Matt Painter gets my vote for Coach of the Year. He has led the Purdue Boilermakers to the top of the Big Ten while starting four freshman. The youngest team in Division I pulled off the upset on Saturday of knocking off #11th ranked Wisconsin. I watched them two weeks ago win on the road at Iowa and was very impressed. After watching them on Saturday I am convinced. He has taken this young team and made them tough as nails. His pressure defense is the best in the league. Freshmen Robbie Hummell and Etwaun Moore led the way for the Boilermakers. I wouldn’t want to play them come tourney time….
Another youngster that continues to make waves is Michael Beasley. He put together another double double as he scored 33 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Kansas State’s route of Iowa State. He has 16 double-doubles and is only six shy of the record set by Carmelo Anthony. Not only is he the best freshman in the country, but his coach, Frank Martin, maybe the best rookie coach in the country. He took over a team with nine newcomers and has got them believing in defense. They are playing with the same type of defensive intensity he learned from his mentor, Bob Huggins. Next up for the Wildcats is Kansas. Better bring your “A” game Jayhawks.
