Boilers need tournament wins to stay alive

Stephanie Young/Senior Photographer SPLIT PERSONALITY: Senior forward Rodney Smith splits the Iowa defense in a game earlier this season. The No. 8 seeded Boilermakers will face the No. 9 Hawkeyes Thursday at the Big Ten Tourney.

By Jason Tomcsi
Sports Editor

The Big Ten regular season is over for the men's basketball team, and next on the agenda is the Big Ten Tournament where they will take on the Iowa Hawkeyes (16-14, 5-11 Big Ten) at 2 p.m. Thursday in Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

The Boilermakers have to come up with a four game winning streak to win the tournament and get into the NCAA Tournament. Winning the Big Ten Tournament is the only chance Purdue has of making it to the post season.

Purdue (13-17, 5-11 Big Ten) will have some momentum going into Thursday afternoon's game. They pounded on Penn State (7-20, 3-13) 92-57 on Saturday afternoon.

Coach Gene Keady was pleased with his team's defensive play, but was also happy to see the Boilers excel in three categories.

"We shot good from the field and achieved our goal there of 52 percent," said Keady. "We shot the ball well at the 3-point line and shot well from the free throw line."

Purdue was 53 percent from behind the arc and shot 83 percent from the free throw line.

"It was the first time we achieved three pluses on offense this year," said Keady. "So that always helps your defense look better when you shoot well."

But Keady said there is work to be done on the offensive end.

"Sometimes we go off on tangents and not play basketball the way we should," said Keady. "Certainly defense was better, but also we got a lot of room to do on offense to compete with a team like Iowa."

Strange year

Four teams have a share of the Big Ten title this year which is the first time since 1926. There is also a three-way tie for eighth place between Iowa, Purdue and Michigan.

Keady said this has been the strangest season he has seen in the Big Ten.

"It's the most parity I have seen in this league, it is really feasible for anyone to win the Big Ten Tournament," said Keady. "No matter where you play or who's playing, they have a chance to win."

Keady said this should be an enjoyable tournament for the fans.

Chemistry

Keady said team chemistry is an important aspect of a basketball team at the college level. Even more than having NBA caliber players.

"I think our chemistry this year wasn't the best and I'm not sure why," said Keady. "Maybe it's because we were not familiar with each other."

Team chemistry is something Keady said has always been Purdue's strong point.

"Our kids have always gotten along well, they pull for each other, they were really tough on the road and they ran the system the coaches wanted to run. It's always been one of our big pluses."

Defense

Purdue has played better defense in its last few games. Saturday the team showed the type of defense Keady had wanted all season.

He said his team understands the concept now and they have gotten better, but if they don't play defense they will not play next year.

He has also told the new recruits this.

"I told the four new recruits 'Are you in a stance?' when I am talking to them over the phone," said Keady. "You come in here, this is not going to be an offensive school, it is going to be a defensive school. I would like to be in the top 10 in the nation in defense."

Although Keady would like be a national power on defense, he admits it's not his favorite style of basketball.

"The problem with that is I don’t really like playing that way," said Keady. "I didn't like playing that way as a kid and as a player in college, but that is the way you win now and that is what we are going to do."

"Recruits will be told if they are not in a stance don’t show up at Purdue. It is a different world now as far as mentality."

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Sports editor: Jason Tomcsi

Assistant sports editor:
Andrew Hershberger

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