Purdue looks to add to MSU
losing streak
 By
Jason Tomcsi
Sports Editor
Purdue will attempt to bounce back from a loss
to Minnesota by taking on the Spartans of Michigan State tonight in
East Lansing.
The Spartans 9-7 (0-3) and the Boilermakers 9-9
(1-3) have at least one thing in common: they are struggling this season.
Michigan State is on a four-game losing streak and this includes their
first three games of the Big Ten season. Their 0-3 record in the Big
Ten puts them in a last place tie in the conference with Northwestern.
The Boilermakers rest just above them in ninth place.
Michigan State was a team picked to be one of the
teams to sit atop the conference this year, but so far they have shown
no signs of it.
The Spartans have averaged 16.7 turnovers for their
last three games. These turnovers have turned into 63 points for their
opponents.
The last time Michigan State played was on Saturday
against Wisconsin when they dropped a heartbreaker in East Lansing 64-63.
This was the first time the Spartans had lost in their home arena of
the Breslin Center since March 1, 1998. That game they lost to Purdue
99-96 in overtime.
Purdue coach Gene Keady said that this is an important
game for both teams.
"Both of us need to get in the win column," said
Keady. "We're going in there after someone broke their home loss record."
Some think that it might be a bad time to be playing
the Spartans, but Keady thinks you can look at it either way.
"I look at it as a good time because we should
be just as upset," said Keady. "You got to do it."
Keady said that his players should be excited to
play in front of the sold out Breslin Center crowd and that it is a
great atmosphere.
"The kids should look forward to playing there,"
said Keady. "Try to do something special and come out of there and come
home with a win."
Michigan State has averaged 14,759 fans for its
10 home games this season. The Boilermakers are managing only 11,360
in Mackey arena for the 10 home games that they have had this season.
The Spartans are led in scoring by guard Marcus
Taylor who is averaging 15.7 points per game. Junior Aloysius Anagonye
leads the team in rebounding, averaging 7.3 boards per outing.
Keady said that he can empathize with Michigan
State coach Tom Izzo because he and Keady feel the same way.
"Izzo feels like I do," said Keady. "His kids are
not playing good D and not doing the stuff that it takes to win, so
he we have a lot of similar problems."
Purdue's leading player in rebounds is senior center
John Allison. He is ninth in the Big Ten with 6.2 rebounds per game.
But despite that, Keady had made a comment about Allison's lack of toughness.
Keady later apologized for the comment. Allison's thumb had been taped
during Saturday's game against Minnesota.
"I was wrong for saying anything about it at all,"
said Keady. "It's a coaches player thing. We want all our kids to be
hard-nosed, play hard and be enthusiastic."
The biggest problem that the Boilermakers have
been dealing with this year is with chemistry and it is the first time
this problem has arisen since Keady has been coach.
"Everyone is acting like this program is failing,"
said Keady. "This program is not failing; we're having for once in 22
years a chemistry problem and were trying to get it solved."
The Purdue players know how to win and the reason
they are not using what they have learned in the past years is a mystery,
according to Keady.
"Two years ago, we almost went to the Final Four,"
said Keady "Last year, we won three out of our last five. So these kids
know how to win."
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