Might just be ranked now...
Keady's squad upsets #2 Duke; Coach K graciously attributes win to Kenneth Lowe, calling him a "powerful leader" and crediting him with play that "gives that whole team confidence." I say his 22 points and 7-for-8 from the line (87% career avg.) didn't hurt, either. This win doesn't guarantee anything other than a few happy headlines in northern Indiana on a Sunday morning, but I'm pleased that a team that's shown so much promise in pre-season practices and by its coach's confidence in its depth has delivered an early-season statement of readiness. Keady said "We don't have any kids that are playing that are not as good as they think they are...they're better than they think they are. That's an unusual scenario. They're a little easier to coach." Jeez, Gene, I should hope so!
What's next? Sure bullseye treatment from everyone on the December schedule and a punishing run through a stacked Big Ten lineup. If you've supported the Boilers for one season or twenty, you know better than to take away too much from one win. But a team with this depth, commitment, and confidence seems to converge in west lafayette just once a decade, so you'd better enjoy this run while it lasts!
Sidenote: Gene's combover should soon sport a nativity scene, followed in January by the opening of a brand-new 7 Eleven near the part. My God, that thing's substantial.