Purdue Postgame Quotes
WASHINGTON -- Here are post-game quotes from the Purdue side:
March 22, 2008
Xavier Postgame Quotes
WASHINGTON -- Postgame quotes from Xavier follow:
Sean Miller:
I want to commend Purdue for not only a great season but its amazing what they were able to do with that many freshmen playing the roles they did. ... Two similar teams in that we take pride in our defense.
These three seniors a year ago went through a very difficult loss in this same game. Its been a motivating game for us to see if we could get back to this point....
[Points to C.J. Anderson as the difference for this year's team.]
Very very happy for Xavier University.
Xavier Wins, Will Face WVU
WASHINGTON -- Xavier made enough of their free throws down the stretch to come away with a seven-point win over Purdue. C.J. Anderson and Drew Lavender each scored 18 for the Musketeers, while Josh Duncan added 16 in the win. Walking off the court, Xavier looks to be showing an appropriate mixture of joy and confidence. There is no one play you can point to in this one and say that is why Xavier one; there isn't really a player you can say that about either (though Lavender was so steady at the point). Really, this one came down to consistency, the ability to hit a shot when it mattered, and fundamentals, whether that was rebounding, foul shooting, or what have you.
That Xavier-West Virginia matchup next weekend will be a good one.
One Minute Really Means 20
WASHINGTON -- The last minute here at Verizon Center is going to take us about 20 minutes to play, with Purdue fouling every time Xavier touches the ball and the referees doing their best to add to the confusion by reviewing just about anything they can review. Xavier just threw their inbounds out of bounds, so Purdue has the ball with 44 seconds and a five-point deficit.
Lavender Picks His Spots
WASHINGTON -- Drew Lavender has made a floater and single-handedly broken the Purdue press in the last minute, the press break leading to a dunk for Josh Duncan. Keaton Grant just drilled a three for Purdue, but the margin is still six. During the last timeout, Xavier fans started cheering "Father Graham" in honor of their university president, Michael Graham (who was not the Michael Graham on Georgetown's 1984 title team, in case you were wondering).
Kramer is Done
WASHINGTON -- Chris Kramer, Purdue's best defender and the definition of a glue guy, just fouled out. Purdue Coach Matt Painter let the referees have it, to no avail. Kramer finished with six points, three boards, and at least two steals.
After a pair of free throws by Keaton Grant, however, Purdue is within four.
Tossin Up Those Xs
WASHINGTON -- The sense I've gotten all afternoon is that both of these teams here are pretty good teams but neither has quite enough firepower to go into that next gear and put the other away. After a C.J. Anderson floater just now as the shot clock expired, Xavier got about as fired up as the Muskateers have been all day, throwing up crossed arms in the shape of an X and screaming towards the bench. Perhaps the momentum from that play can help Xavier pull away from the Boilermakers, who as pesky as they have been, simply don't seem to be able to make enough baskets to win. They've been good enough to keep it close....but have not shown they can seize the game.
Xavier by 6 with 3:25 to go.
Now That Is an Inbounds
WASHINGTON -- Drew Lavender, on an out-of-bounds play along the baseline, just threw a sweet ally-oop to Derrick Brown for the flush and the eight point lead. Xavier now leads by 10 after two free throws from Josh Duncan. As an aside, Gilbert Arenas is watching this one from the tunnel. If he had played for West Virginia earlier, he'd have scored 84 or 85, I'd guess. Gilbert is sporting some absurd looking red and white checkered capris. From the looks of it, he's trying to get someone to let him into the Wizards locker room, where I hope he'll throw on something a little more reasonable if he is going to come out here and watch the game.
Stanley Burrell's Journey
WASHINGTON -- Stanley Burrell, a 6-foot-3 senior guard from Indianapolis, spent his first two seasons at Xavier as the team's leading scorer. Now, though, Burrell has taken a back seat offensively and settled into his role as a defensive stopped and role player.
Halftime Update from D.C.
WASHINGTON -- Xavier shot 50 percent in the first half and leads by 3.
Lavender Saves Best for Last
WASHINGTON -- Drew Lavender spent 19 minutes and 58 seconds of the first half scoreless, but as the clock was set to expire, he nailed a three to give his team a three-point victory heading into the break.
Xavier Wears You Down
WASHINGTON -- Just like on Thursday against Georgia, Xavier fell behind early, stuck with what they were doing, and clawed its way back into the game.
A Mismatch, Granted
WASHINGTON -- Drew Lavender, Xavier's explosive point buard, has been checked for much of the early going by Purdue's Keaton Grant. The reason thats notable is that Lavender is 5-foot-7 and Grant is 6-foot-4.
Purdue Scores First Nine
WASHINGTON -- Purdue came out with a ton of energy and scored the first nine points. Keaton Grant has five of those, including a nice transition three. Xavier, meanwhile, has been careless with the ball.
March 20, 2008
Baylor-Purdue Stats and Thoughts
WASHINGTON -- Here are some final stats and a few thoughts from Purdue's 90-79 win over Baylor:
Purdue Wins, 90-79
WASHINGTON -- Despite Curtis Jerrells' 27 points, Purdue wins easily, 90-79, in a game that was not as close as the score indicates. I'll try and get back with you later with some stats, quotes, and closing thoughts.
Grin and Bear It
WASHINGTON -- Curtis Jerrells: good. The rest of Baylor: Not that great.
Purdue Fans: They Don't Like the Ref
WASHINGTON -- The same woman donning a Purdue No. 3 jersey is letting the refs have it over what she perceives is some one-sided officiating.
Baylor Not Quite Dunn
WASHINGTON -- Baylor's LaceDarius (not a typo) Dunn doesn't want to go quietly.
Kramer On Both End
WASHINGTON -- Chris Kramer just blocked a Baylor shot at one end, ran the break, got an offensive rebound, and scored the putback.
Purdue Fans
WASHINGTON -- With Purdue up 16, it's time to take a look at their fans.
WASHINGTON -- I haven't seen any of the games at the other sites, but this half by Purdue had to be the most impressive half of basketball thus far in the 2008 tournament.
Purdue Approaches Boiling Point
WASHINGTON -- First of all, I realized the headline I gave this entry is a pretty forced PUN. I fully intend to make more of them whenever possible. That aside, Purdue cannot, will not miss.
Purdue Making Early Noises
WASHINGTON -- Welcome back to Verizon Center. The problem with these NCAA first round sites is that to get four games in in one day, the second game of a session and the interviews from the first game basically coincide. But i;m finally back with the Boilermakers leading by 10 with about 10 minutes to go in the first half.
March 19, 2008
NCAA Tournament Preview: Washington
Verizon Center has seen its fair share of memorable college basketball games the last few years. It has seen Georgetown upset No. 1 Duke in January 2006, the ultimate Cinderella, George Mason, take down mighty Connecticut later that spring, and Roy Hibbert beat those Huskies on an unexpected three pointer just a couple months ago. With the eight teams the NCAA has sent to Verizon for the first weekend of this year's tournament, there is a good chance that the District is one again the site of a few classics.
March 14, 2008
Big Ten: Illinois pulls the upset
INDIANAPOLIS - Despite missing five free throws in the final 38 seconds, Illinois hangs on and upends second-seeded Purdue 74-67 in overtime in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament at Conseco Fieldhouse.
The 10th-seeded Illini didn't allow the Boilermakers to score a field goal in the extra session. Meanwhile Demetri McCamey was a stud for Illinois, scoring 26 points. McCamey, who tied the game at the end of regulation with a 3-pointer, had the game-winner on a backdoor cut with 2:19 remaining.
E'Twaun Moore led Purdue with 22 points.
Big Ten: McCamey is the key
INDIANAPOLIS - Without Demetri McCamey, Illinois would be loading up the bus by now.
The freshman guard has scored the Illini's last seven points to give his team a 67-66 lead over Purdue with 1:52 to play in overtime. McCamey has 26 points.
Big Ten: Headed to overtime
INDIANAPOLIS - Free basketball at the Big Ten tournament as Purdue and Illinois are tied at 63.
Demetri McCamey's 3-pointer with 18 seconds left tied the game. Purdue's final shot came from Chris Kramer, whose 15-footer bounced off the rim.
McCamey has 22 points, including 14 in the second half.
Big Ten: Purdue's defense
INDIANAPOLIS - If Purdue hangs on and wins this game, and its leading 57-52 with 3:18 to play, all credit goes to the defense.
The Boilermakers have converted numerous steals into layups, blocked a handful of shots and made it difficult for Illinois to score throughout most of the second half.
Big Ten: Another lead change
INDIANAPOLIS - Back and forth we go in the Big Ten tournament.
Illinois is on top now, leading Purdue 47-44 with 7:49 remaining.
Center Shaun Pruitt was just called for a questionable offensive foul that would've given the Illini a five-point lead. Illinois needs to go inside to Pruit more often if it was wants to win.
Big Ten: Lead change
INDIANAPOLIS - Boy, how things can quickly change.
A steal and a layup by Chris Kramer. A steal and layup by Tarrance Crump and the Boilermakers have the lead.
Purdue is ahead 42-41 with 10 minutes to play.
Big Ten: Illinois playing well
INDIANAPOLIS - If Purdue could find someone else besides E'Twaun Moore to score, the Boilermakers might move ahead of Illinois.
The Illini are hanging tough with Purdue, leading 41-38 with 11:59 to play.
Moore has been the Boilermakers' offense with 15 points, including seven of their eight points in the second half.
Meanwhile, Illinois is fighting for loose balls and controlling tempo.
Big Ten: Still close
INDIANAPOLIS - Purdue can't shake Illinois, which leads 37-36 at the first timeout of the second half.
E'Twaun Moore continues to shine for the Boilermakers with 13 points.
Big Ten: Still close
INDIANAPOLIS - Purdue can't shake Illinois, which leads 37-36 at the first timeout of the second half.
E'Twaun Moore continues to shine for the Boilermakers with 13 points.
Big Ten: Purdue-Illinois tied
INDIANAPOLIS - Shaun Pruitt's tip-in late in the first half brought Illinois even with Purdue at 28 in quarterfinal action at the Big Ten tournament in Conseco Fieldhouse.
The second-seeded Boilermakers had a 26-17 lead, thanks to eight points from freshman E'Twaun Moore, but the 10th-seeded Illini came back to tie the game.
It's a full house in Conseco, with a majority of the crowd rooting for Purdue and Indiana, which plays in the nightcap against Minnesota.
Big Ten: Moore likes Conseco
INDIANAPOLIS - Purdue's E'Twaun Moore likes playing in Conseco Fieldhouse.
Moore's high school team, East Chicago Central, beat Indianapolis North Central in last year's Indiana Class 4A title game. In that game, Moore had 28 points.
The freshman guard has hit two 3-pointers to help Purdue build a 21-13 lead against Illinois with 7:33 left until halftime.
Big Ten: Illinois out in front
INDIANAPOLIS - It's not by much but Illinois is leading 13-11 with 11:49 left until halftime.
The Illini outscored Purdue 13-2 during one stretch to go ahead by five points. But Purdue's Marcus Green drained a 3-pointer to cut the lead to two.
Did you know Purdue coach Matt Painter was an assistant under Illinois coach Bruce Weber at Southern Illinois? Both worked for former Boilermaker coach Gene Keady.
Big Ten: Purdue and Illinois underway
INDIANAPOLIS - Purdue scored the first six points on a pair of 3-pointers by Robbie Hummel and Nemanja Calasan.
Illinois responded with seven straight points, including a 3-pointer by Demetri McCamey.
That's where we stand at the first timeout, Illinois leading 7-6.
Big Ten: Purdue, Indiana invade Conseco
INDIANAPOLIS - We're minutes away from the final two quarterfinal games and the hometown teams will be featured.
Purdue plays the first game against Illinois and Indiana takes on Minnesota on the nightcap.
It looks like a sellout at Conseco Fieldhouse. I overheard an offical saying they were selling standing room only tickets.
Should be a fun evening.
December 15, 2007
Purdue-Louisville Post-Game Notes
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Rick Pitino was in relatively good spirits despite today's loss. He admitted his team is struggling to keep things going for 40 minutes because they have such a short bench. Essentially, he said, they are playing four guards almost all the time, and that's been an adjustment, especially on offense.
Purdue totally took what was left of Louisville's inside game, Earl Clark, away from them. He only scored two points, both from the line and shot 0-for-7 from the floor. That left the Cards to settle for a lot of threes, but their legs gave out at the end of the game and the shots just wouldn't fall.
Louisville ended up shooting 19-for-59 for 32 percent from the floor and only 7-for-30 (23 percent) from three-point range. Terrence Williams had a good game, though, with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting before fouling out.
Purdue was led by Robbie Hummel's 15, but Chris Kramer added 14, Keaton Grant scored 12 and Scott Martin added 11.
After the game, Hummel talked about learning from the Missouri experience last week, when Purdue blew a late lead and lost. He said the coaches told him that losses hurt, "but if we don't learn from a loss, it's a waste."
Purdue coach Matt Painter was pleased with his guys' response to last week's loss. He talked about how he doesn't believe in just putting a loss behind you and moving on.
"I think you need to sit in it a bit and think through what went wrong," he said.
His guys did that this week, working pretty much exclusively on attacking the press and attacking the zone, something Purdue did poorly at the end of the Missouri game.
I though it was curious that Painter had E'Twaun Moore in the game at crunch time instead of Tarrance Crump, who had played well, especially when it came to breaking the press. Moore really seemed to struggle with that aspect of the game and didn't play all that much because of it.
I asked Painter about the decision to play Moore, and he gave kind of a long winded explanation that ended up with, "Sometimes you just have to let guys play through stuff and learn. It was one of those things, where sometimes I just have to guess what's going to work, you know?"
Painter then says to me, kind of surprisingly, "You watched the game! Sweet!"
I think he meant that as a compliment, although what was I supposed to be doing?
Big Win For Purdue
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- It wasn't an elegant finish to the game, but Purdue's young guns finally finished a tough one and beat Louisville, 67-59. The Cards missed their last seven three-point attempts down the stretch, which allowed Purdue to get away with some spotty free throw shooting. The Boilers only hit 9-of-14 freebies in the last few minutes, but it was good enough.
I'll have more stats, notes and quotes in a bit. Also, the Butler-Florida State game comes up in about half an hour.
Can Purdue Finish The Job?
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Against Clemson and Missouri on the road, Purdue was in the same spot: a small lead at the last timeout. In those games, they didn't finish. The crowd isn't as hostile here (although Louisville has more fans), but Purdue's inexperience will be tested again. On the floor for Purdue is three freshmen and two sophomores.
Purdue's lead is 57-53 with 3:56 to go and freshman Scott Martin is going to the line for a one-and-one. Martin is only 2-for-4 from the line today, and in both his previous trips, he missed the first of two tries and hit the second.
Rough Game
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Keaton Grant, who hurt his shoulder a few minutes ago, has now left the game because he's cramping up.
Meanwhile, Robbie Hummel, who cramped up earlier is back in.
Purdue has a couple of fast break scores and the lead is back to eight with six minutes left.
Action Getting Hot
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- This one is going to the wire. Purdue leads by four with 7:32 left after the teams traded fast-break dunks. Louisville's Jerry Smith, who has really been a spark for the Cardinals off the bench, beat the Boilermakers down the floor for the first dunk. Smith now has nine points for the Cards.
Then, Chris Kramer returned the favor for Purdue. Kramer is 6-foot-3 and can dunk but can't shoot threes.
Kramer also has the hustle play of the game so far with a steal on a Louisville fast break, and then a pass to Terrence Crump at half court as he's falling out of bounds with the ball. That turned into a layup.
Louisville Coming Back
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Just when it looked like Louisville was going away quietly, the Cardinals went on a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to 44-38. Preston Knowles hit a three from the corner and Sosa got a layup on a breakaway after a Purdue turnover.
The Cardinal fans are back in the game and Louisville's defense is feeding off of it.
As I write this, another Cardinal fast break has cut the lead to four at the second TV timeout (only! this has been a slow half).
Cardinals In Trouble
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- With 14:24 left, things are starting to come apart a little for Louisville. Purdue just had a three-shot possession that ended with a little hook in the lane by Marcus Green to put the Boilers up 13. That came after Will Scott, the Cardinals best offensive player today, picked up his fourth foul. Terrence Williams also has three fouls, and he's been the only other real threat for Louisville offensively.
On Purdue's side, Hummel came back in, but after one possession, limped off again with the cramps.
Now, a referee is limping on the baseline. Rough game.
Three-Point Sandwich
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Purdue came back with a pair of three-pointers sandwiched around an Edgar Sosa free throw to extend the lead back to 11 at 42-31 at the first TV timeout.
Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer did the damage for the Boilermakers. The three by Kramer was only his third of the year and 16th of his career. For a little guy (Kramer's only 6-foot-3), he doesn't shoot a lot of outside shots. Grant on the other hand has four three-pointers in this game.
Sosa is trying to take over for Louisville, but he's trying too hard. He's doing way too much dribbling and not enough passing. Louisville gets better looks when they move it by passing than by dribbling around the perimeter.
Cardinals Catching On
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- After missing their first three shots of the half, Louisville has scored five straight on a three-pointer and a long two by Will Scott. The three-pointer came after Edgar Sosa got all the way to the hole on a drive but passed up the layup to send it out to Scott. That looked like a dumb move before Scott's shot fell.
Purdue has helped Louisville's cause by forcing some tough shots that weren't really necessary.
Robbie Hummel is out of the lineup for Purdue at the moment because of cramps.
Purdue is up, 36-30, with just over 17 minutes left.
Purdue With The Momentum At The Half
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Keaton Grant buried a three-pointer with two seconds left to put the Boilermakers up nine at the half against Louisville. The Cardinals made a bit of a run in the last couple minutes of the half when Terrence Williams hit a three and a pair of free throws, but the Boilers came back on a layup by Hummer after Purdue broke the Cardinal press and then Grant's three.
Louisville is shooting a miserable 27 percent from the floor, while the Boilers are hitting at a 50-percent clip. That's really the whole story of the half. The Cards are settling for shots that aren't as good as the ones Purdue is getting and aren't turning the Boilers over enough to get easy shots. Purdue has nine turnovers, which is a lot for a half, but the Cardinals have seven of their own.
The Louisville dance team is now on the floor, and they're huge. Not the individual girls, but the group. There must be 30 of them.
Kramer and Crump Key Purdue Run
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Chris Kramer (he's fine, by the way) and Terrance Crump have stoked Purdue on a 9-3 run to put the Boilermakers up seven with 2:43 left in the half. Crump's penetration led to a three-pointer by Robbie Hummel and a jumper of his own, while Kramer had a steal that led to two free throws and a penetration layup of his own.
Louisville's cold shooting continues, and it was best exemplified when Keaton Grant fell down, allowing a Cardinal player (I think Sosa, but the numbers are hard to read), miss a layup and Louisville also missed the put back. A Will Scott three is about all Louisville has managed offensively in about six minutes.
Martin Getting Loose
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Purdue's Scott Martin has gotten loose inside the Louisville defense the last few times down the floor and has turned that into three points to help the Boilermakers to a 17-16 lead at the eight-minute timeout.
The Boilers have adjusted their defense to do more switching on the perimeter to try to counteract Louisville's weave. That's helping some, but the Cards are still getting inside and either kicking it out for jump shots or getting fouled inside. Louisville is still shooting poorly though and Purdue isn't giving them too many second chances.
Purdue On A Run
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Louisville called a timeout after Purdue went on a 7-0 run fueled by some cold Cardinal shooting. Purdue has turned some rebounds into quick strike opportunities at the other end.
The Boilermakers lead, 12-9, with just over 12 minutes left in the half, but Chris Kramer, Purdue's tough guy, just limped off the floor.
Purdue fans are getting a little frustrated with the officiating because they have called four hand-checks way away from the basket on the Boilers so far. Purdue is going to have to adjust to those calls because the refs have been consistent.
Louisville Press Giving Purdue Trouble
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Louisville's full-court, zone press is giving Purdue problems bringing the ball up. The Boilermakers have been a little sloppy with the ball with three turnovers already. The Cards lead, 9-5, at the first break.
Louisville's offense is basically a weave around the perimeter until someone finally gets bored and drives to the hole. That has worked reasonably well. The Cards have already drawn three fouls on the Boilers.
Purdue has already played eight different guys and is currently going with a smaller lineup where all five guys are decent ball handlers.
* Before the game, when the starting lineups were introduced, Louisville's players did not come out of their huddle and onto the court. Last week at Missouri, Purdue was apparently not introduced at all.
Pregame Notes
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- A few more thoughts right before we tip.
* Looks like it'll be a late arriving crowd here at Indianapolis. That's no surprise given the weather outside. If and when this place fills up, it looks like Louisville may end up having the most fans here, although Purdue fans are here in pretty big numbers too. The red that the Cards fans are wearing stands out more than the black that Purdue fans tend to wear, especially since black is also one of Louisville's colors.
* We just had the national anthem. The singer was an older guy named Everette Greene. I've never heard of him, but he did it beautifully, especially if you like low voices. This guy's voice made James Earl Jones sound like Pee Wee Herman.
* Even though Rick Pitino is going for win No. 500, there isn't unanimous love for the coach. One Cardinal fan I saw had a sign that said "Bring Back Denny Crum."
* Usually, the school pep bands get seats behind a basket, but both Purdue and Louisville's pep bands are up in the corners across from where I'm sitting.
* Beer at the Conseco Fieldhouse costs $6.50 a glass. I don't think I paid that much at Wrigley Field this summer.
* I saw some employee walking around with a shirt that labeled her as the "Alcohol Consumption Supervisor." I'm not really sure what that job entails. It could be watching for drunks, making sure people get carded, or maybe she just offers advice on drinking techniques. She was busy, so I couldn't ask her.
* You can get souvenirs for just about anything, but nobody is selling snow shovels yet.
* An author was signing books in the concourse. The book was about Indiana HS basketball legends. Only here does that kind of thing happen.
* When the teams were warming up before the game, Pitino was standing at center court watching his team warm up. Usually, for the early warmups, the head coaches aren't around. Pitino also stole a couple of glances at Purdue warming up behind him.
* Press row security is non-existent here. I hope some drunk walking behind me doesn't spill his beer on my computer. That would ruin my day.
* There is someone sitting in press row with a seeing-eye dog. Not sure who the dog is rooting for.
Purdue-Louisville Preview
INDIANAPOLIS -- I'm writing today from the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, where the Wooden Tradition will take place starting in about an hour.
The first game features Purdue, the de facto host of this event, taking on Louisville. John Wooden was a three-time All-American at Purdue from 1930-32. Purdue ended the 1932 season ranked No. 1, which was before the days of post-season tournaments. This is the eighth edition of the Wooden Tradition and the Boilers have appeared in all but one of them.
Matt Painter's squad boasts one of the top freshman classes in the country, and those guys play a lot. Guard E'Twaun Moore and forwards Robbie Hummel, Scott Martin and JaJuan Johnson are all expected to start today, along with sophomore Keaton Grant. Another sophomore, Chris Kramer is arguably Purdue's best player, but he hasn't started since taking a header off the standard at Clemson two and a half weeks ago and suffering a concussion. Purdue is deep, with nine guys averaging at least 14.6 minutes per game.
The Boilers are off to a 5-2 start, with both losses coming on the road. Purdue's youth really showed up In the games at Clemson and Missouri, where it led late but couldn't finish. Louisville will be the first ranked team the Boilers have played this season.
Louisville is also 5-2, but in the Cardinals' case, that's a disappointing start. The Cards were ranked in the Top 10 in the preseason polls but have fallen to 22nd in the AP poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll.
There has been a lot of attrition on the Louisville front line. The latest forward to hit the bench is freshman Derrick Caracter, who is out for not living up to his name. He was suspended indefinitely by the team last week. Caracter joins center David Padgett and forward Juan Palacios, both of whom have knee injures and center Clarence Holloway, who is recovering from open heart surgery performed in September.
This leaves the Cards with only seven scholarship players. This week, Josh Chichester, a 6-foot-8 wide receiver on the football team, joined the basketball squad.
Fortunately for Louisville, Terrance Williams and Earl Clark are still on the team. Williams, a preseason All-American candidate, is averaging 11.6 points and 8.4 rebounds per game and posted a triple-double against Hartford. Clark is averaging a double-double with 14.1 points and 11.9 rebounds per contest.
Louisville coach Rick Pitino will make his second attempt to win his 500th collegiate game. Pitino's record currently stands at 499-184 in 22 seasons at Boston University, Providence, Kentucky and Louisville. Louisville lost to Dayton at home in his first try at No. 500.
* It's snowing here in Indianapolis. A lot. Current forecasts call for 4-6 inches of snow this afternoon, followed by a period of freezing rain (half an inch or so of that), and then beginning around midnight, another 4-6 inches of snow. There's already an inch or two on the ground. The bad weather might keep the crowds down a bit, although a lot of Purdue and Butler people will be locals. Any Florida State fans making the trip are probably already here, so maybe Louisville fans would be most affected. Louisville is about 120 miles south of here and they are expecting bad weather there as well.
* I stepped out into the arena to find my seat (halfway up in a corner) and watch Purdue shoot around a little bit. The seven or eight guys out there were wearing their uniforms, with a warm-up shirt over the top, but E'Twaun Moore was fully accessorized. He was wearing one of those portable music players on a lanyard around his neck and had earphones on. Isn't technology great? In my day, you'd have had to strap a boom box around your waist and wear big, tin-can headphones to do something like that. That would have made it hard to practice your shot.
I wonder what Moore was listening to. Perhaps some nice Christmas music or the latest from the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Maybe he has some Matt Painter motivational speeches on there. "Get back on D!" "Pass the bad word ball!"
Nah, it's probably stuff by that rapper, Half Dollar.
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