Gold and Black's Men's Hoops Lineup
The
Starters
The
Reserves
The
Deep
Bench
A.J. Hammons 20
C • 7-0 • Fr.
It's not easy for a young
big man to walk right
into the Big Ten and be a
game's most influential
player, but Hammons
has done that more than
once this Big Ten season
as he enjoys a highly successful freshman
campaign at Purdue. Hammons is a focal point for the Boilermakers on offense
already and his presence alone has made
a profound impact on the boards and
defensively on the interior. Foul trouble
has plagued him at times and must be
avoided as often as possible.
Terone Johnson 0
G • 6-2 • Jr.
The junior's coming off a
string of games in which
he hasn't been all that efficient, but nonetheless he's
putting up numbers and
has stepped up his game
some in Big Ten play,
averaging just under 15 points per game.
Johnson's been as important at times at
the defensive end, where he often draws
the other team's top perimeter scorer. He
shut down Illinois' Brandon Paul when it
mattered most and helped his brother,
Ronnie, badger Penn State's guards and
paralyze the Nittany Lions' offense.
Ronnie Johnson 3
G • 5-10 • Fr.
Slowly but surely, the
freshman point guard is
coming around, seemingly getting better with
every game at both ends
of the floor. He's not
flawless with his decisionmaking quite yet, but the egregious turnovers and ill-advised shots are growing
fewer and fewer. He's taking command of
games as both a facilitator and scorer and
becoming a real pest on defense. There's
a long way to go still, though, and it can
start at the foul line, where he's struggling
badly.
D.J. Byrd 21
F • 6-4 • Sr.
Byrd hasn't shot the ball
all that well this season as
a whole, but he's coming
around. After his 3-for-4
game from three against
Penn State, he's now
shooting 46 percent from
long range in Big Ten play. It seemed like
there was a point around the start of the
conference season where Byrd began to
relax, settled into his role and has started
to flash his form of a season ago on a
vastly different team. Purdue needs his
shot-making and tenacity.
Jacob Lawson 34
F • 6-8 • So.
The sophomore forward
has carved out a nice
niche for himself this season by providing energy.
That energy coupled
with Lawson's awesome
athleticism has been of
great value on the boards, on defense
and in Lawson's ability to generate some
garbage points here and there on offense.
But he has to keep playing the way he's
playing in terms of effort, because Purdue
has other options for that role.
Anthony Johnson 1
G • 6-3 • So.
Purdue has limited options
at the point, so the sophomore is logging significant
minutes there. Whether
it's a natural fit for him is
debatable, but it's what
Purdue needs from him. He's struggled
to make jump shots this season and has
fought to keep his assists total above his
turnover total, but he's generated points
in transition and does at least pose a
threat as a scorer off the dribble.
Travis Carroll 50
C • 6-9 • Jr.
With the exception of the
Ohio State game, Carroll's
logged virtually all the minutes as Hammons' backup
and has certainly not been
spectacular, but has been
solid. His effort has helped Purdue and
compelled opponents to punch him,
whether they'll admit it or not. What he
lacks in athleticism, he compensates for
with IQ and hustle.
Rapheal Davis 35
G/F • 6-5 • Fr.
The freshman could be in
line for more of a role after
he moved into the starting five in Lawson's place
for the Penn State game.
He doesn't fit the prototype for any specific position, but when
Purdue goes small, he can log minutes
at the power forward spot and hold up.
Anywhere he plays, he's prone to putting
points on the board and coaches have
lauded him for his effort and ability to do
what he's instructed to do.
Sandi Marcius 55
C • 6-9 • Jr.
Matt Painter came into the
season admitting it would
be hard to play six big men,
including three centers.
Marcius has been odd man
out in the middle, as almost
all the minutes have gone to Hammons
and Carroll. Not surprising considering
how much Purdue needs Hammons on
the floor, but Marcius' big, physical presence has been trumped by Carroll's heady
play. That doesn't mean that can't change
as it did for a period in the home loss to
OSU.
Donnie Hale 15
F • 6-8 • R-Fr.
Hale played well against
Penn State, making both
his shots, grabbing two
rebounds and blocking a
shot in 14 minutes. He's
had his ups and downs this
season, battling through inexperience
and a remaining need to get significantly
bigger and stronger. Much was hoped for
from the redshirt freshman this season
after he was very productive in Italy, but
he's a work in progress.
Jay Simpson* 32
F • 6-8 • Fr.
Dru Anthrop 14
G • 6-0 • Sr.
Neal Beshears 30
F • 6-6 • So.
Stephen Toyra 11
G • 6-3 • Fr.
* Simpson is sitting out the rest of the
season while recovering from a foot problem that plagued him through the first 10
games of the season. He'll pursue a medical redshirt.
— Brian Neubert
GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 17 • 11
