Our Boilers matched a record that has only been equaled by the Big Dog-led Boilers earlier this week...and did it by beating some good teams. This team is "special"...and we're not even to the half-way point of the '09-'10 season.
Ho Hum
It's funny, but if you talk to some Purdue fans they sound almost pissed that Purdue is 14-0. Crazy I know, but on more than one occasion, I've heard and read fellow Boilers simply looking for ways to urinate in their own cocoa pebbles.
Some complain about the three-point shooting...others complain about the lack of depth in the middle...others still complain about there being no true point guard on the team.
While all of these things might be true, one concrete matter-of-fact is that our Boilers have ZERO games in the right-hand column. There are three other teams in the nation that are the same way. Make no mistake, all four, besides maybe Kansas, have done it because they're tested. Sure, we all know Kansas has played a pretty soft schedule so far, but we also know that the Jayhawks are a stout team that's loaded.
The main point is while there are things that make Purdue seem less-than-perfect, their record remains perfect. That's delicious.
Watching the Minnesota game, was pretty amazing. If it was 10 years ago, and I didn't have the score on the bottom of the screen for the entire game, I would have sworn Purdue was down the entire game. Minny's trap seemed to frustrate Purdue at times...the Gophers players would make a high-flying dunk or a big three pretty-regularly...and Matty's team just kinda chugged along...8-point lead...11-point lead...15-point lead...19-point win.
That's what J has said is so noteworthy about this team all season. They're workman-like. When things don't go their way offensively, it's no problem...the offense will catch up. But, the defense, with the exception of the first half of the Iowa game, is sticky, frustrating, maddening, stifling and just good. The switches are a thing of beauty too, if you haven't noticed. Purdue can double a player, drop back into the man-to-man and the guy with the ball doesn't seem to even be able to find the open player but once out of every twenty or thirty of said plays.
So while this team might have already been ruled as an also-ran by some of the national media for March, as of early January, they've got a running start on a number one seed.
But wait, there's more!
So if you're not in the group of Boilers lamenting over the bad parts of this perfect season, you've probably enjoyed your winter so far. But I think it's going to get better...and a couple of former boot-wearing fellows are the reason why.
We still haven't seen Marcius in action in spite of him becoming available over 10 days ago. But, the LewJack updates are becoming a more-regular occurrence at GBI and BoilerStation and out of sources on campus. Lewis even thinks he will be able to go before the second month of the year.
Unless he takes Evan Turner's special heeling elixir, I don't think there's a chance of seeing 23 until St. Valentine's Day...But I'd gladly welcome him back into the line-up. As Barlow seems to be feeling the length of the season and Kramer and Grant aren't quite perfect at the point, a healthy LewJack would make a difference...especially in the big picture as March comes more and more into focus.
Gotta Happen...sometime (brain-scrambled revision)
In a few days, Matty's squad will head to the frigid Kohl Center. And if the Wisky battle against MSU is any indicator, Purdue might continue the trend that they started a few seasons ago and beat the Badgers yet again. Wisky only mustered up 47 points at the Brezlin Center in a game that EsPN probably just love to see as it perpetuated their storyline of the BT being nothing but a bunch of plodding teams with players that couldn't dream of playing in the BE, ACC or SEC.
But, that game didn't make me any less leery of the Badgers. Ryan's a great coach and they've a talented team that, like Purdue, plays very well in its system. Plus, they have a ton of height, which Purdue doesn't, and that will eventually bite Purdue in the arse, in my opinion. Perhaps we'll see a bit of Marcius on Saturday? Who knows. Hopefully Robbie didn't give away all of the team secrets during their vacation in Europe.
What we do know is that it'll be a defensive struggle...hopefully the Boilers can continue to own the Badgers...but winning on the road in the BT has and will always be tough. I'll be honest, while I think a win is very possible, I'd be more surprised if the streak is still alive come Saturday night. But, I also thought Purdue would struggle versus WVU...so what do I know? Let's hope Robbie and Co. can continue their streak of being completely awful guests in Madison.