STF Preseason Rankings: #10 Purdue Boilermakers

| 2 Comments

Hey hey, it's preseason poll time, where we count down our top 20 one-by-one. Today, we'll look at #10, the Purdue Boilermakers. That's right, we're bookending your weekend with teams from Indiana.

Let's check out everybody's favorite team named after an alcoholic beverage.

DU_Purdue_logo.jpg#10 Purdue Boilermakers

Location: West Lafayette, IN

Conference: Big Ten

2008-09 Record: 27-10 (11-7)

NCAA Postseason: Beat Northern Iowa 61-56 in first round. Beat Washington 76-74 in second round. Lost to UConn 60-72 in the Sweet 16.

Head Coach: Matt Painter (5th season)

Losses: Graduation - 6'9" F Namanja Calasan (6.4 ppg), 5'9" G Bobby Riddell (2.4 ppg), 6'6" F Marcus Green (4.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg), 6'9" F Chris Reid (1 pt all season).

Key Returnees: 6'3" Junior G E'Twaun Moore (13.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.0 apg), 6'8" F Robbie Hummel (12.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg), 6'10" F/C JaJuan Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg), 6'3" G Chris Kramer (5.2 ppg, 2.5 apg, 2.5 spg), 6'4" G Keaton Grant (7.9 ppg), 5'9" G Lewis Jackson (5.9 ppg, 3.3 apg).

Additions: 6'5" G Stevie Loveless (Frankfort, IN), 6'0" G Bubba Day (West Lafayette, IN), 6'5" G/F Kelsey Barlow (Indianapolis, IN), 6'0" G Dru Anthrop (Lafayette, IN), 6'4" G Kyle Coleman (Tipton, IN), 6'5 G D.J. Byrd (Crawfordsville, IN), 6'2" G John Hart (Beech Grove, IN), 6'8" F Patrick Bade (Indianapolis, IN), 6'9" F Sandi Marcius (Nedelisce, Croatia).

The Skinny: Lest we forget that the great state of Indiana is the cradle of college hoops, look no farther than the trio of new players on Butler's Purdue's roster.

Yeah, that's right. I'm recycling the lede. Because it rings true. There's no doubt in my mind that Purdue can recruit nationally, but that they really don't feel like they must. I'd like to know just how on earth a Croatian got into that mix. Maybe Croatia is the midwest of Europe.

hummell.jpgClearly, the strength of this team is in its returning players. Moore, Hummel, Johnson and Grant are the solid scorers this team has learned to count on, with Jackson dropping dimes and pitching in with a few points per contest. Kramer is a stumbling block, and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. He is a bruising defensive stopper - one of those crucial pieces that often goes unnoticed on championship-quality teams like this one. The bench is pretty much all new guys, so it will be crucial for one or two of the kids to play well, especially anyone taller than 6'5".

I've never seen Purdue's Robbie Hummel and Butler's Gordon Hayward in the same room at the same time, but I'm assured they're two totally different people. The close proximity of West Lafayette and Indianapolis still has me a bit suspicious, however. Hayward Hummel is a lanky caucasian with goofy hair and a sweet outside shot. He put in 38.1% of his treys last season, and did some dirty work on the boards for a shortish team. (This paragraph also reduced, reused, and recycled as part of our Green Initiative here at STF).

Purdue gives me the feeling of one of those teams that really embodies its mascot. These guys are tough, blue-collar workaholics, and they're coming off a Sweet 16 appearance with no meaningful losses in personnel. They're still a tad short, but that's clearly not a terrible handicap for Painter's system. He recruited a donkey cart full of guards again this season, so he's clearly not too terribly concerned about it.

Don't be surprised to see the Boilermakers return to the Sweet 16. The contributions of their bench players throughout the tough Big Ten season will give us some indication if they will be able to take the next step.

Bloggers Say:

"This is the part where I am supposed to say 'I hope these high expectations don't go to their heads...blah blah blah.'

With this team, I am not worried about the attitude. Clearly, a final four appearance is the only goal for this year, and when Purdue says it, they means it. They know the work it takes to accomplish their goals and Painter will keep them focused. And if Painter does't, I don't think Grant and Kramer will allow any slack during practice in their final chance to visit the holy land.

 

"As has been pointed out before, a know-nothing clown who can barely bang out coherent sentences and yet still works as a journalist, once said that he wasn't impressed with Robbie Hummel and that he's likely be a "role player" and unlikely to get any serious minutes until maybe his junior or senior seasons.

Well, Role Player Rob has been selected as one of only 50 players from across the nation to earn a place on the Naismith Trophy 2009-10 preseason watch list."

- Boiled Sports

Best Games:

112/1 Wake Forest Demon Deacons

12/12 @ Alabama Crimson Tide

1/1 West Virginia Mountaineers

orville-redenbacher.jpgSince several of the Big Ten games will be very meaningful and exciting, I've focused on the non-con here. That's a pretty strong lineup, and a couple of good games at home as well. Ought to have the guys in the right mindset for conference play.

Famous Basketball Alums: John Wooden, Glenn "Big Dog" Robinson, Joe Barry Carroll, Brad Miller, Gene Keady, Gene Keady's hair.

Other Famous Alums: Writer Booth Tarkington, Orville Redenbacher, George Peppard, Gus Grissom and Neil Armstrong.

#11 Butler Bulldogs

#12 Oklahoma Sooners

#13 Duke Blue Devils

#14 Washington Huskies

#15 Mississippi State Bulldogs

#16 Michigan Wolverines

#17 Maryland Terrapins

#18 Georgia Tech Yellowjackets

#19 Georgetown Hoyas

#20 Siena Saints

2 Comments

A thoughtful insight and ideas I will use on my blog. You've obviously spent some time on this. Well done!

We woulda gladly given you more content than the quote you pulled during one of our mean streaks!

Good work, yo.

Leave a comment

Bet On It

"Do you think you are a college basketball know it all? Do you think you are so good that you could storm the floor every time? Use that confidence at online betting!"



Don't miss any of the action this year at SBG Global! The online sportsbook offers live NBA betting odds, numerous online betting prop wagers and much more!

Visit Sports Interaction's online sportsbook for some of the best NCAA basketball betting lines. Sports Interaction makes sports betting simple for basketball fans now that the time to bet on College basketball is upon us!

Get Some

Contact us at stormingthefloor@gmail.com

STF Atom Feed
Storming the Floor University
Jayhawk Tip-Off, Now with more STF
Storming the Floor on Facebook
stfhoops on Twitter
STFHoops's Bookmarks on Delicious
Rules for Storming the Floor

Twitter Update


RT @BigSouthSports: In other hoops news, former VMI Keydet Reggie Williams has signed a second 10-day NBA contract with Golden State.

Linkroll

Gonzo Ball
Zhang Time
MEACFANS ZONE
VUhoops.com (Villanova)
Basketball Times Online
The Refraction
AthleteTweets.com: Live Twitter feeds for all athletes, players and coaches
Sports Pickle - The Sports Humor and Satire Site
ESPNU BRACKET BUSTERS
Battle Does It Again

Tools of the Trade

LostLettermen.com: Dedicated Solely To Former College Athletes
What's the Red Line?
Database Basketball
Eye on Sports Media's 2009-2010 TV hoops schedule
ESPN College Basketball
Blue Ribbon Yearbook
Stat Sheet
Basketball State
Bubble Watch
Real Time RPI
Pomeroy Ratings
Bracketology
Basketball Prospectus

STF Road Trip Photos


We Are STF

Marco Anskis: Founder
Eric Angevine: Managing Editor
Jacob E. Osterhout: East Coast Editor
Seth Kolloen: West Coast Editor
Brian Moynahan: Spreadsheet Tactician
Chris Richardson: SEC D00d
Kyle Whelliston: Site Designer
Guillermo: Director of Research
"Big Ant" Ivory: Director of Security


What They're Saying About STF

This is just pure hilarity. The folks over at the College Basketball Blog “Storming the Floor” have a great article dedicated to finding the best player name this year. The award is aptly named after one of our own, none other than the great God Shammgod.
- Friarblog
Q&A Archives

STF Q&A with Coach John Calipari and Author David Scott
College mascot expert Brian Adam
STF Q&A: Damon Lewis: Horizon League Network/Mid-Majority
Michael Kruse: Davidson Hoops Chronicler
Seth Davis: CBS, Sports Illustrated
Manny Navarro: Miami Herald
David Jones: Harrisburg Patriot-News
Tim Sullivan: New York Post
Dan Wolken: Memphis Commercial Appeal
Michael Litos: CAA Hoops Aficionado
Q & A by Association: Erin Andrews
Kyle Whelliston: The Mid-Majority
Chuck Woodling: Lawrence Journal-World
Jon Kasper: Big Sky Conference
Jonathan Tannenwald: Philly.com
John Blanchette: Spokane Spokesman-Review
John Gasaway of Basketball Prospectus
ESPN.com's Jonah Keri
Illinois-Chicago Head Coach Jimmy Collins
Hoops Writer David Scott
Luke Winn
NJIT Head Coach Jim Engles
Clay Travis
C.M. Newton of the NIT Selection Committee

STF Book Club

The Smart Take from the Strong
Former Princeton coach Pete Carrill muses on life and basketball.

Big Ant Opens Doors

Basketball State
If you're not a member of Basketball State, you're missing out. We can rectify that problem you're having. Just head over to BB State and join up, using the special code for STF readers: bigant. It's good for two bucks off the cover price, and in this economy, you're going to need it. It's good all season long, so you have no excuse. Don't make us sic Guillermo on you.

Archives