Wild alumni game features trash talk, splashing threes, big misses
At one point late in Purdue’s alumni game, Matt Painter turned to his Gold assistant coaches Dave Wood and Brock Touloukian.
“When your defensive philosophy is to leave guys open and pray it doesn’t go in, that’s not a real good philosophy,” he joked.
Especially when the open guy is one of Purdue's best all-time players.
Yet that's what happened Saturday in the final minute of the alumni game, as Rob Hummel found himself open from the right wing with a chance to drill an open three-pointer to give the Black team the lead.
But Hummel, a career 39-percent three-point shooter, missed. A
nd he missed again in the final seconds, allowing the Gold team to escape with a victory at Lafayette Jeff High School.
And, even though it was a mere alumni game with nothing really at stake, Hummel said he will struggle to sleep Saturday night.
When he finally does fall, he'll probably dream of Ryne Smith's taunts.
Smith and Hummel had plenty of back-and-forth chatter leading into the game, and the fact Smith's team not only won but he scored 18 points? It'll be a day Smith cherishes.
"It was the greatest feeling. I love watching him miss because he makes them all the time," Smith said. "So when he does miss, especially in an important moment, I love it. I'll never let him live it down."
Hummel knows Smith will keep up bragging rights.
"I'll hear about it tonight at dinner, probably tomorrow, probably next week and probably next year. Two years from now (at the next alumni game) is probably when I will stop hearing about that," Hummel said. "It'll be awhile."
It's that kind of friendly ribbing that makes Purdue's alumni games special.
The somewhat informal environment lends itself to trash talk and teasing —players from both teams were chattering at each other throughout the game and even directed some comments toward opposing benches, oftentimes to laughter — but it also, inevitably, is clear how competitive the players are, regardless of how far removed from being a Boilermaker they are.
In the final minutes, Gene Keady and Matt Painter had their youngest, most recently active pros on the floor in a tight game. The Gold led 84-79 after Sandi Marcius' post basket off a feed from Dru Anthrop, arguably the game's most full-throttle player.
But on the next play, Brian Cardinal took advantage of a mismatch and posted Anthrop up and bullied his way to a basket. He got a foul call, too, to which Anthrop responded with a bewildered look and, quickly, a conversation with an official. But Cardinal made the free throw to pull the Black team within two with 2 minutes to play.
Back-to-back turnovers by Smith and Kenny Lowe had the Gold team with the ball with 49.5 seconds left — and Matt Painter told his guys to stall. Cardinal didn't like it — "illegal," he screamed — but, eventually, the Black team fouled Anthrop. He made the first but missed the second, giving the Gold team a chance to tie with a three-pointer.
Painter was yelling "no threes" to his team, so they pressed tight on the perimeter, allowing Hummel to put the ball on the floor and get fouled. He made both free throws to pull within 85-84 with 30.4 left.
Anthrop was fouled but missed the front end, and Hummel grabbed the rebound. On the opposite end, Hummel spotted up but missed the go-ahead three from the wing.
After Smith made 1-of-2 free throws for an 86-84 lead with 10.9 seconds left, Hummel missed a contested three from the corner in the final seconds.
"I'm not going to sleep well tonight, I promise," Hummel said. "I really am upset with myself with the way I played today.
"I got two really good looks at the basket, and I didn't make either of them."
Defensive starts lock up
The pregame trash talk between Kenny Lowe and Rapheal Davis, both former Big Ten Defensive Players of the Year, extended to the court.
Every time Lowe had the ball, Davis was in his grill, getting handsy, being physical. Every time Davis got it, Lowe tried to play tight, too.
"Got to let the young guy know I’m still the best defender in Purdue history," Lowe said with a smile. "Before the game, he said I wouldn’t score a basket. It was a good competition."
At one point in the game, Davis used a quick spin move on the wing, and Lowe stumbled. Next thing, Davis is laughing so hard, he had to call a timeout.
"He thought he made me fall, but I told him, 'No.' I slipped before he came. I told him, ‘Stop, stop,' " Lowe said.
Davis scored 13 points in the game, including nine of his team's first 12. And that's something to brag about, especially considering the matchup.
“I’ve been waiting on that moment with Kenny for three years, since he’s been here," Davis said, referencing Lowe's return to the program as a video coordinator. "He always talks a lot of trash about his game. He always says I can’t get under his skin. I wanted to show him I can always get under his skin no matter what.”
Stat look
Per Purdue, Sandi Marcius' 18 points led the Gold team, while Smith had 17, Davis had 13 points and Travis Carroll added 11.
David Teague's game-high 20 paced the Black team. Hummel had 16, Brian Cardinal had 13 and Lowe added 12.
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