This weekend I went up to Purdue for a special alumni basketball game with my parents and grandfather. Without air conditioning, Mackey Arena was over 100 degrees, but it made the experience even more fun. The alumni game featured players from the last 50 years of Purdue basketball (OK, that would have been the last 30 years, but one really old guy played), and many former players returned, even if they weren’t actually on the court. It was great to see guys like David Teague, Carl Landry, Brian Cardinal, and Kenny Lowe. You can read a full recap of the scrimmage, along with awesome photos, at my Purdue blog. I was able to sneak down courtside for the entire game and get some nice shots.
After the alumni game, the current basketball team had it’s first public practice of the season, playing three different ten minute scrimmages. Most teams can’t practice yet, but every few years you’re allowed an international trip over the summer, which sanctions early practices to prepare. The team is heading to Italy this week, so it was a great chance to see the new guys in action. Purdue boasts a fantastic recruiting class with four stud freshmen, so everyone was eagerly anticipating the scrimmage, and Mackey was about 3/4 full despite the heat.
You can also read highlights from the scrimmage, my thoughts on the team, and see some more courtside photos at my Purdue blog, GoBoilers.net. A good friend from college and I started it this summer, which is a notoriously slow time for college sports bloggers, but it allowed us to ease into it. We’ve already hit 10,000 page views, so we’re pretty excited, but the blog is really just a way for us to share our praises and rants about all things Purdue athletics (and occasionally other topics).
Boiler Up!
