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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3 57 guard came off the pick and bounce-passed to Swan- igan diving to the wing, where he took the pass and dribbled into a post-up. When he reached the lane, Irish point guard Matt Farrell left Thompson to double the post. Swanigan kicked the ball back out to Thompson up top, Thompson used a shot fake to draw Farrell, then dribbled past him and hit Swanigan with as clean a bounce-pass entry as you'll ever see, one-on-one, two feet from the front of the iron. Result: Easy bucket. This says nothing of the countless occasions this season where Purdue has kicked the ball out of a dou- ble team or after an offensive rebound, setting the defense into scramble mode, then exploiting the num- bers advantage by passing up open shots for wide- open ones. Here's an example, one of many: It was just Cleve- land State, but in the final minutes of the first half, with Purdue already holding a healthy lead, Swan- igan posted left of the block then dribbled into the lane. When help came, he passed to Carsen Edwards, all by himself, in the opposite corner. The freshman could have shot it. Instead, he drew his defender and dealt around the arc to Mathias, who baited Cline's defender into coming over, then passed to Cline, who could not possibly have been more open. He drained the three, the result of Swanigan's kick-out, Carsen Edwards' hockey assist and Mathias' cunning. "I think we've taken a lot of great shots," Mathias said. "We're passing up good shots to get great shots. When it's a two-on-one situation, we get the ball out of our hands quick. That's a big key to what we've been able to do." Such things weren't as common in past years as they are today. Basil Smotherman, the team's longest-tenured play- er, remembers Purdue's two-year downturn, during which the basketball being played was very, very dif- ferent. Not in a good way. "The ball would stick in peoples' hands," Smother- man said. This group has shown to be entirely selfless, ded- icated to being patient and producing the best shot possible, no matter whose hand it ultimately comes off. "It starts with guys seeing the big picture and sac- rificing and understanding what's best for the team," Painter said. "When you have the right guys in your locker room, which we feel we do, making the sim- ple play, the simple pass, that gets contagious. It helps when you have great chemistry." It was around the time of those back-to-back down seasons that Painter laid down a mandate in re- cruiting. He wanted a shooter in every class and de- cision-makers all around, even if that came with a trade-off. "Any time you have some struggles, you take a step back and evaluate your program and where you are," Painter said. "Why can't you get people who can take care of the basketball, make their free throws and BY THE NUMBERS Some metrics to underscore how effective Purdue's long-range shooting and passing have been through the first 11 games of the season. • According to Synergy Sports data, the Boilermakers have averaged 1.316 points per possession when shooting three-point- ers, ranking them fifth nationally, behind just Saint Francis (Pa.), UCLA, Creighton and Houston. • Purdue ranks fourth nationally in three-point field goal percentage at 43.7 percent. • Purdue ranks third in assists per game at 20.1. • Per KenPom.com, Purdue boasted an ef- fective field goal percentage — a measure that weighs the added value of three-point- ers — of 58.6 percent, good for sixth na- tionally. • The Boilermakers have assisted on 68.6 percent of their field goals — both two-point shots and three-point shots alike — and rank fourth nationally in that category, again according to KenPom.