As of the writing of this article, we are fourteen years to the date that Purdue basketball fans were given the news that Robbie Hummel tore his ACL. Many thought the Boilers could finally make a run at the elusive national championship that season and just like that those hopes vanished. This isn’t a new thing for Boilermaker fans though.
Last year is a great example. The Boilermakers got off to a great start with a 23-1 record. Zach Edey had all but locked up the National Player of the Year award and things looked good in West Lafayette. Optimism had returned for Boiler fans. Then things began to take a turn. The Boilermakers would go 2-4 over their next six games.
Even so, the Boilers managed to lock up both the regular season and tournament Big Ten titles. They also would receive a number one seed in the national tournament for just the third time in program history. It looked as if all hopes were not lost. And then, well you know the rest.
What about this season?
This season, the Boilermakers have looked just as dominate as a year ago. They once again ran the table in non-conference play and found themselves as the top ranked team in the nation. The Boilermakers found themselves with an overall record of 23-2 heading into the Feb. 18 matchup with the Ohio State Buckeyes. In what seemed like déjà vu, the Boilermakers went on to lose that game.
Boiler fans alike prepared themselves for what they thought was going to happen next. It always goes this way, doesn’t it? Not this time.
The first chance for the Boilermakers to respond came against Rutgers. No easy task as Rutgers was credited with the second highest rank defense in the conference. Purdue, evidently, had not received that memo. An offensive explosion ensued as the Boilers put up 96 points en route to a blowout of the Scarlet Knights.
The Boilermakers would add to that with a win on Sunday with a win over a struggling Michigan team in Ann Arbor. While on paper it’s not much of a “statement win” the Boilers were making a very clear statement. This is not the same team as last year.
Sure, two wins against mediocre competition may be just that. However, given the trials Purdue fans have been through this is at least something to hold on to. Clearly, there is so much yet to be determined. Can they repeat in the Big Ten tournament? Will they lock down the No. 1 seed down the stretch? Is there be another Fairleigh Dickinson situation? No one knows the answers to these questions yet, but one thing is for certain.
This team does not seem like the “same old Boilers.”