Fan Pulse: Week 13

Welcome back to our collective basketball nightmare known as Purdue basketball’s February dive to the bottom of the Big10.

Before we get into the unpleasant job of talking about your confidence in the Purdue program. There are a couple national and Big10 polls to talk about.

National Player of the Year

I’m not sure I’ve seen a year where it’s almost impossible to pick a NPOY. After the Zion Williamson experience and the the Tre Young media frenzy, this is the year of...Obi Toppin?

Don’t get me wrong, Obi is one hell of a player, but he was also an unranked player coming out of high school with 4 college offers. Now he’s a Sophomore at Dayton and one of the best players in the nation.

That’s an amazing story.

It does make we wonder where Carsen would be on this list if he was playing ball in West Lafayette this year instead of Maine. Regardless, hats off to Obi for coming from nowhere and rising to the top of college basketball.

Best in the Big10

I despise Maryland (old ACC rivalry) but this is the correct answer. The Big10 is incredibly deep this year, but I see a bunch of good teams beating up on each other. Maryland is the only team with “elite” potential. Under Armor must be cranking out some serious checks, because the Terps are talented, deep, and experienced.

I have no faith in Turgeon’s ability to take them to the promised land, but if there is any year for a talented team with a bad coach to make the a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, this is the year.

I hope it doesn’t happen, but it might.

This season is my college basketball Swamp of Sadness, and I’m Artax.

Purdue Confidence

Welp, we’re back under 75% confidence and for the first time this season, I’m concerned the bounce back isn’t coming.

Like most of you, and Matt Painter, I can’t figure this team out. The game to game fluctuation in individual player performance (and in Sasha’s case, the half to half fluctuation in performance) is one of the most frustrating things I’ve experienced as a Purdue fan.

I’ve seen some bad Purdue teams, and they didn’t frustrate me nearly as much as this squad, because, in theory, I don’t think this is a bad team. I don’t think they’re a good team, but I thought they were probably going to slot in somewhere between a 6-8 seed in the tournament with a Sweet 16 ceiling.

Sometimes they play like that team.

Recently, however, it’s a question of which team, and which players are going to show up. Eric Hunter and Jahaad Proctor have been the steadiest guard scorers over the last month. Painter pairs them up in the starting lineup against Wisconsin and the proceed to produce 4 points.

Sasha either looks totally lost or an absolute killer. There is no in between.

Every time I think Wheeler has turned the corner, he regresses.

Sometimes Nojel looks like an All Big10 player, sometimes he’s afraid to shoot 2 footers.

I don’t get it.

It looks like y’all don’t get it either. Let’s hope the team figures it out over the next month...because I don’t think they’re a bad team, but maybe they are....I don’t know.