Game Time: Final chance to tune-up

Game Facts
Opponent: Kentucky Wesleyan
Time: 7PM
TV: None (You can access the live stream for a $2.99 fee on BigTenNework.com)

Tonight marks Purdue's last chance to fine tune their #7 rated squad before they kickoff the regular season on Friday (Against Cal State Northridge). While there aren't any position battles in the top half of the roster, it will be interesting to see who can step up and earn the available minutes behind them.

Patrick Bade doesn't have a choice; he'll be playing quality minutes despite the fact that his best basketball is a couple seasons away. With fellow big man Sandi Marcius out of action, he'll get great experience that he would have otherwise not have received. This experience will pay dividends 2 seasons from now when we have a respectable front court with juniors Patrick Bade and Sandi Marcius along with Sophomore Travis Carroll. (Sorry, I digress)

Two players that I look forward see fight for minutes is DJ Byrd and Ryne Smith. While each will probably see time on the court, I think they will be stealing minutes from each other.

In the first exhibition game, Byrd proved that he could be a spark on offensive side by contributing 11 points on 3-4 shooting. He demonstrated great confidence in his first game in front of 13,000 fans. Unfortunately, he also turned the ball over 5 times. If he continues to work on his defense, which is a non-negotiable with Painter, he would be a huge asset to the team. Byrd's 6'5, 215 frame gives Purdue a much needed 'bigger' body. Considering he works with the forwards/centers in practice, Painter is really looking to utilize Byrd's size the same way used Marcus Green.

Much like Byrd, Ryne Smith can also provide an offensive spark to this year's squad. The only problem, he has yet to prove this in the games. During his off season, he gained 20 pounds and vowed to earn meaningful minutes by not being a defensive liability. Now that he has the hard part covered, all that's left is for him is to make his shots in the game. Painter has been high on Smith since practice has started, citing several times that he's the best shooter on the team. Unfortunately, until he shows this in a game situation, he's going to have a hard time being a regular contributor. I tend to think that shooters can shoot their ways out of slumps, so hopefully Painter will give him an adequate opportunity to build up his confidence. Lucky for Ryne, the opportunity lies squarely on his shoulders.

All of this of course assumes Kelsey Barlow is redshirting. As we said before, the situation looks grim for him this season (personnel wise). Maybe he proves himself a necessity ? Eh? I've seen stranger things... But I still maintain that an investment of a year will pay off in the long term.

Despite the fact that this is only a preseason game, there are plenty of reasons to pay the $2.99 fee and watch the Boilers last exhibition game. Stay tuned for a review or follow us on twitter for in-game updates (twitter/purduebball).Boiler Up!

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IndyStar Purdue preview

Someone must have tipped off the Indy Star about a little basketball team in West Lafayette. I guess after producing this article on the team's upcoming season, they have another month before we grace their pages.

(Stepping onto Soapbox)
Does it seem strange to anyone else that Purdue gets better media coverage nationally than in the state's biggest newspaper?

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Future Boilers named to IndyStar's 'Fab-15'

Indystar's Kyle Neddenriep has completed his 'Fab-15" list, which outlines the top high school basketball teams in the Indianapolis Area.

Class of 2010 commitment Terone Johnson and his North Central squad are sitting high at the number one position. Here's what they have to say about Johnson:

"The Panthers have arguably the state's most dynamic backcourt. It starts with Purdue recruit Terone Johnson, a 6-2 senior guard who can generate some momentum for Mr. Basketball candidacy with another season like his junior year. Johnson averaged 19.9 points a game last year and did it on a scant 13.4 shots a game. He shot a 53.3 percent from the field, an eye-popping number for a guard, and drilled 46 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Johnson gave last year's Mr. Basketball, South's Jordan Hulls, fits in the Junior-Senior All-Star game in New Albany with his combination of quickness of strength. Johnson is coming off a knee injury this summer that sidelined him for a few weeks, but said he's "back to 100 percent."

If Terone Johnson continues where he left off during AAU season this summer, he will be a legitimate contender for the Mr.Basketball award. Many think it's a lock for Marquis Teague, but if NC can pull early wins against Pike, LN, and Carmel, there would be a strong argument in TJ's favor.

In addition to Terone Johnson, 2010 classmate Travis Carroll and his Danville squad are also listed at the 6th position:

"The big reason for the optimism around Danville centers on Travis Carroll, a 6-9 senior headed to Purdue who is one of the state's most skilled post players. Carroll averaged a staggering 22.1 points and 13.2 rebounds as a junior, shooting 57.5 percent from the field. Carroll cuts an imposing figure in the middle, but relies as much on a soft shooting touch as brute force to get his points. He's also not shy about passing out of a double team to find an open teammate on the perimeter.

"You know when you throw it down there he can score, but he's not a vacuum," senior guard Michael Humphrey said. "He'll pass it back out to you if you're open. He knows the game and has a good basketball IQ. I've been playing with him since the second or third grade and it's been a lot of fun."

There is going to be lots of competition for both of these teams this year, which will be great for their development. High school basketball practices officially start Monday, November 9th! This year will give us lots to talk about!

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Second Time Around: Purdue vs. CA (of PA)

After reviewing the game a second time, there were a few things that caught my eye that I didn't touch on originally:

- The passing among the starters was outstanding. It was clear that there was no ego or attempts to pad stats (except maybe assists). With so much talent on this team, having a 'team first' approach is not always easy, especially considering the that NBA is calling for some. Doing this in a exhibition game is one thing, we'll see if that changes on November 13th.

- JaJuan Johnson started the game with a few missed attempts, but once he got into rhythm, he was spot-on. He looked to have perfected his hook shots, which will be practically impossible to guard. It also seems clear that he wants to add the 3pt shot to her arsenal. I wouldn't mind this from time to time to keep the defense honest, doing this too much will hurt the already low chances of getting an offensive rebound.

- Speaking of rebounds.... Sure, it's going to be a problem all season. Since we have upwards of 4 perimeter players on the court at any given time, I already expect us to miss out on most offensive rebounds. Where I see the problem is allowing offensive rebounds. With the improved strength of this team, we should be able to keep the number low. CA had 13 offensive rebounds. This is something that needs to improve.

- DJ Byrd was a fan favorite before he even touched the basketball. The Paint Crew introduced the 'angels in the outfield' wings upon his introduction.Well played fellas! Shortly thereafter, he drained 2 3's right in front of the PC. I have a feeling this will be a great relationship! It was great to see such confidence in his first game. The pressure of keeping up with such a talented team has to be huge for a frosh, so its reassuring to see that it won't effect Byrd too much.

- I am going to give Bade the benefit of the doubt. I think he'll get better as he calms down and lets the game come to him. Most of the mistakes I saw were him trying to do too much at once. When he settles down a little, I image we'll see more positive things.

- Barlow is a freak. I think a lot of people judged him by his high school stats (he averaged about 13 pts, 5 assists, 7 rebs a game). It's clear that he has the handles and the basketball IQ that is needed to be productive at this level. As we said before, he's most likely going to redshirt. This is fine, I'll wait. But I think Barlow is going to be a known name in the Big Ten. (He'll also add to Painter's recruiting legacy)

- I can't wait till Ryne Smith shoots himself out of his slump! It's going to happen, I just hope it happens sooner than later. His D looked much better, and hopefully that alone will get him on the court.

- John Hart looked a little lost at times. Based on the game, he is going to need to play a little bit more polished to earn minutes in an already crowded back court. I don't think this is the year that he makes a name for himself.

- This is going to be a great year. The top 6 are clearly playing at the level they need to be at. In the past 3 years, the preseason has been an adjusting period. Not this year. If their shots fall like like in the regular season, watch out world!

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