Robbie Hummel rolls with the punches

It's hard to imagine how frustrating the past two years of Robbie Hummel's life have been. In February 2010, Purdue was on track to receive a No. 1 seed and make a deep NCAA tournament -- maybe even national title -- run, when Hummel suffered his first torn ACL. Months later, as he prepared to come back from the injury and make that run with fellow seniors JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, Hummel tore his ACL again. Purdue was a very good team in Hummel's absence, but it was never the contender it could have been, as a street clothes-clad Hummel sat idly on the bench.

How brutal is that? Hummel has handled his setbacks with such aplomb that it's been difficult, at least on the outside, to tell. But as Hummel prepares to rejoin his teammates on the court -- a year after he had planned it -- he's speaking candidly about the feelings of frustration that have permeated his past two seasons at Purdue. From the Indianapolis Star:

"Obviously, I didn't think I would be at Purdue now," Hummel said. "I really thought I would be in the NBA with JaJuan and E'Twaun. That's what I've wanted to do since I was 2 years old. It has been frustrating, but I have learned a lot about myself. When you have good friends and a good family, you appreciate things more. It has been hard, but it's going to work out for the best.

"To play for Coach [Matt] Painter, you have to be tough, and I've gotten tougher since I've been at Purdue. In high school, I never had hardships to deal with. I missed one game with a concussion, but otherwise, I didn't even have a sprained ankle. Then I got to college, and it was like the wheels fell off."

Hummel's father, Glenn Hummel, admitted there were times when "everything [looked] fine and dandy," though all the while "there were some times when he was really hurting psychologically."

Hummel's situation is the kind that causes you to root for a player even if you have no allegiance to his team. Case in point: Michigan State forward Draymond Green:

"Everybody is pulling for Robbie," said Michigan State standout forward Draymond Green, who knows Purdue will be a nemesis in MSU's chase for a Big Ten title. "Especially with a competitor like Robbie, you never want to see anybody go down with injuries like he has suffered. He will (present) a good challenge for us and for everyone who has to guard him. With all the hard work he has put in, I'm sure he will be the same player that he was, if not an even better player."

Let's hope so. Hummel deserves a big year, one free of injuries and ACL concerns, one characterized not by what could have been but what is. Purdue may have missed its national title window, and Hummel's career hasn't gone according to plan. But no one at Purdue -- and especially not Hummel -- is going to pack it in for a pity party now. Admirable, isn't it?

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/36465/robbie-hummel-rolls-with-the-punches

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