Gold and Black���s Men���s Hoops Lineup
The
Starters
A.J. Hammons 20
C ��� 7-0 ��� Fr.
The Indiana game was a
low point for Hammons
in what���s otherwise been
a very good freshman
season. He���d scored 30
on Indiana in the first
meeting between the two
teams, but at IU, the center was almost totally neutralized, managing just six points
on 3-of-10 shooting and getting only
three rebounds. He���s played his two worst
games of the season at Michigan and
now Indiana and simply must find consistency in his effort and impact games
from the very beginning. He is young, but
supremely talented, and it���s OK to expect
more from him because of it, as good as
he���s been most of this season.
Terone Johnson 0
G ��� 6-2 ��� Jr.
The Boilermakers��� leading
scorer is finding his touch
some from the perimeter,
making three threes at
Illinois and another on
two tries at Indiana. Johnson can almost always
be counted on to score, but as has been
well documented this season, some of his
greatest contributions can come in less
tangible areas. Purdue���s not winning right
now and he���s only known winning his
entire career, high school and college. If he
handles adversity well, maybe others will
follow his lead.
Ronnie Johnson 3
G ��� 5-10 ��� Fr.
The point guard has had
a solid freshman season
by most measures but has
obviously struggled in
many ways as well. Things
might have been easier
for him this season had he
walked into a situation where he���d have
been surrounded by experience, the way
Lewis Jackson did years ago or Yogi Ferrell
is at Indiana now. To become the player
he���s capable of being, he must spend the
offseason crafting a better understanding of the game, in between sessions of
shooting jumpers and free throws.
D.J. Byrd 21
F ��� 6-4 ��� Sr.
Byrd is a competitor, and
when competitors fall on
hard times, things go one
of two ways. As is also the
case with Terone Johnson,
Purdue needs its older
players to be steadying
influences, not part of the problem. The
Boilermakers have been a bad body language team all season, and it���s not just the
young guys. Byrd has reason to be frustrated; this isn���t how anyone wants their
senior season to go. But Purdue has to get
its ���culture��� back and these next couple
weeks, maybe in some small way, he can
help it do so.
Rapheal Davis 35
G/F ��� 6-5 ��� Fr.
One thing can be said
about Davis is that during this season where
almost everyone���s effort
and want-to has been
called into question, the
freshman���s work ethic and
willingness to listen have drawn nothing
but positive reviews. Things haven���t been
easy on him this season and they haven���t
been for anybody, but you���re looking at
a guy who has a chance to not only be a
pretty good player, but also a leader.
The
Reserves
Donnie Hale 15
F ��� 6-8 ��� R-Fr.
After progressing considerably through the first half
of the Big Ten season, Hale
was a non-factor at both Illinois and Indiana, his most
notable moment coming
when he missed a block-out early in the
second half in Champaign, allowing one
of Illinois��� 20 offensive rebounds and driving Painter to go ballistic on the sideline.
He was taken out of the starting lineup for
the Indiana game and played just eight
minutes in Bloomington.
Anthony Johnson 1
G ��� 6-3 ��� So.
The sophomore���s greatest
contribution at Indiana was
sparing Purdue another
30-plus-point loss to IU by
making a pair of meaningless jumpers in the game���s
final 38 seconds. Painter just lamented
not being able to add guard help in the
spring. Because of it, Purdue���s had to rely
a great deal on the third-year guard to run
the point, and that���s not been a great fit.
It���s been a difficult season for him, as it���s
been for so many other Boilermakers.
Travis Carroll 50
C ��� 6-9 ��� Jr.
Carroll���s lost minutes lately
to Sandi Marcius, who���s
playing with more energy
and enthusiasm than anyone on the roster right now.
That���s no knock on Carroll,
for whom effort has never been a question, but nevertheless, his opportunities
have been limited. He���s played a total of
just eight minutes the past two games.
Jacob Lawson 34
F ��� 6-8 ��� So.
Lawson earned a secondhalf start at Indiana as
Painter was toying with any
combination he could to try
to find a good mix. Lawson
made a long jumper to
bail Purdue out after a slowed offensive
possession but went 12 minutes without
grabbing a rebound, which has been an
unflattering trend. Lawson is Purdue���s best
athlete but not putting it to very good use
right now.
Sandi Marcius 55
C ��� 6-9 ��� Jr.
Credit the backup big
man for playing hard and
oftentimes seeming to be
the only player on the floor
with any sort of positive
energy going, but it���s not a
good thing for Purdue, obviously, that it
has to turn to a player who���s normally one
of the last off the bench for such things.
Marcius started the second half against
Indiana; how long ���til he starts, period?
The
Deep
Bench
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. Anthrop is rehabbing a hand
injury.
��� Brian Neubert
GoldanDBlack express ��� volume 23, express 22��� ������ 8
