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IllustrateD volume 24, issue 5 59 f change; many questions will have to be answered; and many young players must play beyond their years. The Boilermakers will have more newcomers on scholarship next season than returnees, at least five of them being freshmen. Purdue is combing the waiver wire aggressively for immediate help, particularly in its backcourt, where attrition's taken a toll. So the roster's not even finalized. While it remains true that not all departures that look in the moment like bad news turn out to be so in the long run, the transfer of starting point guard Ronnie Johnson leaves a void and essentially hits the reset button at a position where experience is a coveted commodity. In the place of Johnson and his two full seasons of starting experience, Purdue will have to turn to either sophomore Bryson Scott, who struggled in the role as a freshman, or rookie P.J. Thompson. Or a player who wasn't yet on the roster as of late April. It would not seem like an ideal situation, but it's Pur- due's reality as it gets younger before it gets older. Center A.J. Hammons' by-passing of the NBA draft to return for his junior season gives Purdue back a cru- cial piece at both ends of the floor, a matchup — normal progress, at the very least, assumed — that might give the Boilermakers a chance against just about anybody, at least on paper. "His improvement," Painter said after the final game of this season, "lies in Purdue winning." But Hammons will join only Davis in Purdue's junior class. And unless Purdue adds a fifth-year transfer — it's trying — then senior night will essentially be Neal Beshears Night in Mackey Arena, since the fourth-year walk-on will be the only player recognized. Purdue will need much from its juniors, Davis and especially Hammons, who'll be the Boilermakers' prima- ry option on offense more often than not, with Purdue obviously hoping a renovated surrounding cast can do a better job complementing him, and vice versa. Ham- mons also figures to again be one of the Big Ten's most influential defensive presences, though there's work to be done for him to become the overall defensive player the Boilermakers would like him to be. Hammons' return was needed news for a program needing to get its legs back under it; should he improve enough to be able to carry those Boilermakers in 2014- 15, that'll be even better news. In the absence of age, Purdue's sophomores might have to play above their years. "It starts with us," said Kendall Stephens, a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection. "We love working hard. We're excited about basketball. We love the game, and when you're like that, you're going to do what it takes to be good at it." Purdue needs them to be. Stephens figures to take a significant step forward by virtue of health alone. After recovering from the shoul- der surgery that cut his high school career short and cost him last spring and summer, the physically develop- ing shooter played through a troublesome groin problem most of the season. Once fully healed, he'll get his first fair shake in years at summertime improvement in the months to come. Scott's improvement, he hopes, should lie in just a better understanding of what he's gotten into and just an ability to, for lack of a better term, calm down. A scorer and live wire by nature his whole life, decision-making was often an issue for the excitable freshman playing the important point guard role, where poise and a cool head are good things. Painter wondered aloud late in the season whether Scott projected long-term for the spot; after the season, Painter suggested the jury remained out. Decision-making — whether it be shot selection, 2013-14 PURDUE MEN'S BASKETBALL ROSTER Purdue will have more newcomers than scholar- ship returnees next season. Here's what the roster looked like as of late April. No. Player Position Year 30 Neal Beshears Forward Senior 24 Anfernee Brown Guard Sophomore 35 Rapheal Davis Guard/Forward Junior 12 Vince Edwards Forward Freshman 44 Isaac Haas Center Freshman 20 A.J. Hammons Center Junior 2 Jon McKeeman Guard Junior 1 Bryson Scott Guard Sophomore 5 Basil Smotherman Forward Sophomore 21 Kendall Stephens Guard Sophomore 23 JacQuil Taylor Forward/Center Freshman 3 P.J. Thompson Guard Freshman 11 Stephen Toyra Guard Junior