Hoosier Show-down

The inclement weather here in God’s country, that is to say central Indiana, has postponed Purdue’s butt-whuppin’. Instead of being whipped at home in the Mackey Arena on Valentines Day, the team will receive their beat down this evening.

This “rivalry” has been anything but competitive during this decade in which IU has beaten the Boilermakers eleven times. The only memorable aspects of their January 10th match-up in Bloomington was the Earl Calloway vs. Coach Painter fiasco and the fact that IU massacred their instate rivals to the tune of 85-58.

Painter has actually made this game interesting again, and to be honest, even though I loathe Purdue I would like to see this match-up be a good contest. It’s much better if both teams are doing well in the conference and in the polls. But Painter has made the circus surrounding the game interesting in spite of his team’s abysmal play. He has not been shy in his criticism of Kelvin Sampson. As a Bruce Weber disciple, and an instate recruiting rival, Painter has vociferously denounced Sampson’s role in Eric Gordon’s bolting the Illini canoe for the good ship IU.

The games haven’t been that competitive lately, but the sideshows sure have been.

Of course, with IU’s pathetic road record this year (all six of IU’s losses have come on the road or at a neutral site) and with Purdue’s excellent home record (13-1 with OSU being the only loss)…well, something has to give.

IU needs to win this game, if only to prove that they are able to beat inferior conference teams on the road. The loss to Illinois was embarrassing, and the loss to Iowa was avoidable. IU needs to sweep Purdue for more reasons than just state bragging rights.

Although state bragging rights are pretty cool.