Purdue Basketball Mid-Season Review

With about one month remaining in the regular season, the Purdue Men’s Basketball team has already accomplished some outstanding feats. As the college basketball season moves by quickly, the Boilers (18-3) have shown that they are determined, experienced, and prepared to do battle in the Big Ten. Purdue is currently ranked 8th by the Associated Press and 7th by the ESPN/USA Today Poll. But even more impressive than their current rankings is the team’s stability.  Purdue has consistently remained in the Top 10 for the vast majority of the regular season.

Purdue kicked off their season with the return of top players like Chris Kramer, Robbie Hummel, JaJuan Johnson, and E’Twaun Moore. Head coach Matt Painter, who graduated from Purdue in 1994, returned for his fifth coaching season. Last year, Painter led the Boilers to a Sweet 16 NCAA tournament berth before losing to the University of Connecticut.  

A win at Mackey Arena began the season as the Boilers handed the Matadors of Cal State Northridge a 25 point defeat. Then, it was on to the Boilermakers first trip out to the Virgin Island’s Paradise Jam. After defeating  South Dakota State and St. Joseph’s in the tropical showdown, Purdue went on to play Tennessee, who was ranked 9th in the nation at the time. E’Twaun Moore’s 22-point effort helped the Boilermakers squeak out a 73-72 win over the Volunteers. That game sealed a tournament win for Purdue and Moore was named the Paradise Jam MVP.

One week later, the Boilers began the month of December with a win over the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. This game was part of the annual Big Ten-ACC Challenge in which the eleven teams from the Big Ten play one opponent from the ACC. Of the 11 games played, the Big Ten won 6 in 2009. Purdue’s win helped give the Big Ten their first victory for this in-season NCAA basketball series since its founding in 1999. Purdue did not have its best shooting game against Wake Forest, but they were able to make up for it by forcing 25 turnovers. 

The Boilers first major road game test came against the Alabama Crimson Tide on a Saturday night in December. Tide fans were already charged up before the game after hearing over the stadium speakers that Alabama football player Mark Ingram won the 2009 Heisman Trophy. There was even more for Alabama fans to cheer about when the unranked Crimson Tide led the number 5 ranked Boilers at the half. Purdue was down for most of the second half, but they responded with a full team effort to cut the lead. With only a few minutes remaining, junior Robbie Hummel hit a three pointer that tied the game. Two steals by Chris Kramer helped seal the comeback for the Boilermakers who earned their 9th straight win. 

On New Year’s Day, Purdue had its hands full with West Virginia, one of the few remaining unbeaten teams at the time. JaJuan Johnson’s 25 points and 10 rebounds in the game helped put the Boilers on top and advance to 13-0. After several weeks of non-conference play, Purdue was one of four teams in the NCAA to remain undefeated. 

With the best possible start that any Purdue fan could have hoped for, the Boilers began Big Ten Conference play on January 5th versus Minnesota. After toppling the Golden Gophers, Purdue was forced to prepare for a rough trip up to Madison, Wisconsin. This was guaranteed to be a tough game for Purdue seeing as the Wisconsin Badgers have one of the highest home winning percentages in the nation. Wisconsin led most of the game despite a Boilermaker rally down from 16 points late in the second half. In the end, the 17th ranked Badgers proved too much for Purdue as they handed the Boilers their first loss.

A temporary slump followed Purdue’s first loss when Ohio State came to town. The Boilermakers had a great start that was animated by Robbie Hummel’s six three-pointers in six minutes to close out the first half.  But the Buckeyes battled back with a 10 point run late in the game to tie it up and eventually take the lead and win by four. A frustrating loss at Northwestern continued Purdue’s three-game losing streak.  

JaJuan Johnson’s 21-point performance helped put the Boilers back on track by helping them defeat Michigan at home. Then, after missing most of the first half of the season due to a foot injury, Purdue guard Lewis Jackson returned in a rematch against Wisconsin. This provided a significant benefit for the Boilers since Jackson is well known for his quickness and “court recognition skills.” 

Jackson had two points in his first game back. Junior E’Twaun Moore’s 20 points helped edge out the Boilers over the Badgers 60-57. An additional win over Penn State moved the 18-3 Boilers back in the top ten. 

A hard-fought battle against in-state rival Indiana followed as the Boilers went on the road for the first time since their three game losing streak. Chris Kramer’s block at the end of the game helped advance Purdue’s winning chances and allowed them to take the lead by making free throws. A last minute attempt by IU failed to fall and the Boilers prevailed. The game in Bloomington was hard fought between the two well-known basketball programs, but Purdue came out on top with a 78-75 win. 

The Boilers have a challenging season still ahead of them with games against Illinois and 5th-ranked Michigan State. With their sights set on winning the Big Ten, Purdue has taken each game one step at a time. If they hope to advance in the Big Ten tournament and eventually the NCAA tournament in March, they must obtain solid performances from their starters as well as expect significant performances from their bench players. Despite some setbacks and concerns, the Boilers have had one of the best seasons in recent memory. Great achievements are expected from them in the post season.