Column: A Big Ten choke, a look ahead and Matt Painter’s decision

In Triple Threat, IDS men’s basketball columnist Nathan Hart will look at three issues concerning IU, the Big Ten or college basketball in general.

Legends and Losers?

For as much as was made about the Big East’s NCAA Tournament debacle, the Big Ten fared, well, about the same.

The Big East put 11 of its 16 teams in the tournament, and 10 of the teams were eliminated by the end of the Sweet 16. The season’s top three teams — Pittsburgh, Notre Dame and Syracuse — did not make it out of the first weekend. Connecticut, the conference’s ninth-place finisher, is still alive.

However, it could be argued that the Big Ten didn’t do any better. First, while the conference put seven of the 11 teams in, only two of the teams made it to the Sweet 16.

Of the three “good” teams in the league, only Wisconsin really matched expectations, as Purdue flamed out against VCU and Ohio State was upset by Kentucky.

Is that much of a surprise? Maybe not. The Big Ten never met preseason expectations and those supposed title contenders (Michigan State and Illinois, for example) were exposed far before the tournament.

Also, for some reason, Purdue peaked in February instead of March and Ohio State got upset by a hot Kentucky team.

It’s the NCAA Tournament, after all, and seeds, expectations and regular season records mean very little.

As for next year

While there’s still basketball to be played this weekend in Houston, all 11 Big Ten teams will be watching from home.

Thus, let’s look for what’s in store for next season’s Big Ten.

Most glaringly, many, many seniors will be gone. Fourteen of the Big Ten’s top 30 scorers will be gone, and that doesn’t include potential early departures for the NBA (Michigan’s Darius Morris and Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor, as well as Ohio State’s Jared Sullinger if he changes his mind).

If Sullinger stays (and there’s reason to believe he will), Ohio State reloads with four top-75 recruits and will contend for a title. If Michigan’s Morris also returns, the young Wolverines may also surge to the top.

Teams that will take a hit with graduation include Purdue, Illinois and Minnesota.
As for IU, it’s hard to know what to expect. This year’s preseason expectation by many — including me — was the NIT. With an underperforming year this season, maybe the bar is about the same next year.

Again, this is all way-too-early speculation.

Really, Matt Painter?

When rumors tied Purdue coach Matt Painter to the Missouri coaching job, it was easy to be stunned.

Painter has coached his alma mater Purdue to four straight 25-win seasons and seemed like the perfect fit as the next long-term coach at Purdue.

However, his Purdue salary guarantees just less than $1.4 million per year (not including additional incentives), and Missouri is reportedly offering  more than $2 million. His current salary ranks in the bottom half of the Big Ten.

Painter has every right to seek out a higher salary, and his ultimate goal might be to seek out that money at Purdue. If he wants Purdue to know he’s serious about a better contract, he’ll show them he’s just fine leaving for another school.

The common assumption is that Purdue Athletics Director Morgan Burke will want to keep Painter and therefore up his salary.

Painter may have one foot out the door — even two feet out the door to show he’s really serious — but ultimately, I would be surprised if he took the Missouri job.

­— nmhart@indiana.edu