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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 15 • 8 BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com After a three-game losing streak to close non-conference play, Purdue has jumped out to a 2-0 Big Ten record, using second-half rallies to surge past Minnesota and Michigan after trailing in those games by 11 and eight at halftime, respectively. It's the Boilermakers' first 2-0 conference start since 2012. Here are takeaways from the two games. S A.J. Hammons and Kendall Stephens, the two return- ees who've struggled in some form or another this season when so much was needed from them, have raised their lev- els of play to start the Big Ten season. Hammons missed back- to-back double-doubles by just a single rebound against Minnesota and Stephens has made big shots in the sec- ond halves of both games. He was 6-of-13 from three combined against Minneso- ta and Michigan. S Freshman Vince Ed- wards has been too efficient and too reliable for Purdue to not have the ball in his hands more. And with as versatile and uniquely multi-skilled as he is, there are myriad ways for the Boilermakers to do just that. S Purdue seems to have its core group figured out, with a rotation of Hammons and Isaac Haas at center, Jon Octeus at point guard, Stephens at shooting guard, Rapheal Davis at the 3, Edwards at forward and Bryson Scott backing up the point and seeing some minutes at the 2 along with Dakota Mathias. That leaves P.J. Thompson and Basil Smotherman in more limited roles in the backcourt and frontcourt among those who've played significant minutes this season. S Octeus is quietly on a tear for Purdue, with four straight double-digit scoring games on highly efficient low-volume shooting, picking his spots well to attack the basket. The past four games, he's averaging 12 points of 59-per - cent shooting. j M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L G O L D B O X E S L I N K T O G A M E S T O R I E S A LOOK BACK AT THE LAST WEEK OF BASKETBALL FLASH FORWARD Opponent: Wisconsin Location: Kohl Center When: 7 p.m. ET Wednesday Notables: The Badgers are one of the best teams in the country, off to a 14-1 start and ranked fourth na- tionally, its only loss coming to Duke. … Multi-skilled All-America candidate Frank Kaminsky (16.6 points per game) will likely be a very difficult matchup for Purdue's centers offensively. He can drive and shoot unlike any big man they've seen this season. … Wisconsin's only allowing 54 points per game. …The Badgers are tops among Big Ten teams in rebounding margin and a close second to Ohio State in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.5 … Forwards Nigel Hayes and Sam Dekker each average 12-and-a-half points. … Josh Gasser shoots 44 percent from three-point range. Tom Campbell Jon Octeus has been Purdue's best all-around player in the past four games.