2004 Recruiting Class Produces High Expectations

Transcription

The Authority On Purdue Athletics
www.GoldandBlack.com
Defensive End
Rob Ninkovich
VOL. 15, ISSUE 15 • JAN. 15, 2005
I L L U S T R AT E D
Safety Torri Williams
Wide Receiver
Dorien Bryant
Running Back
Kory Sheets
Promising
Picture
Guard Jordan Grimes
2004 Recruiting Class
Produces High Expectations
Defensive Tackle
Ryan Baker
$2.50
COVER STORY: 2004 FOOTBALL RECRUITING CLASS
Waiting On Deck
Class Of '04 Made Early Impact; More To Come
BY BRIAN NEUBERT
[email protected]
promise at both tight end
and on the defensive line.
Baker spent the entire
season at tight end, but
donned a black jersey to
move to defense for the
team’s Sunday Boiler Bowl
scrimmages for young
players.
It was ultimately
decided that Baker’s nonstop, hard-charging playing
style suited him best on
defense. It didn’t hurt
that Purdue’s loaded with
bodies at tight end, but
perilously thin at defensive
tackle. During pre-bowl
practices, Baker was moved
to defensive tackle, likely
for good.
The 6-6 Baker saw his
weight drop down to 240
during his senior basketball
season at Indianapolis
Chatard; but he’s now
approaching a rock-solid
260 pounds.
If he can add even
more weight and strength,
you’ll assuredly see him on
the field in 2005. You know,
it’s not as important to be
300 pounds so much as it
O
ne year later, Coach Joe Tiller
believes his 2004 recruiting class is
everything it was cracked up to be when it
signed exactly one year ago.
Of course, few coaches would come
out and say otherwise, but in Tiller, you can
genuinely sense he believes it, particularly
when it comes to his young receivers
and offensive linemen, two positions that
are absolutely critical as Purdue’s offense
moves forward. Tiller is also pleased with
the eight newcomers who contributed in
2004.
“Over the course of the time they
played, they all made plays,” Tiller said.
From
a
position-by-position
standpoint, a quarter of the offensive line
signees that the staff repeatedly referred
to using the word “jackpot,” did not
disappoint, though health is now a major
concern.
“I’d take a (line) class like this one
every year,” Tiller said.
Then there are the receivers, which
saw one true freshman and a junior college
transfer make an impact, with two other
promising rookies redshirting.
“I’ll stick by my statement,” Tiller said,
“that this is the most talented receiver
class we’ve signed.”
Below is a look at the ’04 newcomers
and how they progressed through their
debut season at Purdue.
(Note: Headers indicate whether
a player played, and if so, where, or
redshirted, as well as position.)
CLIFF AVRIL
Played • Outside Linebacker/
Special Teams
Beside punter Dave Brytus, Cliff Avril
was the only other rookie to emerge as a
full-time starter, due to the season-ending
injury suffered at Northwestern by junior
strong-side linebacker Bobby Iwuchukwu.
Starting the final four-plus games of
the year, Avril made 36 tackles and forced
a fumble. Coaches were pleased with the
way he handled himself considering the
circumstances.
With some experience under his belt,
Avril becomes an especially intriguing
prospect. He’s 6-foot-3, with long arms
and good athleticism, and maintained his
weight all year. He’s pushing 230 pounds.
With Iwuchukwu coming back for
his senior season, there might be a log
jam brewing on the strong side. When
Avril first signed, his physical attributes
suggested he might become a defensive
end.
With a redshirt year still available,
a move is still not outside the realm of
possibility, Tiller said.
“There’s a thought that’s a possibility,
is to play like you are, and Baker shows
indications of being able to do just that.
His sheer tenacity alone can overwhelm
blockers and his height and timing seem
to give him a knack for batting down
passes at the line.
Tiller’s gone so far as to suggest he
could beat out a returning senior for a
starting job. Position coach Mark Hagen
might not argue; he’s as enamored with
Baker as anyone.
“Great motor. Tough. He’s everything
you love about a football player. He’s kind
of a throw-back,” Hagen said. “He goes
hard every play. Sometimes our guys (on
offense and defense) take offense to it,
but that’s the way you should play all the
time.”
Hagen’s been thrilled with how
receptive Baker has been to coaching
— “He’s like a sponge” — as well as his
effort and sheer talent.
“Whenever he’s been on defense
… the offensive guys, they’re just not
used to a guy who goes as hard as he
does every single play. You don’t see that
much nowadays. They’re rare. And when
you find one — like Ryan — you’ve got
something really good to work with.”
As a tackle, Baker can probably be
compared to former Boilermaker Craig
Terrill, though Baker’s taller and probably
a better athlete.
DAN BICK
Played • Special Teams
Tom Campbell
Ryan Baker could start next season at
defensive tackle because of his size (6foot-6, 260 pounds), athleticism and
great motor. Baker can be compared to
former Boilermaker and current Seattle
Seahawk Craig Terrill, but may prove to
be even better.
but you do want a guy to learn one
position and be really good at it,” Tiller
said. “ … He has broad shoulders and
looks like he’s going to become a very
big person. I think if we did decide his
future was at defensive end, that he could
become that 250- or 255-pound end. He’s
an Akin Ayodele type guy.”
Purdue’s young ranks at defensive
end are rather thin, perhaps more so
than linebacker, which will welcome an
infusion of nice new talent for next fall,
to go along with three returning starters
(counting Iwuchukwu).
RYAN BAKER
Redshirted • Defensive Tackle
What a nice problem to have.
In the case of former heralded recruit
Ryan Baker, the coaching staff spent the
entire season tying to decide where it
wanted Baker to play. It was a tough
decision, because Baker’s shown much
Tom Campbell
Defensive tackles and special teams coach Mark
Hagen says linebacker Dan Bick may be used in every
phase of special teams in the coming seasons, ala Jon
Goldsberry.
GOLD & BLACK ILLUSTRATED • VOLUME 15, ISSUE 15 • 2
Though a linebacker by
trade, Dan Bick made his
mark on special teams as
a true freshman, earning a
spot on the kickoff team.
Bick is fast and aggressive
and laid down some heavy
hits in the kicking game this
year. In high school, he
had an uncanny knack for
blocking kicks.
“Dan Bick, in my
opinion, is a guy who could
really be on every special
team,” said Hagen, who
doubles as special teams
coach. “That was a big part
of his high school career, and
we may want to use him in
every phase.
“He’s a great effort
guy and understands the
importance of special teams.
I see him having the same
role as a Jon Goldsberry,
being in on every phase.
You can’t say he’ll be exactly
like Jon — Jon’s been special
— but Dan Bick might have
that potential.”
Linebackers coach Brock
Spack said, though, that Bick
shouldn’t be labeled just yet
GoldandBlack.com
I L L U S T R A T E D
Volume 15, Issue 15
Jan. 15, 2004
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ON THE COVER
Associate editor
Brian Neubert’s
extensive cover story in
this week’s issue focuses
on the 2004 recruiting
class and the potential
impact it may have on
Purdue football in the
coming years. Cover
and University Spirit
photos by
Tom Campbell.
as a specialist only.
“You
don’t
pigeon-hole
anybody at this
point,” Spack said.
“The best players
play.”
DORIEN
BRYANT
Played •
Wide Receiver/
Special Teams
The
impact
player of the class,
Dorien Bryant was
slowly incorporated
into
Purdue’s
offense early on,
but grew more and
more involved with
each passing week.
Bryant caught
38 balls — the most
by a true freshman
under Tiller since
John Standeford
in 2000 — for 582
yards and three
touchdowns. He
Tom Campbell
also became a threat
Receiver Dorien Bryant will take over
in the running
for Taylor Stubblefield in the slot in
2005 and Coach Joe Tiller wants to see
game,
carrying
Tom Campbell Bryant add some weight to become
seven times for Dave Brytus was the Sun Bowl Special
more physical.
an average of 12.1 Teams MVP and should improve greatly
yards per carry, with more experience.
finishing with an average of 40
“That’s new for a lot of freshmen. yards per attempt. He closed the
including a 62-yard
touchdown against Indiana. It is You can’t just go on the practice season strong, though, as the thin
hoped that Bryant will assume field and do it.”
El Paso air helped him average
Tiller would like to see Bryant 48.9 yards on eight kicks — three
punt-return responsibilities in time
add 10 more pounds of muscle of which pinned Arizona State
for next fall.
Exiting two-a-days, Purdue before his sophomore season.
near its own goal line — and take
“I think that’s going to be home the game’s special teams
entered the fall with just a handful
of specific ways — meaning actual the trump card on him — the MVP honor.
plays — to use the speedster, but ability to get bigger and stronger
But that was the end of the
through the course of the fall, his and become a more
physical player,”
role expanded tremendously.
“In my opinion,” receivers Tiller said.
coach Bob DeBesse said, “he’s just
DAVE
scratching the surface.”
BRYTUS
And you’ll see more next year,
Played • Punter
as Bryant’s the heir apparent to
Dave Brytus was
Taylor Stubblefield’s 300-pluscatches in the slot position. Bryant recruited by Purdue
has listened intently this season to to kick right away,
Stubblefield, who's aimed to help and that’s exactly
the youngster with the mental what he did.
The
former
part of the game, as well as his
blue-chipper earned
route-running.
For Bryant, this season was for the No. 1 punting
learning, but there’s still work to job heading into the
be done, as evidenced by a sub-par season and held it
all year, although
performance in the Sun Bowl.
“He had to learn the Aaron Levin punted
Northwestern
importance of paying attention at
and studying and retaining due to the windy
what we’d do in the (football) conditions.
Brytus had his
class room,” DeBesse said of the
bouncy, charismatic receiver. ups and downs,
season; fast forward to
the start of it. Back in
September,theoffensewas
practically unstoppable.
As a result, Brytus punted
just once in Purdue’s first
two games.
“I’m glad I didn’t
have to, because that
meant we were scoring,”
Brytus said. “But I didn’t
get many chances. I’d
be lying if I said there
weren’t any nerves.”
Tiller said Brytus did
“OK” this season, but the
name of the game for the
youngster this season was
getting experience.
“David has just
tremendous
physical
ability,” Hagen said, “so
we expect him to keep
getting better.”
Continued on page 6
Volume 15
2005 Publishing Schedule
Issue
Mailing
No.
Date
16
January 18
17
February 1
18
February 8
19
February 22
20
March 1
21
March 8
22
March 15
23
March 22
24
April 8
25
April 29
26
May 27
Schedule is subject
to change.
IN THIS EDITION OF THE JOHN PURDUE
CLUB REPORT ON PAGE 4:
• Endowed Scholarship Brunch Set
For Jan. 30
• JPC Snapshot: Lauren Devich,
Softball
• Basketball Reminders
GoldandBlack.com
GoldandBlack.com
FROM ASSOCIATE EDITOR: BRIAN NEUBERT
THE BEST MAY BE YET TO COME
S
panning a large chunk
this magazine you’ll find our
comprehensive annual retrospective
on Joe Tiller’s most recent recruiting
class, just weeks before his next one
is signed.
In this piece, you’ll find out
anything and everything about the
Class of 2004 that you care to know,
perhaps short of what Dorien Bryant
had for breakfast and what Ryan Baker
got for Christmas. But, I think it was
Froot Loops and socks, respectively.
Pointless jokes aside, this is a class
Tiller takes very seriously. And for
good reason: It’s a collection of young
talent that’s lived up to its billing as
his “best class yet,” a label it’ll hold
all the way up until Feb. 2, when this
next class signs.
You saw this most recent class
draw immediate dividends in 2004.
You saw Bryant prove to be the
most talented receiver inked by
Tiller to date as he dropped hints of
greatness on Saturday afternoons.
You watched 310-pound tank
Jordan Grimes prove to be the most
complete and ready-made offensive
lineman you may ever see around
these parts.
Then, there’s Torri
Williams, who’s clearly
the future, if not the
present, at free safety, and
Brian Hare, who seemed
to average about 62 yards
a catch this year. Don’t
forget Rob Ninkovich, who
didn’t even need to start in
order to tie for the Big Ten
regular season lead with
eight sacks.
Purdue’s got a pretty good young
punter on its hands in Dave Brytus, too.
But as much as you saw from this
group this season, the best could be
yet to come. This class could really
establish Purdue on very solid ground
heading into the future, if it’s not
there already.
There’s quality across the board
in the Class of 2004, and when the
’05 class is mixed in, you might be
talking about a wealth of riches in
certain spots.
When reviewing the crop of
hatchlings from this season, perhaps
the most encouraging developments
occurred on the offensive line, where
Grimes proved to be a prodigy and
tackles Garret Miller and Sean Sester
were deemed smashing hits while
redshirting.
But, sticking true to
the old adage that, “Things
are never as good as they
seem,” Miller (a projected
’05 starter at a critical
position) and classmate
center-hopeful Zach Smith
were hurt during pre-bowl
workouts on Purdue’s
dilapidated and downright
hazardous indoor practice
turf. The day Purdue’s own
knee-eating green monster is replaced
— it needs to happen this summer —
will be a joyous and painfully overdue
day around Boilermaker athletics.
Then there’s running back Kory
Sheets. If this guy plays on game day
like he does on the practice field,
Purdue has something special in its
backfield.
You can say much of the same
about Baker, now a defensive tackle
after a year spent playing tight end.
Baker has all the attributes — including
sheer want-to — to be a great player.
The Boilermakers have played with
undersized defensive tackles for
several seasons now, but Baker could
give Purdue a real battleship in the
trenches, with a heart big enough to
match his body.
At receiver, Bryant would appear
to be a star in the making. Redshirts
Brandon Whittington and Desmond
Tardy will join him as part of a nice corps
of receivers — which will add big-time
recruits Selywn Lymon and Greg Orton
next year as well — that will be catching
the long ball over the long haul.
Defensively, Williams certainly
appears set for big things, and Zach
Logan and Fabian Martin are expected
to give the Boilermakers a muchneeded shot of depth and talent on
the corners.
The talent is there; so is the
enthusiasm.
More than anything, the Class of
’04 could inject the 2005 Boilermakers
with a healthy dose of Life, but not
the cereal or the board game.
Logan, Martin and Williams love
to play football. So does Baker. And
Miller and Hare. Usually chirping like
parakeets, Bryant and Tardy just seem
to love life in general.
Now, skip ahead a couple pages
and read for yourself.
Our apologies for the lack
of breakfast information. Maybe
next year. j
Neubert can be reached at
[email protected].
GoldandBlack.com
FRESHMEN Continued from page 3
average of 26 yards per-grab — and the
three aforementioned touchdowns.
And Hare did this with what DeBesse
calls so-so know-how of his position,
though Tiller has always admired Hare’s
ability to “track” balls in the air and
make plays on deep passes.
“His shortcomings come with his
technique,” DeBesse said. “For so long,
he’s gotten away with just running by
people, being faster than everyone. But
that doesn’t always work in the Big Ten,
with the schedule we play.
“Consequently, his focus this spring
and summer has to be on improving his
technique. Sometimes he gets in trouble
at the line of scrimmage or down the
field, so he has to learn to become
more disciplined and not just rely on
his speed. But he’s very coachable and I
love the kid to death. He’ll get better.”
Tom Campbell
Junior college transfer Jeremy Coley must get his weight up and increase
his strength if he intends to be a force at defensive end.
JEREMY COLEY
— remember, though, that
the Boilermakers return each
ANTHONY HEYGOOD
Here’s a name many fans will be of their top four defensive
Redshirted • Running Back
ends — may be determined
interested in hearing about.
Running
back Anthony Heygood
Jeremy Coley. The junior college by the kind of off-season he
might be the X factor in this whole
has
in
the
weight
room.
transfer came to West Lafayette as one of
class.
While Coley was a
the most-touted J.C. defensive ends in the
Why? No one seems to know where
nation, but this fall, Purdue got a little less disappointment in one
the
running
back’s going to end up. He
respect, he was anything but
than what it bargained for.
came to Purdue as an accomplished
in
another.
Don’t take that as an indictment of
high school running back, but that’s a
“His weight is down and
Coley as a player. Rather, he showed up
position where the Boilermakers have a
weighing much less than was anticipated. his strength is down, but
lot of bodies.
After playing his sophomore season his motor is up,” Tiller said.
Tom Campbell
So there’s some thought that the
“Those
guys,
the
Craig
Terrill
around 250 pounds, Coley arrived at
Tiller believes offensive guard Jordan Grimes is "going
6-2,
215-pounder — with speed and
Purdue tipping the scales at less than 230 type, have a tendency to do to be a dandy." After all, he was the first true freshman
athleticism
that belie his size — could
offensive
lineman
to
start
at
Purdue
since
Damon
Lewis
and at no point in the season got more things that aren’t picture- in 1993.
find
his
future
elsewhere. He played
perfect, but they still find
than a pound or two beyond that mark.
freshman ever to earn playing time on the
safety in high school, as well as running
their
way
to
the
football
because
of
their
How could this happen? Tiller pointed
offensive line under Tiller. And he didn’t back. He was an outstanding track athlete
out that Coley spent the summer working motor. Coley is that type of guy.”
disappoint.
in high school also.
on his academics at a very reputable
“He’s going to be a dandy,” said Tiller,
One possibility is fullback, where
JORDAN GRIMES
junior college, and thus spent little time
who fully intends on making Grimes a Tiller said Heygood could conceivably be
Played
•
Offensive
Guard
in the weight room.
full-time starter in 2004.
the team’s next Goldsberry.
Jordan Grimes made history of
As a result of Coley’s physical disparity,
The 6-foot-3, 310-pound former high
“We’d like to find some things out
he redshirted in 2004. His impact next year sorts this season, becoming the first true school power-lifting champion walked in
about him and find a place for Anthony,”
the door as the most physically developed Tiller said. “When we recruited him, we
young lineman this coaching staff had thought he was an athletic guy who could
ever seen; he bench-pressed 400 pounds play multiple positions and we talked
upon arriving on campus. As a result, it to him about that when we he visited
took Grimes just a couple of two-a-day here, and he was fine with that. That’s
sessions to earn a spot in the two-deeps.
He saw reserve action all year before
starting the Sun Bowl.
“I feel like I picked up the offense
pretty quick,” Grimes said. “It took a few
games, but as I got more experience, I got
more comfortable.”
Who Do You Rate As Purdue’s Greatest Basketball
The key for Grimes now, coaches say,
Coach Of All Time?
is to continue gaining experience and to
prevent his natural on-field aggressiveness
from reaching the point where it’s a
detriment. And, Tiller wants to make sure
Gene Keady
66% George King
8%
Grimes doesn’t get too big.
Redshirted • Defensive End (Junior)
Great Rates
for Great Boilermaker Fans
Ward "Piggy' Lambert 24%
Others
2%
BRIAN HARE
Played • Wide Receiver (Junior)
This survey question ran in a past issue of Gold & Black
Illustrated. Fans voted by e-mail at HuntingtonGRates@aol.
com, by fax and by mail. Thanks to all that participated and
watch for results and upcoming surveys in all future issues.
In a quality-over-quantity sort of way,
junior receiver Brian Hare made quite a
substantial impact in his Purdue debut
season.
In his very first game, against Syracuse,
Hare caught a 75-yard touchdown. It was
that kind of season for Hare, as it seemed
like every ball he caught went for a huge
play. He also caught a 48-yard scoring
bomb at Iowa and an 80-yard catch-andrun TD in the Sun Bowl.
For the season, Hare caught just 13
balls, but they went for 338 yards — a fat
Tom Campbell
Look for receiver Brian Hare to become
even more of a deep-play threat next
season, but to do so he needs to improve
his technique.
GoldandBlack.com
Martin collectively, and with
admiration.
“They were always in my
office bugging me, asking,
‘Coach, you got any tape?”
Anarumo said. “And this
is when they weren’t even
playing.”
Logan came to Purdue
as the rare true cornerback
recruit. And he may have been
a little ahead than his peers
from a know-how standpoint
after being coached in high
school by former long-time
NFL defensive back Maurice
Douglass.
“Every school or situation
is a little bit different,”
Anarumo said, “but he did
come in comfortable with
some techniques we like,
more so than other guys. He
Tom Campbell
Tom Campbell really wants to do well, and
Anthony Heygood may end up playing fullback,
Because he's so talented, it was difficult for
he’s his own biggest critic.
which is fine with him as he has told Tiller that
the coaching staff to redshirt cornerback Zach
But he has to let it come to
he'll play wherever needed.
Logan in 2004.
him and just play.”
encouraging, because that’s the exception
Like with almost all
to the rule. He’s had a great attitude. I’ve
ZACH LOGAN
young defensive backs, it would help
talked to him about maybe being a fullback
Redshirted • Cornerback
Logan to pack on additional size and
and I know other coaches have talked to
Along with classmate Fabian Martin, strength. His official listing of 6-1 might
him about maybe being a linebacker, and cornerback Zach Logan will be on the field be generous and he topped out during the
he’s said, ‘Coach, whatever you want.’”
next fall, according to Tiller.
season at around 176 pounds.
For that reason, Heygood will certainly
Logan nearly played this year, when he
be one to keep an eye on in the spring.
was the team’s traveling (or “emergency”)
FABIAN MARTIN
redshirt.
Redshirted • Cornerback
JAMAAL JONES
“All year long, when the (first team)
Coaches literally could not be happier
Redshirted • Offensive Line
was on the field, it was (Brian) Hickman with Fabian Martin, who along with
While most freshmen spend their first and (Antwaun) Rogers,” Tiller said, “but Logan, is expected to contribute at corner
year on campus adding weight, Jamaal when the (second team) was out there, it in 2005.
Jones was dropping it.
was (Paul) Long and Logan.”
Not only are Tiller and his staff pleased
After arriving on campus last spring,
But as the season progressed, junior with Martin the player, but also with
Jones proved to be woefully overweight, Sean Petty, who had been sidelined by a everything he’s proven to be off the field.
with his strength and speed lagging well bad shoulder during camp, moved above
Martin came to Purdue with big plans
behind as well.
Logan as the staff’s desire to keep the of being an impact wide receiver in the
He spent the year at defensive tackle, freshman’s redshirt year intensified.
Boilermaker offense. But just days into
but was moved to the offensive line before
First-year secondary coach Lou
the bowl game.
Anarumo speaks about Logan and
Position aside, the
coaching staff has been
A TALENTED BUNCH
pleased with Jones’
Below is a list of the 23 remaining scholarship newcomers that joined
physical progress, though
Purdue for the 2004 season:
he’s still thought to be
No. Name
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
2005 elig.
some distance from being
85
Cliff Avril*
LB
6-3
225
So.
ready to make an impact
90
Ryan Baker
DT
6-6
250
R-Fr.
36
Dan Bick
LB
6-1
215
So.
on the field.
9
Dorien Bryant*
WR
5-10
175
So.
“He’s a heck of a lot
16
Dave
Brytus*
P
6-4
235
So.
closer to helping us this
57
Jeremy Coley#!
DE
6-5
250
Jr.
year when he was last
66
Jordan Grimes
OG
6-3
310
So.
year,” Tiller said.
80
Brian Hare!
WR
6-3
200
Jr.
Hagen, who coached
42
Anthony Heygood
RB
6-2
210
R-Fr.
97
Jamaal Jones
OL
6-4
296
R-Fr.
Jones with the defensive
5
Zach Logan
CB
6-1
175
R-Fr.
tackles all year, said he
4
Fabian Martin
CB
5-11
185
R-Fr.
also saw Jones’ intensity
26
Lance Melvin
SS
5-9
190
R-Fr.
pick up.
51
Garret Miller
OT
6-8
265
R-Fr.
“I think he’s learning
93
Rob Ninkovich!
DE
6-3
245
Sr.
99
Jonathan Patton
DT
6-4
250
R-Fr.
what he needs to do to
74
Sean Sester
OT
6-8
275
R-Fr.
play,” Hagen said.
40
Kory Sheets
RB
6-0
205
R-Fr.
As of the time of
60
Zach Smith
OL
6-4
285
R-Fr.
his switch, it wasn’t set
6
Desmond Tardy
WR
6-1
180
R-Fr.
in stone where on the
46
Luis Vasquez
DE
6-3
238
R-Fr.
offensive line Jones would
19
Brandon Whittington
WR
6-2
195
R-Fr.
13
Torri Williams*
FS
6-2
190
So.
end up playing, though
* Played for the Boilermakers in 2004
guard would seem like
! Junior college transfer
the most logical starting
# Redshirted after transferring from junior college
point.
Note: All heights and weights are those officially listed by the
camp, he was asked to move to corner.
“I didn’t tell him he had to move,”
Tiller said.
Martin did move, and after a couple
days of mild disappointment and what
appeared to be some sulking, he bought into
his new position whole-heartedly. That,
and the weight room, where he’s put on
almost 10 solid pounds while redshirting.
That’s quite an accomplishment for a
young DB, particularly if they can maintain
their speed, of which Martin has plenty.
“Obviously he can run, but he had
never lifted weights before he’d come
here. They just didn’t have (weights at his
high school),” Anarumo said. “With a year
of lifting and running under his belt, he
could be able to really help us. And Fabian’s
doing a heck of a job (academically). He’s
really excelling in the classroom. He really
wants to do well and really wants to be
here.”
When Tiller talks about Martin, he
smiles and talks about a player from
an urban environment (Chicago) who’s
truly seemed to make the most of the
opportunities presented to him.
“He came in here as an average
student, but of all the kids we’ve had
come in here, he’s really grabbed a hold of
the academic part of the equation,” Tiller
said. “He’s really done a great job. He’s very
organized, responsible and accountable.
We just couldn’t be more pleased of him.
And, he has a great personality.”
LANCE MELVIN
Redshirted • Defensive Back
It’s still up in the air as to whether
defensive back Lance Melvin will end up
as a safety or a cornerback.
Tiller said of Melvin that he simply
didn’t prove talented enough to play
ahead of classmate Torri Williams at safety
or to return kicks, where the coaches have
Bryant on the fast track.
university and was gathered prior to the season. More up-to-date
measurements, when significant, are reflected in individual bios.
GoldandBlack.com
That’s not to say the heady
DB’s been written off. When he
was recruited, Purdue’s coaches
loved Melvin’s toughness and
football savvy.
Physically, though, Melvin
may have lost a step from high
school, according to Tiller.
“He’s put on 10 pounds
since high school,” Tiller said,
“and I suspect that’s affected his
quickness and speed.”
The rock-solid 5-9 Melvin
was weighing around 192 pounds
toward the end of the season.
GARRET MILLER
Redshirted • Offensive Tackle
Offensive tackle Garret Miller
was the most pleasant surprise
of this season, but by no fault of
his own, also perhaps the biggest
disappointment.
You see, Miller was so
Tom Campbell
impressive this season that the Defensive end Rob Ninkovich was a pleasant
in 2004, leading the Boilermakers with
coaches had him informally surprise
eight sacks, which tied for the Big Ten regularpenciled in to start next year. But season lead.
that was before Miller sustained
things up extremely quickly. I don’t think
a dislocated patella — a severe leg injury it’s a matter of if rather than when with
— during pre-bowl workouts on the Garret.”
Mollenkopf Athletic Center’s worn-down
Tiller compared Miller’s on-the-field
indoor practice turf. It’s a injury Tiller says demeanor to past Boilermaker linemen
he’s never had a player totally rebound Matt Light, Mark Fischer and Chukky
from.
Okobi.
If Miller were to do so, however, the
“I really like his temperament as well
coaches would be ecstatic. The staff raved as his athleticism,” Tiller said, also before
about him all year long.
the injury. “He’ll really battle you. He has
“He was more than what we thought good leverage and long arms, so he’s really
we were getting,” offensive line coach Bill hard to get around.
Legg said before the injury. “We knew
“He has a chance to be a heck of a
we were getting a bright, tough, athletic player.”
kid. I don’t know if we knew we were
To do so, though, Miller would have
getting as athletic a kid as he turned out needed a big summer in the weight
to be. He’s naturally strong and has great room, as he was around just 260 pounds
balance. He’s very intelligent and picks
After he flip-flopped between
tight end and defensive end during
training camp, the coaches opted
to leave Ninkovich on defense
and pass on the redshirt year he
had available.
It proved to be a good decision.
All season, Ninkovich was the
Boilermakers’ first defensive end
off the bench, seeing action in
Purdue’s “posse” (four defensive
end) line package and when starter
Anthony Spencer was banged up.
Though just a reserve,
Ninkovich wound up leading the
team with eight sacks, which also
tied him for the regular season Big
Tom Campbell
Ten lead. He doubled his total by
Of all the freshmen, Tiller said quarterback Curtis
Painter, who will enter Spring Practice as Purdue's sacking Indiana’s Matt LoVecchio
No. 2 quarterback behind Brandon Kirsch, may
four times in the regular season
have improved the most.
finale. For the season, he made 23
toward the end of the season. His offtackles — 9.5 for loss — and broke
season, of course, will be hampered as he up four passes.
rehabilitates, so just how much Miller can
Ninkovich also caught a touchdown
contribute next season is very much in at Notre Dame, as a situational goal-line
doubt.
blocker. And, he served as Purdue’s backup long-snapper, though he was never
ROB NINKOVICH
needed.
Played • Defensive End (Junior)
As a defensive end, Ninkovich brings
No newcomer made the most of his solid speed and quickness in addition
playing time this year more than junior to great toughness and effort to the
college transfer Rob Ninkovich.
Boilermaker defensive line. Being that
Purdue returns Spencer and
fellow starter Ray Edwards,
NEWS AND NOTES ON THE
it might be expected that
CLASS OF ’04
Ninkovich will play the
R Attrition struck light on this class through
same role next year as he
Year 1, as only two scholarship recruits have fallen
did in 2004.
out of the program since the group arrived on
There’s no reason to
campus.
think at this point that
Junior college wide receiver Bruce Gordon
this will be considered, but
and freshman linebacker-turned-fullback Jimmy
Ninkovich does still have a
Ladd left the team in August and late October,
redshirt year available.
respectively. Gordon, who arrived for spring ball
last year, was frustrated by a series of hamstring
CURTIS PAINTER
injuries; Ladd left for personal reasons.
Redshirted • Quarterback
R Of those who signed last winter, but didn’t
Curtis Painter, by virtue
initially enroll, defensive back Christian Graham
of a strong training camp,
has re-signed and now enrolled mid-year. Running
immediately established
back Chris Haslon, sidelined by academic and
himself in the No. 3 slot
health issues, will play college football at the
on Purdue’s depth chart at
Division I-AA level.
quarterback.Fortunatelyfor
Quarterback David Ramirez, who grey-shirted
the Boilermakers, though,
during the fall semester because of a back injury,
he was never needed, and
has already joined the team.
thus redshirted.
R Purdue’s coaches have been saying all year
Now, Painter appears
that they’d “hit the jackpot” on their new young
poised to enter spring
offensive linemen — Garret Miller, Sean Sester and
practice as the back-up
Zach Smith.
to junior-to-be Brandon
But that excitement has to be tempered now,
Kirsch.
to say the least, by the major leg injuries sustained
Painter might be
by Miller and Smith during pre-bowl practices on
considered a cross between
the Mollenkopf Athletic Center’s antiquated AstroKirsch and ’04 starter Kyle
Turf. Both injuries were sustained in non-contact
Orton. He’s athletic and
situations. It’s generally believed that the summer
can run with the ball,
between an offensive lineman’s first and second
but not quite as well as
years are the most important from a physical
Kirsch. Meanwhile, his
development standpoint.
arm appears stronger than
R Six true freshmen played this fall, second
Kirsch’s, but not quite as
in participation only to the eight that played
powerful as Orton’s.
in 2000: Dan Bick and Dave Brytus were special
Quarterbacks coach
teams staples. Dorien Bryant contributed heavily at
Blaine Bennett describes
receiver. Jordan Grimes became the first freshman
Painter’s arm, which zings
offensive lineman ever to play under Tiller. Torri
consistent spirals on the
Williams became a key reserve in the secondary.
practice field, as lively.
Lastly, Cliff Avril ended the season as the starter at
“Kyle could throw the
strong-side linebacker, having replaced the injured
ball every day and never
Bobby Iwuchukwu.
Continued on page 26
GoldandBlack.com
FOOTBALL: NEWS AND NOTES
AND FINALLY
Boilermakers Earn FedEx Air
Team-Of-The-Year Honor
BY DOUG GRIFFITHS
[email protected]
D
uring halftime of the BCS
national championship game between
Oklahoma and USC Jan. 4 in the FedEx
Orange Bowl in Miami, Purdue was
named the FedEx Express Air Team-ofthe-Year. As a result, the university’s
general scholarship fund receives
$25,000.
The honor was the result of online
balloting by the fans. Other nominees
included Arizona State, Georgia,
Oklahoma, Texas Tech, USC and Utah.
Purdue’s aerial assault amassed
3,573 yards and 35 touchdowns (both
Big Ten highs in 2004), with only eight
interceptions, this season.
A brief highlight package was shown,
including quarterback Kyle Orton’s 97yard touchdown pass to receiver Taylor
Stubblefield Oct. 2 at Notre Dame.
“At Purdue, we believe in passing
until we get hot, and when we get hot,
we’ll keep passing,” Coach Joe Tiller
said during a taped interview on ABC.
“We’re not afraid to throw it on
any down or distance whether it’s first,
second, third or fourth down and I
think that’s why fans like to watch us
play,” Stubblefield said.
Play-by-play
announcer
Brad
Nessler pointed out that Stubblefield
became college football’s all-time leader
in receptions this past season.
Tom Campbell
Quarterback Kyle Orton helped Purdue’s high-flying offense earn FedEx Air Team-ofthe-Year honors, throwing for 3,090 yards and 31 touchdowns.
BOILERS IN NFL UPDATE
R Chargers starting
R Linebacker Gilbert
2005
center Nick Hardwick
Gardner didn’t dress for
PURDUE
suffered a knee and ankle
Indianapolis’ impressive
SCHEDULE
sprain in the second
home win (49-24) over
Date
Opponent
quarter against the Jets.
Denver Jan. 9. He was out
Sept. 10
AKRON
Sept. 17
@ Arizona
After being examined in
with a shoulder injury.
Sept. 24
@ Minnesota
the locker room, Hardwick
Oct. 1
NOTRE DAME
returned to the sideline
IN CASE YOU
Oct. 8
IOWA
Oct. 15
NORTHWESTERN*
late in the third quarter
DIDN’T
KNOW
Oct. 22
@ Wisconsin
with a noticeable limp and
R
Purdue’s
defensive
Oct. 29
@ Penn State
Nov. 5
MICHIGAN STATE
didn’t return to action.
effort against Arizona State
Nov. 12
ILLINOIS
R
San
Diego
in the Sun Bowl was ranked
Nov. 19
@ Indiana
linebacker Shaun Phillips
as the 10th-biggest dud in
*Homecoming
had one tackle and a half
the 2004 bowl season by
sack in the Chargers’ loss.
CollegeFootballNews.com
R Middle linebacker
in the Web sites' best and
Niko Koutouvides and defensive end worst list of the bowl season.
Chike Okeafor started for Seattle while
It said, “The same Boilermaker
defensive tackle Craig Terrill came off unit which ranked among the nation’s
the bench for the Seahawks in a 27-20 best in defense this year failed to hold
home loss to St. Louis Jan. 8.
a late fourth-quarter lead and yielded
It was interesting to see all three more than 500 yards to an Arizona
Boilermakers on the field at the same State team sans starting quarterback
time, especially during St. Louis’ game- Andrew Walter.”
winning touchdown drive late in the
R Hardwick was named to ESPN.
fourth quarter.
com’s NFL All-Rookie Team.
Koutouvides was credited with five
Hardwick blocked for an offense
tackles. Okeafor had four stops and two that was third in the league in scoring
sacks, while Terrill got half a sack.
during the regular season (446 points).
R According to
figures in the Dec.
27, 2004-Jan. 2, 2005
2004-05 VERBAL COMMITMENTS
issue of Street & Smith’s
Player
Pos.
Ht.
Wt.
Hometown/High School
SportsBusiness Journal,
Joey Elliott
QB
6-2
190
Evansville, Ind./Harrison
the
Purdue-Notre
Christian Graham^
CB
6-2
190
Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central
Dame game ranked
Frank Halliburton
DE
6-3
240
Indianapolis, Ind./Chatard
Eric Hedstrom
OL
6-6
265
Arlington Heights, Ill./Prospect
22nd
among
the
Todshon Jones*
DB
6-2
165
Winslow Township, N.J./Winslow Township
highest-rated network
Jason Kacinko
OL
6-6
300
Harrison City, Pa./Penn-Trafford
television games in
Brandon King
ATH
5-10
171
Warner Robins, Ga./Houston County
college football this
Selwyn Lymon
WR
6-4
190
Fort Wayne, Ind./Harding
season. It received
Alex Magee
DT
6-5
270
Oswego, Ill./Oswego
a 2.5 rating (2.719
Dray Mason
RB
5-10
175
Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard
million viewers). j
Michael Neal
DE
6-4
240
Merrillville, Ind./Merrillville
Several former Purdue players had
their seasons end during the first round
of the NFL play-offs Jan. 8-9.
R Quarterback Drew Brees’ San
Diego Chargers were upset 20-17 in
overtime by the New York Jets Jan. 9 in
Qualcomm Stadium.
Brees completed 31-of-42 passes for
a game-high 319
yards with two
touchdowns and
an interception.
Of those 319
yards, 147 came
in the fourth
quarter and OT.
He started
the
game
completing his
first eight passes.
There
is
some question as
to whether Brees
will return to
San Diego next
season, because
he’s a free agent.
Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
San Diego starting center Nick Hardwick, shown snapping the ball
to Drew Brees, missed the second half of the Chargers’ playoff
game against the New York Jets Jan. 8 after injuring his ankle and
knee.
Greg Orton
WR
6-4
190
Huber Heights, Ohio/Wayne
J.B. Paxson
DE
6-3
260
Greenwood, Ind./Center Grove
Jonathan Phillips
K
6-1
200
West Palm Beach, Fla./Wellington
David Ramirez^
QB
6-2
190
Red Oak, Texas/Grace Preparatory Academy
Jason Werner
LB
6-4
200
Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli
Kyle Williams^
LB
6-2
217
Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook
Jared Zwilling
DE
6-4
255
Evansville, Ind./Central
^enrolled at Purdue for the spring semester in January and will participate in spring practice
* new commitment
For thorough, daily
coverage of Boilermaker
football, visit
GoldandBlack.com.
GoldandBlack.com
FOOTBALL FEATURE: DREW BREES
SUPER CHARGER
Free-Agent-To-Be Brees Turns Career, San Diego Around
BY KYLE CHARTERS
[email protected]
INDIANAPOLIS — Drew Brees knew
this was where he would be all along
— leading the San Diego Chargers into
the AFC playoffs.
Before the season started in early
September, it was a scenario which
many — if not most — seemed an
impossibility. And although the final
chapter ended earlier than he expected
with a playoff loss to the New York Jets
Jan. 8 — for Brees, the former Purdue
quarterback who led the Boilermakers
to the Rose Bowl in 2001, it was the
best scenario.
“He’s a remarkable competitor,”
Charger coach Marty Schottenheimer
said after San Diego’s loss to Indianapolis
on Dec. 26. “He’s provided great
leadership, as well as great performances
for us this season.”
Brees’ storybook season ended
when the Jets defeated the Chargers
20-17 in overtime. San Diego ended the
season with a 12-5 record.
A few months ago, a San Diego
playoff berth would have seemed an
unlikely scenario. With the No. 1 pick
in the NFL Draft in April, San Diego
went looking for a new franchise
quarterback, as the organization seems
to do every couple of years or so, settling
on North Carolina State's Phillip Rivers,
after trading the rights to Eli Manning
to the New York Giants.
The
move
“The big thing was just having the right
signaled
an
apparent end to
attitude. It was like, ‘Hey, what am I
the Drew Brees Era
going to do? Am I going to sit around
— one which saw
the signal-caller
and let somebody take my job? Or am I
get pulled for two
games last season
going to show them what I’m all about?’
in favor of 41-year
So I decided to show them what I’m all
old Doug Flutie
and benched for
about.”
five others as the
Chargers fell to an
– Drew Brees
NFL worst 4-12.
“The big thing
compared to just that this is his team. I don’t think the
was just having
11 touchdowns, draft pick had anything to do with it; I
the right attitude,”
Brees earned a trip think he was just out to prove to people
said Brees. “It was
to the Pro Bowl that he could play quarterback at this
like, 'Hey, what
as the league’s level.”
am I going to do?
third-highest rated
Brees isn’t the only former
Am I going to sit
passer
behind
Boilermaker
who helped the Chargers to
around and let
I
n
d
i
a
n
a
p
o
l
i
s
’
the
playoffs
this year. The organization
somebody
take
Peyton
Manning
drafted
rookies
Nick Hardwick and
my job? Or am
and
Minnesota’s
Shaun
Phillips
after
their outstanding
I going to show
Duante
Culpepper,
four-year
careers
at
Purdue.
them what I’m
Getty Images/Jonathan Daniel
with
“I’ve known all along that Drew is
all about?’ So I Former Boilermaker Drew Brees could see finishing
3,159
passing
a
great
player,” Phillips said, “and he’s
a big payday after leading the Chargers
decided to show to a playoff berth in his fourth season
y
a
r
d
s
,
2
7
going
to
be one for a lot of years. He
them what I’m all in the NFL. Brees was named Associated
t
o
u
c
h
d
o
w
n
s
just
didn’t
have a lot of help the last
Press Comeback-Player-of-the-Year earlier
about.”
this month.
and
seven
couple
of
years.
Now he’s starting to get
Brees capped
interceptions.
His
some
help
and
he’s
showing what kind
his fourth NFL season by being named
104.8
rating
is
37.3
points
higher
than
of
quarterback
he
is.”
The Associated Press 2004 NFL Comeback
After the disappointing loss to the
Player-of-the-Year, easily beating out last season.
“I
think
last
year
was
just
one
Jets,
Brees and the Chargers must turn
Carolina linebacker Mark Fields, who sat
of
those
seasons
that
you
have
to
go
their
attention to the future. Brees, a free
out last season with Hodgkin’s Disease.
through
to
make
yourself
a
better
agent,
could be allowed to test the open
A year after throwing 15 interceptions
player and a better person,” Brees said. market, looking for a large, long-term
“I think we all grew and matured deal. But it’s widely speculated that the
and learned from that time. Honestly Chargers will place the “franchise tag”
coming into the season we expected (to on Brees, guaranteeing him a one-year
make the playoffs). We expected to be deal worth the average of the salaries
going into the playoffs and fighting for of the top-5 highest paid quarterbacks
a Super Bowl Championship.”
in the league — an equivalent of about
OK, so 53 players and a handful of 9-million dollars.
coaches believed, but for the rest of the
Although that is a lot of money,
world, that certainly wasn't the case. it's not as much as Brees could earn
The Chargers were predicted by many considering he would get millions more
to finish near or at the bottom of the in a signing bonus. As a result, it's easy
AFC West Division; Schottenheimer’s to see why the QB wants a long-term
job was in jeopardy; and Rivers was deal — either with the Chargers or with
expected to replace Brees as the team’s another team.
starter by mid-season, if not sooner.
While the business side of football
But with Rivers holding out during will have to work itself out, Brees says
the preseason because of a prolonged there’s more work to be done on the
contract negotiation, Brees got the small football field next season.
opening he needed. After an off-season
“I don’t feel like I’ve even scratched
in which Brees rededicated himself the surface of what I can do in this
to intense workouts and endless film league and I don’t think we’ve even
study, others were confident that the scratched the surface as far as what
job would be his.
we can do as a team,” he said. “You’ve
“Drew has spent countless hours just always got to believe that. No
in the film room and out on the matter what happens. Let’s face it, bad
football field with his receivers, getting things are going to happen. I mean, it’s
their timing down and creating a really the NFL. There are other good players
special bond,” said longtime Brees’ out there and it’s kind of a cutthroat
buddy LaDainian Tomlinson, who is business where they’re always bringing
headed to the Pro Bowl, too. “I think somebody in to try to replace you or to
that has just paid off for him. He’s been upgrade. That’s just the business, it’s the
on the same page with his receivers way it is. But you just have to believe
since the first game.
in yourself and have confidence, and
“Drew has always had the mindset everything will work out.” j
GoldandBlack.com
MEN'S BASKETBALL: NO.1 ILLINOIS 68, PURDUE 59
PUTTING UP A FIGHT
Boilermakers Play Top-Ranked Illini Tough, But Fall Short In Second Half
BY BRIAN NEUBERT
[email protected]
Indeed. With energy
not often seen from
Purdue this season, the
Boilermakers swarmed
the Illini, keeping those
in orange out of their
lethal transition game
(as the Illini didn't have
one fastbreak bucket the
entire game). Keeping
the game relegated to
the half court, Purdue
hit 10 of its first 15 shots
and corralled nine of the
contest’s 12 rebounds.
It looked like Weber
was about to faint, as
he rolled his eyes and
stepped backwards at
16:03, when Matt Kiefer
buried a three-pointer
right in front of Illinois'
F
or 30 minutes Jan. 8, the magic
was back in Mackey Arena.
But for the final 10, reality was
as hard and cold as the inch-thick ice
encasing much of frigid West Lafayette
these days.
Playing a nationally-televised game
in front of a crowd that was about as
divided as the 2004 presidential election,
the out-manned and under-talented
Boilermakers gave the No. 1 team in
the country all it could chew on for the
first half-and-a-half. But in the closing
minutes, Bruce Weber’s undefeated Illini
spit it right back out.
After Purdue led by as many as nine
during an inspired first half, Illinois
gained control of the game in the
second, using a 26-7 run to turn a threepoint deficit at the 17-minute mark into
an 11-point cushion with eight-and-ahalf minutes to play. After trailing at the
half for the first time this year, Illinois
pulled away to win 68-59.
Illinois improved to 16-0 overall,
2-0 in the Big Ten, while Purdue fell to
4-8, 0-2.
The decisive run was capped by
three consecutive three-pointers from
Dee Brown, who didn’t even take a shot
in the first half.
“They’re the No. 1 team in the
nation, and they just kept coming at
us,” Purdue’s Carl Landry said. “They
stayed together, hit a couple of shots
and that was that.”
Weber — the long-time Keady
assistant — knew his former boss would
have his team come out like a pack of
hungry dogs. He was right, particularly
in the first half.
##
40
43
04
05
11
33
45
50
Player Name
Augustine, James
Powell, Jr., Roger
Head, Luther
Williams, Deron
Brown, Dee
McBride, Rich
Smith, Nick
Ingram, Jack
TEAM
Totals
TOTAL FG%
3-Pt. FG%
F Throw %
##
14
42
02
04
10
05
30
33
45
f
f
g
g
g
“I think we shocked them a little
bit,” Keady said. “The first question
Bruce asked me after the game was,
‘Why don’t they play like that all the
time?’”
Said Weber of the first half: “We
were the team on its heels; they were the
team on its toes.”
Illinois
TOT-FG
FG-FGA
2-4
5-11
5-11
2-9
4-7
2-2
0-2
3-5
3-PT
FG-FGA
0-0
1-4
3-7
1-3
4-6
2-2
0-0
0-0
FT-FTA
4-6
2-3
2-4
1-3
2-2
0-0
0-0
0-0
23-51
11-22
11-18
1st Half: 11-29 37.9%
1st Half: 5-9 55.6%
1st Half: 6-9 66.7%
Player Name
Landry, Carl
Kiefer, Matt
Teague, David
Ford, Andrew
McKnight, Brandon
Dillon, Bryant
Price, Xavier
Ware, Gary
Davis, Charles
TEAM
Totals
TOTAL FG%
3-Pt. FG%
F Throw %
f
f
g
g
g
Tom Campbell
Things looked good for Purdue in the
first half as junior forward Carl Landry
was able to get several easy shots
inside. Landry and forward Matt Kiefer
nailed 11-of-16 shots in the opening
stanza, leading the Boilermakers to hit
a crisp 57.1 percent of their shots from
the floor.
REBOUNDS
DE TOT
6
9
4
5
2
4
2
3
0
0
1
2
0
0
2
2
1
1
9
17
26
OF
3
1
2
1
0
1
0
0
2nd Half: 12-22 54.5%
2nd Half: 6-13 46.2%
2nd Half: 5-9 55.6%
3-PT
FG-FGA
1-1
1-2
2-4
0-0
1-3
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
FT-FTA
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
3-4
3-4
0-0
0-0
0-0
24-52
5-10
6-8
Officials: Randy Drury, Mike Sanzere, Dan Crisman
Technical fouls: Illinois-None. Purdue-None.
Attendance:
14,123
Score by Periods
1st
2nd
Total
Illinois
33
35
-68
Purdue
39
20
-59
TP
8
13
15
6
14
6
0
6
A
3
0
3
6
2
0
1
1
TO
2
1
0
2
2
0
0
0
BLK
2
0
2
1
0
0
0
1
S
0
0
2
0
1
2
0
0
MIN
34
28
38
31
33
19
4
13
15
68
16
7
6
5
200
Game: 45.1%
Game: 50.0%
Game: 61.1%
Purdue
TOT-FG
FG-FGA
7-12
8-14
4-10
0-0
3-10
2-4
0-0
0-0
0-2
1st Half: 16-28 57.1%
1st Half: 3-4 75.0%
1st Half: 4-6 66.7%
PF
3
4
0
4
3
0
0
1
REBOUNDS
DE TOT
2
7
4
6
2
3
0
0
4
4
3
5
1
1
0
0
4
4
1
1
10
21
31
OF
5
2
1
0
0
2
0
0
0
2nd Half: 8-24 33.3%
2nd Half: 2-6 33.3%
2nd Half: 2-2 100 %
PF
3
4
3
3
0
3
0
0
0
TP
15
17
10
0
10
7
0
0
0
A
2
2
0
3
2
5
0
0
0
TO
3
2
1
0
2
2
1
1
1
BLK
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
S
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
MIN
36
26
39
9
37
29
6
5
13
16
59
14
13
4
1
200
Game: 46.2%
Game: 50.0%
Game: 75.0%
First, Roger Powell dunked off an
in-bound pass, then Brown hit a three.
Then Powell dunked again and Brown
hit another three. Deron Williams,
who was held to just six points, hit a
jumper at 14:46, but then Bryant Dillon
answered for Purdue.
At 10:27, Luther Head drove to the
hoop and scored, but Kiefer answered.
But it was then that things got really
ugly.
Brown — heeding Weber’s halftime
advice to “play like you’re No. 1” — hit
a three, then another to give UI its first
double-digit lead, 56-45 at 9:21. David
Teague hit a three-pointer for Purdue,
but then Brown hit another, this time
from well beyond NBA range.
The rest of the way, Purdue never
got within fewer than eight.
The Boilermakers were assertive in
the first half, but in the second, Illinois
became the aggressor,
getting loose ball after loose
ball, offensive rebound after
offensive rebound. The
6-foot pinball-like guard
made like a cartoon, using
his maddening speed and
quickness to play “Jerry” to
the Boilermakers’ “Tom.”
Kiefer led Purdue
with 17 points on 8-of-14
shooting, showing more
spring off his surgically
repaired knee than he had
previously.
“The crowd being
that big kind of gets you
going,” Kiefer said of the
announced sellout, “so
maybe that had something
to do with it.”
Landry had 15 points
on 7-of-12 shooting, with
seven rebounds. Teague
and McKnight each had
10.
For the second straight
game — the Boilermakers’
prior loss to Wisconsin
Tom Campbell
may have been Keady’s
Junior guard David Teague tries to create some space
team’s best statistical
away from Illinois guard Luther Head. Head and the
Illinois defense clamped down severely on Teague
showing of the year — the
in the second half limiting him to just four shots as
Boilermakers put forth one
Purdue managed just 20 points in the second period.
of their better efforts of
second-year coach.
the season, and again lost convincingly.
Purdue was led in the half by a This perhaps would lead one to the
seemingly inspired Kiefer, who scored revelation that even Purdue’s very best
13 points, ranging from long jumpers this season may not be enough against
to driving, one-handed dunks. His assist the Big Ten’s upper crust.
at 9:30 gave Landry an easy two-handed
The Boilermakers shot a very
slam and provided Purdue an eight-point respectable 46.2 percent, out-rebounded
lead. A three by Brandon McKnight at Illinois 31-26 and had more assists than
4:57 made it a nine-point game.
turnovers.
All seemed to start well for the
Purdue shot 57 percent in the first
Boilermakers in the second half, as half and grabbed eight more rebounds,
Landry dunked, then drew an offensive while Illinois shot just 37 percent. Keady
foul on James Augustine. But the Illini knew all this in the locker room.
defense stiffened, Kiefer picked up his
“They were only down six,” Keady
third foul and was replaced by Charles said, “so they probably felt good about
Davis and the Illini took off.
that.” j
GoldandBlack.com
M EN'S BASKETBALL: WISCONSIN 77, PURDUE 68
TRIPLE PLAY
Badgers Shoot Their Way To Win In Big Ten Opener
BY BRIAN NEUBERT
[email protected]
P
romotional materials for Purdue
men’s basketball this season have promised
ticket-buyers “a whole lot of threes.”
Well, on Jan. 5, both ticket-buyers and
freebie walk-ins — due to the icy weather
and void of students, free admission was
offered to all willing to come — the Mackey
Arena crowd got just that: A whole lot of
threes. But much to Coach Gene Keady’s
chagrin, they came from the wrong team.
Wisconsin knocked down 14-of-22
three-pointers in beating the Boilermakers,
77-68, in the conference opener for both
schools before an announced crowd of
7,925 fans.
“We didn’t get up on their shooters;
we didn’t follow the scouting report,” said
David Teague, the player who promises
all those threes in the commercials, but
uncharacteristically scored 20 without the
benefit of a single triple. “Coach told us all
week who could shoot and who couldn’t
shoot.”
Hopefully for Purdue, Zach Morley’s
name appeared in the “can shoot” column
on Keady’s chalkboard.
The bushy-haired big man was 6-of8 from long range, hitting four of those
triples between the 16:30 and 13-minute
marks of the second half, as Wisconsin
blew the game open. His hot shooting put
the Badgers up by as many as 13 in the
second half.
While the men in red were red-hot
from beyond the arc in the second half,
they were even more so in the first, when
Tom Campbell
Matt Kiefer and Wisconsin’s Zach Morley
battle for a rebound during second half
action. In addition to his game-high
seven rebounds, Morley was a huge
thorn in the Boilermakers’ side, connecting on 6-of-8 three-point attempts. He
finished with a team-high 22 points.
they connected on 8-of-10 treys and 2-of15 on all their other shots. The Badgers’ first
18 points came off three-pointers. The first
half, though, was extremely competitive, as
Purdue led by as many as seven and didn’t
trail by more than three until the final two
minutes of the half.
With 51 seconds left in the opening
stanza, Keady was called for a technical foul
after protesting a traveling call on Brandon
McKnight. The Badgers made one free
throw off the T, then sank a three-pointer
by Alando Tucker for a six-point lead, their
biggest of the half.
“We’ve had coaches outside of that
friggin’ (coaches) box all year, and I didn’t
say (a word) about it,” fumed Keady who
appeared to inadvertently make contact
with Tom Clark, the official who called the T.
“Now, we have an important game like this
and I wanted to find out what happened
on the steps and we get a technical. That’s
ridiculous. That’s not what lost the game
for us, but I get so fed up with these guys
(the officials).”
Then, the Badgers’ barrage from threepoint land blew it open in the final 20
minutes. In the game’s closing minutes,
Purdue almost stubbornly kept fouling to
delay the inevitable as long as possible. But
UW hit 9-of-10 from the stripe in the final
two minutes. The Boilermakers scored 10
points, all virtually uncontested, in the final
minute but never so much as attempted a
three-pointer.
The loss dropped Purdue to 4-7, and
Keady’s getting fed up.
“It’s a lack of intensity; a lack of doing
what we practice; a lack of taking coaching,”
a livid Keady said after the game. “I don’t
want to sound like a coach blaming his
players, because I’m not. We teach. We’re
the coaches. It’s our fault, but we’ve got to
start making some plays to win games.
“The people we’ve had here in the
program — the older guys — are used
to losing. I’m sorry. When you get used
to winning and maintaining leadership,
like Wisconsin’s doing right now … we’re
being like they used to be. That’s got to
change. That’s why I wanted to change
head coaches. That’s got to change with
new enthusiasm and a new voice, because
evidently, they’re not listening to me.
“It’s like a radio station in Chicago said,
we’re ‘God awful.’ I’m really pissed off about
that because I hate what has happened here
in 25 years. Hopefully, we can get it turned
around this year.”
Though much of Purdue’s offensive
production came in the final few minutes
with the game decided, statistically this
may have been one of the Boilermakers’
better offensive outings of the season.
Purdue shot a season-best 53.7 percent
and had a glowing 19-to-9 assist-to-turnover
ratio. Teague had the rare game when he
hit more than half his shots. He was 9-of16, with no three-pointers.
The Boilermakers’ offensive catalyst,
though, was once again hamstrung by foul
trouble.
Leading scorer Carl Landry scored 23
points on 8-of-10 shooting, but played just
24 minutes. It was no coincidence that
Wisconsin’s runs in both halves came with
Landry on the pine.
“He’s our biggest asset on the team,”
Teague said of Landry. “If he’s not in the
game, we’re going to struggle to score.”
For Landry, this is clearly a case of a
new player trying to learn to play defense
to Keady’s liking, but also doing so without
being over-aggressive. Landry said the
solution, he hopes, “starts tomorrow.”
“I’m going into the coaches’ office
tomorrow,” Landry said after the game,
“and try to figure out some ways to stay out
of foul trouble.” j
Wisconsin
## Player Name
42 Tucker, Alando
44 Morley, Zach
54 Wilkinson, Mike
01 Chambliss, Sharif
13 Hanson, Clayton
04 Nixon, Ray
21 Helmigk, Andreas
23 Taylor, Kammron
32 Butch, Brian
TEAM
Totals
TOTAL FG%
3-Pt. FG%
F Throw %
## Player Name
14 Landry, Carl
33 Ware, Gary
02 Teague, David
04 Ford, Andrew
10 McKnight, Brandon
05 Dillon, Bryant
30 Price, Xavier
42 Kiefer, Matt
45 Davis, Charles
TEAM
Totals
TOTAL FG%
3-Pt. FG%
F Throw %
f
f
f
g
g
TOT-FG 3-PT
FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA
3-9
2-3
1-2
8-14
6-8
0-1
4-7
1-2
2-5
4-9
3-5
5-6
2-4
0-1
2-2
1-3
1-2
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
1-3
0-0
5-6
1-1
1-1
0-0
1st Half:
1st Half:
1st Half:
f
f
g
g
g
15-22
24-50
14-22
10-25
8-10
2-5
40.0% 2nd Half: 14-25
80.0% 2nd Half: 6-12
40.0% 2nd Half: 13-17
TOT-FG 3-PT
8-10
0-0
7-9
0-0
0-0
0-0
9-16
0-3
2-2
0-1
0-1
0-0
5-12
0-2
0-2
1-4
0-1
0-0
1-3
0-0
0-2
4-7
1-2
0-2
1-1
0-0
0-0
29-54
1st Half:
1st Half:
1st Half:
13-28
0-4
0-0
1-9
9-17
REBOUNDS
DE
TOT
1
3
5
7
5
6
4
4
0
0
1
1
3
3
0
0
0
0
3
5
22
29
PF
1
1
4
1
2
3
1
0
1
TP
9
22
11
16
6
3
0
7
3
A
3
1
5
6
3
1
0
0
0
TO
1
1
2
0
1
1
1
4
1
BLK
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
S
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
MIN
35
32
32
34
26
13
5
12
11
14
77
19
12
2
2
200
56.0% Game:48.0%DEADB
50.0% Game:63.6% REBS
76.5% Game:68.2% 5,1
Purdue
OF
1
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
6
46.4% 2nd Half: 16-26
0.0% 2nd Half: 1-5
0.0% 2nd Half: 9-17
Officials: Ted Hillary, Tom Clark, Zelten Steed
Technical fouls: Wisconsin-None. Purdue-TEAM.
Attendance:
7,925
Score by Periods
1st
2nd
Wisconsin
30
47
Purdue
26
42
-
OF
2
2
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
7
REBOUNDS
DE
TOT
2
3
2
2
5
6
0
1
1
2
1
1
1
2
6
6
0
1
3
3
21
27
PF
4
2
3
0
2
1
4
1
1
TP
23
0
20
0
10
2
2
9
2
A
1
0
0
2
7
4
4
1
0
TO
2
0
0
1
2
0
2
2
0
BLK
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
S
0
1
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
MIN
24
14
39
12
34
19
20
25
13
18
68
19
9
4
3
200
61.5% Game:53.7%DEADB
20.0% Game:11.1% REBS
52.9% Game:52.9% 4
Total
77
68
GoldandBlack.com
MEN'S BASKETBALL PHOTO PAGE
STRONG SECOND HALF
KEY FOR NO. 1 ILLINOIS
Weber Has Happy Second Homecoming
Senior guard Brandon McKnight
pesters Illinois guard Dee
Brown. McKnight and the
Boilermaker defense didn’t
allow Brown a field goal
attempt in the first half,
but the Illini speedster got
untracked in the second half
with 14 points and four threepointers.
No. 1 Illinois 68, Purdue 59
Jan. 8, 2005
Mackey Arena
West Lafayette, Ind.
Photos by Tom Campbell
Action was fast and furious under the basket for much of the game.
Surprisingly, the Boilermakers outrebounded Illinois 31-26, which
was a key factor in keeping the home team in the game for much of
the contest. Purdue’s six-point halftime lead marked the first time
Illinois has trailed at intermission in 2004-05.
CBS lead announcer Gus Johnson (right) does some last-minute
game prep as junior forward Carl Landry stretches. The contest
marked the first of two January games (the other Michigan, Jan.
30) to be aired on the network.
Illinois coach Bruce Weber shakes hands with Gene Keady moments before tip-off. Weber
directed his team to its 16th consecutive victory in 2004-05 and his second triumph in Mackey
Arena in as many seasons.
GoldandBlack.com
UNIVERSITY SPIRIT PRESENTS: WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PHOTO SPREAD
BOILERMAKERS SMOTHER
HOOSIERS AND WOLVERINES
Stifling Defense Helps Purdue To 3-1 League Start
Jan. 6: No. 24 Purdue 54, Indiana 31
Jan. 9: No. 24 Purdue 60, Michigan 43
Mackey Arena
Guard Tye Jackson dives for a loose
ball against the Hoosiers. Though
the sharp-shooting freshman
managed just four points, all from
the charity stripe, in 20 minutes,
she contributed mightily with a
game-high three blocks and a steal.
Jackson and the Boilermaker defense had their collective eyes wide open holding the Wolverines
to just 18 points in the second half to break open a close game. Jackson had two steals and the
Boilermakers had 18 thefts, a season-high.
Sophomore forward Erin Lawless
rebounded from an off-night offensively
against Indiana to post a team-high 16
points against Michigan. Against IU,
Lawless managed just six points, marking
just the second time in 13 games she failed
to reach double figures.
Sharika Webb recorded
her lone block of the
game on Indiana guard
LeeAnn Stephenson. The
Boilermakers broke a singlegame school record with 13
blocks and held the Hoosiers
to just 31 points, the fewest
in IU history and the lowest
by a Boilermaker Big Ten
opponent since Jan. 30, 2000
when Coach Kristy Curry’s
first team dismantled
Northwestern 70-31.
Following the Michigan win, the Boilermakers salute the
announced crowd of 11,783. The combined 74 points given up
against the Hoosiers and Wolverines was the best back-to-back
defensive effort since the 2001 Big Ten season.
Junior forward Aya Traore battles Michigan’s Kelly Helvey for a loose ball. Traore has
struggled to get a lot of playing time of late and saw a combined 15 minutes of action
in the Indiana and Michigan victories. She managed four points and grabbed three
rebounds in nine minutes against Indiana.
Check us out at our website
PurdueGear.com
Curry looks up sheepishly
at official Dave Stewart
during the Indiana game
as sophomore guard Katie
Gearlds looks on. Curry has
now won 10-of-11 games
against the Hoosiers during
her tenure at Purdue.
GoldandBlack.com
GoldandBlack.com
MEN'S BASKETBALL PHOTO PAGE
BADGERED BY THE THREE
Loss At Home First To UW Since 1972
Due to an ice storm warning in
the Lafayette area, the Mackey
Arena crowd was well short of the
announced attendance of 7,925. It
was estimated to be the smallest
crowd to ever witness a Big Ten
game in the 37-year history of the
building.
Wisconsin 77, Purdue 68
Jan. 5, 2005
Mackey Arena
Making his first appearance in
Mackey since transferring from Penn
State, Wisconsin point guard Sharif
Chambliss works to avoid junior forward Gary Ware. Chambliss had a solid
game, with a team-high six assists to
go along with 16 points in 34 minutes.
He also proved effective in penetrating
the Boilermaker defense.
Coach Gene Keady
gets whistled for his
second technical of
the season as he complains to official Tom
Clark during first-half
action. Keady was
objecting to a traveling violation called
on Brandon McKnight
moments earlier.
Charles Davis (45) and Bryant Dillon (5)
try to defend Wisconsin forward Alando
Tucker in second-half action. Tucker connected on two of Wisconsin’s 14 threepoint field goals, as the Badgers managed an impressive 63.6 percent from
long range. Wisconsin's 14 threes tied a
Mackey Arena record first set by Purdue
in 2001.
GoldandBlack.com
MEN'S BASKETBALL: ILLINOIS GAME
Almost Everything Perfect
In Weber’s World
Former Longtime Purdue Assistant Has Illini On Top
BY DOUG GRIFFITHS
[email protected]
have
excellent
coaching,
are
extremely talented
and have plenty of
ne would think that things
experience.
couldn’t be any better for Bruce
The aforemenWeber.
tioned traits should
After all, the longtime Purdue
sound
familiar
assistant and current Illinois head
to
Boilermaker
coach has guided the Fighting Illini
fans.
Remember
to one of their best starts in school
the '87-88 team
history (16-0 overall, 2-0 in the Big
that finished 25-5,
Ten) and the nation’s No. 1 ranking.
winning the Big Ten
Think again. Although his
with a 16-2 record.
Illini have been perfect this season,
Weber
says
Tom Campbell
Former Boilermaker Troy Lewis (wearing hat), who
everything isn’t perfect in Weber’s
there are a lot of
talked with associate head coach Matt Painter (far
world.
similarities between
left) before the Illinois game, believes Weber's
You see, the 48-year old Weber
his team this year
Illini are similar to his 1987-88 Purdue team.
aches for his mentor — Gene Keady.
and Troy, Todd and
since Jan. 25, 2004) because I
After Illinois beat Purdue, 68-59,
always thought he (Keady) Everette’s ‘87-88 team as well as Purdue’s
Jan. 8 in Mackey Arena, as Weber was
would at least be .500 all the ‘93-94 team led by Robinson.
leaning up against a wall outside his
“We have the three guys (Dee
time because he would get so
team’s locker room, he told Gold &
Brown,
Deron Williams and Luther
much out of the kids,” Weber
Black Illustrated just how difficult it’s
Head) like Troy, Todd and Everette
said.
been for him to stomach the kind of
“He always said, ‘You and have some guys that are pretty
season Keady’s enduring in his swan
can’t squeeze blood out of good complimentary players,” Weber
song on the Boilermaker sideline.
a rock,’ and right now the said. “I just hope we don’t end up like
“It’s just horrible,” said Weber,
rock is there and there is those guys.”
who is 42-7 in two seasons at Illinois.
Those guys’ season ended when
only so much you can do
“I’ve talked with Troy Lewis, Doug
Kansas State stunned their top-seeded
Tom Campbell with it.
Lee, Greg Eifert, Kevin Stallings and Illinois coach Bruce Weber never thought Gene Keady's
“They’re better than team, 73-70, in the NCAA Midwest
Steve Lavin … you just feel bad for Boilermakers would endure the kind of season they're
they
were against Oklahoma Regional semifinals in The Silverdome
having this year.
him because he’s had such a great
and some of those other in Pontiac, Mich.
One would think after his team’s
career and done so much for this
For now, Weber’s team has its sights
teams,” Weber added. “We’re
victory over Purdue, Weber would want supposed to be the No. 1 team in the on a second consecutive regular-season
university and for college basketball.”
Purdue is enduring one of its worst to talk solely about the Illini being country and they battled us so they’ve Big Ten title and winning a conference
seasons in the last 40 years, but Keady will on top of the college basketball world. made some strides.”
tournament championship in Chicago.
leave as the school’s all-time winningest But that wasn’t the case. Instead, the
Weber also finds it hard to believe If that happens, Illini nation won’t have
coach and the second-winningest coach Milwaukee, Wis., native chose to relive how attendance has plummeted at to travel far to see if they can win the
some of Purdue’s glory days.
in Big Ten history.
national championship. The Orange and
Purdue.
Keady and Weber formed quite a
Weber says all of the blame for what
“Even when we weren’t as good as Blue would likely play first- and secondhas transpired with Purdue basketball dynamic duo on the Boilermaker sideline other years (at Purdue), we always had round NCAA Tournament games in
recently shouldn’t entirely be put on from 1981-98. Those two led Purdue to the crowd behind us,” Weber said. “That Indianapolis’ RCA Dome, then regional
six Big Ten championships, including made a difference and helped us win contests in Chicago’s Allstate Arena with
Keady’s shoulders.
“The situation with him not getting three straight from 1994-96, made 14 games. That’s not there now. That was the Final Four destination being in St.
some kind of extension or fake extension NCAA Tournament appearances and the secret ingredient to getting a lot of Louis’ Edward Jones Dome.
killed them in recruiting and now it has three NIT appearances in 18 years, had wins here that we probably shouldn’t
If Illinois is cutting down the nets
caught up so I’m not sure that all of it is 12 20-win seasons and won 70.1 percent have gotten.”
on April 4, then you can bet everything
his fault,” Weber said. “I’m sure maybe of their games (394-168), including 66.8
There isn’t a secret ingredient in will be perfect in Weber’s world. j
the same thing has happened with (Joe) percent of their Big Ten contests (215- Illinois’ success this season. The Illini
107).
Paterno at Penn State.”
Considering how much they
Weber always dreamt of being
Purdue’s head coach, taking over for achieved in West Lafayette, Weber can’t
Keady. In fact, in the spring of 2003 believe how far Boilermaker basketball
before becoming Illinois’ head coach, has fallen.
He vividly recalls Keady’s Kids being
Weber would’ve returned to Purdue
had the university been willing to put the team to beat in the Big Ten, a
a succession plan into motion. The standing room only crowd at Mackey
university wasn’t willing to do that at Magic as Glenn Robinson and Co. tipped
that time, and as they say, the rest is off the 1993-94 season, Troy Lewis, Todd
Mitchell and Everette Stephens ‘87-88
history.
Now, Weber couldn’t be happier how team that was ranked No. 2 for much
things unfolded. However, one can sense of the season and thousands of students
that deep down there’s a part of Weber lining up for season tickets.
“It’s hard to believe (that Purdue
that wishes things transpired differently
and that he would be preparing to take is 4-8 this season, 28-38 in the Big Ten
since 2000, including 3-10 in league play
over for Keady instead of Matt Painter.
O
GoldandBlack.com
MEN’S BASKETBALL NEWS AND NOTES
OVERTIME
2004-05 BIG TEN
STANDINGS
Weber Glad He Won’t Face Keady Again In Mackey
BY DOUG GRIFFITHS
[email protected]
I
llinois coach Bruce Weber finished
2-0 against Gene Keady in Mackey Arena.
Both games were dogfights so it's not a
surprise that the former Purdue assistant
coach is glad he won’t have to face Keady
again in West Lafayette.
“I really don’t like it (having to play his
PURDUE VS. NO. 1
ALL-TIME
Purdue is 2-15 all-time against No. 1 ranked teams
including 1-3 since Mackey Arena opened in 1967. Gene
Keady is now 1-4 against top-ranked teams and 0-1 at
home.
Date
Teams
Jan. 8, 2005
Illinois 68, PURDUE, 59
Nov. 25, 2000
Purdue 72, Arizona 69@
Mar. 15, 1997
Kansas 75, Purdue 61&
Feb. 21, 1993
INDIANA 93, No. 14 Purdue 78
Nov. 30, 1986
North Carolina 73, Purdue 62#
Jan. 13, 1979
PURDUE 52, Michigan State 50
Feb. 16, 1976
Indiana 74, PURDUE 71
Jan. 19, 1976
INDIANA 71, Purdue 67
Feb. 22, 1975
Indiana 74, PURDUE 71
Jan. 25, 1975
INDIANA 104, No. 20 Purdue 71
Mar. 22, 1969
UCLA 92, No. 6 Purdue 72&
Nov. 30, 1968
UCLA 94, No. 10 Purdue 82
Dec. 2, 1967
UCLA 73, PURDUE 71
Jan. 29, 1962
Ohio State 94, PURDUE 73
Jan. 22, 1962
OHIO STATE 91, Purdue 65
Jan. 28, 1961
OHIO STATE 92, No. 10 Purdue 62
Jan. 28, 1952
ILLINOIS 84, Purdue 57
@Conseco, Fieldhouse
&NCAA Tournament
#Great Alaska Shootout
teams),” Weber said. “I really
don’t like having to come in
here (Mackey Arena).
“It’s tough. There are a lot
of people that I know and I
have a lot of friends, and have
a lot of great memories.”
Weber complimented how
classy Keady has been during
his most difficult season at
Purdue.
“He’s just done a great
job of dealing with this,”
Weber said. “He’s never lost
like this. It’s very frustrating. I
talked with Kevin Stallings the
other day and he had called
Coach and couldn’t believe
how positive he was and how
professional he was, but that’s
just how he is.
“Kevin brought up all the
things he always preached to
the team, which we all listened
to, about life. Now, he’s having
to do it. When the times get
tough, he’s living up to what
he’s always preached about. He
got us through a lot of tough
times.
“I know the other night
Tom Campbell
After two Big Ten games, forward Carl Landry, here (after the Wisconsin loss) he
drawing a charge from Illinois’ James Augustine,
who was named the Big Ten Player-ofthe-Week Jan. 10, finds himself second
in the conference in scoring averaging
17.9 points per game (behind IU’s Bracey
Wright’s 18.8 average).
Day
Mon.
Sun.
Fri.
Tue.
Team
Illinois
Michigan State
Minnesota
Michigan
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Northwestern
Indiana
Iowa
Penn State
PURDUE
Opponent
WASHBURN (KAN.)
ST. JOSEPH’S (IND.)
@ Miami (Ohio)
DETROIT
TV
None
None
None
None
Wooden Tradition @ Indianapolis, Ind. (Conseco Fieldhouse)
Sat.
Nov. 27 Cincinnati
WB4-Indy
BIG TEN RESULTS
UPCOMING BIG TEN GAMES
Jan. 11
Ohio State @ Wisconsin
Jan. 12
PURDUE @ Minnesota
Penn State @ Illinois
Northwestern @ Michigan
Jan. 15
Indiana @ PURDUE
Illinois @ Northwestern
Minnesota @ Iowa
Michigan @ Penn State
Ohio State @ LSU
Jan. 16
Michigan State @ Wisconsin
Time/Result
E, 81-72
E, 103-87
L, 71-81
W, 66-56
L, 59-79
ACC/Big Ten Challenge @ Raleigh, N.C. (Entertainment and Sports Center)
Mon.
Nov. 29 No. 17 North Carolina State ESPN2
L, 53-60
Fri.
Wed.
Sat.
Dec. 3
Dec. 8
Dec. 11
MEMPHIS
OKLAHOMA
COLORADO STATE
ESPN2
ESPN
ESPN-Plus Local
L, 51-62
L, 48-66
W, 69-68
Boilermaker BlockBuster @ Indianapolis, Ind. (Conseco Fieldhouse)
Sat.
Dec. 18 Evansville
ESPN-Plus Local
W, 62-61
Thu.
Dec. 30 BAYLOR
ESPN-Plus Local
L, 72-73
Sun.
Jan. 2
EASTERN ILLINOIS
ESPN-Plus Local
W, 87-67
Wed.
Jan. 5
WISCONSIN
ESPN-Plus Local
L, 68-77
Sat.
Jan. 8
No. 1 ILLINOIS
CBS
L, 59-68
Wed.
Jan. 12 @ Minnesota
ESPN-Plus Local
8 p.m.
Sat.
Jan. 15 INDIANA
ESPN
12 p.m.
Tue.
Jan. 18 @ Michigan State
ESPN
7 p.m.
Sat.
Jan. 22 @ Iowa
ESPN-Plus Regional 2:32 p.m.
Wed.
Jan. 26 WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE ESPN-Plus Local
6 p.m.
Sun.
Jan. 30 MICHIGAN
CBS
1:30 p.m.
Wed.
Feb. 2
@ Ohio State
ESPN-Plus Local
8 p.m.
Sat.
Feb. 5
@ Northwestern
Wed.
Feb. 9
PENN STATE
ESPN-Plus Local
8 p.m.
Wed.
Feb. 16 IOWA
ESPN-Plus Local
8 p.m.
Sat.
Feb. 19 MICHIGAN STATE
ESPN
12 p.m.
Tue.
Feb. 22 @ Indiana
ESPN
7 p.m.
Sat.
Feb. 26 MINNESOTA
TBA
TBA
@ Illinois
TBD
TBA
TBA
TBA
@ Wisconsin
TBD
TBA
Big Ten Tournament — Chicago, Ill. (United Center)
Thu.-Sun. March 10-13
Big Ten Tournament
ESPN, ESPN-Plus, CBS TBD
*Exhibition
Overall
W-L/Pct.
16-0/1.000
10-2/.833
11-3/.786
10-5/.667
12-3/.800
10-3/.769
8-6/.571
6-7/.462
12-3/.800
6-9/.400
4-8/.333
Jan. 5
Wisconsin 77, PURDUE 68
Illinois 84, Ohio State 65
Michigan 65, Iowa 63
Northwestern 73, Indiana 52
Michigan State 84, Penn State 58
Jan. 8
Illinois 68, PURDUE 59
Indiana 74, Wisconsin 61
Ohio State 81, Iowa 69
Michigan State 87, Northwestern 58
Minnesota 83, Penn State 62
2004-05 Purdue Boilermakers
Men’s Basketball Schedule
Date
Nov. 8
Nov. 14
Nov. 19
Nov. 23
(through Jan. 10)
Big Ten
W-L/Pct.
2-0/1.000
2-0/1.000
1-0/1.000
1-0/1.000
1-1/.500
1-1/.500
1-1/.500
1-1/.500
0-2/.000
0-2/.000
0-2/.000
went off a little
bit, but shoot he
did that 20 years
ago. He said then
he shouldn’t be
the coach here.
You guys (the
media) just don’t
remember. He’s
won a whole
bunch of games
since then.”
Of course,
playing Purdue
in Mackey won’t
be much easier
for Weber next
season when his
former assistant
coach — Matt
Painter — will
be guiding the
Boilermakers.
“But Matt is
different since he
worked for me,”
Weber explained.
“With me, it was
sounusualbecause
of the long time I
worked for Coach
(Keady),
the
relationship we
had and the highs
and lows that we
went through.
“It
will
GoldandBlack.com
## Player
14 Landry, Carl
02 Teague, David
10 McKnight, Brandon
42 Kiefer, Matt
30 Price, Xavier
33 Ware, Gary
21 Nwankwo, Ije
05 Dillon, Bryant
45 Davis, Charles
03 Hartley, Chris
04 Ford, Andrew
32 Carroll, Matt
44 Liddell, Adam
TEAM
Total
Opponents
GP-GS
12-12
10-10
12-12
10-7
12-3
12-5
2-0
12-4
3-0
3-0
12-7
7-0
4-0
Min
356
355
438
252
241
166
28
277
34
11
138
67
37
12
12
2400
2403
PURDUE 2004-05 SEASON STATISTICS
Avg
29.7
35.5
36.5
25.2
20.1
13.8
14.0
23.1
11.3
3.7
11.5
9.6
9.3
LANDRY EARNS
BIG TEN HONOR
Tom Campbell
Illinois coach Bruce Weber was impressed by forward
Charles Davis, here blocking Illini forward Roger
Powell, Jr.’s shot. The second-year Illinois coach said
when Davis gets in basketball shape he’ll have even
more of an impact.
be tough (squaring off against Painter’s
Boilermakers), but nothing like this for
me.”
PURDUE’S EFFORT
DOESN’T SURPRISE WEBER
After his performances
against Baylor and Eastern
Illinois, junior forward Carl
Landry was named Big Ten
Player-of-the-Week.
The Milwaukee, Wis.,
native averaged 26.5 points
and 8.0 rebounds in the
games against the Bears and
Panthers, hitting 18-of-24
shots from the floor.
He had his third doubledouble of the season against
Baylor (a career-high 29
points and 10 rebounds).
Against EIU, Landry poured
in 24 points and had three
steals.
He is the first Purdue
player to earn Big Ten Playerof-the-Week honors since
Kenneth Lowe, who received
the honor Dec. 1, 2003.
DID YOU KNOW?
S In Purdue’s first two Big Ten games,
its opponents shot 62.5 percent from threepoint range (25-of-40).
S Mackey Arena isn’t as hostile an
environment as it once was, but Weber said
it still can be deafening at times.
“That roof in Mackey is so low that the
noise just bounces off it and comes right
back down,” he said. “It’s about the only
place where we play that when I call out
plays, they can’t hear me.”
S Due to a winter storm, Purdue
FG-FGA
73-118
49-146
57-161
46-87
15-44
14-26
2-5
10-33
3-6
1-3
4-17
3-10
1-3
Pct 3FG-FGA
.619
2-8
.336
21-77
.354
14-54
.529
5-11
.341
7-17
.538
0-0
.400
0-0
.303
3-7
.500
0-0
.333
1-3
.235
2-11
.300
0-0
.333
0-0
Pct
.250
.273
.259
.455
.412
.000
.000
.429
.000
.333
.182
.000
.000
278-659
290-631
.422
.460
.293
.456
55-188
98-215
FT-FTA
Pct
67-96 .698
13-22 .591
21-36 .583
21-34 .618
10-13 .769
11-20 .550
2-2 1.000
7-11 .636
0-0 .000
0-0 .000
1-2 .500
0-0 .000
1-2 .500
154-238
140-223
.647
.628
Off
36
12
11
15
7
13
3
6
2
0
3
9
6
21
Def
53
40
29
28
21
14
1
17
5
1
4
11
2
17
Tot
89
52
40
43
28
27
4
23
7
1
7
20
8
38
Avg
7.4
5.2
3.3
4.3
2.3
2.3
2.0
1.9
2.3
0.3
0.6
2.9
2.0
3.2
PF
37
23
21
33
14
27
6
16
1
0
15
11
11
1
FO
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
A
16
8
50
16
20
4
1
30
2
0
18
1
0
TO
30
17
18
31
17
7
4
20
2
0
5
6
2
Blk
9
3
3
4
1
9
1
1
1
0
1
0
0
Stl
14
8
15
14
8
2
5
4
2
0
3
2
3
Pts
215
132
149
118
47
39
6
30
6
3
11
6
3
Avg
17.9
13.2
12.4
11.8
3.9
3.3
3.0
2.5
2.0
1.0
0.9
0.9
0.8
144
135
243
265
387 32.2
400 33.3
216
215
4
-
166
188
161
184
33
55
80
77
765
818
63.8
68.2
FACTOID
Purdue has never started a Big
Ten season 0-3 under Gene Keady.
At 4-8, the Boilermakers are already
off to their worst start under Keady.
Previously Keady’s worst start in
West Lafayette was in 1981-82 when
his Boilermakers were 4-7.
allowed fans free admission to the
Wisconsin game. Despite the offer, there
were still thousands of empty seats.
S Purdue recruit Nate Minnoy was
suspended by his school — Chicago Hales
Franciscan High School — for two games
after a recent incident at the Rich South
“Big Dipper” basketball tournament.
Minnoy went into the stands to
approach a heckler who allegedly was
using profanity during Hales’ semifinal
win over Bloom. Minnoy and the heckler,
Anthony Blakemore of Chicago Heights,
were taken to the Richton Park police
station and issued citations.
The Illinois High School Association
also placed Minnoy on probation for the
remainder of the season.
After Minnoy entered the stands
with 1:35 left in the third quarter, he was
assessed a technical foul — his second
of the game after an earlier technical for
arguing an official’s call, which resulted in
his ejection.
Minnoy’s 10th-ranked team beat
Bloom, 64-62. He had 12 points before
being thrown out of the game.
The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Minnoy,
a second-team Chicago Tribune All-State
selection as a junior, who led Hales to the
Class A championship as a sophomore,
also had to sit out of the championship
game of the Rich South tournament as an
automatic penalty for the ejection.
The final game that he’ll miss is Jan. 16
against Farragut at North Park College.
S Former Boilermaker Ije Nwankwo,
who quit the team on Thanksgiving,
recently visited Marshall. Other schools he
was considering transferring to are Western
Michigan and Cleveland State. j
For thorough, daily coverage of Boilermaker
basketball, visit GoldandBlack.com
Weber expected the Boilermakers to
play their best against his Illini.
After all, the two teams split last year’s
meetings with Purdue stunning Illinois, 5854, in Champaign, and the Illini nipping
the Boilermakers, 81-79, in overtime in
West Lafayette.
“It’s a big, emotional game,” Weber
said. “I tried to explain to our
kids that I’ve been here (in
“It was to the point that we were talking
Mackey) for so many games
about
salary. That’s how far along everything
when the Boilermakers rose up
was.
But
the final sticking point became that
and won games they maybe
should never have won … there was no certainty about when Gene
that’s what Coach Keady is (Keady) would depart, and I didn’t want to wind
known for, getting his kids to up giving up the Southern Illinois position for
play at another level against two or three more years of uncertainty on the
better teams.
Purdue bench.”
“We talked as a staff that
— Illinois assistant coach Bruce Weber in
they may wear down and I
a recent edition of the Chicago Sun-Times in
think that’s what happened.
regards to discussions he had with Purdue about
They’re trying to rely on
possibly replacing Keady in the spring of 2003
Andrew Ford. He’s busting his
butt, but he can’t give them
“My understanding was that Bruce didn’t
much, and they’re bench is
very slim. The football kid, go for the arrangement because the university
(Charles) Davis does some nice did not want to come up with enough
things for them, but he just money.”
needs to get in shape.”
— Keady in the same edition of the Chicago
Sun-Times
GoldandBlack.com
BASKETBALL RECRUITING REPORT: MARCUS WHITE
GREAT WHITE
Painter Thrilled To Land Connecticut Transfer
BY BRIAN NEUBERT
[email protected]
M
arcus White — a highly
sought-after transfer from Connecticut
— made soon-to-be Purdue coach Matt
Painter a very happy man Jan. 6, when
it was announced he was landing in
West Lafayette for the spring semester.
The 6-foot-8, 228-pounder found
himself in a log jam in the post for
the Huskies, and when he elected to
transfer, he sought schools close to his
Chicago home.
White’s already begun practicing
with the Boilermakers. However, due to
NCAA transfer rules, he’ll be ineligible
for one year, meaning he’ll able to join
the team at the start of the second
semester of the next school year. He’ll
have one-and-a-half years of eligibility.
“We’re ecstatic we were able to
land someone who can give us an
immediate impact on our front line,”
Painter said, referring, of course, to
“immediate” as one year from now. “It’s
close to impossible to find high school
big guys who can play in this league
immediately and make an impact. We
think he can make that impact and be
one of the better front-line players in
the Big Ten.”
The Chicago Whitney Young product
played in 32 games for Connecticut, but
was stuck on the Husky bench behind some
top-shelf talent, restricting his playing
time in Jim Calhoun’s program. Blue-
chip sophomores
Josh
Boone
and
Charlie
Villanueva
—
both of whom
will be playing
in the NBA one
day, maybe in
the near future
— were each
ahead of White
in
Calhoun’s
rotation.
Last season,
White took a
medical redshirt
because of a
bulging disc in
his back and
watched
the
Huskies
win
the
national
title before he
underwent back
surgery following
the season.
It’s also been
reported that a
desire to be closer
to his Windy
City home was
a reason for
White’s decision
to transfer from
Connecticut.
He
originally
signed
with
DePaul out of
Getty Images
high school but
Former UConn forward Marcus White
headed east after
has joined the
Demon coach
Boilers in practice
Pat Kennedy was
after transferring to
Purdue.
fired.
During his
UConn career, he
averaged 3.2 points and an impressive
five rebounds per game. He is known
as a rebounding specialist. That ability
will help the Boilermakers immediately
on the practice floor.
“That’s one of the areas Coach
(Gene) Keady’s really talked to us as
a staff about,” Painter said, “to have
somebody to go head up on Carl Landry
every day in practice, to challenge him,
to go after him.”
In 2002-03, White appeared in 23
games, averaging 4.1 points and 5.6
rebounds. In five games this season,
White averaged 3.2 points and 4.6
boards in 7.4 minutes.
White has been characterized in
reports as a popular player among
teammates and coaches and a strong
student. His parting words with Calhoun
were described by one Connecticut
newspaper as “extremely amicable.”
Playing time was the primary reason
for White’s transfer. And he’ll likely get
plenty of it in West Lafayette. Next
year, barring any unforeseen attrition
QUICK TURNAROUND
Boilermaker associate head
coach Matt Painter and his staff
will have their hands full recruiting
for 2006-07. You see, Purdue will
have at least six scholarships
available for its next signing class.
Next year, the scholarships
currently occupied by juniors
Carl Landry, Matt Kiefer, Gary
Ware, David Teague, Matt Carroll
and Bryant Dillon will all come
open at once. This is assuming no
unforeseen attrition or eligibility
changes (like redshirt years).
After five spots were filled with
Painter-recruited players this past
year, that means only two current
scholarship players (freshmen
Xavier Price and Adam Liddell) are
in line to still be around in ‘06-07.
or redshirts, he’ll join seniors-to-be
Matt Kiefer, Landry, Gary Ware and
Matt Carroll on the front line. Then,
in 2006-07, with all those players gone,
he’ll have only yet-to-be-determined
youngsters to compete with for action.
Painter hasn’t seen White play
since high school, when he was a bluechip recruit, but says he came highly
recommended.
“The main thing you do when you
get a transfer … more than anything, you
don’t want someone else’s problem,”
Painter said. “Everybody said, ‘Take
him. He’s a great student, a great kid
and a hard worker.’ There wasn’t a
person we contacted who didn’t say the
same things about him.”
Painter and Co. have seven
scholarships to use for their next
recruiting class. They’ll undoubtedly look
for several big men. But White should
provide a nice bridge between personnel
groups, from the old to the new.
“He understands that his senior
year he’s going to be the only front-line
player we have right now,” Painter said.
“But I told him he will play as many
minutes as he earns.
“We have a lot of guys coming back
(next year) — Carl Landry, Matt Kiefer,
Gary Ware, Matt Carroll — but he was
able to come see our game (against Baylor
in late December) and evaluate it for
himself. He was very confident he can
come right in and play major minutes.”
White becomes the fifth signee
for Painter this year. He joins fall high
school signees Korey Spates, Chris
Lutz, Marcus Green and Nate Minnoy.
White’s enrollment will also help
stagger the program’s scholarships,
which right now are bunched way too
closely together. j
For thorough, up-to-the-minute coverage
of Boilermaker basketball recruiting, visit
GoldandBlack.com.
GoldandBlack.com
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: NO. 24 PURDUE 60, MICHIGAN 43
Wisdom-Hylton Shines In Win Over Michigan
Freshman Breaks Out, Shows Offensive Aggression
BY KYLE CHARTERS
[email protected]
and being more aggressive,”
“We sort of had some
Curry said. “I’ve been on
complacency to us in the first
her a lot about looking to
half,” Lawless said. “We came
he Boilermakers have spent the score instead of looking to
out really aggressive … but
first part of the season searching for a pass.”
then all of the sudden we kind
consistent third scorer to compliment
Although the Boilers got
of laid back at the defensive
the play of sophomores Katie Gearlds a solid effort from Wisdomend.”
and Erin Lawless.
Hylton, Curry still wasn’t
But as Purdue’s defensive
Against Michigan on Jan. 9, Purdue ready to say that the Boilers
and
rebounding
effort
seemed to find that missing piece, as had found a third scorer.
improved in the second half, so
freshman Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton While Wisdom-Hylton was
did its offensive output. After
contributed 11 points, six rebounds, five playing well, Gearlds and
the Boilers outrebounded the
assists, five blocks and two steals in the Lawless, the Boilers’ top two
Wolverines 23-14 in the final
24th-ranked Boilermakers' 60-43 win scorers, struggled, combining
20 minutes, the Wolverines
over Michigan in Mackey Arena.
for just eight points in the
finished with just a slight
“I just thought that I needed to first half.
advantage on the boards.
take initiative and start being more
“We need to all come
For the second straight
aggressive,” Wisdom-Hylton said, “and out and be aggressive,”
game, the Boilers held their
get to the basket and shoot a little bit Curry said. “I still look for
opponent to under 30-percent
Campbell
more. That’s just one part of my game the day when we all come Junior guard Sharika Webb comes away with the looseTom
shooting
from the field. In
ball after
that I need to improve.”
together on the offensive a pileup in Purdue's 60-43 win over Michigan. The Boilers had a
Purdue’s win over IU on Jan.
While Wisdom-Hylton’s offense end and things really season-high 18 steals and six blocks in the victory while creating 6, the Hoosiers shot just 18.8
25 Wolverine turnovers.
has been inconsistent this season, her just start to click at each
percent, while setting a schooldefensive effort has not. The 6-foot-2 position.”
record low for points with 31.
forward’s five blocks set a career-mark,
Purdue's offense, which has been prone
With
Gearlds
and
The Wolverines were better,
beating her previous high of four, which Lawless starting slowly, the Boilers led 27- to lapses this season, suffered through but still made only 28.8 percent of their
she has reached three times. She leads 25 at halftime against a young Wolverine another one against the Wolverines, shots while committing 25 turnovers on
the team with 37 rejections.
team (4-11, 0-4) that featured just two scoring just six points over the next 10 a season-high 18 Purdue steals.
Freshman Brina Pollack said there seniors, no juniors, a sophomore and minutes. In that span, Michigan scored
The Boilers, who have been plagued
is an obvious explanation for Wisdom- seven freshmen. Purdue extended its lead 15 to tie the game at 19 — where the by turnovers all season, had only 13
Hylton’s shot-blocking ability.
to 12 points with 10:38 left in regulation, score stayed from about the six-minute against Michigan, including zero for
“Huge calves,” Pollack joked, but a 9-2 Wolverine run over the next mark until three-and-a-half minutes Wisdom-Hylton, who’s been one of the
“they’re like implants.”
three minutes brought them to within remained in the first half.
major culprits this year.
“Umm, anyway,” Wisdom-Hylton five.
The Wolverines shot only 31.8
“I’ve just been waiting for this kind
countered, slightly embarrassed, “I just
That was as close as the Wolverines percent in the first half with 14 turnovers, of game, I guess you could say,” Wisdomthink it’s my timing and I can jump so got, however, as a free throw by Wisdom- but they held a 21-11 rebounding Hylton said. “I knew I had to cut my
that kind of helps.”
Hylton spurred a 13-0 stretch which advantage to help them stay within two turnovers down and step everything else
Coach Kristy Curry, whose team gave the Boilers an 18-point lead with at the break.
up.” j
improved to 10-4 overall, 3-1 in the Big less than a minute remaining.
Ten, said she was happy to see WisdomDuring the Boilers’ impressive
Hylton, who’s averaging about six points second-half run, Lawless started to take
and 4.5 rebounds per game, get started charge on the inside.
early against the Wolverines.
“Coach was screaming to get the
“First of all I think she’s coming out ball inside,” said Lawless, who finished
with 16 points and
five rebounds. “So if
Michigan
she’s saying get the ball
PLAYER
MIN FGM-A
FTM-A
OFF
REB
AST
PF
PTS
T. Pool
36
4-18
3-3
1
8
0
3
11
in, then I have to do
T Walker
37
8-14
3-4
3
7
0
3
20
something with it.”
B. McPhilamy
13
0-1
0-0
1
1
0
1
0
B Flippin
13
0-1
4-4
0
2
0
2
4
Lawless was the
J Cooper
15
0-0
0-1
1
1
0
2
0
C. Starling
25
0-4
0-0
0
3
1
2
0
focal
point of a physical
K Clement
27
2-7
2-2
0
2
4
3
6
K. Helvey
34
0-5
2-2
0
4
3
3
2
Wolverine
defense,
Totals
200
14-50
14-16
6
28
8
19
43
which
frequently
.280
.875
TEAM REBS: 7
sent two or even
TURNOVERS: 25 (J Starling6, T Walker 5, T Pool 4, B Flippi 4, K Helvey 3, B Mcphilamy 2, K
Clement)
three defenders in her
BLOCKED SHOTS: 2 (T Pool 2)
direction.
STEALS: 5 (T Pool 2, K Helvey 2, K Clement)
3-PT FGS: 1-8, .125 (T Pool 0-2, T Walker 1-1, B Flippin 0-1, J Starling 0-2, K Clement 0-1, K
“As soon as I got
Helvey 0-1)
hit in the nose (at the
Purdue
end of the first half)
PLAYER
MIN FGM-A
FTM-A
OFF
REB
AST
PF
PTS
it kind of woke me up
L Wisdom-Hylton
28
5-10
1-2
2
6
5
4
11
E. Lawless
36
5-13
5-6
1
5
0
2
16
a little and told me
E. Heikes
27
3-6
0-0
2
7
0
2
6
K. Gearlds
37
5-9
2-2
0
8
3
0
12
that this team is pretty
S. Webb
18
0-3
1-3
0
4
2
1
1
tough,” Lawless said.
N Bogdanova
3
0-1
0-0
0
0
0
1
0
A. Traore
6
0-2
0-0
0
0
0
1
0
“We knew they were
B Pollack
19
2-3
3-3
0
0
3
2
7
T Jackson
19
3-7
1-2
0
1
0
2
7
going to come in hard
C. Duncan
7
0-1
0-0
0
0
0
2
0
Totals
200
23-55
13-18
5
31
13
17
60
defensively.”
.418
.722
As has been the
TEAM REBS: 3
TURNOVERS: 13 (E Lawless 3, K Gearlds 3, S Webb 2, T Jackson2, A Traore 2, E Heikes)
case
recently, Purdue
BLOCKED SHOTS:6 (L Wisdom-Hylton 5, K Gearlds)
STEALS: 18 (E Lawless 4, E Heikes 3, C Duncan 3, K Gearlds 2, T Jackson 2, B Pollack 2, L
got off to a quick start,
Wisdom-Hylton 2)
leading 13-4 with about
3-PT FGS: 1-7, .143 (E Lawless1-2, K Gearlds 0-1, S Webb 0-1, A Traore0-1, T Jackson 0-2)
Technicals: None
13 minutes remaining
Attendance: 11,783
in the first half. But
T
GoldandBlack.com
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: NO. 24 PURDUE 54, INDIANA 31
Boilers Hold Hoosiers To Historic Low
Heikes Breaks Out Of Slump In Purdue Victory
BY KYLE CHARTERS
[email protected]
F
or the six games leading up to the
Boilers’ matchup with the Hoosiers on
Jan. 6, the stat lines for Purdue starting
center Emily Heikes were not pretty.
After a 13-point performance against
UCLA in early December, Heikes struggled,
scoring just 13 points in the six games that
followed. Tired of the inconsistent play,
however, Heikes broke out of the slump
against Indiana, recording her second
double-double of the season as the No.
24 Boilers defeated the Hoosiers, 54-31, in
front of 8,350 fans in Mackey Arena.
“I personally thought I needed to
play better because I haven’t been playing
very well,” said Heikes, who finished with
11 points (tying Katie Gearlds for gamehigh honors) and 11 rebounds. “With my
teammates encouraging me, it was just a
matter of time. I couldn’t really go down
any more than I was playing; the only
way to go was up.”
After Purdue’s loss to Ohio State on
Jan. 2, in which Heikes finished with zero
points, three rebounds and two turnovers
in 14 minutes, she wanted to come out
more aggressive against Indiana. Heikes
said some credit should go to assistant
coach Kelly Curry.
“Kelly was telling me before practice
the other day that I tend to get down on
myself a little too much,” said Heikes,
who also contributed two blocks and an
assist. “He said I just need to let things go
and start playing my game.”
With Purdue’s offense struggling for
much
of
the
intermission.
game
against
Indiana, however, could
the
Hoosiers,
not get any closer. On a Sharika
the defense was
Webb layup at about the 17forced to respond.
minute mark of the second
The Boilers, who
half Purdue extended it’s lead
suffered through
to double-digits and — despite
two long field goal
not hitting another field goal
droughts totaling
until Webb’s three-pointer with
nearly 18 minutes,
7:10 remaining — the Hoosiers
limited the Hoosiers
could not cut the deficit back
to a school-record
to single figures.
low
31-point
“It was a scary period
performance.
there for a few minutes,”
T
h
e
Kristy Curry said. “But we
Boilermakers
were able to overcome it.
Tom Campbell
held the Hoosiers
“The biggest thing we’re
After six-straight sub-par games, center Emily Heikes responded with 11
to
just
18.8- points and 11 rebounds to lead the Boilers to a 54-31 win over the Hoosiers. It struggling with is finding
percent shooting, was the senior’s second double-double this season.
a way to score. And score
including a 3-of-30
consistently beyond Katie
per game. Against Purdue, she finished
performance in the second half when with a point on 0-of-10 shooting.
and Erin (Lawless). I think the big keys are
Indiana scored just 11 points. The 31-point
“I know I didn’t want her to touch the little things. Sometimes their motors
total by Indiana was less than its previous the ball,” Purdue guard Tye Jackson said. are going too hard and sometimes they’re
all-time low of 33 points — set in a loss to “And I know no one else did either.”
not hard enough. So we’re trying to find
William Penn in 1976.
Spurred by a Heikes’ jumper to open that happy medium.”
“I think they missed a lot of open the game, the Boilers got off to a quick
In the second half, the Boilers attempted
looks for whatever reason,” Coach Kristy start against the Hoosiers, gaining a 25- only 15 shots — half as many as the Hoosiers
Curry said. “Maybe they were rushed or 8 advantage with just more than five — but hit nine, which is three times more
out of their comfort zone. But give our minutes to go in the first half.
than IU. Purdue also outrebounded Indiana
defense credit. I have been pleased with it,
“I thought it was probably, if not by a 45-36 margin and forced the Hoosiers
but I still see room for improvement.”
our best start of the year, I’d have to sit into 14 turnovers with just six assists.
Against the Hoosiers, though, there and think about it for a few minutes,”
Indiana coach Kathi Bennett called
wasn’t much room to improve. Indiana’s Kristy Curry said. “But I thought we came her team’s performance embarrassing.
two top scores — Cyndi Valentin and out offensively and really understood the
“It was really just a lack of trust and
LeeAnn Stephenson — combined to shoot game plan. We were able to get some looks confidence on our part,” she said. “I do
just 2-of-28 from the floor.
and some things early and when they go want to credit Purdue. I mean they are
The Boilers were especially pleased in, it makes it look really, really good.”
really long and big on the perimeter,
with their performance on Valentin, a
The Hoosiers, though, closed the half which as you saw definitely affected us.
junior guard who averages nearly 18 points on a 12-2 run — as Purdue went the final But we’ve got to take a lot of responsibility.
eight minutes of the half without a field I thought that our ability to concentrate
goal — to narrow the margin to 27-20 at and finish was just woeful.” j
Indiana
## Player Name
54 Gathing, Jamie
30 Hawkins, Angela
03 Valentin, Cyndi
20 Stephenson, LeeAnn
31 Enterline, Leah
04 Smith, Nikki
13 Boyd, Annika
24 Kullberg, Kali
44 Smith, Carrie
45 Branson, Brigett
Team
Totals
TOTAL FG%
3-Pt. FG%
F Throw %
f
c
g
g
g
TOT-FG 3-PT
3-8
0-0
0-0
3-10
0-0
2-4
0-10
0-4
1-2
2-18
1-4
2-2
2-8
0-1
1-2
0-2
0-2
0-0
1-5
0-1
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-0
1-3
0-0
0-0
12-64
1st Half:
1st Half:
1st Half:
9-34
1-8
1-2
1-12
OF
0
1
1
3
1
0
1
0
1
2
8
18
6-10
26.5% 2nd Half:
12.5% 2nd Half:
50.0% 2nd Half:
3-30
0-4
5-8
REBOUNDS
DE
TOT
4
4
3
4
3
4
2
5
2
3
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
2
4
2
10
18
36
PF
3
3
3
3
2
0
0
0
1
1
TP
6
8
1
7
5
0
2
0
0
2
A
0
0
0
0
4
0
0
0
0
2
TO
2
3
2
2
3
0
1
0
0
1
BLK
0
1
1
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
S
0
0
0
5
2
0
1
0
0
1
MIN
22
32
29
34
33
6
14
2
8
20
16
31
6
14
4
9
200
BLK
1
1
2
2
1
2
0
0
3
1
S
3
0
0
2
0
1
0
0
1
0
MIN
21
31
23
33
25
10
9
12
20
16
13
7
200
10.0% Game:18.8%
0.0% Game: 8.3%
62.5% Game:60.0%
DEADB
REBS
2,2
Purdue
## Player Name
32 Wisdom-Hylton, L
35 Lawless, Erin
52 Heikes, Emily
01 Gearlds, Katie
43 Webb, Sharika
03 Bogdanova, Natasha
05 Traore, Aya
11 Pollack, Brina
23 Jackson, Tye
42 Duncan, Carol
TEAM
Totals
TOTAL FG%
3-Pt. FG%
F Throw %
f
f
c
g
g
TOT-FG 3-PT
3-5
0-0
1-2
2-10
0-0
2-3
4-5
0-0
3-4
4-10
1-2
2-2
2-3
1-2
3-4
1-3
0-1
0-0
1-3
0-0
2-2
0-0
0-0
0-0
0-3
0-2
4-6
0-1
0-0
1-2
17-43
1st Half:
1st Half:
1st Half:
8-28
1-4
10-11
2-7
Officials: Bob Trammell, Dave Stewart, Barb Smith
Technical fouls: Indiana-None. Purdue-None.
Attendance:
8,350
Score by Periods
1st
2nd
Indiana
20
11
Purdue
27
27
18-25
28.6% 2nd Half:
25.0% 2nd Half:
90.9% 2nd Half:
-
OF
0
2
4
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
9
9-15
1-3
8-14
REBOUNDS
DE
TOT
3
3
3
5
7
11
4
4
4
5
2
2
2
3
3
3
0
0
6
6
2
3
36
45
PF
0
0
3
2
2
0
0
2
1
0
TP
7
6
11
11
8
2
4
0
4
1
A
3
2
1
2
0
0
0
0
2
0
TO
1
2
1
4
4
2
2
1
1
1
10
54
10
19
60.0% Game:39.5%
33.3% Game:28.6%
57.1% Game:72.0%
DEADB
REBS
4
Total
31
54
GoldandBlack.com
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL FEATURE: ERIN LAWLESS
‘The Worm’
Lawless Leads Boilers In Sophomore Season
BY KYLE CHARTERS
[email protected]
“Erin (Lawless) just has great
effort, day in and day out. One
thing about Erin is that she
practices extremely hard, and
I think when you practice that
way, you play that way, too.”
I
n this case it’s not a dance move,
but in forward Erin Lawless’ sophomore
season at Purdue, she seems to have
nearly perfected ‘The Worm.’
The post move involves some
combination of leans, fades, flails,
dives, spins, drop-steps and any other
kind of contortion you can imagine.
“It’s just kind of weird,” said Lawless,
a native of Berwyn, Ill. “Most post
players have like an established move
— whether it’s an up-and-under or
hook shot or something. Me, I just get
the ball in the post and do something
with it.”
Using 'The Worm,' Lawless has seen
a big jump in her performance this
season. Moved into the starting lineup
after the graduation of four seniors
last year, Lawless’ scoring average has
more than doubled — from 7.2 points
per game last season to 15.8 this, while
her rebounding average is up to 5.6
per game — an increase from 3.5 last
season.
“She just has great effort, day in
and day out,” Coach Kristy Curry
said. “One thing about Erin is that she
practices extremely hard, and I think
when you practice that way you play
that way, too.”
Lawless can trace the history of
‘The Worm’ back to her grade-school
days while working out with her dad,
Daniel, in a gym. While Daniel Lawless
never coached his daughter in an official
capacity, the two often spent hours
together working on interior moves.
That experience helped Lawless
learn how to get position against bigger,
more physical opponents. See, explains
Lawless, “my father is 6-foot-8 and 300
pounds.
“And trying to get around someone
like that is pretty hard to do,” she said.
“I guess working with him has made
me just do different things in the post.
I’ve never really had a chance to look
at myself on tape as far as what the
moves look like, but I know they feel
weird when I’m in there. But I guess it
works, so I’m just going to keep going
with it.”
Lawless said working against
a bigger defender such as her dad
prepared her for similar experiences
in college basketball. Although not a
center, Lawless is still one of the tallest
Boilers, meaning she’s often charged
with guarding the opponent’s biggest
players. That’s meant matchups against
6-8 Duke center Alison Bales, 6-5
Georgia center Christi Thomas, who
has graduated, and 6-2 Minnesota post
player Janel McCarville, among others.
“Just working around my father —
somebody who is so big — I think that
does help me against them,” Lawless
— Coach Kristy Curry
Tom Campbell
Forward Erin Lawless has taken
on more responsibility during her
sophomore season, averaging a
team-high 15.8 points per game.
She has provided a steady influence
for a young Purdue squad.
Gearlds, who is second
to Lawless in scoring
at about 13 points per
game. “She’s still got
two more years left
here and it’s going to
be amazing watching
her and fun to play
along side her.”
Lawless has tried
to add variety to
her offensive game
this season. Besides
‘The Worm,’ she has
also refined her skills
facing the basket, often
spotting up from 15feet.
“I’ve
kind
of
always had that range,”
Lawless said. “I just wasn’t always able
to show it as much last year just because
we had other players out there. My role
at that point wasn’t really needed, but
obviously now we just need it more
from there.”
Lawless is also willing to step
out even farther this season, creating
problems for the defense. She was 6of-16 from beyond the three-point line
last season, and appears to be looking
for that shot more often this year,
hitting 7-of-15 attempts.
“The three-point shot is something
that I have been working on,” Lawless
said. “And that’s something that I’ve
always wanted to improve on.”
Curry
said
the
offensive
improvement has been evident so far
this season.
“I think she’s done a nice job of
increasing her physical presence,” she
said. “She had a nice finesse game, but
I think she’s become more physical and
more aggressive while looking for her
shot.” j
said. “But I don’t have him here (at
Purdue) so it’s kind of hard for me to
be able to have that presence behind
me, to have him still be able to coach
me. So I try to do it as much as I can
on my own.”
Lawless is helping to lead a young
Boiler squad which is trying to gain
some consistency this season. After the
graduation of Shereka Wright, Erica
Valek, Beth Jones and Lindsay Hicks
last year, Lawless knew that although
she was entering just her second season
with the Boilermakers, a lot would be
asked of her.
“The coaches have come up to me
and said that they need me to go out
and have a presence,” Lawless said.
“Obviously, if they’re asking that of
me then I need to go out there and try
to do as much as I can — whether it’s
scoring or playing defense.”
Guard Katie Gearlds, the other super
sophomore at Purdue, said Lawless has
accepted that responsibility well this
season.
“If she continues to rebound and
play defense, she’s going to be one
heck of a good basketball player,” said
GoldandBlack.com
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: NEWS AND NOTES
DOUBLE OVERTIME
BY KYLE CHARTERS
[email protected]
S
ophomore Katie Gearlds is
planning to have surgery after the
season to repair a frayed nerve in her
right ankle.
The ankle, which has been turned
numerous times during her basketball
career, has bothered the guard all season.
“The nerve is giving me trouble,
but it is something that can be fixed,”
Gearlds said. “But I’m going to wait until
the end of the year (to have surgery).
When we do that, I think we’re going
to go in and probably reconstruct my
whole ankle and tighten it up because
that’s what they think caused the nerve
to start giving me some trouble.”
Gearlds said the injury often “hurts like
crazy,” comparing it to feeling like someone
is stabbing her ankle with a knife.
“There are times when I can’t even
lay in bed and lay my leg on my bed
without it hurting,” Gearlds said. “I’m
taking some medicine that’s supposed to
kill the nerve to see if that gives me any
relief. But it’s just something I have to
play through. I’ve already been playing
on it for two or three more months, so
what’s two or three more.”
The ankle problem, however, is not
the latest injury to affect Gearlds this
year. During a practice leading up to
Purdue’s win over Indiana on Jan. 6,
Gearlds strained her abdomen, causing
Gearlds To Face Ankle
Surgery After Season’s End
her to grimace in
pain several times,
especially during the
first half. The Purdue
trainers taped Gearlds
abdominal area twice
— once in the first half
and again at halftime.
While the sore
abdomen is expected
to heal, Gearlds, who
is averaging about
13 points per game
this season, said the
sore ankle is affecting
her game, but she’s
trying to adjust to the
limitations.
“I still feel like I
can’t explode off of
it like I want to,” she
said. “And sometimes
I don’t want to land
on it so I’ll take an offbalance shot so I can
land on my left leg.
It’s something where
I just have to be more
mentally strong and
play through it.”
Pollack Improves
At The Point
With continuing concerns over the
play at the point guard position, the
Boilers are turning their attention more
and more to freshman Brina Pollack.
The 5-foot-8 guard from Marlboro,
N.J., played her best game of the year
against the Michigan Wolverines on Jan.
9, scoring a career-high seven points
and dishing out three assists with no
turnovers in 19 minutes coming off the
bench.
Pollack said she’s starting to feel
more comfortable in the rotation.
“Coach (Kristy) Curry’s been giving
me a lot of confidence and wanting me
to step up,” said Pollack, who’s averaging
1.5 points per game. “So I’m going to do
what I have to do to help the team win
and be successful. I definitely feel more
confident.
“Early in the season I was feeling
nervous. At times I was just like ‘I
can’t do this.’ My confidence was down
and everything was getting to me. But
luckily everything turned around.”
Pollack’s emergence as a viable option
at point guard is a welcomed occurrence
for the Boilers, who
Tom Campbell
are averaging more
Sophomore Katie Gearlds is expected
than 20 turnovers
to have surgery on her right ankle after
per game this season.
the season. A nerve in the ankle has
caused problems this season for the
After the graduation of
Boilers’ second-leading scorer.
Erica Valek last year,
point guard became
2004-05 Purdue Boilermakers
one of the Boilers’
biggest
question
Women’s Basketball Schedule
marks. Junior Sharika
Day Date
Opponent
TV
Time/Result
Webb has struggled
Sat. Nov. 6
AUSTRALIAN TEAM
None
E, 65-46
with
inconsistency
Sun. Nov. 14 BB TRAVELERS (SLOVAKIA) None
E, 60-39
throughout the season,
Sun. Nov. 21 IPFW
None
W, 107-39
Thu. Nov. 25 vs. Arkansas*
None
W, 55-51
starting 11-of-14 games
Fri.
Nov. 26 vs. Texas A&M C.C./
None
W, 73-44
at the position. The
Tue. Nov. 30 HOUSTON
None
L, 60-63
Boilers have also taken
Fri.
Dec. 3
@ UC Santa Barbara
None
W, 66-65 OT
Gearlds away from her
Sun. Dec. 5
@ No. 25 UCLA
Fox Sports Net L, 64-70
natural position to
Thu. Dec. 9
No. 15 DEPAUL
None
W, 69-61
Sun. Dec. 12 WESTERN MICHIGAN
None
W, 74-42
have her help — with
Sat. Dec. 18 vs. No. 3 Duke^
None
L, 48-66
mixed results — at the
Tue. Dec. 28 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
None
W, 57-50
point.
Thu. Dec. 30 @ Wisconsin
FSC
W, 72-67
Curry said Pollack
Sun. Jan. 2
@ No. 9 Ohio State
None
L, 50-63
Thu. Jan. 6
INDIANA
None
W, 54-31
is going to continue to
Sun. Jan. 9
MICHIGAN
None
W, 60-43
get an opportunity to
Thu. Jan. 13
MINNESOTA
FSC
8 p.m.
see increased playing
Sun. Jan. 16
@ Notre Dame
ESPN 2
5 p.m.
time.
Thu. Jan. 20
@ Penn State
FSC
8 p.m.
“We’re struggling
Sun. Jan. 23
IOWA
None
2 p.m.
Wed. Jan. 26
@ Michigan State
None
7 p.m.
with an energy level
Sun. Jan. 30
@ Northwestern
None
2 p.m.
on the perimeter, with
Thu. Feb. 3
ILLINOIS
None
7 p.m.
getting
somebody
Sun. Feb. 6
PENN STATE
FSC
1 p.m.
who is vocal and
Sun. Feb. 13
@ Minnesota
ESPN2
4 p.m.
Thu. Feb. 17
@ Michigan
None
7 p.m.
outgoing and beeSun. Feb. 20
@ Indiana
None
2 p.m.
bopping around, highThu. Feb. 24
OHIO STATE
FSC
8 p.m.
energy, enthusiastic,”
Sun. Feb. 27
WISCONSIN
None
2 p.m.
Curry said. “And the
only person on the
Big Ten Tournament — Indianapolis, Ind. (Conseco Fieldhouse)
March 3-7
FSC/ESPN2
TBD
perimeter that God
E Exhibition
made that way was
* Flint Hills Islander Classic (Corpus Christi, Texas)
Brina. And so she’s got
^ Boilermaker BlockBuster (Indianapolis, Ind.)
to understand that we
All times local to site and subject to change
GoldandBlack.com
need that.
“We’ve talked to
her a lot about being
that for our team
because we don’t have
that. I’ve given folks
a chance to become
it, but until they do,
I’m not handing it to
them.”
PURDUE 2004-05 SEASON STATISTICS
##
Player
35 Lawless, Erin
01 Gearlds, Katie
23 Jackson, Tye
32 Wisdom-Hylton, L
05 Traore, Aya
52 Heikes, Emily
43 Webb, Sharika
03 Bogdanova, Natasha.
24 Freeman, Kiki
11 Pollack, Brina
42 Duncan, Carol
21 Mays, Ashley
10 Anderson, Hannah
TEAM
Total
Opponents
GP-GS
14-14
14-14
13-5
14-5
14-4
14-14
14-11
14-0
3-0
12-0
13-0
11-3
2-0
Min
406
482
279
276
230
299
310
159
15
124
126
113
6
14
14
Avg
29.0
34.4
21.5
19.7
16.4
21.4
22.1
11.4
5.0
10.3
9.7
10.3
3.0
FG-FGA
85-163
63-147
33-103
40-78
34-88
25-49
17-41
16-40
4-6
6-10
5-10
5-25
0-1
2825 333-761
2825 272-855
Tom Campbell
Freshman Brina Pollack is seeing increased playing time at
point guard in the Big Ten season. She scored a career-high
seven points, while dishing out three assists in the Boilers'
victory over Michigan on Jan. 9.
Pct 3FG-FGA
.521
7-16
.429
18-59
.320
14-50
.513
1-2
.386
2-10
.510
0-2
.415
7-16
.400
0-3
.667
0-0
.600
0-1
.500
0-0
.200
0-0
.000
0-0
Pct
.438
.305
.280
.500
.200
.000
.438
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
.000
FT-FTA
44-54
42-48
18-26
7-15
16-24
18-30
20-29
16-26
0-0
6-8
5-10
1-2
1-4
Pct
.815
.875
.692
.467
.667
.600
.690
.615
.000
.750
.500
.500
.250
Off
31
2
7
26
11
33
8
15
1
1
8
7
0
18
Def
47
55
29
37
31
51
37
14
3
11
26
16
0
38
Tot
78
57
36
63
42
84
45
29
4
12
34
23
0
56
Avg
5.6
4.1
2.8
4.5
3.0
6.0
3.2
2.1
1.3
1.0
2.6
2.1
0.0
4.0
PF
26
15
29
16
16
39
24
21
0
14
16
8
0
0
FO
1
0
0
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
6
A
15
45
24
24
12
14
41
3
0
14
5
10
0
TO
37
40
30
32
37
19
37
17
1
11
7
16
0
Blk
8
13
4
32
9
12
4
7
1
0
3
1
0
.438
.318
.308
.276
194-276
153-229
.703
.668
168
227
395
301
563 40.2
528 37.7
224
252
5
-
207
158
290
278
94
39
49-159
58-210
After
seeing
sporadic
playing
time during the nonconference season —
including two games
in which she didn’t
play — Pollack now
appears to be getting
a regular turn in the
rotation. In the last
three games, she has
averaged 15 minutes
of action.
Pollack said she feels
like she can compete
for a bigger share of the
playing time.
“It’s not like …
(Webb’s) going to play
40 minutes or I’m going
to play 40 minutes,”
Pollack said. “There’s
always competition
and I’m hoping to
split it with her and do
what I can to help the
team.”
Freeman Sitting Out As
Medical Redshirt
Freshman Kiki Freeman is officially
sitting out this season as a medical
redshirt. The 6-foot-1 forward from
Saginaw, Mich., had surgery last month
to repair a hernia.
“Every thing went fine (with the
surgery),” Curry said. “But she’s still not
allowed in contact drills in practice so
we’re just taking it day by day, following
doctors orders.”
Freeman scored eight points in the
Boilers’ season-opening win over IPFW
on Nov. 21 but saw just limited action
during the rest of the non-conference
season.
Duncan’s Extra Work
Paying Off For Boilers
With five highly-regarded freshmen
arriving on campus this season, it would
have been possible to think that a veteran
or two could get lost on the bench.
But, as the season has gone on, that
has not been the case for junior Carol
Duncan, who’s seeing
the most playing of
her three-year career.
Stl
Pts
Avg
11
221
15.8
Duncan
is
25
186
13.3
averaging
nearly
16
16
98
7.5
25
88
6.3
minutes per game
9
86
6.1
during the Boilers’
22
68
4.9
four Big Ten contests
18
61
4.4
6
48
3.4
— up from about
0
8
2.7
seven minutes per
7
18
1.5
game during the non6
15
1.2
8
11
1.0
conference season.
0
1
0.5
“It’s very simple,
she’s working harder,”
153
909
64.9
Curry said, “therefore
143
755
53.9
she’s
getting
the
opportunity to play
more. What you put
into something is what you’re going to
get back. She’s having success because of
what she’s putting into practice.”
Duncan’s
statistics
aren’t
outstanding, averaging 1.3 points and
2.8 rebounds per game. But her 6-1
frame gives Curry more options on the
interior.
“She’s spent more time on her own,”
Curry said, “I’ve seen her alone in the
gym working out. That pays dividends
and it really makes us better as a team.”
Did You Know?
The Boilers are ranked 26th in the
latest WBCA/Summerville RPI ranking,
released on Jan. 9.
Purdue’s strength of schedule
is ranked No. 28, while the Big Ten
conference has the fifth-highest RPI
ranking in the country. j
For thorough, up-to-the-minute coverage
of Boilermaker basketball recruiting, visit
GoldandBlack.com.
GoldandBlack.com
FRESHMEN Continued from page 8
season.
On paper, Sheets would
appear to be the prototype.
R Defensive tackle Ryan Baker could be a
He’s a rock-solid 6-foot, 200
major contributor on defense after spending most
pounds, and was strong and
of his freshman season at tight end.
tenacious enough to break
R Running back Kory Sheets dominated in
enough tackles in practice to
practice all year, and could even compete for a
turn hopeless situations into
starting position in the spring, despite Purdue’s
huge plays. And his speed
already excessive depth at the position.
looked like everything it was
R Offensive tackles Garret Miller and Sean
expected to be, as the former
Sester could compete for David Owen’s vacant right
star high school sprinter
tackle spot. Miller, however, injured his leg before
repeatedly broke free for long
the bowl game and will be set back from an allruns and was never so much as
important strength and conditioning standpoint.
threatened from behind. After
Sophomore-to-be guard Jordan Grimes is slated to
practices, it was commonplace
step into the starting five up-front as well.
for all the buzz to center
R Cornerbacks Fabian Martin and Zach Logan
around Sheets’ showing that
are expected to add talent and depth to a corps
day.
that was down to its last straw in the Sun Bowl.
“I was a little nervous at
R Receivers Brandon Whittington and
first,” Sheets said following
Desmond Tardy are said to have progressed well
one Boiler Bowl session this
and could enter a receiver rotation that the
fall, “but now I’m calm and
coaches would like to go more than a half-dozen
cool and starting to run like I
Tom Campbell did in high school.”
players deep.
Running back Kory Sheets was so
R In addition to a talented scholarship crop,
At least in terms of
impressive during fall scrimmages that
the program welcomed a number of promising
physical
gifts, Sheets could
the coaches believe he has a chance to
start in 2005.
walk-ons. Tiller and his staff seem infatuated
be the most talented running
with rookie defensive end Jermaine Guynn, a
back Tiller’s signed at Purdue,
in shotgun most of the time.
scout-team terror who could contribute next year,
“We knew he had pass- and it’s possible you’ll see for yourself next
according to Tiller. The 6-foot-1, now 260-pound
blocking ability, and he hasn’t fall.
Guynn
(pronounced
“Gun”)
could
become
a
“Kory’s a guy everyone around here
disappointed there, and he’s a very
JONATHAN PATTON
defensive
tackle.
Tight
end
Jerry
Wasikowski
is
excited
to see on the field,” Tiller said.
smart
kid.
But
the
question
I
might
Redshirted • Defensive Tackle
proved to be a nice get, also.
have had early on was how tough “He’ll probably start slow, but as he gets
This was truly a developmental
and how competitive he would more comfortable and learns our offense,
year for Jonathan Patton, a former
really be. But he will compete like he could be a real force. I think he could
high school defensive end who’s
playing time next season. The Boilermakers a son of a gun, and he’s everything we contend for playing time, perhaps even
being built up into a tackle.
return senior starters Brent Grover and
a starting job next fall, though the guys
Distinct progress has been made. After Brandon Villarreal, but the backup ranks thought he’d be athletically.”
in front of him certainly won’t concede
Indeed,
Tiller
added
that
the
staff
coming in originally listed at 250 pounds, at tackle are again thin, meaning there
anything to him.”
has
been
thoroughly
impressed
with
Patton exited his freshman season pushing will be opportunities for Patton, Baker and
Sester’s
size
and
rangy
physique,
his
long
270, hoping to complement his already maybe a true freshman or two to help out
ZACH SMITH
arms, athleticism, footwork, leverage and
very good athleticism with added bulk.
in the trenches.
Redshirted
• Offensive Line
balance,
among
other
things.
Hagen calls Patton “explosive” and
Just
as
Zach
Smith
had become an
Tiller
admitted
that
Miller
was
a
little
seems to like the Chicago native’s passSEAN SESTER
intriguing
utility
man
on
the offensive
“ahead”
of
Sester,
solely
because
of
Miller’s
rush potential.
Redshirted • Offensive Tackle
line, he met the same fate as Miller,
nasty demeanor.
“Jonathan’s very coachable,” Hagen
Right there with Miller in an offensive
“Sester’s more of a thinker,” Tiller blowing out his knee on Purdue’s indoor
said. “Football’s very important to him, line class that’s repeatedly been referred
said.
“But the thing I like about him is that turf. (This has now happened to three
and I saw a pretty big move with him the to as a “jackpot” by Tiller has been tackle
he
bends,
twists and turns and can make of the seven linemen Purdue’s recruited
last couple of weeks of the season during Sean Sester.
adjustments; he’s not awkward or clumsy. for scholarships in its 2003 and ’04 class
practice. It just seemed like things were
The 6-8 Sester exited the season at He’s an athlete.”
combined, with Nick Fincher starting it
coming more natural for him.
around 270 pounds, putting him within
off last year.)
The
ninth-year
Boilermaker
coach
“I think the thing we’re looking for striking range of reaching desirable playing
Smith spent the year practicing at
said
he
expects
both
Miller
and
Sester
to
from him is more consistency from play weight. His strength, however, must be
weigh well in excess of 300 pounds during tackle, but the promise of Miller and Sester
to play; his intensity. Once he figures that continue to develop.
gave the coaches the luxury to experiment
their careers.
out, he’ll be fine. Right now, he’s up and
“The kind of thing you deal with
with Smith at center and redshirt freshman
down.”
with a kid as quiet as Sean is the question
Robbie Powell at guard.
KORY
SHEETS
Patton missed a month of practice of how tough he’s really going to be,”
“We said, ‘Sester’s everything we
Redshirted • Running Back
with a high ankle sprain in the late fall, Legg said of Sester, a terrific student. “We
thought
he’d be and Miller’s everything
Those
who
watched
Purdue’s
Sunday
but returned to full strength in time for knew Sean was a pretty good athlete.
we
thought
he’d be, so let’s move Smith
Boiler
Bowl
scrimmages
throughout
the
pre-bowl work.
He played in a system like ours in high season might have simply stood in awe inside, where he might be a better player
Patton will have every opportunity for school, a spread offense where they were
of the performances put forth by Kory anyway,’” Legg said, before the injury.
“He’s a wide body and he’s light on his
Sheets when the ball was in his hands.
Granted, there’s an enormous feet like a tackle. He’s very intelligent and
difference between running against can hand-direct traffic. He could become
Purdue’s scout team and running against a more vocal leader, because he’s a quiet
the likes of Michigan, but if the practice kid.”
Tiller, probably tiring of having to
field offered any accurate indications of
Sheets’ ability, then Purdue has a lot to move starting guards to center every two
years, was eager to see Smith in the
look forward to.
Tiller goes so far as to suggest Sheets middle.
“He’s smart and calm, which are
could even beat out two seniors (Jerod
Void and Brandon Jones) for the starting important at the center position, where
position in Purdue’s backfield next being an anxious person can be a
detriment,” Tiller said of the soft-spoken,
season.
In fact, if Sheets hadn’t been prone cerebral Smith, also before the injury.
to fumble early on — a flaw he has since “The center has to sort out the blocking
curtailed — he might have played this and have tremendous poise when the
lose anything,” Bennett said. “Curtis
is the same way. You don’t worry
about him like that.”
Painter has good size for his
position, as he’s listed at 6-4 and he
topped out in the fall around a solid
210 pounds.
Bennett
likes
Painter’s
intelligence and said the youngster
learned quickly this season.
Tiller, though, would like to see
Painter pick up a certain intangible.
“I hope as he grows he develops
a little more of a personality in that
he’s a very business-like, no-nonsense
kind of guy,” Tiller said. “I’d like him
to enjoy himself a little more.”
Kirsch enters the spring as the
unquestioned No. 1 QB, but the
coaches would like to gauge Painter’s
competitiveness by his willingness
or lack thereof to accept his place on
the depth chart.
“What we’d like to see is him
come out in the spring and in August
and really, really compete,” Tiller
said. “We believe he can close the
gap, and we’ll see when he can do
that.”
REDSHIRTS TO LOOK
FOR IN ‘05
GoldandBlack.com
quarterback’s already into his cadence and
the defense is moving around. Then, you
can’t mess up on the snap count and you
have to handle your assignment. Smith
might be that kind of guy.”
But just days into bowl prep, Smith
was injured and Powell was right back at
center.
Prior to Smith’s injury, Tiller had said
he’d like to see the 280-pounder add 1020 more pounds and get stronger. Like
with Miller, meeting those goals on the
heels of rehabilitation will be especially
challenging now.
DESMOND TARDY
Redshirted • Wide Receiver
Even if he was a lousy football player,
Purdue’s coaches would probably still love
having the ultra-charismatic Desmond
Tardy around.
“You talk about energy and a sense of
urgency, and he has all that,” said DeBesse,
who oversees Tardy’s move from high
school option quarterback to college slot
receiver. “He comes out on the field a half
hour early and catches punts. Coaches
love guys like that.”
But Tardy can play football, so it’s a
moot point. The former state champion
QB from Indianapolis Warren Central
High School “hasn’t disappointed at all,”
according to DeBesse.
Tardy is a smooth, savvy athlete, and
coaches were particularly impressed this
season with his quickness and ability to
get in and out of his breaks. Physically,
there seems to be many a likeness to
Stubblefield at this stage of his career.
“The biggest thing for him is going
to be adjusting to the physicality of the
position, going out there and having to mix
it up with linebackers every now and then,”
Tiller said. “He’s going to have to be a tough
guy, but he has soft hands, and we think in
time he can have the ability to make a play
in space.”
Thus, the challenge for the slightly built
receiver is to add weight and strength. It was
the same story for Stubblefield five years
ago; the difference is that Tardy is already
almost 15 pounds heavier than Stubblefield.
Tardy topped out this fall at 186 pounds.
“If he can get stronger and develop
that toughness,” DeBesse said, “he could
maybe help us sooner rather than later.”
Tiller said he’s been pleased with
how Tardy has grasped his new position
and said he likes “everything” about the
rookie. The coach added that he expects
Tardy to contribute in 2005.
LUIS VASQUEZ
Redshirted • Defensive End
After spending the entire season as a
middle linebacker, Luis Vasquez moved
to defensive end prior to the bowl game.
Facilitating the move was Vasquez’s
ability to get bigger through the course
of his redshirt season. After weighing 233
pounds at the start of September, Vasquez
was 245 by November.
Vasquez’s move wasn't surprising,
as he, like Baker, often moved to the
defensive line during scrimmage work.
Defensive ends coach Gary Emanuel
said he likes Vasquez’s toughness, which
has been a common dominator among all
Tom Campbell
Tom Campbell
Free safety Torri Williams' future appears
to be awfully bright as he's expected to
contend with Kyle Smith this spring for a
starting spot.
the players Purdue’s signed from Vasquez’s
native Connecticut of late.
It is conceivable also that Vasquez
could grow right out of defensive end
also and into a defensive tackle, much
like Purdue’s two current starting tackles
— Grover and Villarreal — did.
BRANDON WHITTINGTON
Redshirted • Wide Receiver
Had Brandon Whittington not been
redshirting, he’d have played in the
second half of the season, according to
Tiller. That statement might seem to not
make sense, but the translation is this:
Whittington was deemed good enough to
help the Boilermakers this season.
That’s the same comment Tiller made
about Stubblefield in 2000, and all he did
is catch more passes in his career than
any other receiver ever in college football
history. That’s where the comparisons
should end, though.
What Purdue has in Whittington is
a big receiver — he’s 6-3 and weighed as
much as 205 pounds this fall — who’s
shown the ability to get up and make
plays on balls down the field. Throughout
Boiler Bowls this fall, Whittington was
able to extend over smaller defensive
backs to snare passes down the field for
big gains.
There might be a little bit of a hold-up
on Whittington, however.
“What Brandon has to do is pick up
his energy level in the (football) classroom
and on the field and develop more of a
sense of urgency. I mean from everything
from breaking the huddle and running
to the line of scrimmage,” said DeBesse,
conveying the exact opposite of his
comments on Tardy. “There’s a tempo
you need to learn to play with, and as
soon as you do that, you elevate your
performance. He has skills, but he has to
mature to that point.”
The coaches love receiver Desmond Tardy's charisma and say he'll earn some playing
time sooner rather than later if he adds more weight and continues to get stronger in
the weight room.
TORRI WILLIAMS
Played • Safety/Special Teams
Any way you look at it, Torri Williams
would appear to have a very bright future
at Purdue.
A few games into the season, Tiller and
Co. made a commitment to getting the 6-2
safety on the field, both on special teams
and as a reserve in the secondary. They’re
not sorry they did, as the coaches exited the
season thrilled with Williams, who made
14 tackles, with one interception. Williams
closed the season playing four different
roles in Purdue’s depleted secondary in
the Sun Bowl, and nearly was pressed into
playing corner as well.
For a player who topped out around
195 pounds this season, Williams was
surprisingly physical for a freshman DB,
laying down some big hits, particularly
when asked to blitz straight up the middle.
“He plays bigger than he is,” Anarumo
said. “He plays like he’s about 210.”
Tiller loves Williams’ toughness.
“I think that was the Leander, Texas,
in him coming out,” Tiller said, referring
to Williams’ hometown.
Now, with a season of experience on
his résumé, Williams will almost certainly get
every opportunity to move into the starting
lineup in the spring, when he’ll compete at
free safety with incumbent Kyle Smith for
the No. 1 job. j
GoldandBlack.com
Salutes
This Week’s Boilermaker
Difference Makers
Senior Forward Emily Heikes and the
Boilermaker Defense
Emily Heikes, pictured here defending Indiana’s
Angela Hawkins during the Boilermakers’ 54-31 win
Jan. 6, had a solid week averaging 8.5 points and nine
rebounds in Purdue’s blowout wins over the Hoosiers
and Michigan Wolverines. The Boilermaker defense
limited the two foes to a combined 22.8-percent
shooting (26-of-114), including a stunning 17.2 percent
in the second half.
Junior Forward Matt Kiefer
Playing his best game since returning from a knee
injury Dec. 30, Matt Kiefer scored 17 points and added
six rebounds against Illinois. Kiefer scored 13 of those
points in the first half, when the Boilers were building
a 39-33 lead over the No. 1-ranked Illini at intermission.
In the opening period, Kiefer and teammate Carl
Landry combined for 23 points in 28 minutes of action.
PurdueGear.com
University Spirit celebrates the spirit
of Purdue Athletics. For the 2004-05
season, University Spirit will bring you
the present and past difference makers
captured in pictures.
TIME DATED MATERIAL PLEASE RUSH!
DELIVER BY JAN. 14, 2005

2004 Recruiting Class Produces High Expectations

Transcription

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View in Full Screen Mode - The Wapakoneta Daily News

Approval of Resolution to Purchase Dowling

season pass benefit guide