Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/766803
Isaac Haas 44 7-2 • C • Jr. Purdue's foundational presence, the big man has been up and down some this season, at both ends of the floor. When he gets the position he wants and Purdue gets him the ball, he's been effective, obviously, when he's physical. Against Louisville and Notre Dame, he really struggled. Defensively, he's had some great games (Arizona State, for one) and one game (Notre Dame) where Purdue changed the game for the better defensively by not playing him, by going small. The junior's shown flashes of brilliance this season, but it's been an uneven season for him through non-conference play. Carsen Edwards 3 6-0 • G • Fr. The freshman guard has been a revelation. Purdue knew coming into the season he could score. It might not have known he was this ready to affect games the way he is. He's scoring, giving the Boilermakers a dynamic element it doesn't otherwise have, but has been an impact defender and generally played with poise, despite his youth. He seized a starting position and doesn't seem like he's about to play his way out of it any time soon. P.J. Thompson 11 5-10 • G • Jr. Now an upperclassman, Thompson seems more empowered than he's looked in the past. He's making more plays as opposed to focusing on not messing up plays, like he might have last season. No issues here. Thompson boasts a nearly 4-to-1 assist-to- turnover ratio and is making 40 percent of his threes. He's also clearly emerging as more of a leader, as was illustrated at Louisville, when he lumped blame on himself even though he was the least of Purdue's problems that night. Dakota Mathias 31 6-4 • G • Jr. This season's breakout player thus far, Mathias has been empowered in a starting role, with guaranteed, expanded minutes, spurred along by coming into a season healthy for the first time in his career. He's always been confident, but he's playing with a new level of self-assuredness and has been a presence on the floor at all times. He's making 53 percent of his threes — putting him among national leaders — and remains Purdue's best passer, but the progress he's made on defense and as a rebounder stand out as much as anything. Meet The Boilermakers Caleb Swanigan 50 6-9 • F/C • So. The sophomore big man is playing like an All-American, averaging around 17 points and 11 rebounds, shooting 59 percent overall and 60 percent from three-point range as of mid-December. The defensive flexibility he gives Purdue at center was a game-changer in the Boilermakers' win over Notre Dame, their biggest win to date. Swanigan can curb his turnovers, but considering his usage, that's just going to be the cost of doing business. But he's a very different — and much improved — player from last season to this one. He's looking the part of one of the best players in college basketball, buoyed by unrelenting effort. Starters — Brian Neubert GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 27, ISSUE 3 59