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64 IllustrateD volume 25, issue 1 f likely to even push for starting positions come fall. "All I heard was good things (about them before they arrived), from the coaches or social media or wherev- er," sophomore Kendall Stephens said, "but everything I have seen only backs up that reputation, their hype, I'd guess you'd say. They've done a good job showing they're ready, that they care, that they've bought in." The most consistent praise the group has drawn cen- tered on its collective personality, whether it be work ethic, unselfishness, leadership potential or any other such attributes. "They came in with a great work ethic," associate head coach Jack Owens said, "and they established themselves early by really putting in a lot of extra time outside of working with (coaches). They were getting in the weight room and being in the gym two or three times a day. "That just leads to a great culture." Edwards, Mathias, Thompson and big men Isaac Haas and JacQuil Taylor have meshed well with that culture Purdue is trying to restore after two disappointing sea- sons, those around them say. It's been an easy fit, freshmen say. "The way we practice, the intensity every day, the way guys bring it is special," Edwards said in an athletic de- partment video interview; freshmen are off-limits to media at Purdue until they've played in their first game. "It's such a family-oriented place. You get inside those lines with your teammates and coaches and you feel the bond ... guys pushing each other to get better every day so guys are coming at each other as hard as you can. It's a family thing at the end of the day." DEFENSIVE CHANGES IN STORE There once was a time that zone defense at Purdue — a program committed almost fully to man-to-man de- fense in the modern era — seemed unthinkable. No longer. Matt Painter will play zone this season. How much, that remains to be seen, but the Boiler- maker coach spent a great deal of time researching it in the spring, then implementing some of its concepts during summer workouts. "Are you going to be good at what you do all the time?" Painter said in July. "With a lot of new faces, it takes time. Now, having something else that's new, ev- erything's new to them, so it doesn't really matter. You can't teach down to the class. You have to think about who is your best asset and who's going to help you be the most productive." That "best asset" is center A.J. Hammons, who's bat- tled foul trouble and struggled in ball-screen defense on the perimeter. A zone could theoretically help ease both concerns. Additionally, Purdue does not seem to have great perimeter quickness at the wing positions, a potential vulnerability a zone could, again theoretically, mask, at least to an extent. "We're going to put (our) best offensive team out there at some point, even if they're not the best lock- down defensive guys. I don't feel like we have that at this point," Painter said in July. "We've had (strong de- fensive players) throughout the years. If we don't have that, I think we're going to have to have something bet- Brian Neubert Dakota Mathias and his four freshmen classmates impressed coaches and teammates this summer with their work ethic and dedication.