Robbie Hummel Pledges To Be Back In 2011-12

While the official news won't come for a few days, it's already being reported that Robbie Hummel is planning to get a medical redshirt and return for one last year in 2011-12. I've already talked about Hummel's devastating ACL injury that will keep him out for the entire season, and will likely dash Purdue's Final Four chances.

I would have thought that Hummel could have gotten drafted after this season, but I can imagine NBA scouts being wary of a player with so many injuries. This most recent injury is particularly devastating to his chances because it's a re-tearing of the same ACL that knocked him out of the end of the 2009-10 season, meaning that it is probably susceptible to even more tears in the future.

One other thing to keep in mind is that it is incredibly discouraging to do so much work to return from injury only to see it dashed by another, and to put in another year of lonesome rehabilitation is much easier to promise than to execute. We saw Kevin Coble of Northwestern decide just a few months ago that he'd rather turn down the redshirt and graduate than suffer through more rehabilitation.

If Hummel can come back and can stay healthy, then obviously that's a boon for Purdue's chances in 2010-11. They will only lose two to graduation in 2011, but those two will be JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore. Johnson is probably my pick for preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, and along with Moore those two make (in my opinion) the clear best inside-outside duo in the Big Ten. Matt Painter has two strong 2011 recruits coming in with swing forward Jacob Lawson and power forward Donnie Hale. But even if those two live up to expectations, it's going to take big improvements by Purdue's more experienced returners to make up for the loss of Johnson and Moore.

If Hummel does make it back for 2011-12 then Purdue will likely be a Top 25 team again. But it won't change the fact that a healthy Hummel in 2010-11 would have made Purdue a real contender for a National Championship.