By SAM KLEMET ISL Correspondent Purdue is a different basketball team now that it was when it beat Nebraska 65-56 in January. Even though its record may not reflect improvement, the game film tells a different story. The Boilers are playing their best hoops of the season and should be heading into Thursday’s Big Ten […]
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Tag: Rapheal Davis
By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor I skipped covering the Boilermakers on Saturday. See, I was busy watching my favorite 6-year-old point guard go 3-for-3 from the field in the first quarter of his YMCA game. I’m talking about my son, Elias. It was the final game of his season — trophy day — so I felt it […]
Continue ReadingBy CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — I said in my Purdue-Michigan preview that the game after the upset tells more about a team than the upset. The next game tells you if the team’s improvement was real or a mirage. Purdue’s follow-up to its win over Wisconsin was pretty strong. The Boilermakers […]
Continue ReadingBy CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — A lot of sports writers get criticized for not going back over their predictions and bold statements because by not doing so, they never seem wrong. Well, I make mistakes, and I have no shame in going over them. I didn’t officially make a prediction for this […]
Continue ReadingBy CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor A Purdue win over No. 3 Indiana on Wednesday wouldn’t be as big an upset as some might think. I have covered both teams this season, so I have perhaps a unique perspective on their matchup. Indiana is loaded with skill and weapons, but the Hoosiers have some weaknesses the Boilermakers […]
Continue ReadingBy SAM KLEMET ISL Correspondent It’s nearly impossible to beat arguably the best team in the country when you don’t play a complete game. Purdue learned that the hard way Thursday in Ann Arbor, falling 68-53 to second-ranked Michigan. Purdue (10-9, 3-3) came out playing fearlessly, led by senior captain D.J Byrd. The Crawfordsville native scored […]
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By SAM KLEMET ISL Correspondent With all due respect to Penn State, Nebraska, and West Virginia, wins against those programs for a young Purdue team were solid, but more in the category of taking care of business. Thursday, the evolving Boilermakers can make a statement with a win at second- ranked Michigan. Purdue is playing […]
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By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Purdue coach Matt Painter recently said center A.J. Hammons would be better off accepting the fact that he’s an old-school, traditional big man, and that the fact that few of those exist anymore makes him a valuable commodity. In the same way that Hammons has emerged by accepting who he is, […]
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By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Ok, Purdue just made a jump. This isn’t just a young team with potential anymore. The Boilermakers are good. Purdue methodically dismantled West Virginia 79-52 on Saturday in a blowout so complete that even coach Matt Painter was surprised. We know Purdue is going to defend. But even with limited offensive production from […]
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By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Purdue’s upcoming schedule might not seem all that appealing. After all, Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio State, Minnesota and Illinois aren’t on it. That’s exactly why this next stretch of games is a very big deal for the Boilermakers. Purdue defeated Penn State 60-42 on Sunday, and the Boilermakers now enter […]
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By CLIFF BRUNT ISL Editor Purdue pulled out a 66-56 win over Ball State on Tuesday night that was closer than it should have been. The Boilermakers clearly had more talent, but they allowed the Cardinals to hang around several times in the first half when consistent play, especially on offense, might have put the game […]
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