under Painter.
At this point does he really want to go be head coach at UIC-Chicago or something?
is this a serious comment? Bruce Weber will get a new job immediately if he gets fired from Ill
by mrpink51089 on Feb 16, 2012 11:23 AM EST up reply actions
Ah, but let's not forget Painter's new negotiations!
Remember the big sticking point of the Paintergate saga wasn’t just his salary, but also better amenities for the assistants! So maybe being an assistant @ Purdue looks better than head coach @ Directional State University.
by AAMB Boiler on Feb 16, 2012 11:25 AM EST up reply actions
I wouldn't count too much on that.
His teams have fallen off quite dramatically since his prime time with Self’s players. He has brought in multiple highly rated recruits and top 20 classes and has gone no where with them.
Still
Plenty of teams…Pac12, lower third of SEC, lower third of Big East, mid majors…would love to be competing for NCAA tourney bids right now. He’ll get a shot somewhere. BTW look at what Cuonzo has been doing recently. Tennessee has a legit shot to finish the regular season on a 9-0 run and possibly get an at large. How great would that be?
He'd be welcome at SIU I'm sure
I don’t know what he wants out of his life and career. But I would assume he just wants to coach. A lot of mid-majors passed on him before SIU and they won’t do so again.
by Beavis Beefcake on Feb 16, 2012 3:22 PM EST up reply actions
Good shape against the other BT bubble teams
Sweep NW and Illinois, beat Minnesota @MN, barring a total collapse over the next 5 we’re in baby!
I'll be at MSU as well
Gonna raise hell. The first crazy game I attended at Mackey was vs. MSU in 2007-2008. I’ll be looking for Purdue to re-enact their performance in flustering a very good team and taking the win.
Crossroads of the Interwebz - my blog
I mean at the Purdue vs. MSU game
Obviously not in East Lansing…
Crossroads of the Interwebz - my blog
by lonewolf371 on Feb 15, 2012 11:13 PM EST up reply actions
Team can sleep well tonight too
No crazy transport problems to THIS game against MSU either.
by Beavis Beefcake on Feb 15, 2012 11:13 PM EST reply actions
I just realized something horrible.
We might have lost the lead for the turnover trophy tonight. We had 11.
Coach Hope thinks we sacrificed the trophy
For the win. Crazy.
BTFU
I don’t know why I’m so pumped about this win. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that our guys were able to do something that MSU and OSU weren’t able to do.
We fell victim to “that random player” for the second straight game, with Reggie Hearn being that guy for Northwestern. Luckily, they were able to walk away with a win.
An extremely slow night at Scotty’s let me watch some of the game from the kitchen. I had to force myself to work in the back to keep myself from parking it in a spot where I could watch.
At least Illinois can hang their hat on the fact that they forced Purdue to turn the ball over 11 times.
All in all, it’s great to see Robbie with a double-double, DJ Byrd is still lighting it up from deep, and TJ with 12 points, 6 assists, and 0 turnovers. Next year may not be as bad as we think it will be.
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Senior All-American Alto Sax
it does feel good
to have back to back wins.
by Bloomington.Boiler on Feb 15, 2012 11:29 PM EST up reply actions
3 in a row
where we fought hard all game. The Illini D seemed to figure us out and turn up the intensity at the end of the 1st and throughout the 2nd (11 turnovers), but we had a few guys pick us up when we started to falter. Also, over the last three games, Rob has gotten a little better each outing, this being one of his most impressive of the season. The rents are heading to the MSU game and I’m extremely jealous. No doubt in my mind that we will be in that game throughout. Hail Purdue!
I dunno man
This game is on CBS. Our team hasn’t done too well on national television.
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Senior All-American Alto Sax
@Ohio State was pretty good
Barlow’s moment, and a hard, hard fought game…
by Bloomington.Boiler on Feb 15, 2012 11:36 PM EST up reply actions
and OSU at home last year was on CBS too, no?
To your call once more we rally....
by BoilerPaulie on Feb 16, 2012 12:01 AM EST up reply actions
You can't think that way.
The players don’t care about the television coverage. They’re there to play.
by Jackson Brunner on Feb 15, 2012 11:38 PM EST up reply actions
Also, if a game is on TV
It’s more likely to feature more good teams. So I don’t believe in the television jinx either.
by Beavis Beefcake on Feb 15, 2012 11:58 PM EST up reply actions
I know. It was kind of a joke
Poorly received, obviously
It just seems like this past year, whenever Purdue, football or basketball, played on national television, they crapped the bed.
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Senior All-American Alto Sax
LETS GOOOOOOOO!!!!!
So pumped right now. Is it Sunday yet?
by Jackson Brunner on Feb 16, 2012 12:02 AM EST reply actions
Byrd needs the green light
If he doesn’t have it already. We need this out of him every night. Rob is looking good again too. Hopefully that slump is behind him.
Buckeye by birth, but BOILERMAKER by the grace of God!
Good Byrd
Good to see him having success
by KCBoiler on Feb 16, 2012 1:04 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Byrd is the new GDB
It used to be just bad God DAmn Byrd. Now he is the good GDB. I think Barlow is happy to give that title up.
Byrd hot hand has been great
I doubted his shot after what he did early season, he seems to have figured things and been hitting it at a great rate. Now he’s to big an asset on O to get into foul trouble every game.
Ignorance can be fixed. Stupidity is forever.
Smith's shots tonight looked a lot like Hummel's when Robbie was slumping
He didn’t go straight up, he was leaning into them, at least in the 2nd half. Hopefully it’s just a small thing that he can get worked out before Saturday.
The guys at BoiledSports pointed this out the other day...
LewJack and Robbie are finally starting to practice more.
That just might explain everything, including why just about everyone on the team is filling their roles better as of late.
To your call once more we rally....
I'm guessing that Robbie has been practicing more than LewJack
Simply based off of performance. Hopefully they’ll both continue to increase their practice time so we can gel a little bit more.
"Hummel for three..... BULLSEYE!!!"
Actually according to Exponent
LewJack has been practicing more. Anyway they are both playing better now and this team finally seems to have found some kind of identity. Hopefully we can keep getting better.
The bench also seems to have gotten a lot shorter
Lord, jager me strength.
by doublegoldandblack on Feb 16, 2012 9:00 AM EST up reply actions
Is Leonard actually that good of a player?
whenever he is mentioned, ‘lottery pick’ is usually in the same sentence. Not to knock TC, but Leonard is gonna really struggle at the next level if he regularly gets pushed around by a college player like him
outside of being tall and having muscles, nothing really impresses me about him
TC has played great as of late
Both against leonard and “you can’t even breathe on me” Sullinger.
NBA doesn't draft on court performance.
NBA drafts on potential more then anything and while Leonard doesn’t have it all together yet, you can’t teach his size, speed and jumping ability. If the NBA drafted on court performance JJ and Moore would have been way higher.
Ignorance can be fixed. Stupidity is forever.
True...
And the NBA doesn’t play D. Everyone slobbering over Lin and his game-winner 2 nights ago… no one even attempted to defend him. I could have hit that shot and I am a 5’3" girl.
Bull...
Just Because everybody here is enamored by Purdue’s rugged-style defense doesn’t mean the NBA doesn’t play defense. Had you watched the entire game, you would have known Calderon had Lin flustered most of the game (Lin had 8 TO) The one time that he backed up, Lin knocked it down. I just laugh because ppl think the NBA is a no defense league.
To your call once more we rally...
by H Dot Jones on Feb 16, 2012 11:00 AM EST via iPhone app up reply actions
So....
With the game tied and the game coming to a close, the ideal NBA defense is to give the guy a wide open 3 after he dribbled out the clock? Why not try to force the ball out of Mr. Wonderful’s hands? Why not contest the shot? Perhaps since I didn’t watch the game I will never understand the philosophy of the fantastic defense they played down to the wire…
He had a very quick release on that ball. You also don't want to potentially foul him.
The NBA certainly plays defense though. Just watch someone like Lebron or Luol Deng or one of the other dozens of great defenders.
this
Shane Battier also comes to mind…
also NBA refs can be like “TV Ted” and ‘Primetime Hightower’. They’d be suckers for the moments to call a foul on a guy guarding budding/ arrived star in the last seconds.
To your call once more we rally...
by H Dot Jones on Feb 16, 2012 12:13 PM EST up reply actions
You're exactly right
There are scores of quality players coming out of college that never make it to the pro’s why…..? They can’t defend at the pro level. Too short, too slow, too white…. whatever.
If they we’re playing D in the NBA, then every game would be in the 130’s, 140’s…
>Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God
>Don't cry, MSU - It's just a game...
by sea.of.white on Feb 16, 2012 12:54 PM EST up reply actions
Lin had just taken his defender to the rack a play or two prior
…. so he gave Lin half a step on the final possession. Too bad for him, Lin made him pay. Not many good options here except to force the toughest shot possible…
>Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God
>Don't cry, MSU - It's just a game...
by sea.of.white on Feb 16, 2012 12:51 PM EST up reply actions
I will never understand why that is
All those teams that passed JJ and Etwaun for these Euro guys or guys who averaged 8ppg in college and now those guys aren’t playing and JJ and Etwaun are showing what they can do.
It’s like they get so caught up in athleticism and potential that they completely forget about other things like “actually being good at basketball” in the draft and then are shocked at the way things turn out.
and also
I’m hoping for a giant snow/sleet/ice/hail storm to hit northern indiana/michigan friday and not let up until sunday morning
this
In order for Sunday’s game to be a fair contest, Mich St. needs to play on 4 hours of sleep, all of which were had on a cramped bus, immediately prior to tip-off. They tried to say it didn’t make a difference, they just outplayed us. I say let them back it up, let’s try it the other way around.
I don't even know what was sweeter
Terone’s drive and assist to TC for the layup or Hummel’s back to back fade away baseline j’s.
OK, that’s easy, Hummel’s clutch shots but man Terone’s assist was beautiful.
It was pretty sweet
That TC actually finished the layup. Earlier in the season it would have bounced off the bottom of the rim
add his brother's (Ronnie) passing skills to his driving skills
and Terone could be a very special player. Seriously, one extra pass instead of that one handed floater could make all the difference.
by Bloomington.Boiler on Feb 16, 2012 8:47 AM EST up reply actions
didn't realize that Richardson was held scoreless
pretty impressive D on he and ML
>Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God
>Don't cry, MSU - It's just a game...
Didn't get to watch the game
Any reason AJ didn’t play?
Lord, jager me strength.
by doublegoldandblack on Feb 16, 2012 9:02 AM EST reply actions
Just watched the highlights
and that desperation 3….
I could have drawn up a better play than that.
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Senior All-American Alto Sax
I can't imagine that was the intended play
Because it was complete garbage. I think he was trying to get fouled, but good lord it was terrible. Credit our guys for contesting without fouling.
by AAMB Boiler on Feb 16, 2012 10:50 AM EST up reply actions
That was not intended...
Weber even said it in the postgame presser.
When he talked to his guys in the time out
Did he fail to mention that they have 12 seconds to get a good shot off?
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Senior All-American Alto Sax
the play they ran was for 1.2 seconds left
So maybe credit the Boiler D with frustrating the Illini the entire night
>Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God
>Don't cry, MSU - It's just a game...
by sea.of.white on Feb 16, 2012 12:57 PM EST up reply actions
Speaking of the highlights,
I didn’t get to see the game itself (rather watched on gametracker) so I was looking forward to watching some lew jack drives in the first, byrd deep threes in the second, and all around Hummel greatness. Instead over half of the highlight video is Illinois on offense. Really? I understand showing the desperation 3 at the end and the good dunk in the first but was there really nothing better than that Illinois offensive rebound score they showed?
Too bad...
Hummel’s back-to-back baseline turn-arounds were beautiful- as were the entry passes! I guess that is the type of connection that can be perfected when players actually practice together.
It's simple this Sunday, guys.....
We win, we’re in. No ifs, ands, or buts about it.
Work hard, live strong and BOILER UP!!
by BearsSoxBoilers on Feb 16, 2012 11:28 AM EST reply actions
a W over MSU would be a signature win for us
Boilers gotta throw the blanket on Dreymond and shoot the lights out of Mackey
>Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God
>Don't cry, MSU - It's just a game...
by sea.of.white on Feb 16, 2012 1:01 PM EST up reply actions
Great win. Tough play.
I’d still like to see us get the ball inside to our bigs. I’m not talking every possession, but at least 5 times a game. Whether they post up and shoot or pass it back outside, I’d still like to see it. It can only improve our game, especially as BTT and possibly NCAA tourneys coming up.
Just glad to see Painter finding some combinations that work.
Chemistry has been so off for so long
>Hoosier by birth, Boilermaker by the grace of God
>Don't cry, MSU - It's just a game...
by sea.of.white on Feb 16, 2012 1:03 PM EST up reply actions
I agree with both replies
If we could just get the defense to consider guarding th post lol we would have better perimeter shots.
by Espn8TheOcho on Feb 16, 2012 1:39 PM EST up reply actions
And the emergence of Byrd...
…as a scoring machine. Outside and some inside. I don’t think that it’s a coincidence that the improvement we’re seeing in the team coincides with Byrd playing better and aggressive. The change in the lineup contributes to this.
Boilers playing best ball
However this finishes, it is great to see Boilers play their best ball of the year now.
Credit to Painter for never giving up on finding the right combinations.
This may turn out to be one of his best coaching efforts.
Can't wait till sunday!!
I cannot wait until sunday to watch the boilers hand it to MSU. I don’t care what CMP or any of the players say the travel problems caused the boilers to play terrible. I was second row of the izzone for the game (have two siblings that attend MSU which is another reason this is one of my favorite games) but even in warm ups hummel and Smith were leaving everything short. The team played hard but they just were mentally beat by halftime and you could sense it but this time it will be different. Boiler Up!!!
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