Harmonic convergence

There are notions in the cosmos the Blob does not understand ("No kidding," you're saying). So don't come here looking for answers ("We never do," you're saying).

Maybe there was some sort of science-y brainwave transference going on this week, between Bloomington and West Lafayette. Or maybe it's simpler than that.

Maybe, Archie Miller's team and Matt Painter's team are simply in similar places right now. And it's not a place either coach particularly cares for.

Because both of are pretty darn disgusted at the moment.

First there was Miller, whose Indiana Hoosiers got called out by a caller on his radio show this week as a bunch of fainthearts who play with no passion or energy (and also can't shoot, but that's another issue). Miller did not disagree. In fact, he thought the caller was remarkably astute.

"It's actually a really good point," Miller responded. "Because I think part of our struggles with our team has been passion, emotion, togetherness ... An ugly face of this team has been when things are hard ... they tend to be more reserved, more quiet. Somebody has to fix it for them. To me, this team has to find a way to assert themselves, and nobody is fixing it for us right now."

Now, some folks might be disposed to say "Isn't that your job, Coach?", and those folks wouldn't be wrong. But 120 miles north and west, last year's Big Ten Coach of the Year was saying much the same thing about his Purdue Boilermakers, who are currently occupied with making Matt Painter rip out his hair in silvery shards.

If Miller's Hoosiers have been hard to figure out so far this season, see, Painter's Boilers have been an enigma wrapped in a riddle wrapped in a WTF? Hey, look they beat Iowa by 36 in Mackey Arena! They whupped archrival Indiana by 12 in Assembly Hall on the day Bob Knight came home! They've won three in a row!

And then ...

Um, and then, they then turned around and lost to Penn State in Mackey by a dozen after trailing by as many as 25. Never led. Allowed Penn State, a notoriously bad 3-point shooting team, to make 14 triples. Missed 13 of 17 threes after making 19-of-34 against Iowa in their last game in Mackey.

All of that induced Painter to administer a rare public tongue-lashing to his team in the postgame.

"I don't know what they're complacent about," he said, when informed that one of his players, Eric Hunter, used the dreaded C-word to explain the inexplicable. "Is your goal to win 14 games? Did you write that down before the season: 'Hey, I hope we get 14 this year?'

"That's not your goal. You got admitted into Purdue. You're smart enough to think about what's going on around here. Go out and play hard. You've got to fight people."

Conclusion: It's not going to be pleasant to be Eric Hunter this week.

Or the rest of the Purdues.

Or the Indianas.