Purdue Basketball: A New Hope

It is a period of transition. Pursued by the Empire's sinister forehead, Terone Johnson races home aboard his starship, custodian of the game plan that can save his people and restore freedom to West Lafayette ... 

If I'd told you a week and a half ago that the loser of this game would probably get the #9 seed in the conference tournament, you'd have probably agreed, muttered something about Painter, and probably made a note not to watch any Thursday games that week ... because there would have been little doubt that it would be Purdue who'd come out on the short end of the stick.

Instead, coming off a huge win in Madison and a close but hard-fought loss to Michigan at home, Purdue made it clear which team was going into the tournament on a high note, never falling behind in an 89-73 win that was never in doubt. A Terone Johnson 3 gave the Boilers the first points of the game; A.J. Hammons broke a 3-all tie with a basket that would give Purdue the lead for good.

Even this guy would have struggled
at Mackey on Saturday.

Minnesota had struggled mightily on the road in conference play – their only conference win was a 17-point win over an Illinois team that looked, well, like the Gophers do now – and they played no better in West Lafayette. They found themselves down 20-5 and 30-9 in the first half; a D.J. Byrd layup put Tubby's crew in a 17-point halftime hole. It was all Minnesota could do to get the lead back to single digits, and each time they did, Purdue would answer ... the fact that the last three-point basket of the game belonged to Ronnie Johnson, of all people, should tell you all you need to know.

Defensively, the Boilers were adequate on the outside. Andre Hollins led all scorers with 24 points, 18 of those from long range, yet the early hole that the Gophers dug themselves meant that most of those shots didn't have nearly the impact you'd guess; his last basket cut a 21-point deficit to 18 with just over 3 minutes to play, at a point where there was no reason to believe anything he did would make a difference.

Inside, things were a different story. Trevor Mbakwe scored just 6 points on 2 for 9 shooting, his fourth-worst outing in conference play. Rodney Williams had 13 points, but that included a three and 4 free throws; no other frontcourt player had more than 4.

Purdue forced "only" 13 turnovers (a high number for them, but not really enough to be a problem for Minnesota), and allowed 39% shooting from three-point range ... but for a change, the offense was good enough that nothing on the defensive side was going to be a problem. All five starters scored in double figures, led by Byrd and Rapheal Davis with 18 apiece, and team shooting was remarkably accurate: 56.8% from two, 46.7% from three, and a whopping 75% from the line, 18-24. The 89 points was a season high, and it had to be encouraging for Painter that they were as evenly distributed as possible (44 first-half points, 45 after the break) ... this wasn't a case where Purdue jumped out to an early lead and held on for dear life.

I have altered the standings.
Pray I don't alter them further.
(AP photo)

We won't know for another week or so if this was D.J.'s last game in Mackey, but if it was, it was about as good as you could ask. Along with those 18 points, he had a team-leading 7 rebounds (only Mbakwe had more, with 10), 5 assists, and 2 steals, both of which led directly to points (2 on a Davis layup and 2 on Hammons free throws after a foul).

Speaking of Hammons, he had a perfect day: 6 of 6 from the field, plus the two free throws, for 14 points ... not bad for just over a half of work. Without seeing the game myself, I can't say if this came from more effort on his part, but I will assume that the fact that he played as much as he did indicates that he's earned those minutes. Hopefully we'll continue to see hard work on his part: as noted in this space before, he's got too much talent to let it go to waste.

Davis had a solid game as well: 6-8 from the field and 6-7 from the line for his 18. I'd really like to see Davis continue to get major minutes as we go up to Chicago and then hopefully steal a postseason slot somewhere ... Anthony Johnson seems not quite ready for starter's minutes, and Davis' play against Michigan and Minnesota this week has been really good.

Something else I couldn't tell from the box score was Marcius' health: he got 14 minutes against a quality big in Mbakwe, so I don't know if he was largely unproductive because of his ankle or Mbakwe's presence or both.

As you'll know if you've been following The Most Confusing Post Ever, this win ensured that Purdue wouldn't drop to #9, because it gave them a tiebreaker advantage over Minnesota no matter who else was tied with them. Iowa's win means that Purdue will be seeded #7 if Illinois loses to Ohio State or #8 if they win, and the Illini will have the other seed. The #7 seed will face Nebraska, and the #8 will play Minnesota*. Minnesota is much better than the Cornhuskers, and I don't know if Purdue needs another quality win as much as they simply need a win, but if the Boilers play like this on Thursday, the opponent might not matter. (On the other hand, the #8 seed will almost certainly play Indiana on Friday if they win; the #7 will get not-Indiana. As much as I'd love to see Purdue knock IU out of the Big Ten tournament, there are ... other potential outcomes.)

*there are scenarios where Minnesota would finish #8 and Illinois #9, depending on who ties Indiana for first; an IU win over Michigan gives Illinois the tiebreaker against the Gophers.

Anyway, the Good Guys have won 3 of 5 in conference play, including two wins over tournament-bound teams.

Choo choo, muthas.

Seniors (and Co.) earn 20th win of the season v. PSU

Boilermakers.

I had kind of a rough beginning to my week...and I was looking forward to Senior night tonight at Mackey.  The event is a bit of a Bar Mitzvah- and it's different than football's Senior day, at least for me as the players seem closer and more approachable.  Since I've got two young kids, I try to take them down to meet the team during the season after games...in the process of doing so over the past 4(5) years, I feel like I got to know these guys.  That, on top of post-game meetings, other personal interactions have propelled me to really feeling invested in this year's Senior class. It's kind of a bittersweet night for me...but must have been an amazing culmination for them.

My wife has had a crush on LewJack for years...so watching and listening to him talk glowingly about his teammates, coaches, Mom and girlfriend after the game made Mrs. Bdowd like the the guy even more.

Ryne Smith has been a favorite of ours around the site for years because it seemed that we were always just a step or two removed from him due to some mutual friendships with #24.  Plus, we've had some interactions with him that were unrelated to basketball that helped us get to know the guy away from the court.  He's a funny, down-to-earth guy who is like many of my friends at Purdue...but he was regularly featured on national TV making it rain; I guess that is kinda different.

And of course, Hummel has been gracious on multiple occasions with my son over the last five years after the games...and LBD isn't the only one.  Each time we were on the court after a game, 4 always seemed to have enough time for fans.  His heart-breaking injuries pushed me to pray that Rob would have an ending to his career on his terms...and at a high level.  And while his basketball career, and even his Purdue career aren't over, his play is making it increasingly-obvious that he has a ton of great basketball ahead of him.

Let's talk a bit about that-

In the last six games, Hummel has averaged nearly 24 points and 10 rebounds.  Tonight, he had 26 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. He absolutely was killing PSU before ever touching the ball on many possessions by carving out space and asking for the ball.  On the defense, he played aggressive, hard-nosed basketball while playing the four or five all night.

LewJack struggled on defense v. Frazier early and didn't take many shots in the first half.  But in the second half, his defense got stiffer and his offensive pace was unmatched by PSU's defense.  He went 6-6 while scoring 12 points, and added five assists and 3 rebounds.

Smith started off slowly.  He looked like he was feeling it in the early minutes as he bombed away from three...but his shots weren't falling. In the second half, he got hot as he hit three-straight threes and added 3 assists.

The Seniors weren't the only ones who played well.

TJohn and DJ Byrd both scored in bunches.  Agent Zero (should we starting using that?) gashed the defense and finished with his tear drop...and hit 4-6 from the line.  He finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists.  Byrd had 14 and 6...8 of them coming in a 10 minute span in the first half.

Along with Johnson and Byrd, the team shot its free throws well (81%) and in the second half completely put the clamps down on the Lions on defense.

This game was astoundingly-different from the contest in Happy Valley back in early January. The only similarity is that Purdue started both games shooting poorly.  But in this one, the ship was righted before the half...and in the second half, our Boilers stepped on PSU's collective throat by making the extra pass, not accepting the open three and playing as a unit, not a just a bunch of college-aged dudes dressed alike.

While the defense got weaker and more apathetic @PSU, the intensity and effectiveness surged with each minute that passed in the second half.  And like in most games in which this team plays solid defense, the fruits of their effort showed in the final score- Good Guys 80, Pennsylvania State University 56.

Beating one of the worst teams in the conference is what Purdue is supposed to do.  And just like in the Nebraska game, Purdue simply took care of business and left little doubt who was the better team...something this team consistently struggled to do only 60 days ago.

Matty talked to the crowd and the Seniors after the game...and the one thing that stuck out to me was how he stated that he thinks this team is far from done with its season.  I have no problem believing it either.  Since losing Barlow, The Forces of Good are 3-1.  They have gone from a bubble team to a team that's almost-surely going dancing, and now have 20 wins over all and are three games over .500 in the toughest conference in the land.

I wanted a couple things at the beginning of this season- I wanted Hummel to be healthy and playing (check). Second, I wanted them to get into the tournament (almost-check). Finally, I wanted to see what these guys could do in the tournament if they were peeking in March.  In spite of a rocky road, Purdue's Seniors have led this team to exactly where I thought they'd be when I looked ahead to the season- Between 20-22 wins...and there's potentially a lot more basketball to be played- not a bad place to be at all.

Next up, Purdue will head to Ass Hall on Saturday to play Clappy's Crimson.  I didn't like this game when I first saw the schedule...and I still don't as the Hall is a tough place to win.  BUT, as purdue continues to put together complete games, they are showing themselves as a completely-different team from that which was beaten up by IU in the second half, just 25 days ago.

Senior Images and videos

Some good stuff in here...always interesting to see this stuff months later.
As Smith talks about at the end, these guys love seeing Mackey full and loud...if you're not planning on going and you're close by, I hope you feel crappy about it- these guys deserve a good send off.

-Smith has always been a high-effort guy and has improved steadily to become one of the best three point shooters in the league while being solid on the glass and dealing out assists.

-LewJack has fought through multiple injuries and rounded his game out, especially in his shooting, all while being a leader since stepping foot on Keady Court.

-Hummel has been one of the driving forces for making Purdue one of the most-respected teams in the nation over the past five seasons.  Like Jackson, he paid the price for the program with major injuries.

All three are playing some of the best basketball of their careers...let's hope the best is still to come for them. Regardless, they owe PSU, and should make them pay for the loss in Happy Valley, tonight in Mackey at 6:30.

one last time.

Rob Hummel

We talk a lot. Sometimes less is more.

Winner

Joyful

Rebuilder

Fundamental

Icon

Leader

Favorite

Boilermaker

Thank you, Rob.

Lewis Jackson

We talk a lot. Sometimes less is more.

Teammate

Friend

Warrior

Heart

Drive

Boilermaker

Thank you, LewJack. 

Ryne Smith

We talk a lot. Sometimes less is more.

Hustle

Determination

Intensity

Shooter

Antagonist

Bomber

Cut-up

Goofball

Boilermaker

Thank you, Ryne.

On Senior Night, JJ and E'Twaun Do What They Do: Win 75-67

Thank you.

The game almost felt secondary tonight, as the Boiler faithful sent off 33 and 25 with many resounding Mackey cheers, as thanks for four years of dedication and hard work. Once again, the place was clearly deafening even through the TV broadcast. Let's say that first, everyone: great work again, especially the Paint Crew who always brings it.

As is always a concern on a night like this, the home team fell behind. However, it wasn't really that Purdue was playing poorly -- Illinois was just shooting the lights out and playing like the team we all thought they were capable of bring this season. Of course, that only lasted about ten minutes and then they reverted to the Illinois who resides on the bubble.

The Illini rode that hot early shooting to a 13 point advantage of 31-18. From then on, the Boilermakers ground them into dust, outscoring Illinois 57-36 the rest of the way. Yeah, that's a little more like it.

The forces of good showed again how this team just might be a little different than some of the others over the years. There has -- as of yet -- been no terrible letdowns. Beating Wisconsin was followed by a convincing win over OSU which was follwed by the requisite beatdown of IU which was followed by a senior night victory over Illinois. Assuming they can close the deal against the lowly Hawkeyes this weekend, this will end one of the best regular season stretches we've ever seen from Purdue, and that includes some pretty great seasons.

As for the game itself tonight, the scoring leaders were -- who else? -- JJ and E'Twaun, who had 23 and 18, respectively. They combined for over 50% from the field, 4 of 9 from three, seven assists, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Two performances indictative of the seasons these fine young men have had. Both Smooge's steals resulted in breakaways; one ended with a one-handed jam and the other with an "and 1" three-point play.

Kelsey Barlow effectively got under McCamey's thin skin tonight, as well, and though McCamey's numbers wound up pretty good (18 points on 50% shooting) it's tempered by the fact that most of his damage was done early in the game.

Ryne Smith chipped in 8 points and 9 big rebounds, not to mention a level of hyperness I haven't seen out of him this year. He was bouncing around, flailing his arms, playing to the crowd...Ryno was having some fun. And I love it. It looks to me like this guy is ready to be a senior.

Lewis Jackson had a fairly quiet night but as has been the habit of this team, the mythical "third scorer" baton was passed again -- this time to DJ Byrd. DJ hit three treys and scored 16 points, to go along with his seven rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block. Not a bad all-around game from a guy who when he plays his next game in Mackey will only be a junior.

Matty shortened the bench considerably tonight, with only eight guys seeing the floor. I don't know if this was just an anomaly or a sign of how things will tighten up as we head into March basketball.

Senior night was perfect for the seniors themselves, as JaJuan had another game that typifies his season this year, as well as a beautiful monster jam off a feed from DJ Byrd. It reminded one of so many jams that made us talk about what a manchild JJ was.

And Smooge had his jam on the breakaway (not bad for an "unathletic" guy), but more a propos of his time in black and gold was his final basket of the night, a triple with two guys in his face and under a minute to go, the shot clock down to 4 seconds and the Boilers leading 69-64. Naturally, it rattled home as the sniper hit his target.

I can only imagine how great it was to be in the house tonight. This team loves one another and it is very obvious. They want to succeed together and they want to celebrate those successes with one another. We've seen a lot of Purdue teams and at the moment it's hard to think of one that is more cohesive than this one. A lot of that is probably because of Matt Painter, but a lot also has to do with the character of these young men.

As much as the guys are enjoying the ride, one thing that remains very clear as you watch this team is that each of these victories, milestones, steps and celebrations are all seemingly part of the journey... the mission continues.

Senior Profiles: Those Guys

In the past, we've done a "Senior Profile" on each senior on their special night. But this year, there are just two and, well....you know damn well who they are.

We've all been very lucky to watch these two over the last four years. We've seen them perform earlier than expected as the "Baby Boilers" (much to the chagrin of guys like Terry Hutchens). We've seen them give teams a run for their money in the tourney, including final four and championship teams.

We saw them improve year after year. These guys took a program that was in the basement (16 wins over two seasons) and immediately helped it become a winner. Goals were set. Goals were met.

In front of a less than packed Mack



Get back to the tourney. Check.

Win the Big Ten. Check.

Win the Big Ten Tournament. Check.

 And then last year was hopefully to be the potential coronation. These guys as juniors, along with running mate Rob Hummel, put together with veterans like Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer...and a Final Four slated for Indianapolis. It all fit...perhaps a little too well. We know what happened next. And then what happened again in October.

Rather than fold from the stomach punches they had received, these two seniors -- who had come back for one more run together -- decided that it was still their time.

Hoping this cowboy finds a
way back to Houston

The first tourney for these guys ended with a second round loss to the Elite Eight-bound Xavier Musketeers.

In year two, they lost in the Round of 16 to Final Four team UConn.

And then last year, despite being considered the smartest bet to lose to a double-digit seed in the first round, the Boilers clawed their way to another Sweet 16, where they did their best to hang with Duke -- the eventual National Champion -- and even were within a point at halftime. However, the shots weren't falling, the team was still finding itself without Rob, Chris Kramer had one of his worst overall games as a Boilermaker (unfortunately, in his final appearance) and, quite frankly, the Dookies were too good.

The JJ and Smooge combo is 5-3 in the NCAA Tournament. They are 105-30 in their nearly four seasons, which is a .778 winning percentage. Take a look around for four-year players who have amassed that kind of record -- the list will be very short.



One of the sickest dunks I've seen in person.

One of the greatest things for us in watching these guys is the fact that we've gotten to watch them grow up before our very eyes and actually improve considerably from year to year. This doesn't always happen, especially these days. Often guys don't stay in school long enough or they just don't do the things necessary to get better. Take a guy like Demetrius McCamey at Illinois. Tremendously talented, but seemingly unable to focus for long periods, apparently not interested in listening to coaches, kind of just wants to do whatever he feels like doing. Has he improved? Not much.

Or to take it across sports, look at a guy like Curtis Painter at Purdue. When he came in, we could all see the raw talent. And when he left, he had some impressive numbers. But did he ever develop? Did he ever get better at any part of his game? No, not really.

With JJ and E'Twaun, you can see the development. They improved their defense every year, to where JJ now leads the Big Ten in blocked shots and you can count on Smooge for a few steals every game.  

JaJuan now takes over when his team needs him most, rather than waiting for the game to come to him. E'Twaun does the same thing and when he's not taking over, he's quietly amassing the points needed to put the team over the hump.

Smooge has also demonstrated that he can still be the "red button" and carry this team on his back, as he did against perhaps the best team in the country nine days ago.


These two have also helped to make their teammates better. It's been amazing to see how many open looks Ryne, Kelsey and LewJack are able to find -- partly because they're good, but partly also because opposing teams are most concerned (as they should be) with where JJ and E'Twaun are.


College basketball allows for nights like tonight, where the seniors are paid tribute as they should be. In pro sports, you don't always know when a guy will be playing his last game at home, what with playoffs and things like that. But in college ball, we have a night like tonight, where before the tournament begins and before you really, really can't lose, you have a night to focus on the guys who have made your team what they are.

And make no mistake -- these guys are perhaps the biggest reasons (along with their coach) that this program is back on the map in such a major way. Gene Keady, as beloved as he is, left the program in a pretty sorry state. This senior class has played ball at a .778 clip and put Purdue back to not just respectable, but elite-level good.

Often we complain about a lack of respect that Purdue gets, and more than anything it's because we know just how good these guys are, both as players and as men. We know how much they've done for their school. We know what kind of a situation they came into, yet as teenagers were able to see the potential and believe it could happen -- and that they could be the guys to make it happen.

And here we are. The cusp of an undefeated home season (which would make them 62-6 all time at Mackey, if my quick check is accurate) for two of our favorite Boilermakers of all time. No matter what happens, they'll go down among the Purdue legends, simply for what they did for the program. If they can add a Final Four banner or more to the list, well, I'd suggest a parade in their honor.

In all seriousness, it's a happy day and a bit of a sad one. There will be some moist eyes in the house tonight. If you'll be there, please let them know how much we all love 'em. It's your night, boys.

Choo-choo.




Thanks, fellas.



Senior Profile: Mark Wohlford

Mark Wohlford is the third senior who will be playing his last home game as a Boilermaker tonight at Mackey, and Mark's story is terrific.

He tried out for the team as a freshman, attempting to walk on. However, at just six feet, he wasn't needed and was cut. He then tried again his sophomore season and made the team, but only saw four minutes of action.

Mark came back for his junior year and saw more playing time, getting into 14 games.

Meanwhile, during all of this, Mark was pulling a 4.0 GPA on his way to applying to law schools, which he plans to follow up on after he graduates in the spring.

Coming back for his senior year, Mark learned that not only would he still be a Boilermaker -- he'd be a scholarship player. The guy who was cut as a walk-on his freshman year and was playing games at the co-rec was now a full scholarship, D-I athlete.

But the dream didn't end there. With Lewis Jackson hurt at the beginning of this year, Mark played important minutes in the non-conference season, even getting a double-digit (10) scoring performance against St. Joe's in November. But perhaps my favorite stat about Mark Wohlford is that he is shooting 57% from three land this year, on 8 of 14 shooting. Maybe he should get in there a little more often?

Wohlford's defense, work ethic and perseverance are all to be admired and commended. This is a guy who wanted it....and went out and got it. Which is likely how he approaches everything in life. Pulling perfect grades, deciding which law school to attend, playing for one of the top basketball teams in the nation, living the dream... that's Mark Wohlford's senior year. Not too shabby.

While he doesn't get the press and admiration that guys like Kramer and KG get, Mark Wohlford has more than earned the senior sendoff we hope he gets tonight. Mark is what we take pride in as Boilermakers -- smart, driven, determined, hard-working...and a guy who doesn't care what the "odds" are against him. He's going to succeed, no matter what.

So let's send Mark off the right way, too. Thanks for pushing the guys in practice, Mark. And thanks for representing us well.

Senior Profile: Chris Kramer

Tonight, Chris Kramer -- CK, CK3, Chris MF Kramer -- plays his last game at home in a Boilermaker uniform.

Chris came to Purdue with Keaton Grant and he, too, agreed to come play for a program that had been down for a few years.

Kramer came in and has been a fan favorite ever since. CK took the baton from guys like Brian Cardinal in terms of hustle and became well-known as the best defender in the Big Ten as well as one of the most-respected in the country.

Chris' numbers have been remarkably consistent over his four years at Purdue. He's averaged between 5.2-7.2 points, 2.4-2.9 assists, and 2.9 to 3.2 rebounds. This is a guy who is who is and always was this guy. He's also averaged two steals a game...for four years. Which, as you know, makes him the all-time Purdue steals leader.

Chris is the epitome of Purdue toughness, of Purdue fight, of the grit that people think of when they think of Purdue. He's not considered flashy, even though he can do this:







He can also shoot when needed, with his freshman and junior years featuring mid-30% three-point shooting. But Chris rarely shoots, mainly because he knows that's not usually what the Boilermakers need. What they rely on from him is what he does best: take charges, draw fouls, make free throws, irritate opponents, get Manny Harris to get himself ejected from a game....

CK does it all from a hard-working perspective. As is so often said (and overused), he's the guy you love on your team but hate when he's on someone else's. Chris is the guy who will get the floor burns and take the broken nose and draw the hard charging foul.

And then, when you least expect it, he'll drain a critical three or surprise everyone with a tomahawk jam.

The guy is so tough, a rumor got going strong that he's going to play football for the Boilers in the fall. He currently says that's not the plan, but maybe Coach Hope just hasn't asked him yet.

When we look forward to next year and the Big Three being seniors, many of us get excited at this prospect. However, there are those of us who felt this year was the best shot at a Final Four in decades, mainly because the Big Three were juniors and CK and KG were back as seniors. Leadership is hard to define -- Chris does it with his actions.

We'll miss Chris Kramer more than any of us realize. So when he dons the gold and black for the last time at home tonight, remind him how much we love him....floor burns and all.

Senior Profile: Keaton Grant

Tonight, Keaton Grant (or "kee-tawn," as Talent Tom Hamilton might call him) plays his last home game in a Boilermaker uniform.

There have been ups and downs with Keaton in many ways. For one thing, he was recruited during a fairly dark time for Purdue basketball, committing in March of '06, as the Boilers were wrapping up a 9-18 (3-13) season and saying goodbye to Gene Keady. He was rated 129 nationally by Rivals and was recruited by our old friend Cuonzo Martin.

Keaton has seen nothing but 20-win seasons in his time in West Lafayette, and people forget how good he looked when he was a sophomore. That year, KG averaged 11.2 points, 3.2 boards, shot 43% from the field and 44% (!) from three-point range. It looked like a star was in the making.

Unfortunately, Keaton's production did not continue its upward climb as he battled recovering from a knee injury last season. He played in all 37 games, but something was clearly not right with KG. Despite that, one of the good soldiers of Purdue basketball continued on, playing hard and gelling with his teammates. The "Baby Boilers" were coming of age and Keaton was content to let them shine (that's his way, he always walked a step behind).
This season KG's numbers continue to dip, to the point that he lost his starting gig earlier in the season. As it turned out, it was nice to have an experienced senior who could hit big shots coming off the bench, and this shake-up actually led to Kelsey Barlow getting really important minutes that will help benefit the Purdue basketball program for several years.

KG is averaging 6.5 ppg this year and had only had double digit scoring outputs against Central Michigan, Valpo and SIU-Edwardsville.... that is, until we needed him.

In the three games preceding the recent loss to MSU (in which absolutely no one played well), Keaton had scored 13, 15, and 10, averaged three rebounds a game, shot 52% from the field and 7-of-9 from the line. Superhuman numbers? No, of course not. But a wonderful compliment when the team needed him? Yes, indeed.

And, of course, perhaps his defining moment thus far this season -- after Rob Hummel crumpled to the floor with a shredded ACL in the first half against Minny, the team looked as discombobulated as they have in a long time. However, the ground their way back into it and down the stretch it was Keaton Grant who his three clutch shots to salt the game away, including the game-winning jumper with seven seconds left. As Boilerdowd pointed out, LewJack made a nice dish and KG simply rose up and fired the jumper, with zero hesitation. He owned that shot and was confident. He was the guy we've only seen glimpses of the past two seasons. He was the guy we miss. He was the guy we have really enjoyed having as a Boilermaker.

So tonight, when they introduce #5 for the last time at home in Boilermaker uniform, let him know you appreciate his service and his unselfish personality. This is a guy who said he came to Purdue because of the family feel he got when he visited from his home, far away in Kissimmee, Florida.
Let's make him feel like part of the family one more time.