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Gold and Black Illustrated Volume 28, Digital 5

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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 5 47 BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com I n the contexts of both need and fit, it would, realistically, have been difficult for Purdue to have found a more important addition to next season's team than Evan Boudreaux. The graduate transfer from Dartmouth will arrive in West Lafayette in the summer, intent to help fill the Boilermakers' most pressing personnel need, that being the "power" forward position vacated by standout Vincent Edwards. That was the position Matt Painter had to address in recruiting this spring. Once it landed the 6-foot-8, 220-pound Boudreaux after he re-opened his recruitment from a nearly season-long commitment to Xavier after the Muske- teers changed coaches, Purdue had done so, land- ing a player who starred for two seasons in the Ivy League before opting to move up. He sat out this season, but remained at Dartmouth to finish out his degree — in three years, by the way — so he could grad-transfer, immediately eligible, with two seasons remaining to play. "First and foremost, it was about winning," Bou- dreaux said. "Getting the chance to play in the NCAA Tournament was a big part of why I left Dartmouth in the first place." Purdue won out, and won out quickly once Bou- dreaux's Xavier commitment dissolved, scoring one of the most coveted entries to this season's transfer wire, seemingly an ideal player at an ideal time. "I think there's a really good opportunity for me to come in and contribute," Boudreaux said, "and I'd expect our expectations to be high. I think there's a real shot to not only make the NCAA Tournament but be successful while we're there and that's a really big deal to me." In his first year at Dartmouth, Boudreaux was Ivy League Freshman-of-the-Year; his second, he led the league in scoring and rebounding, averaging nearly a double-double in those two seasons, while making nearly 40 percent of his three-pointers. Purdue certainly was drawn to that productivity, but just as much to his effort, the playing style that piqued its interest when it recruited him some out of high school. "He's a guy who's earned everything. He's a work- er," Coach Matt Painter said. "I think he brings some Brian Cardinal to our program with his toughness and in how he plays hard. I don't think he's overly concerned about what people think of him when it KEY ADDITION Bill Ray Evan Boudreaux fills a crucial need for Purdue with power forward Vincent Edwards gone. Purdue filled its biggest immediate need with the player it wanted

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