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NFL Mock Draft 2009 Draft of 2009 Lacks Star Power NFL Draft 2009: Getting Started Super Bowl Well Worth Tuning In For
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Prospects On Center Stage NBA Preview 2008/09: Final Call
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Who Says They Are Rebuilding? By Ron Jumper To say I'm surprised to see the Purdue Boilermakers at 10-2 is a drastic understatement. I am completely in shock that this team has done some of the things it has. The only games the overachieving Boilermakers have lost were to Georgia Tech and Butler, both ranked at the time the game took place. Coaches around the country should take notice at this team's ability to play good hard-nosed team basketball. This team doesn't have a single guy projected at the current time to play at the next level.  With all the fuss about blue chip recruits, isn't it refreshing to watch guys work their tails off and see results? This is a team that is low on quality bodies, with 8 guys playing at least 18 minutes. They are lead by 6'7" forward Carl Landry, who averages 19.8 points an outing. Landry is virtually always smaller than the man he has to cover or whomever is covering him. To manage on the inside with 6'7" and 6'6" post players is impressive, to do it without depth is remarkable. Of their 8 main guys in the rotation, not a single one is over 6'7". My Division III team had that kind of size on the roster, granted not the same athleticism. (On a side note, that doesn't mean help isn't on the way. Freshman Johnathon Uchendu is a 6'10" post player with outstanding athleticism. When he puts on a little weight (he's only 210) and gets comfortable at this level, expect good things from the former Pulaski Robinson High School product maybe as soon as conference play.) I watch them play and I ask myself what they do well. They aren't big, they don't have lightning quick guards, and they really don't shoot the ball all that well. They just work hard and do all the little things right. They take an abundance of charges, put great pressure on the basketball, and just simply find ways to make plays. If you want a way to measure if your coach is getting through to his players, you start with the amount of effort and willingness to buy into the system. Head coach Matt Painter, a young guy in comparison to most head coaches, has brought an old fashion approach with him to Purdue. Painter doesn't have a fancy uptempo motion offense and he doesn't try to confuse you on defense by mixing up zones. He comes at you hard and plays in-your-face man-to-man defense. He doesn't care if the other team is bigger, faster, or just more talented. The Boilermakers are going to give it their best shot for 40 minutes. Looking at their schedule, they have beaten Oklahoma, Depaul, Virginia, and Missouri. That isn't bad at all. If you compare those 4 wins to other teams around the nation, there aren't as many teams as you would think that have as many comparable wins on their schedule. Compared to last season, they have made tremendous strides. They have already won more games than they did all of last season. Purdue went 9-19 overall and 3-13 in Big Ten play. Looking At The Rest Of The Nation Dayton: The Flyers are 10-1 and have wins over Louisville and Creighton. You can't say you saw that coming. A name you should learn is Brian Roberts, a 6-2 guard averaging 17 points an outing for this Flyers squad. Virginia Commonwealth (9-2) and Old Dominion (8-3): The CAA doesn't have another Final Four team in the works this season, but that doesn't mean the conference has really dropped off any. Be sure to keep an eye on Hofstra, despite their early season struggles. Southern Methodist: At 9-1, the Mustangs have more than exceeded expectations. They have a game at Oklahoma on the 28th. Maybe that game will be a little closer than the experts think. The Entire MVC: Who would have thought this conference would have amount of depth to it that is has? Consider that every team in the conference has a winning record. Not even the Big 12 or the Big Ten can say that... Fresno State: I guess the basketball team had to pick up the slack for the woeful year the football team had. At 9-2, they have wins over Oregon State and Creighton. If they can keep playing at a high level, the WAC becomes a 3 dog race with Nevada and Utah State. The BAD Wisconsin-Milwaukee: After a couple of quality NCAA Tournament appearances, the Panthers are a miserable 2-11. Their only victories are to Radford and South Dakota State. The Entire MAC Western Division: Sitting at 4-5, Toledo is currently in 1st place in the division. Can't say that makes MAC fans proud... Montana: The consensus pick to rule the Big Sky this season, the Grizzlies have struggled out the gates to a 6-7 start. Colorodo: At 3-6, the 41-point blowout to New Mexico pretty much says it all...  December 22, 2006 |
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Be Careful What You Wish For
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| NCAA Basketball | |
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Jumpology: My Bracket Jumpology: Scouting The Heavyweights Jumpology: Reviewing The Bracket
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