Having reached the Sweet Sixteen last season, the expectations for the Purdue Boilermakers are only going up. This is a team driven to win the Big Ten with the desire to make the short trip to Indianapolis and make a Final Four appearance. With the return of just about every Boilermaker who started a game last year, there is little reason to doubt that Purdue can achieve the lofty goals they have set for themselves in 2009-2001.
In addition to E'Twaun Moore, the backcourt will be looking for the consistent scorer which it lacked last year, and Purdue does seem to have some potential options. Chris Kramer is a scrappy defender who tallied 2 steals per game and will occasionally provide a little scoring. Keaton Grant is the best outside shooter on the squad, was fourth on the team with 8 points per game last year, and will likely be the sixth man of this year's Boilermakers. Lewis Jackson is not only lightening quick, but he is the player who will be dishing the ball to the scorers. Having already done a great job finding his teammates as a freshman, with a year of experience under his belt his turnover numbers should go down, and just as importantly, he could be a really great player if he can find consistency with his mid-range jumper.
While Purdue's frontcourt may lack depth, the two starters are two of the best in the Big 10. Robbie Hummel was previously hindered with a back injury which appears to be a thing of the past, but even at less than one hundred percent Hummel put up over 12 points per game while adding a team leading 7 rebounds. At 6-8, he not only has the size to battle in the paint, but he is just as comfortable making his way out to the perimeter, even leading the Boilermakers by sinking just under 2 three-pointers per contest. His frontcourt mate is JaJuan Johnson – a bruiser under the basket who can also stretch the defense with his mid-range jump shot. Johnson is also a great defender and should be one of the best shot blockers in the conference during this, his junior season.
Since the Boilermakers only lost a few players, there is a big list of newcomers in West Lafayette. Guards such as Steve Loveless, Andrew Day, Dru Anthrop, and Kyle Coleman, will not provide any great impact this year, but redshirt freshman John Hart, and wings Kelsey Barlow and D.J. Byrd, will be given the opportunity to provide some spark coming off the bench. More important than the backcourt is depth up front, where Patrick Bade and Sandi Marcius come into play; Bade is a versatile big man who has more than enough strength to battle in the Big 10 paint, while Marcius is a traditional back-to-the-basket center.
