Kenny Thompson
Painter catches “Piggy”: remembering Ward Lambert, some “little giant”
A milestone almost went unnoticed this past Sunday afternoon in Mackey Arena. Matt Painter earned his 371st victory at Purdue thanks to an 80-60 triumph against Northwestern. Victory No. 371 matched the total achieved by Ward “Piggy” Lambert over 29 seasons at the helm of the Boilermakers. Painter reached his 371st victory during his 17th…
Read MorePurdue U: the cradle of quarterbacks, pride of Indiana
Even during the darkest times in Purdue football history (see: Hazell, Darrell. Also see: Akers, Fred), Boilermaker fans and administration could point with pride to the Cradle of Quarterbacks. There’s even a section on the school’s athletic website (purduesports.com) devoted to the Cradle. Three members have been inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame…
Read MoreInteresting thoughts while clearing out a holiday notebook
Here are some thoughts while clearing out my holiday notebook: COVID-19 has recorded its first significant impact of the 2021-22 Big Ten men’s basketball season. Michigan, probably the biggest disappointment in the league, called off games against arch rival Michigan State on Jan. 8 and preseason co-Big Ten favorite Purdue on Tuesday night because school…
Read MoreThe nine Boilermaker transfers impact on team’s victories
If there was any doubt how important the transfer portal will be to college football, look no further than Michigan State.The Spartans finished with 11 victories, nine more than the COVID-shortened 2020 season, and the foundation for that record-setting turnaround was 20 transfers. Kenneth Walker III led that transfer class and powered the Michigan State…
Read MoreThe following is an example of the crazy times we are living in
An announcement that the third-ranked Purdue men’s basketball team – players, coaches and support staff – are completely vaccinated and have received their COVID-19 booster shots should have been reason for fans to celebrate. After all, not many Boilermaker teams in my lifetime have had a shot at a Final Four like this one. To…
Read MoreFrom Kenny . . .
Christmas has always been my favorite time of year, and thanks to the readers of The Paper and The Times, I’m celebrating my third holiday season writing a sports column for you. You have given me a gift that keeps on giving. Just a few months after leaving the Lafayette Journal & Courier, I was…
Read More1,000+ words about Purdue men’s basketball’s 1,000-point scorers
The intention for this week’s column was to write 1,000 words about Purdue men’s basketball’s 1,000-point scorers. That goal was surpassed two-thirds into writing about the 54 players to reach that milestone. I needed more than 70 words to begin to describe Rick Mount’s once-in-a-lifetime greatness. The list could grow to 55 before the end…
Read MorePurdue hoops flying high atop the national scene
A week later than the historical moment should have taken place, Purdue ascended to the top of The Associated Press men’s college basketball rankings for the first time Monday. For 379 appearances in the AP Top 25, Purdue had been ranked no higher than No. 2. The mantle of “best” team never to be rated…
Read MoreBig Ten honors Boilermakers duo; coach earns HOF selection
Any sports fan who doesn’t think the name on the front of the jersey matters, look no further than Purdue and the Indiana Pacers in the past couple of weeks. The Pacers were hosting the Los Angeles Lakers and LeBron James. It appeared the Pacers were going to pull off a last-second victory when rookie…
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