Boiling Point

Painter fills staff

With Jack Owens' addition to the men's basketball coaching staff last month, head coach Matt Painter needed only fill the supervisor of men's basketball operations position to solidify his staff.
That job is done.
Elliot Bloom, who served as the team's sports information director the last seven seasons, will take over the role vacated by Kent Williams. Williams left with associate head coach Cuonzo Martin, who was hired as Missouri State's head coach.
Bloom, a Purdue graduate, will handle scheduling, travel arrangements, oversee summer camps and serve as the liaison between the program and the community.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

France signs with WNBA team

Purdue senior Kalika France signed a training camp contract with the WNBA's Washington Mystics.
France will report to camp on April 20.
She'll have at least one familiar face there. Crystal Langhorne, selected in the first round of the draft by the Mystics earlier this month, was a teammate of France's at Maryland.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Scott Martin plans to transfer

Scott Martin, one of the four members of Purdue's heralded freshman class, won't be back for his sophomore season.
At least we won't have to worry if he'll ever actually perform from the perimeter.
I know coach Matt Painter hates when reporters focus on offense. But for Martin, I think it's legit. He was supposed to be this great shooter who would help spread the offense. And he simply never showed he was capable of that. He shot only 37 percent from the field and 31 percent on three-pointers. That's not an awful three-point percentage, but I was expecting the kid to come in and hit every open three he got. Or at least the majority of them. But he may have missed more open looks than anyone else on the team this season.
To his credit, though, he really battled on the boards and became an important rebounder for the team toward the end of the season. That's where I think he'll be missed most immediately.
It would be nice to know why he really decided to leave -- all the kids give a "I loved my time but not enough" statement in the official release -- and maybe we'll learn that soon. I wouldn't be surprised to hear he felt a bit overshadowed by his classmates (especially high school teammate Robbie Hummel) and wanted more playing time. He'll probably get it at a smaller Division I school (Valpo, perhaps?). Ultimately, I'm not sure he was the right fit with this Purdue group. The team is mostly comprised of tough guys, ones who will buy in and do whatever it takes to succeed. I think Martin was a bit soft physically and wasn't ready to handle the load emotionally. There always are players who take criticism hard, and I think Martin was one of those guys.
Purdue must find another player in the mold of Hummel and Chris Kramer, a tough-nosed player, and one who has the desire to rebound. We'll see if that happens this spring.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Painter chats about the season, what's ahead

Matt Painter didn't like to use the word "overachieve" to describe what his Purdue team accomplished last season.
But he didn't think they'd finish eighth in the Big Ten, which is where he thought they were predicted to finish. He also didn't necessarily think they would finish in second place, even though he liked the Boilermakers talent.
So this was a bit of a tough season to evaluate.
Yes, there were 25 victories, including one in the first round of the NCAA tournament. But Purdue let a chance at a regular season Big Ten title slip away in the last week and lost in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Painter didn't think his team played defense well in the final two weeks of the season. But he liked the team's offensive output.
"We felt we could have been better," Painter said this week. "Now, we're still not taking a step back saying, 'We were a pretty good team.' We're taking a step back and saying, 'Hey, we should still be playing.' But if you want to do that, you have to do your work in the offseason. There are improvements we have to make, and I think we will."

• Painter expects Keaton Grant to have knee surgery, though no date is set. The rehab likely will take four to six months, Painter said. There is some good news on the injury front, though. Painter said Chris Kramer shouldn't need additional surgery on his aching lower legs -- or any other parts of his body that got banged up this season. Kramer has had multiple surgeries to try to repair compartment syndrome in his legs. He still had some pain in the legs this season, but apparently not enough to warrant going under the knife again.
• The Boilermakers will be making a trip to Australia to play five or six games in August. Painter wasn't sure when the team was leaving but said it probably would be about the 6th. Games could start the 9th or 10th. The NCAA allows Purdue to have 10 days of practice before the trip. That likely will start in July sometime.
• No news on hires to fill out the coaching staff. Former associate head coach Cuonzo Martin left last week to take the head coaching job at Missouri State, and supervisor of basketball operations Kent Williams followed. Painter couldn't speak about potential replacements because the jobs weren't posted yet. But it's likely Painter will hire Southern Illinois assistant coach Jack Owens to fill Martin's spot. Owens, a 31-year-old who is from Indianapolis, coached with Painter at SIU.
• Purdue has two scholarships to give, but Painter isn't sure if he will use either one this spring. "We could sign a couple guys. We could sign zero. I just don't have a good pulse on that," Painter said. The staff may try to wait it out to see if any players are released from their letters of intent and get a late pick-up like Nemanja Calasan last season. They also could try to snag a junior college transfer. Purdue already has three verbal commitments for the 2009 class (D.J. Byrd, Kelsey Barlow and Jeff Robinson).

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Tennessee ends Purdue's season

As expected, the defending national champion and top seed Tennessee cruised past Purdue, 78-52, Tuesday in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The Volunteers scored the game's first three baskets and never looked back. They pushed the lead to 20 at halftime and led by at least that many the entire second half.
In the last blog, I tagged a couple keys to the game. Here's how they played out:

• Purdue sophomore FahKara Malone was held to six points on only two of five shooting. It was her lowest point total since scoring five against Michigan Feb. 21. The last time she took only five shots was in mid-January. She'd averaged 14 shots per game in her last six. It was only the second time in the last seven games. Malone tied a season-high with eight turnovers, but she is pretty much the only player who handles the ball for the Boilermakers. Still, Malone had little chance to get untracked offensively because she was locked down by Tennessee guard Shannon Bobbitt much of the game. "I liked that match-up and thought that was favorable for us," coach Pat Summitt said.
• I didn't think the Boilermakers' slow start was attributed to any kind of intimidation factor. Even when Tennessee started blocking some shots, Purdue kept going inside.
• Tennessee held a 41-28 rebounding edge, and 15 of the Vols' boards were on the offensive end. That was huge early. Tennessee missed its first shot attempt on its first three possessions only to get the offensive rebound and score. The Vols had 12 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds in the first half. "We put a body on maybe three of them," Purdue coach Sharon Versyp said. "We're not used to having five people rebound, so that's very different."
• In terms of how leadership affected the game, Versyp said she wished more than just two players (Malone and Kalika France) would have wanted to handle the ball. But she still was proud of the way her group continued to fight in the game and improved its play in the second half.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Keys against Tennessee

Purdue has little chance to beat top-seeded Tennessee tonight, but I'm sure that's exactly how the coaching staff and players like it.
Coach Sharon Versyp has used an us-against-the-world approach all season, and that's certainly the case tonight when the teams play with a trip to the Sweet 16 at stake.
Even if the Boilermakers play their best basketball, I don't think they have enough talent and depth to match up with the Volunteers.
But here are a few keys to keep the game close (12-15 points):

• Sophomore point guard FahKara Malone. On offense, Malone must keep Purdue at the right pace, pushing the ball when she can and slowing it down when it should be. Tennessee will press, and Malone cannot turn the ball over. Defensively, she has to be a spark by getting steals. Tennessee knows how important Malone is to Purdue's success. Guard Alexis Hornbuckle said Purdue "goes as she goes, so it's very important for our guard play to step up." Coach Pat Summitt said she can see a change in Malone's game from early in the season until now. "She's so aggressive off the dribble," Summitt said. "She goes right, left, just makes plays. You've got to identify the ball early with her. If not, she's in the paint. She's right where she wants to be."
• Don't be scared. Purdue players must be aggressive from the start and not fall into a big hole early. They must stay poised when Tennessee makes a run (it will happen) and when Candace Parker makes an incredible shot (that'll happen, too). For the Boilermakers to stay in the game, they must not lose composure.
• Rebound. Tennessee has athletes and big bodies who love to crash the boards. Purdue must try to match that intensity. That means Danielle Campbell needs to be tough, Natasha Bogdanova must fight, and guards have to chase down any long rebounds. Limiting second-chance opportunities is a must.
• Leadership. As much as I've talked about how surprising the run by Purdue's men's team was this season, the women's has been even more shocking. It's been an impossible team to figure out at points. They'd look great (Ohio State at home) and then awful (at Michigan, etc.). I think a lot of the struggles stemmed from a lack of leadership early on. But Malone and senior Kalika France have emerged in the last couple weeks, igniting Purdue's late surge through the Big Ten tournament and now to the second round of the NCAAs. I asked Versyp about the difference that's made. "That's the key," she said. "You've got to have people who want to score. You've got to have people who want to make a play. You've got to have people who are saying, 'We're going to get a stop' and mean it. That's been the key down the stretch."

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Notes from Purdue women's NCAA press conference

The atmosphere for Purdue's tilt with No. 1 seed Tennessee was a hot topic during Monday's press conferences.
Purdue coach Sharon Versyp pleaded for fans to come to Mackey Arena Tuesday night to support the team.
Every Purdue player I spoke with mentioned how excited they are to have the "sixth man" on their side. They should be. The Boilermakers were 11-3 at home this season and are 17-5 in NCAA tournament games played at Mackey Arena. About 4,500 fans showed up for Purdue's first-round victory over Utah Sunday, and Versyp said she loved how they were "loud and intense."
Tennessee coach Pat Summitt and players actually hope it stays that way.
Summitt said her team plays better when a gym is packed. Six times this season, the Volunteers have played in front of a road sellout, she said.
"We love a packed atmosphere, whether it's negative or positive," Tennessee guard Alexis Hornbuckle said. "Most teams, it kind of takes them out of the game, for whatever reason. But for us, we love it, whether we're being booed for 40 minutes or we're getting cheered for 40 minutes. We love playing in front of a big crowd on a big stage."
Purdue averaged 9,434 fans per game at home this season, according to numbers released by sports information. Twice, they drew 10,000-plus fans.
Summitt said she didn't watch Purdue's opening-round game live, but one of her assistant coaches came and told her how loud the arena was.
"Certainly, we're not unfamiliar to that type of setting," Summitt said. "I'm excited Purdue fans are backing their team, and they have all year long. I think that speaks volumes for the respect they have for the women's basketball program they have here at Purdue. Hopefully, we can convince a few people to put orange on along the way. I think we'll have some fans here as well. It should be an exciting environment for this type of game and match-up."

• I wrote a bit about Purdue forward Natasha Bogdanova for Tuesday's paper, so be sure to check that out. One thing I didn't mention, though, is that Bogdanova has been playing with a stress fracture in her left foot for a couple weeks. Versyp said when they found out about the injury, she sat down with Bogdanova and said, "You've got to committ 100 percent or you've got to say, 'I can't do it.' " Bogdanova opted to play through the pain, though she has been able to take some practices off. She also wears a boot on the foot and gets treatment twice a day. The best treatment is rest. That will have to wait. "But it feels good in the boot, and it's stylish," she said with a smile. "I can do my Russian (dance) in it." And we all know that's what matters most.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Boilermakers bow out

Perhaps most disappointing about Purdue's 85-78 loss to Xavier in the second round of the NCAA tournament was the Boilermakers' inability to get stops at the most crucial times.
After Purdue took a 61-60 lead, Xavier had three consecutive baskets.
After Purdue pulled within four points with just under three minutes left, Xavier had three consecutive baskets.
On those six occasions, the Musketeers scored on a drive baseline, two floaters in the lane, a jumper, a three-point play and a dunk off a drive-and-dish.
Notice a trend there? The Boilermakers have had trouble at points this season stopping penetration and if that doesn't lead to an immediate basket, then they usually send a player to the free throw line.
So it wasn't surprising to hear Xavier coach Sean Miller wanted his players to be aggressive and challenge Purdue.
It worked.
Xavier shot 54 percent from the field and attempted 34 free throws.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Keys against Xavier

On the surface, Purdue and Xavier seem to have very similar defensive styles. For the most part, that's the case, considering the most important element to each philosophy is pressuring ballhandlers on the perimeter. But there are subtle differences:

• Xavier coach Sean Miller said Purdue creates more turnovers and is able to turn them into points because the Boilermakers tend to gamble more. Miller likes his team to crowd the middle of the lane to prevent penetration. Purdue coach Matt Painter certainly wants his guards not to get beat off the dribble, but he also likes them to get into the passing lanes and get steals. That's not always a good thing, Painter admitted.
  "I think there's a pro and a con to how we play and a pro and con to how they play," Painter said. "I don't think they send people to the free throw line as much as we do. They don't get as many steals. They're efficient in the half court and with their size and length, they make you alter your shots, especially when you drive. ... I don't know where the advantage lies."
• I watched the second half of the Xavier-Georgia game Thursday -- and nearly got taken down by a player diving on our table at press row to save a ball -- and didn't notice Xavier switching on ball screens. Instead, it appeared to use a player to hedge and try to push the ballhandler toward half court. Purdue may be able to take advantage of that if Moore, Chris Kramer or Tarrance Crump can split the screens and get to the basket.

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette

Preparing for Xavier, press conference notes

Every team that advances to the second round of the NCAA tournament is faced with the same scenario: having little time to prepare for the next opponent.
That means cramming as much information as possible into about a 36-hour time frame.
Purdue assistant coaches Paul Lusk and Rick Ray watched the Xavier-Georgia game from press row Thursday, taking copious notes in case the Boilermakers advanced. After Purdue beat Baylor Thursday night, coach Matt Painter and his staff talked about Xavier.
The plan was for more of the same Friday night after having a closed practice at the Verizon Center.
"We'll go back and rest for a little bit and then have dinner and then watch film," Painter said of the itinerary.
He added with a wry smile: "And then rest. And then go to bed."

• Some of that "rest" time includes watching other games in the tournament. E'Twaun Moore said it's more exciting to watch games now that he's part of the tournament "because we know we might have a chance to play them."
• Moore figures he'll draw Xavier's toughest defensive assignment, Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year Stanley Burrell. But that's fine with Moore. "That's kind of cool," he said. "I like the challenge also, like he probably likes the challenge. We've just got to go out there and put it all on the line and try to take it to him."

-- By Stacy Clardie, The Journal Gazette