2009-10 Purdue Basketball Predictions

Written November 10, 2009 by Kyle Hunter

Last season Purdue fell in the Sweet Sixteen to UConn in the NCAA Tournament. Expect Matt Painter’s Boilermakers to be even more dangerous this season as the so called “Baby Boilers,” become veterans. Robbie Hummel’s back was a real problem all of last season, which held the team back a bit, but it appears he is much healthier to start off 2009-2010. With tons of talent at every single position on the court expect Purdue to be one of the Top 10 teams in the country this year and push Michigan State for the Big 10 crown. Purdue is listed at 20-1 to win the NCAA Tournament this year according to the latest college basketball betting odds.

The star that emerged last season was JaJuan Johnson. Johnson had played a much smaller role earlier on, but last year Johnson averaged 13.4 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game, while blocking 2 shots per game. The pro scouts love Johnson’s length around the basket and his soft hands. Johnson may well step up and be one of the best in the conference this year. E’Twaun Moore was the leading scorer for the Boilers a year ago, averaging about 14 points per contest. Moore actually saw his shooting percentages drop last season, but he has the potential to have a huge year this year, especially if things open more because of a healthy Robbie Hummel. Hummel is seen as one of the best talents in the country if he is healthy, and the 6’8 forward will certainly play a major role in the Boilers success this season. Hummel is a person who can get his own shot, open up his teammates, and get after it on the glass. Keaton Grant had an off year last season, but he was coming off an injury in the offseason which nagged at him throughout the year last year. Grant has the ability to score the basketball in bunches and he could be a big contributor this season. Though his stats aren’t as big as some of the other players, Chris Kramer is an extremely important part of this team. Kramer is arguably the best defender in the Big 10 and he is tough as nails, the type of guy that Matt Painter loves to have on his team. Get serious about college basketball betting this season with a $500 match bonus from BetUS.

The Boilers brought in a pretty deep freshman class this season, but it is likely most of them will see little time this season because of all the talented veterans on the team. D.J. Byrd and Sandi Marcius highlight the freshman class, but one has to wonder if they might not be red-shirted. Marcius might see some playing time because the Boilers aren’t quite as deep down low as they are in the backcourt.

Matt Painter and the Boilermakers really didn’t have anything going their way last season due to injuries and difficulty getting their best players playing all at once, but they still had a very successful season. I look for Johnson, Moore, and Grant to improve on last season’s statistics. Robbie Hummel really is the X factor for this team. If Hummel is healthy and the team gets rolling a Big 10 championship is definitely within reach and it wouldn’t be a shock to see this team in the Final Four at the end of March.

Be sure to pick up winning basketball picks from our experts this season. There’s no better site for college basketball picks.

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in:

No comments yet, but your thoughts are welcome!

Comments

Got something to say?