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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 15 • 10 BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com I t probably shouldn't take until Game 14 in a junior season for a potentially dominant player to turn a corner, but A.J. Hammons could be doing just that. In Purdue's first two Big Ten games, Hammons had 26 points and 21 rebounds, the latter his highest back-to-back game total of the season. Though he's still struggling with turnovers, mostly from being unable to secure the ball with a strong grip in the post, and missing good looks near the bas- ket, Hammons has looked more like the player Purdue needs him to be since conference play started. And he's doing it coming off the bench, though that may not last long if Coach Matt Painter rewards production. Fresh- man center Isaac Haas continues to struggle with foul trouble. Opposing coaches don't seem to know how to feel about that. "(Hammons) was tough for us to stop," Michigan coach Jim Beilein said after Purdue's victory Saturday. "(Haas) got in foul trouble and when he got that third foul, I said, 'I don't know if that's such good news right now because we could see A.J. the rest of the game.' He obviously was a huge difference." Rapheal Davis said he's seen a different approach to Ham- mons' game since the break, noticing he's enjoying being on the court more. "He's just like a little kid in the candy store these last cou- ple days," Davis said after Michigan. "He's really enjoying him- self, really playing hard, talking to us. That's the biggest thing for us, when he's having fun and enjoying himself, the sky is the limit for us." BA S K E T BA L L : N E W S A N D N OT E S vertime Tom Campbell In two Big Ten games, A.J. Hammons had 26 points and 21 rebounds off the bench. 2014-15 PURDUE MEN'S BASKETBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent Time/Result Nov. 2 CALIFORNIA (Pa.) (BTN Plus) W, 89-52 Nov. 7 CARROLL (BTN Plus) W, 90-49 Nov. 14 SAMFORD (BTN Plus) W, 80-40 Nov. 16 IUPUI (BTN) W, 77-57 Nov. 20 GRAMBLING (BTN Plus) W, 82-30 Maui Invitational - Lahaina, Hawaii Nov. 24 vs. Kansas State (ESPN2) L, 79-88 Nov. 25 vs. Missouri W, 82-61 Nov. 26 vs. BYU (ESPN2) W, 87-85 (OT) Big Ten/ACC Challenge - West Lafayette Dec. 2 NC STATE (ESPNU) W, 66-61 Dec. 6 NORTH FLORIDA (BTN Plus) L, 70-73 Dec. 8 IPFW (ESPNU) W, 63-43 Dec. 10 ARKANSAS STATE (ESPNU) W, 87-46 Dec. 13 at Vanderbilt (SEC Network) L, 71-81 Crossroads Classic - Indianapolis Dec. 20 vs. No. 21 Notre Dame (BTN) L, 63-94 Dec. 22 GARDNER-WEBB (BTN Plus) L, 84-89 Dec. 31 MINNESOTA (BTN) W, 72-68 Jan. 3 MICHIGAN (BTN) W, 64-51 Jan. 7 at No. 4 Wisconsin (BTN) 7 p.m. Jan. 10 No. 11 MARYLAND (BTN) 2:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at Penn State 1 p.m. Jan. 21 at Illinois (BTN) 9 p.m. Jan. 24 IOWA (BTN) Noon Jan. 28 INDIANA (BTN) 9 p.m. Jan. 31 at Northwestern (ESPNU) 6 p.m. Feb. 4 OHIO STATE (BTN) 6:30 p.m. Feb. 7 at Minnesota (BTN) 3 p.m. Feb. 12 at Rutgers(ESPNU) 7 p.m. Feb. 15 NEBRASKA (BTN) 5:15 p.m. Feb. 19 at Indiana (ESPN/ESPN2) 7 p.m. Feb. 26 RUTGERS (ESPNU) 9 p.m. March 1 at Ohio State (CBS/BTN) TBA March 4 at Michigan State (BTN) 8 p.m. March 7 ILLINOIS (BTN) 4:30 p.m. March 11-15 Big Ten Tournament (Chicago) Hammons Rising For Season Stats Click Here