Griffiths: Purdue’s house cleaning the right move
By DOUG GRIFFITHS
ISL Assistant Editor
Matt Painter did what needed to be done.
After suffering a 16-18 season, Painter needed to shake things up in his program and get his house in order. He did just that.
Shown the door were Jacob Lawson and Anthony Johnson, who didn’t buy into some of the things that have become staples of the Purdue program through the years. In their years at Purdue, apparently Lawson and Johnson didn’t figure out that hard work and constantly working on their games were requirements of being an impact player in the Big Ten, especially at a proud program like Purdue.
Painter recruited them based on their potential more than them being immediate impact type guys. Both had some God-given ability, but neither were willing to put in the countless hours in needed to be more than role players at best.
As a result, Johnson and Lawson, who both had two years of eligibility remaining, had a heart-to-heart chat with Painter last week, who likely told them what they didn’t want to hear. Neither figured to have prominent roles in Painter’s program going forward so both made the wise move to transfer.
Lets be real, neither Johnson or Lawson would’ve played significant minutes next year. Johnson would’ve been behind Terone Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Rapheal Davis, Bryson Scott and Kendall Stephens. Lawson would’ve been buried behind Jay Simpson, Travis Carroll and Basil Smotherman on the depth chart.
Anthony Johnson and Lawson might have even fallen even further on the depth chart if Painter signs a player this spring.
Rest assure Painter won’t lose any sleep with the departures of Johnson and Lawson. He needed to get rid of the dead weight and did.
What might keep him slightly awake some nights will be the departure of big man Sandi Marcius.
Painter could’ve used Marcius’ services for his fifth year in 2013-14. However, like Lawson and Johnson, Marcius would’ve struggled to earn the kind of minutes he wanted. Marcius wouldn’t have started ahead of 7-footer A.J. Hammons, who has a ton of upside. Marcius would’ve been splitting time with Simpson. Obviously that wasn’t a situation that Marcius wanted to be a part of so after graduating next month, he’ll bolt to another program where he won’t have to sit out for a year since he’ll have a diploma in hand.
Some outside the Purdue program and not overly familiar with Big Ten basketball will ask what’s wrong with Boilermaker basketball. The answer is nothing.
These moves were needed. Do you want Johnson and Lawson taking up scholarship spots for the next couple years when their contributions are minimal? More importantly do you want them undermining what Painter is trying to get across to his younger players about what’s expected of them? Johnson and Lawson were cancers to this Purdue team. They weren’t good team guys. If they were, they would’ve done everything possible to better their standing in their coach’s eyes. Instead, they went through the motions and likely polluted things more by being me first guys.
It’s too bad things didn’t work out for Johnson or Lawson. In hindsight, they weren’t Big Ten caliber players. When they find their new homes, that will become very apparent.
As for Marcius, I can see his concern for not being a starter next season and how that might impact him having a legitimate shot at a European pro basketball career. I’m not sure where he’ll wind up and question whether he’ll be the focal point of anyone’s offense like he wants to be.
We knew after Purdue bowed out of the embarrassing CBI Tournament all the players who possibly could return to the Boilermaker program would not.
By getting rid of Johnson and Lawson, Painter has improved his program greatly. It’s addition by subtraction if you will.
And with the last week’s developments, Painter has made it clear to everyone on the Purdue roster, all the incoming players and all the players he’s recruiting, that they better commit themselves to the program and do everything in their power to improve their game or else.
To that I say, bravo Matt Painter.
