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men's basketball: news and notes vertime BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com the time in Foron thefirstHammonsBig Ten play, A.J. wasn't stuck bench in foul trouble against Penn State on Sunday. Perhaps no surprise, then, that he had the most productive game of his brief career. In 29 minutes against the Nittany Lions, Hammons registered his first double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds and also had a career-best five blocks. Though Hammons also had four turnovers, he did show flashes of nice passing skills. Twice when Hammons allowed the double team to come to him, he found Rapheal Davis for layups. "I think he has a chance to be a special player," Coach Matt Painter said of Hammons. "(He just needs) to take his time in the post, get angles and just keep working at the little things of being a really good post guy. There's not a lot of big post guys that want to be one. He's got to hammons registers first double-double overall in rebounding and No. 2 They have high IQs. You have to you're going to get exposed." bring your A game every time in blocks. "When he's at the rim, he you step on the court. If you don't, does a really good job for us," Painter said of Hammons' de2012-13 MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Time/ResultTV fense. "Where we need him to Date Game MONTEVALLO (exhibition) W, 70-61 BTN Digital improve is in ball screen de- Oct. 30 Nov. 3 NEWBERRY (exhibition) W, 109-68 BTN Digital fense. … But when he's at the Nov. 9 BUCKNELL* L, 65-70 BTN Digital HOFSTRA* W, 83-54 BTN Digital basket and gets big and just Nov. 11 vs. Villanova# L, 81-89 (OT) ESPN2 walls people up, it gives us an Nov. 15 Nov. 16 vs. Oregon State# L, 58-66 ESPNU/ESPN2 advantage." Nov. 21 UNC-WILMINGTON W, 66-40 BTN Simpson adapting Since having his season shut down after the first 10 games, freshman forward Jay Simpson is learning to adapt to watching. Simpson is practicing with Purdue while still trying to get his foot healthy — he broke it in the spring — and now is afTom Campbell forded time to gradually work A.J. Hammons had his first career doubleinstead of rush to play. double against Penn State with 12 points and 10 Simpson said he's concenrebounds and also had a career-high five blocks. trating on conditioning and learning as much as he can want to be that type of a player while watching games. Perhaps because there are very few of those first 10 games, in which them out there." he averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 Through the first 16 games, rebounds, were crucial in giving Hammons is averaging 6.3 re- him a wake-up call of what to exbounds and 1.8 blocks per game. pect in the college game. He's the league's top freshman in "It's no joke," Simpson said. both categories and ranks No. 11 "Guys are fast, strong and smart. Nov. 28 at Clemson! W, 73-61 Dec. 1 XAVIER L, 57-63 Dec. 4 LAMAR W, 72-39 Dec. 8 at Eastern Michigan L, 44-47 Dec. 15 vs. No. 22 Notre Dame& L, 68-81 Dec. 18 BALL STATE W, 66-56 Dec. 29 WILLIAM & MARY W, 73-66 Jan. 2 No. 11 ILLINOIS W, 68-61 Jan. 5 at No. 18 Michigan State L, 61-84 Jan. 8 No. 15 OHIO STATE L, 64-74 Jan. 13 PENN STATE W, 60-42 Jan. 16 at Nebraska 9 p.m. Jan. 19 WEST VIRGINIA 2 p.m. Jan. 24 at Michigan 7 p.m. Jan. 27 IOWA 3:30 p.m. Jan. 30 INDIANA 8:30 p.m. Feb. 2 at Northwestern Noon Feb. 5 at Penn State 7 p.m. Feb. 9 MICHIGAN STATE 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at Illinois 9 p.m. Feb. 16 at Indiana 2 p.m. Feb. 24 NORTHWESTERN TBA Feb. 27 at Iowa 8:30 p.m. March 2/3 at Wisconsin TBA March 6 MICHIGAN 7 p.m. March 9 MINNESOTA Noon March 14-17 Big Ten Tournament (Chicago) * 2K Sports Classic — Mackey Arena # 2K Sports Classic – New York City (Madison Square Garden) ! ACC/Big Ten Challenge & Crossroads Classic — Indianapolis (Bankers Life Fieldhouse) ESPNU BTN BTN ESPN3 ESPN2 ESPN3 ESPN3 BTN BTN ESPN BTN BTN CBS ESPN/ESPN2 BTN BTN ESPN2 BTN BTN BTN ESPN/ESPN2 TBD BTN TBD BTN BTN GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 17 • 12