Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/471811
GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 23 • 8 BY STACY CLARDIE SClardie@GoldandBlack.com M att Painter doesn't like hypo- theticals. So when he's asked whether Purdue could have had this type of success this season — being on the brink of the NCAA Tournament after a multiple-year absence and competing at the top of the Big Ten — without point guard Jon Octeus, he balks. He doesn't know if Bryson Scott or P.J. Thompson would have risen to the challenge and seized the spot, he says. Doesn't know if they could have delivered on what Purdue so desperately needed from the position: A ma - ture leader, a defensive-minded player who has savvy on offense and is able to take care of the ball and is OK facilitating. Could soph- omore Scott and true freshman Thompson play well beyond their youth and give the team a mature pulse? If Painter really felt confident about any of that, though, he like- ly wouldn't have brought Octeus in, considering it was a late crunch in October, just weeks before the start of practice. But he welcomed the fifth- year transfer from Colorado State without having seen him play much and without having built a relationship. And it may have been the best thing that happened to Purdue all season. "There's no doubt he has been a big part of our success," Painter said. "He's really helped us defen - sively. He's helped us rebound the ball. He's very professional in his approach, works hard every day, works hard on his game. Just does his job, does what he's supposed to do and has fun playing. So he's been a breath of fresh air." And he's quickly emerged as a fan favorite. Octeus will play in front of fans at home for the final time Saturday in Mackey Arena when the Boilermakers host Illinois on senior day. They've come to appreciate Octeus' work ethic, defensive ap - proach and, especially, the athleti- cism that's produced highlight- reel dunks. "Hopefully they say that it was a good year and I really helped this team accomplish goals that a lot of people didn't see accomplish- ing," Octeus said about the fans' response to his season in West La- fayette. "Hopefully, they see that I was a factor in that. "I think I've been solid this season. I think at times I could have played better, but that's just how the game of basketball goes. I think I've fit in perfectly with what they wanted me to do." Octeus is third on the team in scoring (9.6 ppg), second in assists (74), second in rebounding (4.9 rpg), has a 1.6 assist-to-turnover ratio and has played better as his minutes have increased during Big Ten play. Painter said he first realized he needed to play Octeus more when the bench production sim - ply wasn't as good — and had he figured that out earlier in the sea- son, Purdue wouldn't have had the bad losses to North Florida and Gardner-Webb, Painter said. "At a point, everybody talks a good game, and the people who do what they're supposed to do, that carries a lot of weight. Any time you have that from people who play all the time, it gets con- tagious," Painter said. "The other part can get contagious, too, if people don't do what they're sup- posed to. So you have a responsi- bility as a guy who is older and a guy who plays all the time to do your job and not use that freedom as a player against anybody or against your team. He's a guy who just wants to win and you can't have enough of that." j M E N ' S B A S K E T B A L L F E A T U R E : J O N O C T E U S Tom Campbell Jon Octeus' presence in Purdue's lineup can't be overstated: He's been a huge reason the Boilermakers are back on the brink for the NCAA Tournament. A Major Role Octeus crucial to Purdue's success