GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 15• 9
A.J. Hammons 20
C • 7-0 • Jr.
As Big Ten play opened,
Hammons awoke, look-
ing the past two games
like the player Purdue
has wanted, or needed,
him to be this season,
falling one rebound shy
of back-to-back double-
doubles to begin the
conference season. Haas did a lot of the
heavy lifting in non-conference play. Now
it's Hammons' turn to return the favor at
the center position. He played 31 minutes
against Michigan without getting in foul
trouble, a feat unto itself, though the Wol-
verines had no credible interior scorers.
P.J. Thompson 3
G • 5-10 • Fr.
Purdue's rotation is get-
ting smaller and the
freshman point guard
may see his minutes
trimmed as Painter
tightens the ranks. He
played 11 solid minutes
against Michigan, but
that was largely a func-
tion of Bryson Scott sitting out. Purdue
likes that Thompson doesn't turn the
ball over, keeps it moving and can make
open threes, but he's not shot as high a
percentage as he'd like from deep.
Dakota Mathias 31
G • 6-4 • Fr.
Mathias hasn't shot the
ball the way he'd like in
recent games, but finally
got a three to fall against
Michigan, his first field
goal since the Arkansas
State game and a posi-
tive sign for him. That
said, with the rotation
shrinking, Stephens coming around and
Painter playing point guards at the 2
more often, his minutes could dip also.
Basil Smotherman 5
F • 6-6 • So.
First thing with Smother-
man: Edwards is critically
important to Purdue and
will log the lion's share
of the minutes at the 4
from here on out, pro-
vided he's healthy and
free of foul trouble. Oth-
erwise, Smotherman's
role might be limited. When he does get
in the game, he can best help Purdue by
focusing on energy-related things like
defense, running the floor and rebound.
Purdue needs him to be a grinder. This is
nothing new.
Bryson Scott 1
G • 6-1 • So.
Scott didn't play against
Michigan after getting
booted from practice the
day before, but prior he'd
been riding a hot streak
of sorts. Thing is, there's
probably always going
to be inconsistency there
tied to Scott's aggressive-
ness. There's good and bad. The good just
needs to outweigh the bad by a wider
margin and it's starting to. Scott is getting
more minutes away from the point guard
position, as well.
Jacquil Taylor 23
F • 6-10 • Fr.
Taylor is not playing nor
will he any time soon. If
Purdue somehow needs
a third center, it's best for
it to move Edwards to
the 5 and go small. But
if Purdue has medical
reason to apply on the
back end for a medical
redshirt, that is still within the realm of
possibility, so we'll see. If he sets foot on
the floor again, though, forget it.
Jon Octeus 0
G • 6-4 • Sr.
Purdue doesn't even want
to know where it might be
had the senior point guard
not popped out of thin air
in mid-October, because
the stability, maturity,
experience, defense and
recent scoring punch he's
brought to the floor have
been godsends for the
Boilermakers at a position that might have
otherwise been a gaping void. He's also one
of the best rebounding guards the program's
had in some time.
Kendall Stephens 21
G • 6-6 • So.
The sophomore broke out
of a three-game slump by
making big second-half
shots against Minnesota,
turning the game in Pur-
due's favor, then another
against Michigan. The
Boilermakers are a very
different team when the
sharp-shooter is on target,
and Purdue will hope for much more of it
from here on out, to go along with his much-
improved defense over a season ago.
Isaac Haas 44
C • 7-2 • Fr.
The freshman's been a
wonder for Purdue this
season, but Big Ten play
so far has not been kind to
him, as the team's leading
non-conference scorer
scored just six vs. Minne-
sota before getting shut
out in just nine foul- and
turnover-riddled minutes
against Michigan. Scouting picks up in Big
Ten play and opponents have made things
difficult for the massive rookie. Fortunately
for Purdue, A.J. Hammons has stepped up off
the bench and could be in line to move back
into the starting five, you'd think.
Rapheal Davis 35
F • 6-5 • Jr.
The junior's come up big
in some big games for
Purdue this season and has
raised his level again in Big
Ten play, first scoring 18
against Minnesota, then
shutting down Michigan
leading scorer Caris LeVert.
Davis has always been a
scorer at every level he's
played at, but his evolution into a reliable
defensive player has been one of the better
stories of the season for Purdue.
Vince Edwards 12
F • 6-7 • Fr.
Early in the season, Ed-
wards hurt opponents
from the perimeter, with
his ability to shoot threes
and drive on bigger oppo-
nents. Against Michigan,
he posted up and owned
the baseline on offense
and influenced the game
on the offensive glass. A
highly productive scorer and efficient shooter
in a low-volume role to this point, the fresh-
man is going to be put in more situations to
score now, Matt Painter says.
Gold and Black's Men's Hoops Lineup
The
Starters
The
Reserves
The
Deep
Bench
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.
— Brian Neubert
