Senior forward Robbie Hummel tore his right ACL for the second time in less than a year during the Boilermakers’ first full practice, an injury that many thought would derail their shot at winning a Big Ten championship. Many, before that, had them pegged as the favorite to do so.

Well, a couple weeks into the conference season and they appear to still be a favorite. Purdue is one of just two Big Ten teams that hasn’t lost a conference game yet. The Boilermakers have won 10 games in a row, the last nine by double figures, and will take that streak to Minnesota tonight. Ten of their next 14 games come against teams that are currently ranked, and that doesn’t include an awkwardly scheduled trip to West Virginia this weekend.

Purdue coach Matt Painter joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis with JMV to discuss his team’s play thus far in the Big Ten season, the breakout of Ryne Smith, the game with Minnesota tonight on ESPN and the weird game this weekend at West Virginia.

If he’s liked what he’s seen from his team during early Big Ten play:

“I think we’ve made some improvements. We still have a long ways to go. We’ve gotten better from a defensive standpoint, kind of following the scouting report and understanding what we want to do. … You just hope your guys can continue to improve while you’re winning games. A lot of times guys look at the wins like nothing wrong happened.”

On the breakout of Ryne Smith, who scored in double figures just one before conference season but has done so in four straight league games:

“He’s a confident player and he’s never really go on track in terms of shooting the basketball. He’s worked hard to get on the court and learn our system defensively and physically be able to guard people. Now he’s put himself in that position where he’s able to do that. Making shots on top of that gives him a lot of confidence.”

On the game tonight with nationally ranked Minnesota:

“Obviously from a physical standpoint, they could be the most physical team in our league. They’ve got two 7-footers. … They’re the best rebounding team in our league right now. I think that’s going to be a challenge for us. … They have some very good balance with their team.”

Purdue will play at West Virginia on Saturday in an oddly scheduled nonconference game:

“I like playing West Virginia because I know he’s one of the best coaches in the country and you know they’re going to play hard. I think this is the first time we’ve had an opponent kind of sandwiched in on one of our bye weeks during conference play. We’ll see.”

Listen to Matt Painter on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis here

He may be right, except for the fact that Bush is now not considered an eligible college football player, so how could he be the best of that bunch?

It certainly poses an interesting question, but my guess is Kiffin probably won’t respond to that as he’s busy trying to turn around “the most miserable 2-0 locker room” in the country. No worries, Lane, your offense did have the best player aged 19-23 in the country (that’s the easiest way around ”best college football player”) in 2005 and you have Minnesota, which lost to South Dakota last week, this Saturday.

Lane Kiffin joined KLAC-AM with Petros and Money to discuss the effect that the Reggie Bush saga has had on his program, whether coaches and players from 2005 feel slighted by it, how he was surprised this past week in his team’s struggles, why his team has the most miserable 2-0 locker room, his memories of Minnesota and what it’s like to move around so much as the son of a coach.

On what effect the Reggie Bush saga has on the USC program:

“I think it would surprise people. when I say that our players don’t talk about that or think about that. It’s not even on their mind. I only brought it up to them after practice just because the media was going to ask them and most of them didn’t even know about it. … It’s got nothing to do with this team. None of them were even here when it happened.”

On whether the coaches and players who were there when Bush won the Heisman feel slighted:

“No they shouldn’t. This isn’t an issue of performance-enhancing drugs or something to enhance Reggie’s performance where he was cheating and that enabled him to play better. He was the best player and if I recall the voting wasn’t even close. He was the best player by far, that year, in college football. That hasn’t changed. He was and we were the best team until six minutes left in [the national championship] game.”

On whether he was surprised by how competitive Virginia was in a loss to USC last week:

“I wasn’t surprised at how they were, I was surprised at how poorly we played. I thought we’d play much better. The home-opener, there was a lot of anticipation for the game, the players were excited and we just didn’t execute very well.”

On what he attributes the early struggles to:

“I think there’s a lot of things as you look at that. We do, and I more than anybody, tend to forget it’s our first year here. It’s our first year together as a team, as a staff and you go through some growing pains. Things aren’t gonna be perfect right away, even though our expectation is for them to be.”

On his ties to the state of Minnesota ahead of the Trojans’ game against the Gophers:

“I still do have a number of people there that I’m very close to over the years of being there. I lived there twice, actually. It’s a very special place, phenomenal people, great town. It’s a neat place and a lot of neat relationships there, but we’ve got to go back and get a win.”

On moving around so much:

“My goal has always been to move around early because you have to a lot of times in this profession to make relationships and get different experiences, but get to your dream job and stay there a long time. So, we’ve got here, now we’ve got to win so we can stay here a long time so my kids don’t have to go through the same thing. I moved 19 times, so I’m trying to keep them here for a while.”

Listen to the interview with Lane Kiffin on KLAC-AM with Petros and Money here

The Golden Gophers are seeded eleventh in the West Bracket and open the tournament against Xavier, the number six seed.  This match-up is going to be difficult for Minnesota as Xavier will get up and down the court with their fast-paced style of play.  The Golden Gophers defense needs to be ready to try and slow down an offense that averages about eighty PPG.  Minnesota can shoot from deep and they know how to get open looks for their great shooters.  This might be the toughest game to predict thus far because both teams have such opposite styles of play.  Smith is one of just nine coaches to have taken three different schools to the Sweet 16.  He will definitely take a fourth school, but not this year.  Minnesota will lose to a more athletic and talented team in Xavier.

Tubby Smith joined 790 The Zone in Atlanta to talk about how bad he wanted the NCAA bid for his players, how the personality of his players affects the way he goes about his pregame speeches, and whether he had it in his mind going into the Big Ten Tournament that they needed to win a set amount of games to get into the NCAA Tournament.

How bad he wanted the NCAA bid for his players:

“Well we had our fair share of distractions this year.  We can’t call it internal turmoil.  There was some problems with some players and didn’t really play and didn’t get a chance to be a part of this.  This great, excellent season, this good season that we have had.  But guys like Lawrence Westbrook who had never really beaten Purdue or Michigan State while he was here.  Damian Johnson, who we have felt like is one of the best defensive players I have ever coached and we have coached some good defensive players like Rajon Rondo and Chuck Hayes and Tayshaun Prince.  I think our kids felt a little slighted going in because I really felt like we did finish 9-9 in the league; we did finish sixth in it.  We lost overtime, double overtime games.  We lost by one to Michigan State.   We lost to Purdue in one.  We lost in overtime to Indiana on the road.  So we felt like we were capable of playing with anyone in this league.  Finally we beat Ohio State earlier in the year.  So we weren’t far off from being a very good team.”

On how the personality of his players affects the way he goes about his pregame speeches:

“It is always different.  Each group has a different personality.  The players have been doing a lot of playing for us.  Guys like Devoe Joseph; he has evolved into a pretty good point guard taking over for Allen Knowles because he is academically ineligible.  He has really stepped his game up and made some huge shots in the Mississippi State game, you know Blake Hoffarber, who is second in the nation in three-point shooting.  Although he is still a talented player, in those terms because he really didn’t play a lot.  He played backup as a freshman and started sparingly last year.  I think guys like Ralph Sampson and Colton Iverson are both sophomores as well and true post players.  So they are starting to mature and come around.  We knew it would take time so when you talk about giving that speech prior to NCAA games, it is a little bit different.  We want our kids to relax and have a good time knowing that we are in the Dance, so this is icing on the cake.  It is no time to really tighten up.  It is time to lighten up and have a fun time.”

Whether he had it in his mind going into the Big Ten Tournament that they needed to win a set amount of games to get into the NCAA Tournament:

“Yes we did.  We felt like we had to win the tournament or at least get to the championship game.  Our kids were focused on that.  Obviously you have to focus on one game at a time, but you really don’t know who you are going to play the next game.  Other than the first game we don’t know who we are going to play.  There is that opportunity to focus on that there is a new season, it is a tournament, and it is single-game elimination.  Let’s see if we can play our best basketball.  They may not be the best team.  It is the team that is playing the best at that particular time.”

Whether it is harder to keep his players from getting into trouble in Minnesota than at other schools he has coached for:

“Well you know I learned a lot from Rick Pitino.  You have to embrace it and I think that is important that you can because you can’t live in a cocoon, you can’t isolate them.  If you do, for one thing…  We may be playing in front of forty-thousand people or seventy-thousand people.  You can’t worry about the little bit of distractions are no longer a distraction.  We have gone through a whole year.  We have been taught to kind of communicate to the media.  You have been taught how to act so now is the time.  It is the big stage, let’s go ahead and perform…  It is like performing at Carnegie Hall.  You are practicing up this instinct and you are ready.  Have no fear and let’s enjoy it.”

Tubby Smith on 790 the Zone in Atlanta with Mayhem in the AM

This should be a good one. Odds to win the region can be found after the interviews, compliments of Bodog, www.BodogLife.com.

Reason why #1 seed doesn’t make it to the Final Four:   If Levance Fields still isn’t recovered from his groin problems or DeJuan Blair is in foul trouble, Pitt can be beat.

Best bet in the first round:   Over 157 1/2 in the Oklahoma State/Tennessee game

Player I’m most looking forward to playing in the NBA:  Tie between Sam Young of Pitt and Eric Maynor of VCU.  In terms of Young, I can’t wait to see if that ridiculously exaggerated pump fake actually works in the NBA.  I remember watching Maynor two years ago when they upset Duke.  Ice in his veins and should become a nice pro.

Prediction for this bracket: Pittsburgh.  I know they haven’t had great success in the tourney in the past, but I love Blair and Young.  Sleeper pick would be Florida State

Listen to Pittsburgh (#1) head coach Jamie Dixon with Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio (19 minutes into podcast)

Listen to Duke (#2) guard Jon Scheyer and assistant coach Chris Collins on WGN Radio in Chicago with Dave Kaplan

Listen to Villanova (#3) head coach Jay Wright with Cuz and Prof on WIP in Philadelphia

Listen to Xavier (#4) Head Coach Sean Miller on WQXI in Atlanta with the Two Live Stews

Listen to Florida State (#5) leading scorer Toney Douglas and his brother Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas on WQXI in Atlanta with Morning Mayhem

Listen to Oklahoma State (#8) Head Coach Travis Ford on The Sports Animal in Oklahoma City with Jim Traber, Al Eschbach, and Dean Blevins

Listen to Tennessee (#9) Head Coach Bruce Pearl on WQXI in Atlanta on Morning Mayhem

Listen to Minnesota (#10) head coach Tubby Smith on KFAN in Minneapolis with Dan Barreiro

Listen here to VCU (#11) head coach Anthony Grant with Jeff Aaron on KRKO in Seattle

Listen to Portland State (#13) head coach Ken Bone on KKFX in Portland 

Listen to ETSU (#16) Head Coach Murray Bartow on KGOW in Houston with John and Lance