From: devo@mace.cc.purdue.edu (Dan)
Subject: Re: Purdue Sucks!
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 04:19:00 GMT

In article <1993Jan9.213751.13953@doug.cae.wisc.edu>
 saunders@luther.che.wisc.edu (Brian E. Saunders) writes:

>Congradulations to Minnesota for big win.  "Upsets" there are becoming all
>too typical, and I wonder why any team other than Minnesota would be
>favored in Williams.
>
>Purdue sucks.  I almost expected them to lose to Minnesota, but by 21?
>Gene better fix some egoes quick, or this team will slip into a deep, blue
>funk.
>
It is time to recognize that the polls seem a little biased towards 
overall records and not the teams they play in the preseason.  Once
again a team makes it through a reasonably easy preseason schedule,
luckily without a loss and WOW, now they're 9th.  Even Gene Keady 
admitted that Purdue was no better than a top 20 team.  Purdue got 
off to a brilliant start by beating a very rough cut (and 17th ranked) 
UConn team in the tipoff classic.  Even though both teams had hardly been
practicing 3 weeks and Purdue had been preseason ranked no better than
7th in the big 10, it seems that that victory should propel Purdue to
17th in the polls.

Purdue did not dissapoint the pollsters by winning their next 8 games,
none in very convincing fashion and because they had yet to lose a game,
slowly moved up the polls to a 9th ranking.  AMAZING how the polls 
work!!!!  I am not saying that Purdue isn't a decent team but it 
becomes obvious after years of preseason polling, that the polls
mean nothing until the conference schedules roll into top gear.

Assessing Purdue's play to this point, it is obvious that the hype
over Glen Robinson is well deserved.  Already, after 11 games, he
has proven himself as probably the best all around player Keady has
had in 13 years at Purdue.  Robinson's efforts have single-handedly
kept Purdue in games they should have lost.  Also, everyone on the
team is playing a notch better from a very dissapointing overall
season last year.

Purdue has three very apparent problems:

1) They need to get more distribution in the offense.  This includes
more consistent outside shooting and better overall shot selection.
Matt Waddell and Matt Painter are 2 very good outside shooters if
the offense can get them open (using better screens) and by convincing
them to shoot when they are in those situations.  Inside shooting
from Ian Stanback and Cuonzo Martin have been non-existent in the 
first 2 big 10 games.

2) Purdue is a very week rebounding team.  This has caused them troubles
game after game.  Weak teams with a good inside player have played
Purdue close because off. rebounding has yielded too many easy baskets.
This is due to the fact that one, Robinson plays alot on the perimeter,
second, Stanback is a converted forward and may be too small to
play center in the big 10, and third, Kenny Williams is a transfer player
in his first season of big 10 play.  Hopefully, as everyone gets adjusted
to big 10 play, this will be corrected.

3) Purdue seems to be out of condition for this time in the season.
Both Michigan and Minnesota ate Purdue alive at the end of each half.
Michigan ran off 17-4 and 19-4 runs at the end of each half and Minnesota
went from 3 down to 6 up at half and blew open a close game with 8 min.
to go in the second to win by 21.  I thought good teams were supposed
to be well conditioned.  Purdue may correct this as the grueling big 10
season goes on.

Hopefully, with a little work Purdue can live up to a top 20 rating, but
they are not there yet.

Dan Vietor
Purdue University.
Newsgroups: rec.sport.basketball.college