Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/279061
GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 25 • 4 W ell, that banquet should be, uh, uncomfortable. When Purdue gathers to "celebrate" a season gone bad, Ronnie Johnson pre - sumably won't be there; his family — a key element be- hind the point guard's trans- fer — may or may not be; and older brother Terone Johnson will have to stand at that dais after a season in which he, at least to some ex - tent, was caught in the middle of it all. It might be more difficult to slice the tension in the air than the banquet beef. Awwwwwk-waaaaaard. For weeks, if not months, now, Ronnie Johnson's family has been so - liciting interest from other programs, mobilizing for a transfer, painting a picture of some of the tumult going on behind the scenes as this already trou - bled season went completely down the drain from mid-February on. The player's side left a December parent-teacher meeting with Matt Painter with hurt feelings and strik - ingly different philosophies on how basketball should be played. There are two sides to every sto- ry, of course, but what it very clearly boiled down to was a difference in how Johnson, and those around him, felt he should play and how his coach - es felt he needed to play to win games. Painter could have com- promised himself. He could have played the game, said what he needed to say, done what he needed to do, to keep an unhappy player around. But for better and worse, Painter is no coddler. He called Johnson Saturday to find out what was going on. Purdue was aware of word being put out that he might transfer but had been told nothing definitive. Painter could have pleaded for the player to stay or, at worst, waited for an in-person meeting to allow for a cooling-off period. Instead, he used that call to proactively grant a scholar - ship release, then e-mailed it to him. The Boilermaker coach could have prioritized keeping a talented player, one he had two full seasons invested in, around by any means necessary. But what's worse, losing a talented player or keeping an unhappy, poten - tially defiant talented player around in a leadership role? What Purdue needed less of from Johnson in terms of the inconsistent judgment on and off the floor is what he wanted more of, and Purdue will not miss his casual nature on and off said floor, nor the third-party drama. What Purdue will miss is his ability, which when properly applied, was am - ple, and his experience, which though it didn't always show, is now considerable. Now the Boilermakers don't have a point guard and the on-paper out - look for next season has changed. With the losses of Johnson and Jay Simpson, Purdue is a less talented team. Purdue has only five scholar - ship players returning, assuming all of those do in fact return. What Purdue needs next season is a Purdue team, a selfless group that plays with effort and some measure of good basketball sense. It has not had that the past two sea - sons and the results are what they are. Painter has failed the program in recruiting, as he'll be first to admit. And it's not been a matter of not getting guys who are good enough as much as it's been about not doing a good enough job finding fits. It's difficult to find the right mix of tangible and intangible, and Purdue's been rife the past two years with work ethic and attitudinal issues, ones coach - es failed to identify on the front end. Of course, things do change. Play- ers evolve, for better and worse. As personal situations unfold and more voices latch onto ears, players can go either way. Most mature. It's a difficult balancing act, find - ing the combination of the right player, the right person and the right team- mate and it's an act Purdue has to do a better job with than it has. Purdue's finished two consecutive seasons with a losing record and is ap - proaching a tipping point. With a season upcoming in which a winning record would be be - yond cathartic, at the very least, the Boilermak- ers may be start- ing over again in some senses, with another bite taken out of its roster at a program where transfers have been far too many. Purdue will have no seniors and at least five freshmen next season. It will have two up - p e r c l a s s m e n on scholarship assuming A.J. Hammons stays. It might be a situation where you have to know progress when you see it. It's a tough spot, but nothing new. Considering the toxicity of the sit - uation that just resolved itself, Purdue's seen tougher. j Neubert can be contacted at BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com f r o m e d i t o r b r i a n n e u b e r t a season spent at odds unlocking more tomorrows our mission is discovery our goal is to cure cancer. cancerresearch.purdue.edu Dorothy Teegarden, PhD Professor, Foods and Nutrition