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GOLDANDBLACK EXPRESS • VOLUME 25, EXPRESS 24 • 14 Wednesday and Thursday and not playing until Friday afternoon. Some players looked at that as good news — more of a chance to rest — while others thought it would have been nice to get their feet wet in an easier game before, likely, fifth-seed Iowa on Friday. "It helps a lot of guys, we all need rest," freshman Vince Ed- wards said. "So the guys who have been banged up, just going hard all season, playing a lot of minutes and it's just a lot of mileage on everybody's bodies, so to have the double bye it will really help us as a team get back mentally and physically. "But we have to be ready, though. We can't be rusty. We have to capi - talize on it." If Purdue had played on Thurs- day, it would have given it a chance to score another victory toward its NCAA Tournament résumé, though it likely wouldn't have been a quality one necessarily. But it can get that against the Hawkeyes, whom most brack- etologists have safely in the field. "I don't we've really sealed it yet," Stephens said of the NCAAs. "This Big Ten Tournament is going to be huge for us." 'ONE MORE YEAR' Though the spotlight was on seniors Jon Octeus and Neal Beshears on senior day on Satur- day, Purdue fans were well aware it could have been the last time they'd see junior A.J. Hammons play at Mackey Arena, too. When Hammons was pre- sented with a game ball from Painter for scoring 1,000 points — he reached it against Rutgers on Feb. 26 — members of The Paint Crew started chanting "one more year." They're not the only ones who hope the 7-footer — and likely soon-to-be All-Big selection — returns for his senior season. "I obviously want him back because he's my friend and we want to do big things next year, too, so obviously having him #1 Wisconsin #4 Purdue #2 Maryland #3 Mich. State 6:30 p.m. BTN United Center Chicago All times Eastern MEN'S BIG TEN BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT :25 After ESPN :25 After BTN 1 p.m. CBS :25 After CBS 3:30 p.m. CBS Noon BTN #9 Michigan #5 Iowa :25 After BTN #7 Illinois 6:30 p.m. ESPN2 :25 After ESPN2 #6 Ohio State #12 Nebraska #11 Minnesota 4:30 p.m. ESPN2 7 p.m. BTN #13 Penn State #14 Rutgers Noon ESPN #8 Indiana #10 Northwestern Wednesday, March 11 Thursday, March 12 Friday, March 13 Saturday, March 14 Sunday, March 15 BIG TEN STANDINGS (Final regular season standings) Team Big Ten/Pct. Overall/Pct 1. Wisconsin 16-2/.889 28-3/.903 2. Maryland 14-4/.778 26-5/.839 3. Michigan State 12-6/.667 21-10/.677 Iowa 12-6/.667 21-10/.677 PURDUE 12-6/.667 20-11/.645 6. Ohio State 11-7/.611 22-9/.710 7. Illinois 9-9/.500 19-12/.613 Indiana 9-9/.500 19-12/.613 9. Michigan 8-10/.444 15-15/.500 10. Minnesota 6-12/.333 17-14/.548 Northwestern 6-12/.333 15-16/.485 12. Nebraska 5-13/.278 13-17/.433 13. Penn State 4-14/.222 16-15/.516 14. Rutgers 2-16/.111 10-21/.323 Tom Campbell It is possible A.J. Hammons played his final game in Mackey Arena on Saturday. The junior could leave Purdue early for the NBA after this season.