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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 16 • 9 BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com A.J. Hammons has been around long enough to know: Big Ten play is dif- ferent. It's not just the rivalries, the physicality or knowing how much of a fight each game will bring, it's the importance of each meeting, espe- cially, that gets Hammons' heart racing. Teammates have seen it this season — how much more focused and energetic Hammons was over Purdue's break, when it played its first four conference games. Asked if there was a shift in his attitude, Hammons quickly answered in the affirmative, saying he's playing with "passion." It's been evident in the early numbers. To start league play against Minnesota and Michigan, Hammons nearly had back-to-back double-doubles, getting 11 points and nine rebounds against the Gophers before getting 15 and 12 against the Wolverines in a pair of Purdue victories. Last week against ranked Wis - consin and Maryland, Hammons combined for only 17 points and 10 rebounds, but he felt con- fident enough to take key offensive shots down the stretch in a pair of close games. He just didn't make them at a high enough rate. 1241 Cumberland Ave, Suite B West Lafayette, IN 47906 Phone: 765-497-0197 www.bankerinvestmentgroup.com Bill Banker, President Purdue University Alumni 85' Purdue Baseball Alumni 81'-85' A Fee-Based Investment Advisor located in the Purdue Research Park 25+ Years of Investment Management Experience Tom Campbell Playing with more "passion," A.J. Hammons has produced a bit better since Big Ten play started in late December. Renewed Passion Hammons gets geared up for Big Ten M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L F E A T U R E : A . J . H A M M O N S But his effort didn't waver de- spite not as much offensive success in those two games, as Hammons continued to show energy, run the floor and defend in some tough matchups. "It's conference play, I know I've got to step up for my team," Ham- mons said last week. "We did kind of bad in the non-conference, so I've got to bring it for my team. I know I just have to do whatever I can pos- sible for my team to win." Hammons was happy with his production to start conference play, and it was easy to see why he had success: He was engaged, play- ing with energy and pushing hard, even in practice. During Purdue's week of prepa- ration for Wisconsin and Maryland, Hammons was a chatterbox, urging teammates to perform at a higher level during drills, getting on fresh- man protégé Isaac Haas to push through fatigue and sharing scout- ing report tips and experiences of playing in the road in the league. Be- fore the game against the Badgers, Hammons used a water break to re- count past games against Wisconsin and tell Haas how tough he'd have to be and the difficulties of defending versatile 7-footer Frank Kaminsky.