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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 2 55 starting role he was removed from at the end of last sea- son and be one of Purdue's foremost scorers and probably an improved defender now that he has experience in the books. Expect 20- and even 30-point games this season, though efficiency and selectiveness will be focuses. P.J. THOMPSON Senior • Guard Breakdown: There may not be a more known commodity on Purdue's ros- ter than its third-year starting point guard. Thompson has proven a steady hand at his position who'll make sound decisions, take care of the ball, lead and make seemingly ev- ery important three-pointer he attempts. The Boilermakers do intend to play faster this season, and as the point guard, Thompson will want to play a leading role in that effort. It's probably a safe bet he'll score a little more this season than he has in the past, as Purdue figures to need a bit more from its guards in that area and Thompson seems eager to try to steal more points in transition. Prospectus: Barring anything unforeseen, Thompson will again start every game this season, play a thousand-plus minutes and provide Purdue the same crucial steadying influence he has for most of his career. RYAN CLINE Junior • Guard Breakdown: Purdue's top perimeter reserve, Cline is now a proven veteran pres- ence and a key piece of the Boilermakers' formidable three-point shooting corps. That being said, the 6-6, 195-pound wing took a considerable step forward as an all-around player last season, particularly defensively, and looked like he took another step this summer, shooting 59 percent from two-point range during the World University Games. Prospectus: Cline finished last season as a starter, replacing Carsen Edwards in what amounted to a teach- able moment for the then-freshman. Now, Cline figures to be Purdue's most important bench player, backup centers notwithstanding, and one who'll play starter-like minutes even if he's not on the floor for the opening tip. JACQUIL TAYLOR Junior • Center Breakdown: Purdue's collective fin- gers are decisively crossed for Taylor, who's lost three of the past five seasons to major injury and just sat out all of October in hopes of keeping him healthy. He was healthy at the World University Games and looked ca- pable of answering Purdue's burning question about depth in the post. In Taipei, Taylor's effort was outstanding. He rebounded as well as any player, blocked shots, even made a few jumpers. The mobility and athleticism he gives Pur- due at center, relative to Haas, gives the Boilermakers some valuable flexibility in style of play. Prospectus: If he's healthy — the qualifier the poor kid has carried throughout his college career — Tay- lor is Purdue's No. 2 center, a particularly important po- sition on this particular team given the natural ceiling that may come with Haas' minutes and the importance for Purdue to be able to play smaller against certain teams or in certain situations. If he's healthy and playing as he did overseas, he may see even more than just typical backup minutes; there may actually be situations where Purdue would prefer him on the floor vs. certain matchups. MATT HAARMS Redshirt Freshman • Center Breakdown: The 7-3, 250-pound center joined Purdue last January, then red- shirted the rest of the season, but still came into this fall as something of an unknown, as citizenship matters barred him from play- ing in the World University Games or even taking advantage of the unlimited-practice allowances that came with it. But, he made a strong impression in presea- son practices in October, taking advantage of the added op- portunities that came from Taylor's situation. Haarms' ef- fort was outstanding, he rebounded well and showed how impactful his height and length can be, even at this early stage of his development. Prospectus: Much depends on Taylor, obviously, but either way, Haarms should play a role. He hasn't played in a formal basketball game in almost a year-and-a-half, so there's a bit of unknown there, but Haarms has given Pur- due reason to expect positive contributions.