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a great big. I don't want to come stressed to me," Mathias in and seek shots or anything said, "that they need a guy like that," he said. "I want to win who can dribble, pass and and that's the main thing for me. shoot. I think I can bring But versatility is the main thing. that." Whether they need me to guard Mathias, likely to be the best player on the floor, get ranked in various top-100 lists off the glass and go and get othin the months to come, chose er people involved or if they need Purdue over Boston College, me to just post up on the block which he also officially visitand score. I don't really have a ed. West Virginia, Dayton and specialty or anything like that. I others also offered. just play basketball. Butler and Xavier were "I feel like I've matured a lot among those who offered. since (high school). I was like a Stanford made an in6-5 post player then. I still can get home visit and Louisville on the block, but I think the best called to begin recruiting part of my game is being able to Mathias. get in the mid-post and try to creHad Mathias waited ate mismatches against bigger it out, more would have guys or set up jumpers or use size come. Brian Neubert and strength to get to the rim Ohio shooting guard Dakota Mathias became Purdue's But this was essentially against someone smaller. I think first Class of 2014 commitment in early May. an open-and-shut case I'm a good passer out of the post." for Purdue once it offered of national media, the 6-5 sharpMathias during the season. shooter from Elida, Ohio, called PURDUE LANDS "It was everything," Mathias '14 COMMIT Purdue coach Matt Painter to said of Purdue. "The coaching In early May, Purdue scored make a commitment he'd hinted staff is great to be around. And its much-anticipated first Class throughout the weekend would so were all the other people I of 2014 commitment when Ohio be coming. met there in the academic deshooting guard Dakota Mathias Mathias averaged better than partment. I went to one of their made an early pledge, closing off 25 points per game as a junior, of- games and it wasn't really a bigrecruiting just as it might have ten playing the point guard posi- time game (against Penn State) heated up. tion for his high school and AAU but the fans were still great, and Literally just hours after star- teams, showing to be much more all the students were there. It was ring at a prominent AAU event than just a jump-shooter. a great atmosphere."j in Fort Wayne in front of a slew "That's what Coach Painter GoldanDBlack express • volume 23, express 29 • 11