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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 10 • 42 flip out and go right back to man? You have to stick with it and play the percentages." Purdue did not play centers A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas to- gether against the Vulcans even though that's a lineup the Boil- ermakers worked on during pre- season practices. MATHIAS MAKES UP FOR LOST TIME Sidelined by illness and in- jury during the offseason, cerebral freshman Dakota Mathias took an unprecedented step at Purdue for a freshman, volunteering to meet with Painter daily — or at least close to it — for personal film ses- sions and tutorials. Mathias, who battled mono in the summer then a pair of ankle sprains in October, has been eager to keep ahead of the game mental- ly while being sidelined physically. That's where so much of his value lies anyway, in his basketball IQ, anticipation, etc. "Obviously I'm not the most athletic guy out there," the guard said, "but for me it's about thinking the game out, using your head, be- ing a step ahead of people mental- ly, reading and anticipating things." Mathias, who played 17 min- utes in the exhibition, said he's fully healthy now, but perhaps "a little behind" in conditioning, though not concerned about it. BIG MEN OFF TO FINE START It was only an exhibition and a one-sided matchup, but Purdue's center tandem of Hammons and Haas had its way in the Boilermak- ers' win over California (Pa.), as the two combined for 25 points in 35 minutes on a combined 12-of-14 shooting, both misses being three- point tries by Hammons. "I think they should have days like this a lot," Painter said. "Both can score with their back to the basket. Both of them are physical and can get deep position. We have to keep working on getting better at feed- ing the post. We had a couple turn- overs but that's OK. It's like having a good screening team that sets a couple illegal screens. It is going to happen from time to time." SORTING OUT A ROTATION Purdue's Friday night exhibition against Carroll College is its final audition in advance of the season opener against Samford Nov. 14. Prior to the benches being emptied in the game's final three minutes, Purdue used 12 players, 11 of them for 14 minutes or more and none more than 19. Such is the norm for exhibitions, but not regu- lar season competition. Things will have to be sorted out. "All 11 guys deserve to play. They're all good players," Painter said. "Normally something hap- pens. Somebody doesn't practice well or somebody gets hurt. If it doesn't happen, it makes for great competition." Painter has given little reason to believe he might consider red- shirting anyone. The prime consideration would presumably be freshman forward Jacquil Taylor. He played 16 minutes against Cal-Pa, going 1-for-4 from the floor with two turnovers, but a team-high-tying five rebounds and a steal. THOMPSON AT THE 2 Freshman point guard P.J. Thompson played some in pre- season scrimmages and during the first exhibition alongside another point guard, whether it was sopho- more Bryson Scott or newcomer and first-game starter Jon Octeus. Thompson is being used oc- casionally at the 2, the shooting guard-type position. "It's not (difficult) for me be- cause I did it in high school too with Andrew Terrell playing point guard," Thompson said of his days at Brebeuf in Indianapolis, for which he was always his team's pri- mary scorer in addition to its point guard most of the time. "I've been playing a lot at the 2 here as well. It's been good, getting to come off screens, and still get to handle the ball, still get to make decisions. I'm liking it." Thompson scored seven points with game-highs of five as- sists and four steals in the first exhi- bition game. Octeus transitioned to Purdue quickly enough to earn the start in his first game as a Boilermaker. "Little by little I'm becoming more vocal," Octeus said of lead- ership. "That just comes from me starting to understand better the offense, the drills, how things are run. It takes a little time to get that. I'm also a person who likes to lead by example. When I do see some- thing, I say it and my teammates understand where I'm coming from. They're very accepting of my advice just like I'm accepting of theirs." j Tom Campbell Because of offseason illness, then injury, freshman Dakota Mathias spent some extra time with Painter so he could better understand Purdue's system.