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m e n ' s b a s k e t b a l l g o l d b o x e s l i n k t o g a m e s t o r i e s A Look Back At the last week of basketball BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com W ith the bulk of its non-conference schedule now in the books, Purdue's 7-2, with the loss to Washington State in Florida still stinging, a terrible loss by a team that's battled severe consistency issues, but the pain offset some by the Boilermakers' convincing ACC/Big Ten Challenge win over Boston College. Here are our takeaways from the four games: S Purdue showed real promise against Boston College, putting together its most complete game of the season against a no- is coming on lately, being effective on offense when opportunities arise, as a scorer, passer and drawer of fouls, but a force on the defensive glass and as a rim protector. Hammons has always been a player whose impact can't be completely gauged by numbers, and it's apparent his presence is being felt far beyond what a box score can reveal. S There have been moments this season where it's been both a blessing and a curse that Purdue has so many more perimeter scoring options. When everyone wants to score, cohesion sometimes goes out the window and the Boilermakers have not looked like a good, or sometimes even willing, passing team when getting into the lane. S Though it's starting to awaken, Purdue's low-post offensive game has underachieved to this point, with Hammons not getting as many quality touches as Purdue would like and not maximizing the ones he does get. He's turned the ball over too much. Jay Simpson's been better down low but has missed a lot of high- his first-half barrage against Boston College — along with Basil Smotherman's dynamic percentage looks. S Kendall Stephens' shooting — like athleticism and the hustle that's amplifying it and Bryson Scott's intensity make all three of Paul Sadler Purdue's freshmen real sparks for this team at Kendall Stephens is proving to be quite the weapon for times, in one way or another. j table opponent after being all over the map in Florida. As if it learning from its struggles in the Old Spice Classic, Purdue's ball movement and passing on offense have been greatly improved, starting with point guard Ronnie Johnson, who's showing a balance between his need to facilitate and his instincts to score lately. S A.J. Hammons Flash Forward Opponent: Eastern Michigan Location: Mackey Arena When: 2 p.m. Saturday Notables: A revenge game of sorts for Purdue after its profoundly disappointing 47-44 loss in Ypsilanti last season, a game in which the Boilermakers shot less than 30 percent and struggled to figure out the Eagles' zone defense, brought to the program by head coach and former Syracuse assistant Rob Murphy. … Eastern is 5-2, its only losses being to ranked opponents Kentucky and Massachusetts. The Eagles led by four at halftime over the 21st-ranked Minutemen, who outscored EMU 38-22 in the second half. … Forward Karrington Ward averages 15.3 points. … Big man Da'Shonte Riley is third nationally in blocks, averaging just under 4.6 per game. Purdue. He hit three three-pointers against Boston College. GoldanDBlack express • volume 24, express 13 • 9