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VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 9 Brian Neubert Purdue's going to have to figure something out defensively, because its personnel is so different and not ideally suited to its traditional aggressive man-to- man defense. I know they're trying different things, but the last time it tried something dramatically different, zone was a disaster and scrapped mid-season. I don't think Purdue will be a bad defensive team by any means, but I don't know if it can a championship-level defensive team, either. I do think Purdue benefits from being able to play smaller than it did last season, and I do think you see Caleb Swanigan, Vincent Edwards, etc., improve individually and Isaac Haas affect games in a different way than A.J. Hammons did, but this is a big question. The answer just might be that the best defense is a good offense. Purdue is going to have play well as a fivesome, because the whole might need to be better than the sum of its parts. Stacy Clardie It'd been nearly 20 years since Purdue's offense was as high scoring as it was last season, averaging nearly 78 points and shooting 47 percent. And though the leading scorer from last season's team is gone, there's a chance this year's version could be even more dynamic and, uh, higher-powered. A.J. Hammons was an incredible presence, but the offense's emphasis on post touches and working through the 7-footer sometimes stymied the flow. Yes, 7-2 center Isaac Haas will be a key part of the mix this season. But consider Caleb Swanigan's versatility, an ability to stretch bigger players to the perimeter but then be able to abuse power forwards from the block; Vincent Edwards' evolution as an offensive player, an ability to stick shots from the perimeter and then put the ball on the deck to beat defenders to the rim; a sharp- shooting-filled guard group with Dakota Mathias, Ryan Cline, P.J. Thompson; and a new piece unlike any other on the roster in flashy freshman Carsen Edwards. By The Numbers 116 K $5.6 10 1994 Photos by Brian Neubert (Mount); Tom Campbell (Ross-Ade, facility); Gold and Black archives (Robinson) Cars on Interstate-65 that pass daily by the Rick Mount banner on the side of one of Jackson Farm's grain silos near Lebanon. The banner (42 feet by 21 feet) cost about $16,000. It was dedicated Oct. 4. Million approved by the Board of Trustees at its Oct. 14 meeting for the installation of lights at Ross-Ade Stadium. The Big Ten is mandating its member schools have lights by 2017. Months until the sched- uled Aug. 17, 2017 open- ing of the football perfor- mance center, currently under construction on the north side of Mollenkopf Athletic Center. Last time Purdue had a leading rebounder in the Big Ten, when Glenn Robinson averaged 10.1 per game. It might be replicated 23 years later, if Caleb Swanigan gets on the glass as often as expected. Does Purdue have more answers on offense or questions on defense?