Keady talks about Knight's passing: Purdue Sports Update Nov. 2

KEADY SADDENED BY KNIGHT’S PASSING

We spoke with Gene Keady on Thursday a.m. via phone from his home in Myrtle Beach. Here is what the former Boilermaker coach said about Bob Knight, who passed away yesterday after a long illness at the age of 83:

“It is a very sad day. Very sad. I think our relationship was great and special because we trusted each other. He knew (back when our teams played against each other) that there was no funny business. We would do it the right way and both of us knew that. It was just great, great competition and we both knew that when we played against one another. Maybe more importantly, it helped us become great friends for the many years after we were done coaching. I will really miss him.

“To be honest, Bob reminds me so much of my dad. I loved and respected my dad, but I knew better than to mess with him. That was the way things were between Bob and me. “

Other than dealing with the sad news on Knight, Keady was in good spirits and when told about coach Matt Painter’s comments last night in the post-game press conference about how the competition with Knight made Purdue better, Keady said, ‘that’s a great way to put it. Matt said that exactly right.”

Keady, who will be 88 on May 21st, is expected to be in West Lafayette the first week of December and plans to be in Mackey for the Dec. 4 game with Iowa. As most Purdue fans know, Keady owned a 21-20 all-time record against Knight, one of the few coaches (especially in that many games) that had a career advantage on Knight.

#19 VOLLEYBALL FALLS 1-3 AT #2 WISCONSIN

The No. 19 volleyball squad fell, 1-3 at No. 2 Wisconsin on Wednesday night (14-25, 25-16, 18-25, 14-25). The effort included a double-double by Eva Hudson (18 kills, 11 digs) and a 37-assist, six dig performance by freshman setter Taylor Anderson.

Purdue’s Set 2 victory (25-16) marked the lowest set score for the Badgers during a Big Ten match this season, and just the fourth set loss of Big Ten play this season.

With the result, Purdue falls to 14-8 (8-5 Big Ten) while Wisconsin improves to 21-1 (12-1 Big Ten).

Up next, the Boilermakers return home to Holloway Gymnasium, where they will take on No. 16 Penn State on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET. The match will be streamed live on B1G+.

Quick Hits

• Purdue handed Wisconsin a 25-16 Set 2 loss, holding the Badgers to their lowest set-score in Big Ten play this season.
• The Boilermakers out-hit the Badgers .357% to -.029% in Set 2, while posting six team blocks and 15 digs in the set victory.
• Eva Hudson was the first player for either team to reach double-digit kills, doing so in Set 2, before finishing the night with 18 kills. Hudson registered her seventh double-double of the season and first since her 13 kill, 11 dig performance vs. Iowa (10/7).
• Maddie Schermerhorn led the team with 12 digs on the night.
• The team posted eight blocks in the match, six of which came in Set 2.

OMHOLT RECOGNIZED ON BIG TEN ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM

Soccer freshman forward Lauren Omholt has been named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, it was announced by the conference.

Omholt is the second Boilermaker to earn Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors in as many years, along with now-sophomore Kayla Budish in 2022. The duo are Purdue’s first two freshman team awardees since 2017. Omholt collected the program’s 11th all-freshman accolade in the team’s 26-year history, and she joins Jessica Okoroafo in 2005, Vanessa Ibewuike in 2009 and Budish in 2022 as forwards to be recognized.

Purdue has earned at least one All-Big Ten award in four consecutive seasons, the first time the program has reached that mark since a 10-year stretch from 2001-2010. Between 2010 and 2020, the Boilermakers were recognized with All-Big Ten distinctions just once, in 2017.

Additionally, redshirt junior defender Kelsi Carrico was named the team’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honoree. The award recognizes student-athletes who distinguish themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. They also must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

Omholt’s first career point came via an assist on August 20 in a win against Iona in her second collegiate game. Her first goal came one game later to get the scoring started in a victory over Valparaiso on August 24. Omholt also found the back of the net against No. 25 TCU on September 7.

The all-freshman team recognition is the first award of any kind of Omholt’s college career.

Carrico is a multiple-time Academic All-Big Ten awardee and a Big Ten Distinguished scholar. She played in nine career games on the back line with four starts, all consecutive to conclude the 2022 season. Carrico played more than 300 minutes in her career.

From Mishawaka, Indiana, Carrico is pursuing her degree in public health with a concentration in behavioral social science. She also is earning a minor in American sign language and deaf studies. Carrico will graduate from Purdue in the spring of 2024.

COLVIN SELECTED BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

After leading the Big Ten last week in blocks per set, junior middle blocker Raven Colvin received the league’s Defensive Player of the Week nod.

The honor marks the second straight week the middle has been named Defensive Player of the Week and the third time this season.

Colvin, an Indianapolis, Indiana, product averaged 2.00 blocks per set with 14 total blocks over the seven sets of action last week. Meanwhile, the Boilermaker secured 4.57 points per set, good for seventh in the league.

She opened the week with six total blocks vs. Minnesota (one solo, five assisted) alongside a .353 hitting % (nine kills, three errors on 17 swings). Colvin’s efforts helped Purdue secure the sweep, and improve the team to 8-3 vs. teams ranked or receiving votes in the AVCA/Taraflex poll.

Colvin followed up the performance with eight blocks at Illinois (one solo, seven assisted). Meanwhile, offensively, the Boilermaker produced 13 kills in the match, including a .556 hitting clip (10 kills) over the first two sets.

Colvin leads the Big Ten in total blocks (122) this season.

It is the ninth time a Boilermaker has received a weekly award this season.

WRESTLING 2023-24 SEASON PREVIEW: 125-157

The Boilermakers will open their season at the Clarion Open for the second straight year this Sunday, bringing a lineup that is once again expected to be one of the youngest in the Big Ten.

Head coach Tony Ersland wrestled 10 freshmen in duals in the 2022-23 campaign, the most of any Big Ten team, and the youth movement will continue into this year with a talented recruiting class now on board.  

16 duals and five tournaments on the schedule will give the full roster opportunities to showcase their talents and contribute to the team, so let’s take a look at who will be donning the old gold and black this season.

125
How do you even begin to preview this guy? A 2023 NCAA Runner Up and the 60^th All-American in program history, redshirt-junior Matt Ramos comes into the season as the consensus preseason No. 1 at 125 pounds after an incredible finish to last year vaulted him into the national spotlight. An upset win over Iowa’s Spencer Lee in the NCAA semifinals showed the world what he is capable of and now he has an opportunity to accomplish everything he has set out for himself.

Our records indicate that he is the first preseason No. 1 in program history, much less a consensus top-ranking. He is the first Boilermaker to earn a top-ranking since Chris Fleeger in March of 2003 and the highest ranked wrestler under Ersland since Devin Schroder was No. 2 in January of 2021. The Lockport, Ill., native went 35-5 last year and already sits in the top-7 for career winning percentage at Purdue (56-15, 78.9%).

Ramos will have plenty of opportunities to solidify his spot at the top. 28 of the 33 wrestlers ranked at 125 pounds by Intermat are scheduled to appear in an event with the Boilermakers this season, including nine of the top-10.

He will be backed up by a pair of true freshmen in Ashton Jackson and Cooper Rider. Jackson was a two-time Indiana state champion and was the No. 177 overall ranked recruit in 2023 according to MatScouts.

133
Ranked for the first time in his young career, redshirt-sophomore Dustin Norris enters his second season as the starter at 133 pounds for the Boilermakers and ranked at No. 28 in the country. He went 14-16 last season with six duals wins, but he did some of his best work late.

Fighting for NCAA tournament qualification at Big Tens, he picked up his highlight win of the year by pinning former All-American RayVon Foley of Michigan State. He ended up one spot shy of a berth to Tulsa but will look to build on a good start to his varsity career.

Behind Norris at 133 sits redshirt-freshman Jacob Macatangay, who impressed in open competition last season and took first at the Clarion Open in his only varsity action in his true freshman campaign.

141
There are big shoes to fill at 141 pounds, as the Boilermakers look to replace their 61^st All-American and four-time NCAA qualifier Parker Filius who graduated after climbing the podium into seventh at the 2023 NCAA Championships.

Ersland has several promising options at his disposal, none more decorated than true freshman Greyson Clark who looks primed to jump straight into the lineup. The No. 29 overall recruit in the nation, Clark won a state title all four years of high school in Wisconsin and was named the state’s representative for the prestigious Dave Schultz High School Excellence Award.

Redshirt-senior Michael Leveille has the most experience of the group with 37 matches under his belt. Christian White, Brac Hooper and Cole Solomey will also compete at 141 for the Boilermakers.

149
One of two high profile transfers into the program, redshirt-senior Marcos Polanco comes to Purdue from Minnesota with three years of Big Ten and NCAA Championship experience. He enters the season at No. 27 nationally at 149 and has a 26-24 career record.

Pushing him for the starting spot is a cast of experienced wrestlers. Seniors Trey Kruse and Christian Navida have a combined 57 career matches with 14 bonus point wins. Redshirt-sophomore Jaden Reynolds competed for the Boilermakers at the Big Ten Championships last season, snagging a dramatic sudden victory win over Nebraska’s Dayne Morton.

157
Another weight class replacing an experienced veteran, Ersland now looks for someone to step up after four-time NCAA qualifier Kendall Coleman graduated last May. Once again, it looks as though a true freshman is set to fill the role.

Perrysburg native Joey Blaze came in as the No. 17 overall recruit on the back of a Super 32 title and three state championships. The young talent looked impressive at the Boilermaker Wrestle Offs as well, picking up two tech falls on the back of 13 takedowns.

Redshirt-freshmen Kade Law and Isaac Ruble also plan to slot in at 157 this season.