Notre Dame ends spring with confidence

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly had the "Luck of the Irish" on his side during a perfect regular season. From Notre Dame Athletics.

By DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor NOTRE DAME, Ind. ” Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish don’t lack confidence, nor should they. Coming off last year’s 12-1 season that included a trip to the BCS National Championship Game, Kelly entered spring drills wanting his team to develop an identity. It did just that, says the fourth-year Irish [...]

Griffiths: Purdue’s house cleaning the right move

Doug Griffiths

By DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor Matt Painter did what needed to be done. After suffering a 16-18 season, Painter needed to shake things up in his program and get his house in order. He did just that. Shown the door were Jacob Lawson and Anthony Johnson, who didn’t buy into some of the things [...]

Purdue’s Big Ten tourney stay cut short in 57-55 loss to Nebraska

Doug Griffiths

By DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor CHICAGO – Purdue was supposed to be a dangerous team in the Big Ten Tournament. So much for that. The Boilermakers reverted back to tendencies they have shown throughout this disappointing season and were bounced by No. 10-seed Nebraska 57-55 in the opening round Thursday. Purdue couldn’t hit its outside shots, missed [...]

Griffiths: Purdue could be dangerous in Windy City

Purdue will need Ronnie Johnson to play smart basketball to make a run in the Big Ten tournament,

By DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor CHICAGO ” The consensus among Big Ten coaches seems to be that if you’re looking for a dark horse in the Big Ten Tournament, look no further than Matt Painter’s Purdue Boilermakers. At just 15-16 on the season, Purdue has caught fire as of late, winning two out of [...]

Griffiths: Indiana is team to beat in Big Ten tournament

Doug Griffiths

By DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor How tough is the Big Ten? Well, Michigan, a Top 10 team all season long, doesn’t even get a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament, and four Big Ten teams enter the postseason ranked in the Top 10, Wolverines included. As we brace for the start of the [...]

Griffiths: Some Purdue fans won’t bother watching Boilers play Indiana

Doug Griffiths

By DOUG GRIFFITHS ISL Assistant Editor I was talking to a fraternity brother from Upstate New York yesterday and have to admit I wasn’t at all surprised by what he had to say about Saturday’s Purdue-IU game. Yes, he’s definitely what I would call a diehard Purdue fan, one of those that even if you [...]

IU Notebook: Fired-up Hoosiers reassert state dominance over Purdue

Christian Watford, pictured here against Butler, scored 17 points Wednesday against Purdue.

By CHRIS GOFF ISL Correspondent These are not your younger brother’s Indiana Hoosiers, not with Cody Zeller roaming the middle and defensive stalwarts like Victor Oladipo and Yogi Ferrell clogging driving lanes, and they reestablished supremacy again Wednesday night. Purdue’s Baby Boiler era looks for all the world like a fading memory, a four-year blip [...]

Purdue’s Ricardo Allen, Kawann Short on Bednarik Award watch list

From Purdue Sports Information WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. “ Purdue’s Ricardo Allen and Kawann Short have been named among the 65 Football Bowl Subdivision players to the watch for the 2012 Chuck Bednarik Award. The Bednarik Award has been presented to the nation’s top defensive player since 1995. Allen, a junior cornerback from Daytona Beach, Fla., [...]

ISL catches up with ex-Purdue guard David Teague

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor David Teague is still balling. Teague and Carl Landry were the key players who helped Purdue’s fortunes turn under coach Matt Painter. The shooting guard recovered from a torn ACL to earn second-team all-Big Ten honors as a senior in 2007. Teague dropped a career-high 32 points on Indiana that season as Purdue [...]

Cliff’s top 10 Purdue games

Purdue fans after win vs. Ohio State, 2011.

By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor I covered Purdue athletics for seven years for The Associated Press, primarily covering men’s and women’s basketball and football. I saw a lot during my run “ Joe Tiller stepping down, the re-emergence of a basketball power and a steady run of success by the women’s basketball program. I started [...]