Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/211302
f r o m e d i t o r b r i a n n e u b e r t keep your options open offered No one's everthought me a million dollars. I've always that in itself disqualifies me from telling anyone what they should and should not do with their lives and those of us with editorial platforms do that far too much. But I will say this about A.J. Hammons, whose short-term NBA potential has raised legitimate questions over whether his second year as a Boilermaker will be his last year as a Boilermaker: Just keep an open mind. Hammons has a gift, blessed with a body that comes straight out of central casting for the professional ranks. The 7-footer is massive, but also athletic and mobile, with soft hands and nimble feet, skilled enough to make jump shots, and basketball-smarter than people may realize. In short, the basketball world is his oyster, and if these next few months go as hoped, he might be able to cash in sooner rather than later. But the sophomore's mind has to be right, and for that to happen, the NBA has to remain merely a possibility for him and not the plan. Hammons has all the talent in the world, but an equivalent amount to prove. As of now, he is promised nothing come spring. The fact that consistency so badly and so often escaped the All-Big Ten Freshman Team member a year ago hasn't been lost on him. Neither has been the need for improved conditioning and the energy that would come with it. He'll take a significant step forward in both areas this season, I think — his debut against Central Connecticut State was a great start — but neither is a quick fix. The path to the NBA is littered with those with ampleenough talent who either never made it or just never stuck. Hammons will play in the NBA. How long he plays in the NBA, however, is what will ultimately matter most, the difference be- tween making a nice living for a while and being set for life. Making the NBA and staying in the NBA are two very different things, the latter maybe the greater feat than the former. And under the league's rookie wage scale, your first contract gets you paid; your second gets you paid. Sticking in the NBA is a test of one's life skills as much as their hoops skills, of their maturity as much as their ability. This topic came to mind Tuesday night, as wunderkind freshmen Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle starred on ESPN. That's a quarter of your 2014 Lottery right there, folks, in a draft that might be one of the greatest ever, by universal opinion. Kentucky alone looms over the draft like the Death Star, with at least a half dozen first-rounders on its roster alone. Hammons will get his shot, but the higher he's drafted the greater the commitment the team drafting him is making. To put himself in the best position possible, especially with this draft upcoming, he will not only have to show exponential strides between the stripes, but away from them as well. He is a work in progress in every sense of the term. If a jump to the pros is a foregone conclusion for the big man, that would be unfortunate for the individual, because nothing right now is guaranteed, and for his team, which needs a focused Hammons badly. If I had to guess, Hammons — now looking like a very different player — will have a firstteam All-Big Ten sort of season and have a very important decision to make. He might very well be ready, in which case, wish him well. But right now, it's all conjecture. And that's why the one bit of editorial lecturing I'll do on the subject is just to leave all options on the table until the time comes. Coach Matt Painter always says Hammons is better when he just focuses on "winning the day," whether in basketball, school or whatever. That's what he ought to do each day all season, then let the chips fall where they may. Important note: There is no reason to believe Hammons is focused on anything beside today and tomorrow and he has said all the right things, but put yourself in his gigantic shoes for a moment and understand how consuming the possibilities can be. Why bring this up now? Well, it came to mind Wednesday when Painter said Purdue got everything it wanted in its 2014 recruiting class "except a center." Why do you think Purdue feels it needs a center so bad? And it just feels like a story that's going to follow Hammons around all season in the court of public opinion, for better and especially worse when he inevitably struggles some. Hammons can be great; I know it was only a low-major opponent, but you saw it in his performance in his season debut against Central Connecticut. But he's not there yet. And he'd be short-changing himself down the line to think he is if he's not. j Neubert can be contacted at BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 10 • 5