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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 2 23 2015-16 Purdue Basketball Schedule Date Opponent Time Nov. 8 NW OHIO (Exh.) (BTN Plus) 5 p.m. Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament (West Lafayette) Nov. 13 N. CAROLINA A&T (BTN Plus) 7 p.m. Nov. 15 VERMONT (ESPN3) 2 p.m. Nov. 18 INCARNATE WORD (ESPN3) 7 p.m. Hall of Fame Tip-Off Tournament (Uncasville, Conn.) Nov. 21 vs. Old Dominion (ESPN3) Noon Nov. 22 vs. Florida/Saint Joseph's Noon/ (ESPN2/U) 5:30 p.m. Nov. 28 LEHIGH (ESPN3) 7/8 p.m. Big Ten/ACC Challenge Dec. 1 at Pittsburgh (ESPN2) 9 p.m. Dec. 5 NEW MEXICO (BTN) 2:15 p.m. Dec. 7 IUPUI (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Dec. 9 HOWARD (ESPNU) 7 p.m. Dec. 12 YOUNGSTOWN STATE (ESPN3) 2 p.m. Crossroads Classic (Indianapolis) Dec. 19 vs. Butler (TBA) 5 p.m. Dec. 22 VANDERBILT (BTN) 8 p.m. Dec. 29 at Wisconsin (BTN) 7 p.m. Jan. 2 IOWA (BTN) 6 p.m. Jan. 7 MICHIGAN (ESPN2/U/3) 7/9 p.m. Jan. 10 at Illinois (BTN) 2/6 p.m. Jan. 13 PENN STATE (BTN) 8:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at Rutgers (BTN) 7 p.m. Jan. 21 OHIO STATE (ESPN/2) 9 p.m. Jan. 24 at Iowa (BTN) 1 p.m. Jan. 27 at Minnesota (BTN) 9 p.m. Jan. 30 NEBRASKA (BTN) 4:30 p.m. Feb. 6 at Maryland (ESPN/2) 4 p.m. Feb. 9 MICHIGAN STATE (ESPN) 7 p.m. Feb. 13 at Michigan (ESPN/2) 2 p.m. Feb. 16 NORTHWESTERN (BTN) 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Indiana (ESPN) 7/9 p.m. Feb. 27 MARYLAND (ESPN/2) 4 p.m. March 1 at Nebraska (BTN) 8 p.m. March 5/6 WISCONSIN (TBA) TBA March 9-13 Big Ten Tournament TBA (Indianapolis) In that win in Bloomington, Purdue was 2-of-18, yet made every play needed in the final minute to finish off a regu- lar-season sweep of the Hoosiers. Had it made a few more of those shots, though, it sure would have been easier. That's the hope now, for the frustrations of last season to give way to an awakening, putting into place a piece that could finalize what Painter hopes can be optimal offensive balance. There are indicators a turnaround can be expected and not just hoped for. Primarily, there's health. As a sophomore last season, Stephens dealt most of the season with an ankle injury suffered early in the year. In Maui just a handful of games into the season, he mangled his finger, the aftermath of that dislocation taking a modest toll physically, but perhaps a psychological one, as well. Stephens is now 0-for-2 on getting through a season with- out injury. As a freshman, after he'd overcome the fallout of the shoulder surgery that cut short his high school career, he was nagged throughout the year by an abdominal strain. Now an upperclassman, he obviously hopes for a different result. As of October, Stephens certainly looked healthy after an outstanding offseason. From a strength perspective, his upper body appears trans- formed entirely from his days as a gangly freshman coming off a shoulder operation. This summer, Stephens, whose game has never been de- fined by quickness or athleticism, ran the 20-meter dash in a time right on par with point guards. "If you compare where he was as a freshman to where he is now, it's night and day," said Bonhotal, the program's sports performance coach. "His speed has gone from a definite dis- advantage as a freshman to where now it is now a decisive advantage." It's all part of what Purdue hopes can be a coming-of-age sort of season for an upperclassman who still clearly main- tains ample up-side potential. There might not be a player on Purdue's roster with a high- er ceiling for improvement from last season to this season, and understand that that's being said about a player who's already etched his name here and there in program record books with his play to this point. "I think the biggest thing for me is just the physical," Ste- phens said of his still-untapped potential. "Every level I've