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m e n ' s b a s k e t b a l l A Look Back At the last week of basketball BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com a slow start in its exhiAftermadeopenerthere wasn't a bition last week, Purdue sure repeat on Monday night. The Boilermakers dominated Division II Wayne State, surging to a 32-7 lead in the game's first 15 minutes and never looking back. Here are our takeaways from Purdue's 91-58 victory in its exhibition finale. S Errick Peck may have made seven of his eight shots to score a team-high 16 points, but it was what he did on the defensive end that was especially encouraging. For a team that likes to rely on its defense to produce of- fense, Peck was the poster boy. On three consecutive possessions in the first two minutes, Peck applied pres- sure defense near the sideline to force a Wayne State player to step out of bounds for a turnover. On the next, he used his long arms to deflect a ball for another turnover. On the next play, he lunged to tip a pass and then dove on it to secure another turnover. In his first seven minutes, Peck had four of his teamhigh five steals and had a handful of other deflections, using his athleticism and instincts to Tom Campbell Errick Peck was a defensive presence from the tip of Purdue's second exhibition game, using his long arms and athleticism to get in passing lanes to get deflections and steals. He finished with a team-high five steals in only 19 minutes. read plays and get to passes. In the second half, he was under the basket but read a pass and zipped out to the perimeter to tip it away, just missing a steal. That's the kind of energy the Boilermakers need — and getting it from a versatile 4 player is even more crucial. S Bryson Scott may have 10 points, but he needs to learn to pick his shots better. Despite being a thick, strong guard, Scott too often relies on putting his head down and barreling to the basket, regardless of the defense. He got away with it at points in the two exhibition games, but that's not going to fly when the big boys of the Big Ten come around. As most freshmen do, Scott will need to learn to fine-tune his offensive game. S It'll be interesting to see what kind of rotation Matt Painter uses for the season opener on Friday. He started four new players Monday and more than once in the game did a wholesale substitution — a new five. It's a bit of luxury because Painter's bench is that deep, but it could be a challenge mixing personnel and allowing players to play enough to get into a flow. j Flash Forward Opponent: Northern Kentucky Location: Mackey Arena When: 7 p.m. Friday Notables: Coming off an 11-16 season in its first season of Division I competition, Northern Kentucky was selected ninth out of 10 teams in the Atlantic Sun Conference by league coaches in its preseason poll. … Of the 14 players on the roster, 11 are underclassmen. … None are taller than 6-foot-7. … The Norse may have averaged only 58.6 points per game last season, but they also didn't waste possessions: They averaged only 11.4 turnovers per game. … Sophomore forward Jalen Billups (10.3 ppg before injury) and senior Chad Jackson (10.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) lead the team. GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 9 • 32