GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 22 • 7
Kendall Stephens 21
G • 6-6 • So.
Before we mention Stephens'
shooting struggles again, let's
point this out: The sophomore
has done a really nice job this
season as a post-entry passer and
despite his scattershot jumper,
opponents aren't about to let him
shoot. His presence still helps Purdue's offense,
as was apparent on some of its biggest baskets
of the game at IU. As off as his shooting has been
amidst finger and ankle injuries, Stephens is still
shooting 34 percent in Big Ten play. It could be a
lot worse.
Isaac Haas 44
C • 7-2 • Fr.
Hammons was dominant against
Indiana, but so was Haas in his
12 minutes off the bench. It took
him just those dozen minutes
to score 12 points and grab nine
rebounds. The most impressive
part: The 50-percent foul-shooter
was 6-of-6 on the road, in a really difficult environ-
ment. By the way, give Haas some credit, too, for
Hammons' emergence. The freshman's played no
small role in it, by every account.
P.J. Thompson 3
G • 5-10 • Fr.
Thompson's role is to go in, not
make mistakes and not turn the
ball over. He has been plagued, to
an extent, by turnovers, however.
He's committed nine of them in
about a hundred minutes during
the Big Ten season. At his size, he
is vulnerable to getting stuck in crowds. Seems
like his minutes might be sparse moving forward,
but his ability to play the 2 does provide some
flexibility.
Basil Smotherman 5
F • 6-6 • So.
A season in which he hasn't
played the expanded role he
hoped to as a returnee from last
year doesn't seem to have dulled
Smotherman's enthusiasm. He
seems to be enjoying the Boil-
ermakers' success as a team and
embracing his role as an energy player off the
bench. He's a better defender than Edwards, so
while there might be a drop-off offensively when
Purdue subs, there might also be a modest gain.
Bryson Scott 1
G • 6-1 • So.
When Octeus fouled out with less
than three minutes left at Indiana,
Purdue was really vulnerable.
Scott came in and played the
most important minutes of the
game at point guard. He did not
play well, misplaying the screen
on Yogi Ferrell's go-ahead three, then committing
a bad offensive foul in transition off a turnover,
attacking the basket instead of protecting an im-
portant possession. But Purdue survived regard-
less. We're guessing his status won't change now.
Octeus will be on the floor as much as possible
and Scott's minutes will be limited.
Jon Octeus 0
G • 6-4 • Sr.
If it turns out that this
is the season that gets
Purdue's program turned
back in the right direction
— it seems like it — then
Octeus' dunk over Collin
Hartman at Indiana may
stand as the revival's iconic
image. The play earned national notoriety,
a play that will be remembered for a long
time around West Lafayette. Good, because
Octeus' season has been a memorable one.
As Matt Painter said on his radio show a few
days after the IU win, the one-year transfer
"saved our bacon."
Dakota Mathias 31
G • 6-4 • Fr.
Indiana is a very difficult
matchup on the perimeter,
but through two games
against the Hoosiers, have
you seen the Boilermaker
freshman exposed on de-
fense in any way? Maybe
we haven't looked close
enough, but no, neither have we. Now, if the
jump shot would just fall more often. We've
been saying that for weeks, and not just
about Mathias, either.
A.J. Hammons 20
C • 7-0 • Jr.
Look around college
basketball and count
the number of more in-
fluential players you can
find. There aren't many
out there. Hammons has
played at a first-team
All-Big Ten level and sus-
tained it for more than a month, making an
impact that's felt in almost every phase of the
game. He may not score as much or provide
the offensive alpha as former Purdue bigs
Carl Landry and JaJuan Johnson did, but he's
not far off their senior-year levels of play, all
things considered. His defense in all its forms
has led Purdue's turnaround at that end of
the floor and his offensive efficiency has
turned 180 degrees since Christmas.
Rapheal Davis 35
F • 6-5 • Jr.
Of all Davis has provided
his team this season, time-
liness has been one thing,
whether it's been playing
his best in the biggest
games, bailing Purdue out
at the end of expiring shot
clocks or saving his best for
the biggest moments, the junior has come
up big so often. At Indiana, it was his pair
of buckets that took the Boilermakers from
one down to three up in the final minutes.
We'd imagine no one's enjoying winning
more than Davis right now, appropriate since
no one's put more of himself into getting it
done.
Vince Edwards 12
F • 6-7 • Fr.
As much as the Big Ten
All-Freshman team front-
runner has brought to the
Boilermakers offensively,
he will want to get bet-
ter defensively moving
forward. But offensively,
he's been a huge piece of
Purdue's puzzle. At Indiana, he missed every
field goal attempt he tried, but he doesn't
have to score to be impactful. He handed out
four assists to no turnovers. His ability to lead
a break from the 4 position is a luxury few
teams can match.
Gold and Black's Men's Hoops Lineup
The
Starters
The
Reserves
The
Deep
Bench
Jacquil Taylor 23
F • 6-10 • Fr.
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
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