ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 3 23
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M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L
Jon Octeus 0
G • 6-4 • Sr.
The one-year
rental at point
guard has
been a huge
addition for
Purdue, likely
to become even
more of a factor
as he gets more
comfortable,
perhaps as a leader, which
Purdue could use more of right
now. Octeus isn't a prototypical
point guard but he's given the
Boilermakers a steady presence
and an element of length and
athleticism in the backcourt it
wouldn't otherwise have. He's
coming on as a scorer and is
already one of the best rebound-
ing guards Matt Painter's
coached.
Kendall Stephens 21
G • 6-6 • So.
It's been a
rough sopho-
more season
for one of
Purdue's most
important
players, as
Stephens has
been in and
out of the
starting five and battled hot-and-
cold tendencies, even though
he's markedly improved as an
all-around player. Stephens is
shooting an excellent 45 percent
from three-point range, but was
2-for-10 combined vs. Vanderbilt
and Notre Dame and is shooting
just 22 percent on two-point field
goals this season. Painter has
taken shot-selection issues with
Stephens' play this season, but
done so publicly in a construc-
tive, supportive manner.
Isaac Haas 44
C • 7-2 • Fr.
The freshman
center has been
so effective this
season that
he's supplanted
Purdue's most
important piece
coming into
the season,
A.J. Hammons,
from the starting five on per-
formance. The massive rookie
has been more prepared for the
college game than many might
have expected, particularly on
offense, and has dominated
games for stretches with his
overwhelming size and the
fighter's temperament he uses
to complement it. The sky is the
limit for this young man.
Rapheal Davis 35
F • 6-5 • Jr.
The junior
could stand
to be more
consistently
productive, but
when he's been
at his best this
season — and
he's frequently
been — he's
been great. He's improved pro-
foundly as a defender and after
shooting too many jumpers early
in the season, with little success,
he's been sticking to his bread
and butter lately and generating
buckets by getting to the basket
and the foul line, being oppor-
tunistic and playing with effort
enough to generate offense off
defense.
Vince Edwards 12
F • 6-7 • Fr.
At times, the
freshman for-
ward has been
brilliant for
Purdue, using
his uncommon
blend of offen-
sive skills to
score and cre-
ate frontcourt
matchup problems opponents
have had little answer for. At
times, too, though, he's just
blended in. Edwards is a good
college player now, and has a
chance to be a very good college
player, but the Boilermakers
need him to be consistently
good, even being as young as
he is.
A.J. Hammons 20
C • 7-0 • Jr.
This is not going as hoped.
Entering the season,
Hammons
was clearly
the Boiler-
makers'
most
important
player, the
guy who'd
be expected
to impact for the better
virtually every aspect of
games for Purdue. Despite
what's seemed to be his
best efforts this off-sea-
son, it's not clicked for
Hammons, who's averag-
ing single-digits; shooting
46 percent as a 7-foot post
presence; leading Purdue
in turnovers; and coming
off the bench. He's still a
game-changer defensively,
but on offense, he's not
risen to the occasion as
needed, at least not to this
point.
P.J. Thompson 3
G • 5-10 • Fr.
Purdue likes Thompson's
IQ, unselfishness, tough-
ness and
ability to
make an
open shot.
He may not
jump out to
the casual
observer,
but for a
freshman point guard to
have 21 assists up against
the just a half-dozen turn-
overs of the year is impres-
sive. He will get open looks
from three here and there
and will obviously want to
knock down better than
the 28 percent he has to
this point. As a scorer, it's
hard to envision Thompson
being much more than
a spot-up shooter, but he
wasn't recruited to score.
He was recruited to be
smart and tough and that's
what he's been so far.
Dakota Mathias 31
G • 6-4 • Fr.
Purdue can only hope
Mathias will trend upward
in-season
after being
set back by
illness and
injury in
the sum-
mer and
fall. The
freshman
was never going to be a
lockdown defender, noth-
ing close, but he has been
exposed here and there
against the dribble and
didn't make a shot in loss-
es to Vanderbilt and Notre
Dame. Like Thompson,
he's smart and reliable, but
Purdue may need more
than intangibles to offset
the defensive concerns.
Basil Smotherman 5
F • 6-6 • So.
The sophomore's minutes
probably haven't been what
he'd hoped
for since
Edwards
has been
such a key
player for
Purdue at
the 4 posi-
tion, but
Smotherman's not exactly
made bold claim to more
playing time either, though
he did do some positive
things against Vandy
and Notre Dame. When
he's running the floor,
defending, rebounding and
being active around the
rim, his athleticism comes
out and he helps Purdue.
When he's not doing those
things, he's just kind
of there. Credit him for
having already taken four
charges this season.
Bryson Scott 1
G • 6-1 • So.
Scott has done some really
good things at point guard
this season,
relative to
what he
showed
last season.
But he's
nowhere
near a
finished
product in his transition
into what Purdue hopes
he can be. He still forces
the occasional play to
his team's detriment and
that can cut into coaches'
trust in him. He is one
of the Boilermakers' best
penetrators and transition
threats; one of its most
active perimeter defensive
nuisances; more of a point
guard in its traditional
sense than he was; and a
dose of important energy
when he's directed in a
positive direction.
Jacquil Taylor 23
F • 6-10 • Fr.
Taylor isn't redshirting this
season, but it's evident
he's not
going to
be playing
either,
barring
anything
unforeseen.
He's simply
too raw and
only time will tell whether
the decision not to redshirt
him was a mistake or not.
He could be needed in a
bigger role next season, in
which case maybe some
experience this season
would help him, but right
now, he's not strong
enough and needs to learn
the game more
Gold and Black's Men's Hoops Lineup
The Starters
The Reserves
Neal Beshears 30
F • 6-7 • Sr.
Anfernee Brown 24
G • 6-1 • So.
Jon McKeeman 2
G • 6-1 • Jr.
Stephen Toyra 11
G • 6-3 • Jr.
The Deep
Bench
