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40 GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED back of your head. "But you've just got to be ready for the next one and knock the next one down when your number is called. That's just been my motivation to just keep pushing — so when the next time comes when we need a big shot or a big moment, I'll be ready to step up and take that shot." The proof Edwards isn't just saying the right things at this point, still months away from a potential re- deeming moment in a crucial game? Painter called Edwards the team's most improved player. And it's not just about strides made in one area. There was a considerable uptick in athleticism: Ed- wards has been getting off the ground quicker and be- come more explosive. That's evidenced perhaps best by one play this summer — one in which the 6-foot- 8, 225-pound Edwards, technically, was called for a charge but made a statement nonetheless. "He dunked on me and I was outside the circle," Thompson said. "He took off and finished. It was a heck of a move, heck of a finish. He's dunked on a few people in practice." There was considerable strength gained, though Edwards joked he came to Purdue hardly being able to bench press the bar, let alone with weights added. Still, Edwards boosted his bench by 40 pounds, he said, as well increasing weight in other key lifts. There were considerable improvements in skill set, too. Offensively, he worked to better finish with a vari- ety of moves at the rim, tweaked the form on his jump shot to get a quicker release and got better handles to play more on the wing this season with Caleb Swan- igan's arrival. Defensively, his improved athleticism Tom Campbell Edwards' versatility may be his strength. As a 4 last season, he led Purdue in assists, becoming the first non-guard to do that in a season since Brian Cardinal in 1999. "Don't get me wrong, it's fun when you have the hot hand, but there's nothing better than to have your teammates involved and having them smiling and them being right there with you," Edwards said. "That's why I'm so big on assists."