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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 2 19 space — and thus open shots — for a collection of shooters that Purdue has to figure will shoot better than they did last season. On the glass, size alone does not guarantee rebounding success, but it's a great place to start. In that sense, Swanigan is a likely game-changer for Purdue, a poten- tial double-figure rebounder at some point in his college career, to go along with two 7-footers, and a more athletic Edwards, who's going to be a handful for any guard trying to han- dle him on the glass. (Octeus' rebounding from the point guard position will be missed.) "We can be a dominant (rebound- ing) team," Hammons said. "It's going to be hard to keep us off the boards." Then defensively, Hammons looms large, the Big Ten's leader in blocked shots each of the past three seasons. His mid-season improvement last year might have been the biggest catalyst toward Purdue leading the Big Ten in field-goal percentage de- fense during the conference season, an improbable turn after the Boiler- makers closed the non-conference season getting shredded on D. "Having the best rim-protector in the country, that really helps us," said Davis, who edged out his team- mate for Big Ten Defensive Play- er-of-the-Year honors last season. "That allows all of our guards to be able to pressure and get into guys. When you have that security behind you … it really allows you to be a good defender." As with the offensive end, so much of what Purdue can do defen- sively depends on a frontcourt that could be one of the best and deepest the school has ever seen. "I'd think they can be as good as anybody's in the country," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. 1 BIG QUESTION Octeus was a very good player for Purdue last season. In context, though, he was a great player. The 11th-hour transfer fell from the sky last October and filled his new team's greatest void, point guard, turning the team's presumed shakiest position into a pillar of sta- bility. Prior to Octeus' improbable addi- tion, the Boilermakers were prep- ping to rely on a collection of flawed or inexperienced options in the crit- ical role. Instead, the fifth-year senior pro- vided all season a rock-solid per- former at both ends of the floor and a steady, adult presence from a lead- ership perspective, a player Painter could hardly afford to take off the floor. In short, he was exactly what Pur- due needed exactly when it needed it. It's difficult to imagine the Boil- ermakers having been capable of much of anything had Octeus not arrived. "He saved us," Painter has said on multiple occasions. BURNING QUESTIONS Turnovers: The Boilermakers led all Big Ten teams with 444 turnovers last season. Needless to say, that will be an emphasis this season. The onus falls largely on the post-entry operation. Purdue's big men must be more secure with the ball and the guards must do a better job throwing them clean, catchable passes. Lineups: Caleb Swanigan has been a low-post player his whole life; Vince Edwards played as a stretch 4 for Purdue as a freshman. Both will be adjusting to slightly different position- al settings, transitions that will be profoundly important for the Boilermakers because of those players' profound importance. Shooting: Obviously. Purdue didn't shoot the ball from long range anywhere near how it hoped to. The potential is there for a weakness to become a strength. Same can be said for the foul shooting, another phase of the game directly linked to the performance of the big men. Playmakers: With the shot clock trimmed down to 30 sec- onds, there's going to be more value for players who can create their own shot. Does Purdue have anybody who can consis- tently do that? Depth: This looks like Matt Painter's deepest Purdue team. Whether it is depends on the Boilermakers' health, certain play- ers' improvement and the newcomers' readiness. — Brian Neubert