Purdue and Illinois: one way or another, someone is going to freak out

Okay, so waaaaaaaaay back in November, I had this home game against Purdue circled as one of the most important game on the schedule this year. If you had asked me again around December 15th, I would have told you that the most Purdue would be the most talented team to set foot in the Assembly Hall this year. Then, well shit just kind of went crazy.

Purdue launched itself up in the rankings all the way to #4 in the nation, undefeated and unstoppable, only rattle off three straight losses in conference to Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Northwestern. So yeah, Boilermaker fans who had been dreaming of shooting into the Final Four in their own beleaguered and depressed home metropolis of Indianapolis, (a la Detroit for Michigan State) have now doused the world in gasoline and are ready to burn their season to the ground.

Illinois is a disappointment in its own right. But unlike Purdue's sudden cliff fall, which is best treated with a gallon jug of the cheapest everclear and a crystal light packet, (for taste) the disappointment of the Illini season is better paired with a fine but strong whiskey, that must be sipped and grimaced at on a nightly basis.

Both teams are not exactly in the best position right now. Its hard to conceive of Purdue making a realistic run at the Big Ten title by starting off with 4 conference losses. Likewise Illinois is in desperate need of some high quality wins to make a better case for the tournament, and if you are going to beat the likes of Purdue and MSU, your best chance is at home. Whatever happens tonight, there are going to be people so overwhelmed by their dissappointment that they will declare the season "over" or "a waste." I wont be one of those people. (Do you think that many readers will want to read about a season that is 'over' in January?)

The Illini though beaten and battered in East Lansing do have a few bright spots to lean back on.

For one, this team is still undefeated at home, as close a call as Penn State was, the Assembly Hall has been the place where the freshmen have played best and the crowd can actually make a difference. Tonight's game is prime time, nationally televised on ESPN and with an awful lot of people tuning in to watch. The Illini can take a huge step forward in making a case for March by taking down the #14 team in the country, even if it is on a skid.

E'Twuan Moore and Robbie Hummel have been, like Illinois recently, the only players seemingly playing up to their skill level right now. With JaJuan Johnson not playing all that particularly well right now, Mike Tisdale could be the best option we have to really take it to this team. Its fortunate I suppose that the players that have had seemingly their best games against Purdue (Tis and DMAC) are playing the best on the team right now. Well I should say that Tis is playing well when he is not sitting on the bench with fouls. He is going to have to really make sure he does not get into foul trouble tonight because I can't see him playing very little and still having a chance to win.

Then, of course, there is Demetri McCamey, who we will never forget went 6 for 6 for 3 on his way to scoring 26 points against the Boilermakers in the 2008 Big Ten tournament. I have no doubt he likes to play this team, it brings out the best in him.

If we can get some defense and rebounding out of Mike Davis, and if tonight the return to the Assembly Hall brings the freshmen back to life and start scoring a little, well we might just have a chance to win. After all, any team Northwestern can beat I will always believe we can beat.

Tip is 8pm Central on ESPN