Purdue Recap of the 08-09 Season

Was last season really a disappointment? Most experts pegged the Boilers to take the conference crown after the unexpected success of the "Baby Boilers" squad. And although that prediction was a reasonable one, it was nonetheless optimistic for a team that did not have more than 8 players that the coach wanted to play. Yet that's the storyline that's been written about Purdue - Robbie Hummel's back, combined with a lack of a suitable backup, led to the "disappointment" of last season.

But I think that assessment is not completely accurate. For one, Purdue's season was hardly a bad one. They won 27 games (2 more than the season prior), and advanced to the Sweet 16 (a round further than the 07-08 version). And where the Baby Boilers were bounced in the first round in the Big Ten Tournament to an upstart Illini team, the sophomore version won the championship. Maybe it's not the progress envisioned by Boiler fans, but it's progress nonetheless.

Though there is no denying that some things took a step back for the Boilermakers. And sure, part of that was Hummel's injury, that's undeniable. But as we detailed last season, E'Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant did not play up to their 07-08 standards, either:

Player	Shot %	ORtg
07-08 Moore	26.2	115.7
07-08 Grant	19.6	112.7
08-09 Moore	27.2	97.5
08-09 Grant	18.0	97.8

The primary factor behind both regressions was three point percentage. Signs point to Moore's recovery, given his steady and solid free throw percentage, but it's anyone's guess with Grant, who has been all over the place in West Lafayette. Figure he'll hit somewhere in the middle of the two seasons.

Of course, there were significant steps forward last season as well, mostly in the form of JaJuan Johnson. Over the course of 6 months, Johnson transformed himself from "raw project" to "All Conference." He's everything you want in a big man - makes shots, rebounds, draws fouls, makes free throws, and blocks shots, all without turning the ball over too often. Johnson may spend the next year (or two) at Purdue in an effort to make his body look NBA-ready, but from my perspective he already plays at a professional skill level. He's on the short list for player of the year.

The aforementioned Hummel was efficient when he played, but not as efficient the year before. Sure, you can attribute some of that to the injury that lingered throughout the conference season, but you might also attribute it to the difficulty in repeating a performance that included hitting 50% on three pointers. Nonetheless, Hummel does so many things on the court that he's the only player that can seriously challenge Evan Turner in versatility.

As a team, Purdue is clearly coached by a defensive coach. They sported a top-5 defensive efficiency overall last season, and were third in the conference season behind Illinois and Michigan State. However, it was a bit strange to see Purdue's pressing style translate into a conference turnover percentage that ranked 5th in the Big Ten. Indeed, though the defense overall improved, this area took a significant step back. If the Moore and Grant return to form, and the Boilers can recapture some of those turnovers, they'll go far. I'll discuss how far tomorrow.