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ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 23 f F R O M E D I T O R B R I A N N E U B E R T M att Painter's convinced. When there's so much reason to waffle right now, the Boilermaker coach is sold: His way — the genera- tions-long Purdue way — works, he says, even if it hasn't lately. Not that he should have doubts. He's won that way before. But after the last two eyesores of seasons, 66 games worth of mostly vile, unrecognizable basketball by Painter standards, if he was ever go- ing to waver, ever going to panic, now would be the time. Look, we live in a 140-character off-with-their-heads (!!!) culture and there's no reasonable justification to say the results of 2012-14 are "ac- ceptable" to anyone in the program, in charge of it or with a stake in it. But there's no "hot seat" at Purdue and it would take a lot more of these recent results for there to be. That doesn't mean, though, there's no pressure. Not that anyone or anything can twist the knife on Painter any harder than he seems to himself, being a man who's never particularly seemed to ex- perience very much joy from winning. It's always seemed more like a matter of keeping the next loss at bay a little longer. Those levees have broken lately. It has to patched up quickly. Painter appears sure the wheels are in motion, looking atypically com- fortable and energized this time of year for a coach whose hair wasn't quite so, um, silver 24 months ago. The autopsy report on last season is in and it's not kind. Cause of death: Utter dysfunction. Is that Painter's fault? Of course it is. As he says, he re- cruited the players, coached them and got paid $2 million and change to do it. He owns that, but he should only have to to a point. It's his fault, but it's a lot of other peoples' fault, too. Purdue's leadership in the locker room has been poor, its personalities polarizing, its agendas diverse and its sense — both in basketball and life — erratic at best. It spilled onto the floor, a product looking as often than not like a five- man operation headed in five differ- ent directions, especially in moments that really mattered.Time and again, Purdue put firearm to foot and pulled the trigger until it went click. Change has to occur organically. Fans want to dry heave every time they hear the term "Purdue fit." Wait for it ... The five freshmen are Purdue fits. The sophomores need some jimmy- ing, but their hearts are in the right place, I think. Rapheal Davis is a fit; Jon Octeus is a fit, from what we're told anyway. And if A.J. Hammons, Purdue's pillar, isn't a fit by now, he's never going to be. Define fit. It's simple, literally. Be simple, Painter says. Do the right things. Care about winning. Be nice, or at least civil, to your team- mates. Talk to them instead of curs- ing them out. Look them in the eye instead of rolling your eyes. All schmaltz, I know. But accurate schmaltz. It's too bad for Purdue things have broken down so much that such little things have become so big. This is the blueprint Paint- er's so certain will get his program out of the doldrums, if it's properly carried out. He's right when he says he's not asking all that much, re- ally. In short, don't be an idiot. Purdue's idiocy quotient has shriv- eled as its roster's turned over and if it brings about a more productive cli- mate in the program, then the bigger question can be tackled: Are they good enough? No idea. Hammons better be; the sopho- mores have to grow up; and the fresh- men have to be mature beyond their years. And they all have to be produc- tive, responsible and attentive. Early returns are positive. Experience will not be on Purdue's side. Of its two oldest players, one is a walk-on and the other enrolled in October. Multiple freshmen could start. The deck is stacked against Pur- due. There will be no predictions here. That is, unless I'm contractually obli- gated, like on Page 28. The Boilermakers have earned no benefit of the doubt lately, but the slate is clean. It's all so new, all so different. One can only hope for Pur- due's sake that the results wind up being so, too. j Neubert can be contacted at BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com A Simple Plan