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Gold and Black Illustrated, Vol 26, Digital 2

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20 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED Now, the Boilermakers are in need again, point guard easily be- ing the most significant, and maybe only, personnel-specific question they face. Octeus is the lone top-end contributor from last season who's not returning. It remains to be seen who'll be Purdue's primary point guard this coming season, and it remains to be seen whether the Boilermakers will even have a primary point guard. Sophomore P.J. Thompson, the lone returnee factoring into the mix, and new transfer Johnny Hill are Purdue's two contenders at the point. Freshman Grant Weatherford, a combo guard who could provide a defensive catalyst, it's hoped, is a consideration, as well, but it would be a surprise if Thompson and Hill weren't the lead options at the 1. Thompson played an average of 13-and-a-half minutes per game as a freshman, eight-and-a-half in Big Ten play. He shared minutes with Bryson Scott, who transferred after the season, as Octeus' backup. It was an up-and-down expe- rience for Thompson, who didn't shoot as well as he'd have liked and sometimes showed inexperience in what looked like a tentativeness that came from a fear of making mis- takes. "It was shaky," Thompson said of his confidence last season. "I would play a good game and I'd be confi- dent, but then I'd struggle in a game and my confidence would go down." As Thompson says, "The mental part of the game is a bigger deal than the physical part," and it's the mental part that stands to gain from the comfort that should come with seasoning. The physical part will be different, too, though. Thompson, generously listed at 5-10, is never going to overwhelm opponents with burst, elevation or whatever else, but he has come a long way. BY THE NUMBERS 8 The number of Pur- due players who have started more than 10 college basketball games in their careers, counting transfer Johnny Hill's (below) experience at Illinois State and Tex- as-Arlington. 39.3 Big Ten opponents' field-goal percentage vs. Purdue last season. The Boilermakers led the league in that category. 3 The number of USA Basketball opportu- nities that presented themselves for Pur- due players this summer. Caleb Swanigan won gold in Greece with the 19-and-Under World Cham- pionships team. Vince Edwards tried out for that team. Isaac Haas (below) earned a try-out for the U.S. Pan-American Games squad. 32.7 Purdue's collective three-point shooting percentage each of the past two seasons. The Boilermakers would like to push that number at least past 37 this year.

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