I’m going to apologize for not updating and say it’s because I knew Purdue would choke after I talked about how good their season was… but really I was too busy with other things and didn’t have my laptop AC adapter, and I love writing from the couch while my girlfriend makes me suffer through episodes of the reality show du jour.

That being said, I didn’t need to hex Purdue because Purdue did a fine job of killing itself without me.

The picture in question. As soon as I saw it happen I had this horrible feeling in my gut that the Purdue season was over. My worst fears were confirmed the next day when the news came out that Robbie Hummel had in fact torn his ACL and was out for the season. Now I’m one that likes to remain optimistic until it’s way too late, ask me about my Orioles predictions from 2000-2007, but I’m afraid that this is it for the Boilermakers. Purdue fans will take solace in the fact that the Boilermakers still have a shot at the conference title and will be okay if they make a 2nd round exit in the NCAA tournament, but not me. This team was #3 in the country, we had an opportunity to play in a Final Four that was only 60 miles from the campus of Purdue. Fate was on our side.

Or so we thought. Fate had a different plan as Hummel fell to the ground in the middle of the first half in Minneapolis. Life stopped in Lafayette at that moment. Let me explain this to those Kentucky, Kansas, Syracuse, UNC fans out there. There won’t be “next year” for Purdue. There won’t be a big recruiting class full of McDonald’s All Americans that will be able to make a deep run again relatively soon. Purdue just doesn’t draw the talent that the bigger schools do. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, not one of the once-in-three-years variety. The Hummel injury will go down with the 2004 fumble vs Wisconsin as the two defining moments of “Purdon’t”. A team that might have been good enough but just couldn’t get it over the top. If Purdue continues to play like this in both football and basketball, the school will gain a legacy similar to that of the Chicago Cubs. Lovable losers, so close but so far, etc. As a Purdue fan, I can tell you that it’s absolutely devastating to get so close but never have any tangible results to show from so many good teams.

Purdue fans will be happy with a conference championship. If you told us that before the season, we would’ve been happy, but if we only make it to the second round of the tournament, I will be disappointed. When I saw how good this team was, I knew they were capable of more. I didn’t expect a National Championship, but I wouldn’t have ruled out an Elite Eight or even Final Four appearance. Unfortunately, I believe that the Hummel injury will end up being the breaking point of the Purdue Boilermakers 2009-10 basketball season.

We’ll get a really good idea when they face the Spartans on Sunday. And I promise more frequent updates from here on out.