Last night I got to see the Purdue Boilermakers up close for the first time in over a month. Last time I broadcast one of their games was on the road at Iowa. Yesterday they looked even better. Coming off the Indiana loss and 8 days to prepare and re-energize, the Boilermakers came out and took away anything Minnesota tried to do.
This is an average Minnesota team that Tubby Smith has led to the verge of an NCAA tourney bid. (They still need that marquee win. They have one shot left at Indiana.) However, Matt Painter’s crew showed the defensive tenacity that has them in the running for the Big Ten title. Starting the youngest line up in the country with four freshman doing most of the damage they have even exceeded his expectations.
Three more wins and the Boilermakers will have their 22 Big Ten title. For my money, Matt Painter is the National Coach of the Year hands down. No other coach has taken this many freshman (and none are one and done guys) and molded them into a team that can beat any one, anywhere. Just ask Wisconsin!
Moving down the road to South Bend, Luke Harangody has put up numbers for Notre Dame team that is threatening to win the Big East. He is averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. The only one who have better numbers are Hansbrough and Beasley. The former has a better supporting cast while the latter’s team is not doing as well. Don’t sleep on Harangody. If you do he may just knock the snot out of you.
Two coaches moving out, Mark Slonaker and Dean Keener. Slonaker was fired this week only two months removed from a road upset at USC. Keener will resign at the end of the year after failing to get James Madison moving in the right direction.
Speaking of firings, the Big Sky has suspended the three officials who worked the Idaho State-Montana game for one game. Are you kidding? After blowing the call they should be banned for the year. What do they lose? One game!! And they’ll just pick it up doing a game in another conference. Meanwhile, coaches lose jobs and careers. When are we going to start making officials accountable!!!
