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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 20 • 15 BY GOLD AND BLACK STAFF T wo games, 12 blocks. Just another week for Purdue center A.J. Hammons. The junior followed a career- high game against Indiana with seven blocks against Ohio State Wednesday and another five against Minnesota Saturday, push- ing his season total to 71. That ranks him tied for seventh in Divi- sion I this season. "A.J. Hammons is the best rim protector in our league," Coach Matt Painter said last week. "When he's getting seven blocks in a game, it's a difference-maker. Some other games he doesn't get as many, but he still changes things. When he's in legal guarding position and he's moving his feet and he's talking, he changes things for us in the half court on the defensive end." Hammons hasn't only been better under the basket — he's also been moving his feet better on the perimeter to help teammates. Especially of late, teams have tried to attack Purdue by using a high ball screen, drawing the big men out to the top of the key. Hammons hasn't allowed many easy baskets in that situation, ei - ther keeping the guard from get- ting to the rim by staying on his line or by recovering to block shots if the guard does get by him. "He's more engaged, moving from block to block, active in help side and weak side," teammate Rapheal Davis said. "The way he's playing right now is phenomenal." Perhaps just as impressive as Hammons racking up blocks at an alarming rate — he's averag- ing 2.9 per game in conference play — is the fact he's doing it without fouling. Hammons hasn't more than two in a game in the last four games. "I'm as surprised as you are," Hammons said. "I've just been try- ing to get in better position. Coach has been working with me. So that goes into it." CHANGE IN LINEUP Painter hasn't been happy with his bench play over the last week, but it got a boost Saturday because of an odd change: Vince Edwards came off it. Edwards was late to a film ses- sion earlier in the day, so he got benched. Sophomore Basil Smoth- erman started instead. But Edwards responded with one of his better games of Big Ten play against Minnesota with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting and six rebounds. He played a starter-like 31 minutes. "It was a challenge, but I've still got to come out and be aggressive," Edwards said of coming off the bench. "I wasn't being as aggressive as I was in the first half (in the sec- ond half ). I have to do better." Otherwise, Painter stayed with his recent philosophy of keeping reserves mostly on the bench: P.J. Thompson, Bryson Scott and Isaac Haas all played less than 10 min- utes, and Smotherman had logged nine." We have to have better produc- tion from our bench," Painter said before the Minnesota game. "Our bench has to help us on the defen- sive end. The bench hasn't been very good … we haven't gotten that consistent play. You can also say that's why those guys are on the bench. If we have to shut it down again and guys not play at all and keep those (starters) out there even more, we're going to do that. "We've also proven those guys are capable off the bench, but their concentration has to be better when they come in. Because we're just not going to go on the road and have a couple runs cost us the game." STILL IN IT Despite losing at Minnesota Saturday, ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi still had Purdue hanging close in his projected NCAA Tournament bracket. Lunardi had the Boilermak- ers among his "first four out" picks, along with St. John's, UCLA and George Washington. Fellow Big Ten member Illinois was in Lunar- di's "last four in" group. Painter said before the Min- nesota game that he hadn't talked to his team about postseason and didn't plan on it. Tom Campbell A.J. Hammons is tied for seventh in the country in blocks with 71. He had 12 in two games last week and has more blocks in Big Ten play (33) than seven teams. vertime M E N ' S BA S K E T BA L L : N E W S A N D N OT E S Block Party For Season Stats Click Here