Sayler Shurtz

As Purdue soon enters the stretch run, I have a few things (opinions) on my mind I’d like to share with the class. It’s okay to be upset after a loss. Everyone copes differently with a loss, that’s fine. But if your cope is to @ the players, keep it to yourself. No one cares more than the players (and BB). I’m kidding. But really, keep that childish shit to yourself. No one cares more than the players and coaches. We all want Purdue to win it all. Every one of us. I promise you the team does, too, and calling them names or making fun of them when they’re already dejected cannot be helping morale. Yes, I miss the social media ban. Players should not be allowed on X during the year, at the very least. But it’s not because of them. This place is literally cancer following a loss and it’s fucking pathetic. In a perfect world, they wouldn’t be on social media. But it’s 2026 and they are. So stop being a fucking loser. Remember what just happened to this community less than 2 weeks ago and grow the fuck up. Berating players and coaches does nothing to help Purdue achieve its goals. Absolutely nothing. And some clowns act like this is the place to give them a “pep talk” by @‘ing them. Those ppl are fucking losers. And if you’re doing it because you’re losing money gambling, then you’re truly dumb as fuck. (2) If you knew me in college you’d dislike (hate?) me more than you already do. Add millions to my bank account and who knows how I turn out. The fact some are shitting on a guy for what he said to an anonymous loser on Xbox is so embarassing lol. Who gives a literal fuck what someone says while gaming? I’d be in prison for the things I said when I was 22. He’s fucking 22 years old. “Hey let’s just shit to our best player and our key to turning this funk around! That will totally make him want to play harder for us and for Purdue!” Moronic type shit. Grow the fuck up. Now that that’s out of the way… I do think this team is lacking joy right now. It was last year at this time, too, so maybe it is just a waiting-til-the-tourney-game we have to play - it “worked” last season. We can do nothing but hope and pray at this point that they figure it out. All we can do to help them is to stay positive. Something I (not a coach, just my opinion) would try is playing Omer Mayer 30+ minutes per game from here on out. What does Purdue have to lose? Nothing, at this point. Hell, I am fully onboard with the next two weeks being “practice” (if the team doesn’t care who they play or where they’re seeded, why should I?) So, if that’s the case, see what you have in Mayer. Worst case is he’s not ready to give more than his 15 mpg til next year, and if that’s the case then okay. But I believe Mayer plays with intensity and joy no one else has shown lately (see iu game). I would put him alongside Braden for 30+ mpg for the next two weeks. Again, worst case nothing changes. Best case? He goes on a crazy scoring run this month after two weeks of starting. (Let’s not forget what Mayer is going through rn, either. My take may not be realistic due to it. These guys aren’t robots, after all). I’d also play Benter as much as possible. Too much skill with both these guys to play 10-15 mpg and then wonder “what could’ve been” when they breakout next year with bigger minutes. I get the rebounding issue that lurks behind those takes but how rebounding been with our big lineup lately? I still believe this team has a switch. There’s nothing we can do but wait and see if that’s right. I will believe in this team until the season ends, whenever that may be. There’s is nothing else fans can do. Just please leave the young adults alone, holy shit.

Footage of Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton, and Myles Turner being team leaders weeks before training camp. The entire Pacers roster worked out together at Paskal Siakam's house in Orlando together before training camp. The Indiana Pacers aren't going to the Finals because they got a lucky draw. The Indiana Pacers aren't going to the Finals because people got hurt. The Indiana Pacers aren't going to the Finals because their conference was down. The Indiana Pacers are going to the Finals because they got a taste of the Eastern Conference Finals last season and have been preparing to take it up a notch ever since. The Indiana Pacers are going to the Finals because they've been preparing for it as a collective unit well before the season even started. They've been preparing to win TOGETHER as a TEAM. Tyrese Haliburton didn't make the all-star team. Siakam did tho and he was happy for him and didnt give a shit that he didn't make it. He had bigger goals in mind. Can't say that about every other franchise player in the league, and it showed. Nobody saw this coming, but from the looks of it, they knew this was coming. Kudos to them.