Old National Presents: The Final Four Formula
The similarities are there.
An inconsistent team with a dominant inside presence, erratic outside shooting and the inability to put a string of wins together in Big Ten play.
Sounds like 2016. But it is also reminiscent of 1980 — the most recent Purdue team to earn a trip to the Final Four.
“Yes, there are some things that this year’s team reminds me of that were similar to 1980,” said Coach Lee Rose, who directed the Boilermakers on their magical run in ’80. “I have seen Coach (Matt) Painter’s team several times this year, and I really like them, but like we had to in 1980, they just have to get over the hump to achieve their goals.”
In 1980, Purdue had Joe Barry Carroll at center. At 7-1, he is Purdue’s all-time leader in blocked shots, just 23 ahead of A.J. Hammons. Carroll went on to be the Boilermakers’ first No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft. Like Hammons, Carroll’s offensive game dramatically improved during his four years at Purdue, to the point where Carroll was a consensus All-American in ’80.
But Carroll wasn’t Purdue’s lone factor inside. It also had a shot-blocker and enforcer in Arnette Hallman and some talented, but sometimes inconsistent, swing players in Drake Morris, Keith Edmonson and Michael “Scooby Do” Scearce. Hallman wasn’t as imposing physically as Caleb Swanigan but was a strong rebounder who could jump out of the gym. The point guard was Brian Walker, who like P.J. Thompson and Johnny Hill, was not a big scorer, but was an excellent defender and efficient ball handler.
“Joe Barry was our leader, our go-to guy, but there were times we struggled to get the ball into him as often as we wanted,” the 79-year-old Rose recalled from his home in Charlotte, N.C., where he spends most of his time with wife Eleanor on large-scale volunteer projects such as affordable housing in the Queen City. “And we had our ups and downs to be sure, but that team hung together, as I think Matt’s team will.
“I really like those two big guys (Hammons and Isaac Haas). From what I have seen, they have really improved and once they get out of the familiarity of the Big Ten, it could be quite an advantage for them in the NCAA Tournament.
“I wouldn’t give up on Purdue’s chances just yet. They will be a tough out."
Rose, who only coached at Purdue for two seasons, led the Boilermakers to a three-way share of the Big Ten title in his first season in ’79 and knew his team was hungry just to get in the Big Dance in ’80. The NCAA had increased the size of its tournament from 40 to 48 teams prior to the season, because, in part, of the outcry of not having room for Purdue in ’79, the last season that the NCAA limited bids to a maximum of two per conference. So despite the Boilermakers tying with the Hawkeyes and Spartans, they drew the short end of the stick with just a 1-3 record against the fellow co-champs.
“The fact we didn’t get into the ’79 NCAA still doesn’t sit well with me to this day,” said Rose, whose team eventually lost a heartbreaker to IU in the ’79 NIT final. “But it did help keep us focused. We played with an edge, but we had some tough-minded guys that helped us do that.”
The ’80 team finished 11-7 in the Big Ten, viewed by some as a step back from the year before when it won the league. Like in 2016, the Boilermakers were nationally ranked the entire conference season but never gained a lot of momentum in league play. They won three straight early in January and only dropped two in a row once, but one of those losses was at Northwestern, which finished last in the league.
“There were no easy outs in the conference that year — everybody could beat everybody else,” Rose said. “It is kind of like it is today, but with only 10 teams there just wasn’t much disparity.”
Indiana won the league title on the last day of the season, edging runner-up Ohio State with a dramatic win. Yet, it was the third- and fourth-place teams (Iowa and Purdue) that made a run to the Final Four.
The Boilermakers were helped by hosting the first two rounds of the NCAA in Mackey Arena. But dramatic wins over Indiana and Duke at the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky., earned the Boilermakers a trip to the Final Four at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis.
One other similarity between Rose's squad and Painter's this season: There is no clearly dominant team in the nation. Louisville won the crown in '80 but was not the odds-on favorite to do so. Perhaps there has been no season since in which there has been as level a playing field than this season.
“It’s all about matchups in the tournament, but it is also keeping the team focused on a common goal no matter the obstacle,” Rose said. “I think (Painter) really gets that and that gives Purdue as good a chance as anybody come tournament time. I know you have to have good fortune and get a couple of the right bounces, but this team played very well in the non-conference and well enough so far in league play that I like their chances to make some noise in March.
“I really do.”
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