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College basketball

New attitude carries Purdue back to top

Just about everyone predicted Purdue, coming off its first losing season in 13 years, again would finish in the bottom half of the Big Ten.

Just about everyone now is admitting a miscalculation. The Boilermakers (15-4), winners of four straight and 10 of their past 11 entering today's game at Minnesota, surprisingly sit atop the league at 7-1.

"We're really happy with the way things are going right now," coach Gene Keady said.

Though new forwards Chris Booker, Matt Kiefer and Melvin Buckley and guard David Teague have adapted to his system faster than he imagined and a summer trip to Europe helped develop chemistry, Keady said the biggest reason for the turnaround is a turnaround in attitude.

"The kids returning were very hungry," he said. "They've had a lot of adversity here the last two years with injuries. They've gotten through that stuff and they're just playing basketball now. From getting their fannies kicked those (two) years, they don't want that to happen anymore so they really have played hard and they've stuck together."

Last season, Purdue finished 10th in the league in scoring defense (71.5 ppg) and field-goal percentage defense (47.2). This season, Purdue is sixth in scoring defense (64.7 ppg) and fifth in field-goal percentage defense (40.2).

About everyone agrees that has to do with the return of Kenneth Lowe.

The junior guard, a starter in 31 of 32 games in 2000-01, missed last season after surgery on his right shoulder in August. Now healthy, the fiery Lowe averages 11.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists, shoots 90.9 percent from the line and is the ideal complement in the backcourt to high-scoring senior guard Willie Deane.

"When you add someone like Kenny who's got great charisma and loves to play and has the smile and defensive effort," Keady said, "everybody has to follow him or they're going to get embarrassed and we're not going to play him."

The rest of the Boilermakers are in step with Lowe and on the rise.

"I thought if he were around last year, they'd be doing similar things that they're doing this year," Iowa coach Steve Alford said. "I just think he's that good. He can beat you, and we did a good job controlling him but he's such a fierce competitor, he's a great leader and he's one of those guys who can score 20 and hurt you or he can score seven and beat you because of the influence he has on his teammates. He's their best defender. He's an X factor they didn't have a year ago."

A DEVILISH TREND: In each of Duke's three road losses, Maryland, North Carolina State and Sunday against Florida State, fans have rushed the court to celebrate their team's win. Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said such an emotional display is good for the game as long as things do not turn ugly or unruly.

"For us, the security was handled well," he said. "The fans were good. We didn't have one situation at any of the three where, like, a fan threw something at us. We were treated extremely well."

But he will be reminding his team that it does not want to become a regular cause for celebration.

"Parties to go; 1-800-CAL-DUKE," he deadpanned.

MUST-SEE TV: Sunday's intersectional matchup between No. 14 Wake Forest (ACC) and No. 15 Marquette (C-USA) in Milwaukee, shown at 1:30 on Ch. 28, offers more than nationally ranked teams. Two of the nation's most dazzling players, both candidates for the Wooden Award, will be on display: Wake Forest's Josh Howard and Marquette's Dwyane Wade.

NUMBERS GAME: Oklahoma owns the nation's longest homecourt winning streak at 33. The Sooners host Baylor today.

HE SAID IT: "In order for that victory (against then-No. 5 Duke) to be meaningful, this team needs to keep things in perspective that we're still a team that's only won 11 games and is 2-6 in the conference." -- FSU coach Leonard Hamilton, whose team plays at North Carolina today.

-- Brian Landman covers men's college basketball. He can be reached at (813) 226-3347 or by e-mail at landman@sptimes.com.

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