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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 11 • 40 BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com A s should have been expected, Pur- due's off to a 2-0 start. But unlike past seasons, when the Boilermakers labored through wins over the likes of High Point and North- ern Kentucky, there were no moments of suspense in their 80-40 win over Samford and 77-57 victory over IUPUI, setting up one last warm-up game — Grambling State Thursday night — pri- or to Purdue's much-anticipated trip to the Maui Invitational. Following are our takeaways from the week: S Through two exhibitions and two regular-season games, one thing that's pretty apparent is Purdue's a bet- ter shooting team, but also a team that generates a better shot on average for its shooters, as evidenced by its assist numbers thus far — nearly 70 percent of its field goals have included an as- sist — and the inside-outside game Purdue's shown in the early going. Center A.J. Hammons al- ready has handed out five assists. In 32 games last season, he posted 15. Shot selec- tion has fac- tored in as well. Purdue's made sound decisions in when to shoot, when not to shoot, Kendall Stephens in particular. S Hammons is averaging five- and-a-half points on 36-percent shoot- ing. That'll change. These overwhelmed opponents so far have ganged up on the center, taking their chances with — and getting burned by — Purdue's perimeter weapons. As defenses spread out more and Purdue faces more traditional size, not only will Hammons get more touches but he'll get more prime scoring op- portunities. S Not only has Jon Octeus estab- lished himself as the No. 1 point guard, but one of its most important players. Bryson Scott took a step backward against IUPUI in terms of carrying out a traditional point guard role. It was only one game but if that is a sign of more to come, it'll make Octeus all the more important. Freshman P.J. Thompson is Purdue's other option, but he's playing more of the 2 than point guard right now. S Purdue's been lousy at the foul line again, but it remains to be seen whether that's going to be a long- term issue. Last season, its worst foul shooters were Terone and Ronnie Johnson, among those who got to the line most. This season, Hammons and Isaac Haas projected to draw more contact than most of their teammates. Hammons has been a solid foul shooter and Haas was solid in high school, for whatever that's worth. The two centers were each 2-of-6 against IUPUI. Purdue is shooting 61.3 percent through two games. S Turnovers have been an issue early for Purdue, 31 of them through two games. Some turnovers can probably be forgiven given the Boilermakers' new faces all over the floor, but still, there have been too many for their liking. j M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L G O L D B O X E S P R O V I D E L I N K S T O G A M E S T O R I E S Tom Campbell Kendall Stephens scored a career-high 24 points last week and also has shown better shot selection early this season. A LOOK BACK AT THE LAST WEEK OF BASKETBALL FLASH FORWARD Opponent: Grambling State Location: Mackey Arena When: 7 p.m. Thursday Notables: Grambling, 1-1 and a 48-point loser to George Washington in its opener, is considered one of the worst teams in college basketball so it might be a good test of Purdue's young team's focus prior to its much-anticipated trip to the Maui Invitational. … The Ti- gers will run a guard-heavy lineup, with Indy natives Lon- nie McElwain (6-9) and wing Richard Freeman (6-7) being their only notable size.