The impact of the recruiting miss on the Boilermakers next year is substantial. Purdue has only one true point guard on their roster next year (Ronnie Johnson) and he happens to be a true freshman. Mays scored 14.1 points for the Wright State Raiders last year and led the team in assists while shooting a proficient 42.4% from behind the arc. Purdue will have to count heavily on returning guards Terone Johnson and Anthony Johnson to contribute as point guards.

The Boilermakers only have 11 returning scholarship players next year after the departures of guards Kelsey Barlow and John Hart. The backcourt is especially thin with only Terone Johnson, Anthony Johnson, Ronnie Johnson, Rapheal Davis, and Dru Anthrop (walk-on).

It is unclear whether Purdue will sign any other players in this class. Matt Painter badly needs at least one more guard for depth, but it’s awfully late in the game to find a quality player. Not to mention, Purdue needs someone that can play next year. The Boilermakers may turn to the junior college ranks or scour for other 5th year transfers. A transfer that has to sit out a year will do Matt Painter no good.

There’s no doubt — this recruiting miss will make things more difficult for Purdue next year. Not only did they miss out on a scorer, they will have to count heavily on a freshman point guard and just three other underclassmen guards.

For those that follow Purdue football recruiting closely, Gregory committed to Danny Hope out of high school (Hamilton Southeastern, Fishers, IN). The 6-5, 215 pound pass rusher excelled last year in his junior college debut at Arizona Western College. Although he didn’t start for about half of the season, he still tallied 7 sacks, 73 tackles, and 18.5 tackles for loss in 11 games. His stellar performance earned him the honors of 1st team All-Western States Football League, All-Arizona Community College Athletic Conference, and he was chosen twice as the Western States Football League Defensive Player of the Week.

It was a disappointment when Gregory failed to qualify out of high school. He was only ranked as a 3 star recruit by Rivals and was not evaluated by ESPN’s scouting services, but those who have seen him play know that he is arguably the most gifted player of Purdue’s 2011 recruiting class. His athleticism is evident in his high school basketball highlights where he explodes for thunderous dunks.

Football highlights are no longer posted on youtube for Gregory, but linked is a short interview after his team’s 40-17 win over rival Fishers in which he caught a 50 yard hail mary bomb before halftime. He had 15 sacks during his senior high school season. For those that have a subscription to Rivals.com (a Yahoo sports site), footage of his highlights against McCutcheon High School are linked.

Bottom line: It’s a huge coup for Purdue to land Gregory (again). They sorely need a pass rusher with the physical abilities that Gregory possesses. The den of defensive ends has looked a little questionable since Ryan Kerrigan graduated and Gregory has the physical tools to play well in the Big Ten and beyond. If he lives up to his potential, he could be the Boilermakers’ next big defensive end.

With Purdue already having four class of 2012 signees and three class of 2013 verbals, a lot of Purdue’s future roster is already planned. Without a doubt, the commitments in hand dictate Purdue’s current recruiting strategy.

The Boilers have gotten ahead of the curve and focused its main attention on the 2014 and 2015 classes. Meanwhile, most coaches are trying to nab top 2013 players (over 110 of the Rivals’ top 150 are still uncommitted). The added attention Purdue can devote to younger players should help them establish themselves as a player with many 2014-2015 players.

Only time will tell whether this recruiting strategy will pay off for Purdue because they have not received any commitments from 2014 players yet. Even though the Boilers have offers out to 2015 players, I wouldn’t expect any commitments soon.

Let’s break down the recruitment class by class:

2012

The class of 2012 is already settled, unless Caris Levert unexpectedly commits to Purdue. It’s unexpected because Levert has plenty of influence to choose Michigan over Purdue and signs point to him choosing the Wolverines (LINK).

On another note, Goldandblack.com has recently tweeted that 5th year senior transfer Julius Mays (Wright State) could possibly head to Purdue.

Great chance of Wright State fifth-year transfer Julius Mays coming to #Purdue. He's had ties to the program and would fill need in 2012-13.

May 2, 2012 4:50 pm via Twitter for AndroidReplyRetweetFavorite

@GoldandBlackcom

GoldandBlack.com

Hold the phone though…Mays to Purdue is not a sure thing, especially with the University of Kentucky showing interest.

If Purdue does not land either Levert or Mays, there are no clear ideas of who it would turn to next to fill the void of John Hart and Kelsey Barlow’s departures. There’s a good chance the Boilers would stick with the 11 scholarship players that it has and turn to the class of 2013 for its next recruit.

Needs: with the departure of John Hart and Kelsey Barlow, Purdue could use another ball handler. That’s why they’ve expressed interest in Mays and Levert.

2013

Purdue already has commitments in the bag from Bryson Scott, Kendall Stephens, and Basil Smotherman. All three are having good spring AAU seasons, but I’ll save that story for another day. If Purdue does not find another multi-year scholarship player like Levert, they’ll likely add a fourth recruit to this class.

Purdue seems to be playing the waiting game on the class of 2013 to determine whether they’ll have scholarships to offer. Until then, here is a cursory list of 2013 players that Purdue will at least track, if not recruit more heavily if a ride opens: Nigel Hayes, forward; Tanner Lancona, forward; Trevor Thompson, forward/center; Monte Morris, guard; and others.

Needs: The Boilers may look to find a skilled forward (which is what they had before Derek Willis decommitted). They may also look for another perimeter player if they are not happy with their guard play.

2014

At this early juncture, Purdue has three openings in the 2014 class. Here are the outstanding offers: Vincent Edwards, Keita Bates-Diop, Tyler Wideman, Dmitri Thompson, Trevon Blueitt, JaQuan Lyle, and Paul Turner.

Purdue has a lot of other recruits it’s showing interest, like 6-6 Jacob Johnson from Mooresville. And there will be players that develop and garner Purdue’s interest later, like I expect Sam Logwood to get more looks.

Needs: Purdue really needs a skilled forward or two, plus a big body in the paint. An ideal class would be Edwards, Thompson, and Wideman.

Note: Vincent Edwards seems very impressed with Purdue’s recruitment, so he could be a real possibility to commit at some point. They also may have a good shot with Bates-Diop and they’re currently the only high major for Tyler Wideman. It’s really hard to say whether Purdue has any shot with the other mentioned players.

2015

The Boilers only have two slots for this class right now, but they’re hard after a few prospects, including point guard Hyron Edwards. They also have an offer to Jordan Ash.

Right now, Painter and company are showing interest in plenty of others, like Gary Bonds, Jalen Coleman, and Chandler White.

Needs: Purdue will take a point guard in this class, plus either a center or forward.

2016

Last but not least, Purdue already has out an uber early offer to Eron Gordon. He has not played in a varsity game yet.

Rivals

While Rivals.com released their final 2012 rankings previously, the 2013 rankings were updated. Two Purdue commits were ranked: Kendall Stephens at 50th and Bryson Scott at 51st. Kendall Stephens is listed at 6-3 by Rivals, but he is a legitimate 6-5, so that height needs updated. Wing Basil Smotherman was not ranked, although that could change by June (or whenever they choose to update the rankings) because he has improved his consistency lately.

Miscellaneous notes: previous Purdue commit Derek Willis came in at 26th. Both point guard Monte Morris (82) and big man Maverick Morgan (148) have received some recruiting attention from Purdue.

If you’re interested in Rivals’ final 2012 rankings, AJ Hammons made a big jump and went from Purdue’s lowest ranked signee to its highest ranked. Hammons is 77th, Ronnie Johnson is 94th, Rapheal Davis is 96th, and Jay Simpson is 112th. Hammons, Johnson, and Davis are 4-stars and Simpson is a 3 star (just 7 players shy of the meaningless 4th star). As a team, Rivals ranks Purdue’s class as 20th nationally although a few late commits to other teams could slide them one way or the other.

Scout

On Wednesday, Scout.com released its final 2012 rankings. All four Purdue signees finished in the top 100: A.J. Hammons No. 66, Ronnie Johnson No. 84, Rapheal Davis No. 97, and Jay Simpson No. 98.

In addition, recruiting analyst Brian Snow made comments about Purdue’s commits during a Wednesday internet chat on Scout.com.

Regarding AJ Hammons:

I think he will be a very good player in time for Purdue. He has good hands, is developing more of a post game, and has great size and can block shots. Also he is showing more passion as a basketball player. His game is going in the right direction.

In response to impact players for Purdue:

I think Raphael Davis and Ronnie Johnson will both be great on offense. Davis by getting to the rim and scoring in the mid-range, Johnson by setting up teammates and making open threes. Defensively however, that will be an issue.

As a team, Scout ranked Purdue 18th. Again, that could fluctuate with some late commits to other programs (or Purdue).

Scout did not update their 2013 class yet, but Kendall Stephens is ranked a 4 star (15th best SG, 69th overall), Bryson Scott is a 4 star (10th best SG, 56th overall), and Basil Smotherman is ranked a 3 star.

CBS Sports

Although CBS Sports is not as well known as a recruiting service compared to Rivals and Scout, they ranked the 2012 class on April 11th and two Purdue signees made the top 100: Ronnie Johnson at 85 and AJ Hammons at 87. Signees Rapheal Davis and Jay Simpson were not included in the top 100.

CBS Sports released updated rankings for the class of 2013 on April 18th. Bryson Scott came in at 69 and Kendall Stephens at 83 (both 4 stars). Commit Basil Smotherman was not ranked in the top 100. Purdue target Nigel Hayes was ranked 95th.

CBS Sports also updated their class of 2014 rankings. The following Purdue targets were included: guard Jaquan Lyle (14) and guard Paul Turner (35).

ESPN

Purdue’s 2012 class was ranked as follows by ESPN:

• AJ Hammons (92/100), 4 star, 18th ranked center, 81st overall.
• Rapheal Davis (92/100), 4 star, 15th ranked shooting guard, 87th overall.
• Ronnie Johnson (92/100), 4 star, 17th ranked point guard, 92nd overall.
• Jay Simpson (89/100), 3 star, 33rd ranked power forward.

The not so shocking, but important news is that John Hart has decided to leave the Purdue program and take advantage of a 5th year transfer rule. Under this rule, Hart will be allowed to transfer from Purdue to another D-1 school if he pursues a graduate degree program which Purdue’s main campus does not offer.

The kicker is that Hart won’t have to sit out a year per NCAA rules. Hart would be in heavy competition with a backcourt of 3 Johnsons, Rapheal Davis, and possibly a player to be named later. Transferring will allow Hart to further his education (he’s a good student) and find a place where he’ll be able to get guaranteed playing time. I’m sad to see Hart go, but I wish him luck in his final year of college basketball.

Potential Additions to the Basketball Roster?

The Hart news means Purdue has additional pressure to add a player to next year’s team. They are now down to 11 scholarship players and just a couple of injuries away from depth problems. Here are a couple names to consider:

1. Julius Mays — he is reportedly transferring from Wright State and will have immediate eligibility. Not to mention, Mays is originally from Marion, Indiana and may want to play in a bigger conference. Right now, Mays’ transfer is only message board fodder. We’ll see if anything comes of it.

2. It has been reported that Drake transfer Rayvonte Rice is “looking at” Purdue among many other high major programs. Rice would have to sit out a year, but he is an exceptional mid-major player who averaged 16.5 pts and 5.7 rebounds. At 6-4, 235, he’s a big guard that can do some dirty work inside as well. Still want more names? Here’s an EXHAUSTIVE list that needs updated by the day (LINK). There are over 300 transfers this year, although most of these transfers will have to sit out a year.

Even though Purdue now has two scholarship openings for the 2012-2013 team, don’t expect for Painter to fill both slots. Each scholarship is only open for one year as both departures (Barlow and Hart) had just one more year of eligibility remaining.

For one, Painter may not want to take two more players. If Purdue adds two more players, that will mean six newcomers (not counting redshirt Donnie Hale). Do we really want the new guys to nearly outnumber the current players? That’s a lot of new faces to manage, which could be a coaching headache.

Secondly, it’s hard to find 5th year transfers with immediate eligibility. If a good player like Julius Mays falls into Purdue’s lap, that’d be great. But it’s hard to imagine two players in that situation will both land at Purdue. And if Purdue accepts the commitment of a player who has  more than one year at Purdue, Painter must have another defection the following year.

Recruiting Lists

Disclaimer: these lists are in no particular order.

Here’s a list of 2013 players Purdue will watch: Nigel Hayes, forward; Maverick Morgan, PF/C; Matthew Atewe, PF/C; and Trevor Thompson, C. Purdue is generally looking for a skilled forward that can run, but it’s not exactly easy to find the recruit they’re trying to replace: Derek Willis.

Here’s a brief recap of the 2014 offers: Paul Turner, SG; Keita Bates-Diop, forward; Tyler Wideman, PF/C; Vincent Edwards, guard/forward; Dmitri Thompson, G; Trevon Blueitt, SG/SF; and Jaquan Lyle, G.

Here’s a list of other 2014 players that Purdue will likely keep an eye on: Jackson Davis, forward; Aaron Brennan, forward; Shane Hall, forward; Perry Poindexter, forward; PJ Thompson, PG; Jacob Johnson, SF; and Justin King, forward.

Here’s a list of 2015 players that Purdue will keep an eye on: Hyron Edwards, PG; Gary Bonds, forward; Jalen Coleman, combo guard; Brennan Gillis, forward; Joel Okafor, PG; Jordan Ash, PG; KJ Walton, combo guard; Josh Speidel, forward; and Ryan Fazekas, wing/forward. More names in the 2015 class here: http://indianarecruitingguide.com/prospect-rankings/class-of-2015/

One lone name for the 2016 class so far: Eron Gordon, guard (younger brother of Eric Gordon). He is visiting Purdue Wednesday per Indy Star’s Kyle Neddenriep.

I recommend reading all of Osipoff’s story because there are great tidbits about almost every player. Particularly interesting is the possibility of roster changes. Painter said this in response to a question about the possibility of roster defections:

We’ll see. It’s a two-way street, it’s not always my decision. The one thing I’ve tried to build with our guys is being honest about where they stand…

Painter was also asked specifically about the possibility of 5th year redshirt senior John Hart transferring. The coach said that he won’t know anything until upcoming individual meetings with each player.

Of course, now seems like a perfect time to speculate on the possibilities of a transfer like any good, obsessed Purdue fan would.

The fact that Matt Painter was asked about John Hart transferring shows that some are already viewing this as a real possibility. In my personal opinion, I think it is more likely than not that Hart will take advantage of the 5th year transfer rule and take his talents to a school like IUPUI where he should be able to start. Even though Hart may have an opportunity for playing time at Purdue next year with the dismissal of Kelsey Barlow, he has a lot of competition at guard from Terone Johnson, Anthony Johnson, Rapheal Davis and others. So there is an incentive to leave to get more playing time elsewhere. Hart is on track to graduate, so he should be able to find a master’s program at another school that Purdue doesn’t offer (as the 5th year transfer rule requires).

Although I think it is likely Hart will transfer, I do wish he stays. His presence is needed as a veteran guard and even if he doesn’t play in the regular rotation, he will serve as much needed depth in Purdue’s 3 guard lineups that demand a lot of defensive pressure and hustle. If Hart does leave, that will leave Purdue with just 11 scholarship players and put more pressure on Matt Painter to add another player for next year’s team.

Even though Hart might be the most likely candidate to transfer, don’t completely rule out the possibility of others making a jump, especially in light of the massive amounts of transfers this season throughout Division 1 basketball (LINK). Here are some thoughts on players who could consider transferring:

• Jacob Lawson: There’s no reason to think Lawson would transfer, but his playing time dropped off completely at the end of the season. If he has a big offseason, he could be a great player for Purdue and even start. But you never know whether a player is frustrated by first year struggles. I would be very surprised if this happens, but you never know…
• Travis Carroll: Although he started most of the season, he also may be frustrated that he lost significant playing time in the NCAA Tourney. Also, with the addition of Hammons, Simpson, and Hale, he’ll have more competition for playing time next season. I would be shocked if this happens.
• Sandi Marcius: It wouldn’t make sense for Sandi to transfer at this point in his career because if he really wanted to transfer, he would be smart and wait until next year to take advantage of the 5th year transfer rule which doesn’t require him to sit out a year. I think it is highly unlikely that Marcius would leave this year, but wouldn’t rule it out following the 2012-2013 season. Also, Marcius played an integral part to Purdue’s NCAA Tourney win and near upset of Kansas.
• Anthony Johnson: It also wouldn’t make sense for AJ to transfer given that he really elevated his play at the end of the year and figures to play a major role on next year’s team. This would be a shocker.
• No way any of these guys transfer: Terone Johnson, DJ Byrd, and Donnie Hale (he’s already waited 2 years to finally play!).

We’re, generally speaking, we’re always recruiting, we’re always looking. We’re always in the hunt to find somebody, and get them on campus. We’ll see as time goes.

There were lots of future Big Ten faces for the North team, including Marc Loving (Ohio State junior verbal), Mike Gesell (Iowa signee), Adam Woodbury (Iowa signee), Kenny Kaminski (Michigan State signee), Hanner Perea (Indiana signee), Sam Dekker (Wisconsin signee) and Jeremy Hollowell (Indiana signee). Loving, Kaminski, and the two future Hawkeyes all started while Ronnie Johnson and the others came off the bench.

***Disclaimer: keep in mind that these scouting notes were made in the context of an All-Star game, where it’s disorganized and more like a pick-up game than an actual college game. If you want a scouting report of Ronnie Johnson from his high school season, see my December 9, 2011 story (link). ***

Ronnie Johnson (#3 in dark blue):

• Johnson did not enter the game until 3:57. The players were rotated about every four minutes.
• Ronnie’s stats were 3 points (1-4 shooting), 3 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 turnover.
• On defense, Johnson guarded Javan Felix (Texas signee) and Braxton Ogbueze (Florida signee). Neither Felix or Ogbueze are particularly big point guards, so Johnson wasn’t really outmatched size-wise like he may be at times at the next level.
• In the first quarter, Ogbueze drove on Johnson and then pushed off with his forearm before hitting a jumpshot. Johnson was called for the foul. He’ll have to get used to the physical play at the next level. Even though he doesn’t have a lot of size, he is pretty muscular. He’ll have to learn to adapt to that kind of physical contact so that his man won’t be able to force him into a foul or drive through him for an easy shot.
• During the first quarter, Ronnie drove to his left (his dominant hand) and drew a foul. He hit 1-2 free throws and has a nice looking stroke.
• In the second quarter, Johnson penetrated through the defense and made a nifty finger roll layup. If you watch his high school highlights (linked), he is great at making these kinds of plays.
• Also, in the second quarter, he led a fast break and at the last second pitched it to a streaking Jeremy Hollowell for an easy dunk.
• When Johnson gets a rebound, he’s very quick at getting the ball up the floor. It’s clear that he has great speed, which will be necessary to replace Lewis Jackson. I don’t think he has Jackson’s same foot speed, but he will probably be at least as fast as any other guard on Purdue’s roster next year.
• Johnson would have had another assist in the second quarter had Hollowell not missed a dunk (leave it to an IU signee, of course [all in jest]).
• In the third quarter, Johnson’s 3 rimmed out. It was in-and-out, but was a good looking shot. He took two 3-pointers during the game and missed both. However, he hit 3 pointers at over 40% this last high school season. At the next level, Johnson should be a perimeter weapon when he’s open. I’m not sure if he’ll be able to shoot with a hand in his face especially at his size, but the defenders should at least respect his outside shot.
• Ronnie Johnson has a habit of overpenetrating that he may have to correct at the next level. There are times where he gets deep into the defense but then is not able to get off a shot amongst the trees. He’s very good at finding an open man in these situations, but this could be a source of his turnovers early in his career.
• In the 4th quarter, Javan Felix was able to hit a floater over him. On the next possession, he shot his own floater over Felix. He barely missed his shot and it’s clear that he has a nice floater in his offensive arsenal.
• Also, in the fourth quarter, he was forced into a turnover when he was double teamed. He tried to get the ball into the hands of his teammates, but it was intercepted.
• Following the 4th quarter turnover, he made a steal at halfcourt and fed the ball to Hollowell who served it up to Sam Dekker. This was an example of his quick hands and his ability to create fast points from a turnover.

Miscellaneous notes, primarily on future Big Ten players:

• Sam Dekker really raised some eyebrows. I’ve been high on this guy for a while. I used to think he was the next Robbie Hummel. Now I’m thinking he’s a little more than that. He has bounce in his game that reminds me of Indiana’s Will Sheehey. The announcers raved about his work ethic and desire to improve. Along with that, he has great intangibles like Hummel, including the ability to make clutch plays. For example, he drained a last second 3 in the Wisconsin state championship to give his high school its first ever state title (see video link). You can also compare him to former Butler player Gordon Hayward.
• Glenn Robinson Jr. was the player of the game. He’s headed to Michigan. He had a handful of dunks, some of which were set up by Iowa’s future point man Mike Gesell. Brace yourselves for the question that will undoubtedly be asked hundreds of times next year: so why is Big Dog’s kid not playing for Purdue? He’ll no doubt be a force in the Big Ten. He doesn’t have the defense that Gary Harris has, but his offensive game is similar. He’s about 6-6 and can get to the rim with ease. His leaping ability lets him finish at a high rate. He should be an instant impact player for John Beilein’s program.
• Speaking of Gesell, he’s a really heady point guard. He reminds me of North Carolina State signee Tyler Lewis (who played for Oak Hill with AJ Hammons) because he doesn’t really look like a D-1 player, but he can shoot it and his basketball IQ always puts him in a position to make a play or stay with his man on defense.
• Adam Woodbury: he should be a beast for the Hawkeyes. A near 7 footer with great instincts will help the Hawkeyes protect the rim and have an offense in the paint. That will help the Hawkeyes compete with the other dominant big men that will be in the Big Ten, including Zeller, McGary, Adreian Payne, and possibly Jared Sullinger (pending his draft decision).
• Junior verbal Marc Loving can really shoot the ball. He’ll help Thad Matta’s Buckeyes in two years.
• Hanner Perea (IU signee) racked up 5 fouls by the early 3rd quarter. He finished with at least 6 fouls. As expected, he was great in transition and when no one boxed him out, he had some easy put-backs. He could have some opportunities on offense next year when Zeller is double-teamed.
• Indiana’s Jeremy Hollowell had a good game. He has a very high ceiling because he’s very skilled and a legit 6-7. He should be a good swingman that can play the 3 or 4. As good of a 3-point shooter that he is, he still needs to attack the basket because he has good size to finish over smaller defenders.
• I was also impressed by Notre Dame signee Cameron Biedscheid. He can really shoot the ball. He averaged over 30 points per game in high school and Purdue will have to keep their eyes on him next year when they play the Fighting Irish at Conseco Fieldhouse.
• For the south team, a familiar guy for Matt Painter and Purdue fans was playing: Derek Willis. He is now a Kentucky verbal. As just a junior, it’s pretty clear that Willis needs to work on his body. He’s very lean and his frame is frail in comparison to some of the more well-developed top 100 recruits. That said, his skill level at 6-9 means he’s likely a future pro.

Both teams were stock full of talent as LaLumiere (ranked 23rd nationally by ESPN) also includes Indiana signee Hanner Perea, Southern Illinois signee Bobo Drummond, Illinois verbal Jalen James, high major prospect Jonathan Wilkins, and other players with D1 interest. Montverde (ranked 12th nationally by ESPN) features two Florida recruits, Kasey Hill and Michael Frazier, among other talented players.

Montverde won the game 62-54. For a full recap of the game and video highlights, see ESPN’s story. Below are the scouting reports for both Rapheal Davis and Jay Simpson, along with some miscellaneous notes.

Rapheal Davis (#35):

• First, his stats: he finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds, although he took a lot of shots to arrive at that point total.
• Davis is the go-to guy on LaLumiere. He’s the scorer that they look to as he averages over 20 points per game.
• Davis was frustrated by Montverde’s pressure defense and committed more turnovers than usual. Still, as a wing/small forward he has a lot of experience handling the ball (he actually played PG on his AAU team at times) which will benefit him at the next level.  It didn’t seem like LaLumiere as a team was ready for Montverde’s aggressive defense. Instead, they played at a fast pace that probably is not to their advantage.
• As a wing, Davis is tenacious on the boards. If he misses a shot in traffic, he has a knack for getting to the ball before others and turning the offensive rebound into a put-back.
• Davis is an expert at drawing fouls. He draws over 9/game. This game was much the same as he took at least 8 free throws.
• As much as I love how aggressive Davis is when attacking the rim, he will have to learn to be patient when the defense is stuffing the paint to prevent the dribble. Although he was able to draw fouls often, he also took shots in traffic that even Michael Jordan would have trouble converting.
• Davis can go coast-to-coast. What’s most impressive is how he can attack the basket, take a hit, and still score after contact. Matt Painter described him as a “power guard.” That was especially evident in this game.
• Davis did not score from behind the arc. It’s not that he doesn’t shoot the outside shot at all, but at this point he’s much more of a threat with the dribble drive and scoring off of offensive rebounds.
• Davis had a scary moment when he attacked the basket, grabbed the rim after being fouled, and then landed hard on the floor and bumped his head. Fortunately, he was evaluated by the trainers and OK’ed to return. Aside from Davis’ break after the injury scare, he played almost the entire game.

Jay Simpson (#23):

• Simpson’s stats: 8 points and at least 6 rebounds.
• It is worth noting that Simpson only played about half of the game.
• Simpson was not afraid to post-up his man. With his well built frame, he’s able to back his man down and spin to either side and score with either hand. He’ll be the most skilled big man on Purdue’s roster next year and he showed that in his game against Montverde.
• Simpson has a very nice jump hook, although he may need to add some arc to that shot so that it’s not blocked at the next level. He was a very efficient for the first 3 quarters (4-6) and had some nice looks in the 4th quarter, but his shot did not fall.
• Simpson had a great assist (although it didn’t technically count as one in the box score) to present and future teammate Rapheal Davis. Off a Montverde miss, Simpson secured the rebound and instantly relayed it down the court to Davis in transition who dribbled it in for an easy basket.
• Defensively, Simpson has to learn to guard without fouling. The referees weren’t even calling it today, but Matt Painter will have to teach him to play defense with his feet, not his hands. In particular, he was called for a shooting foul at the end of the 1st quarter that resulted in two extra free throws for Montverde.
• He is comfortable handling the ball, although he had his pocket picked in the paint when trying to post up his man. He has to watch out for help defense, but more than that, he probably just needs to learn to be stronger with the ball at all times.
• Simpson’s conditioning has really improved from where it was last season and the year before.
• Big Jay had a really good move around the basket where he avoided a block, took an extra dribble, and laid in a reverse layup. That will be much appreciated next season for Purdue.
• Except for two outstanding outlet passes, this game didn’t show off Simpson’s great passing skills. For a 6-9, well-built forward, he is adept at finding the open man. He didn’t do that (or have a chance to do that) this game.

Miscellaneous:

• Hanner Perea has NBA athleticism. There’s no doubt he’ll be playing in the league even if he’s only drafted on pure potential. Right now, he’s more of an athlete than skilled basketball player, but he made Montverde pay by not putting a body on him under the basket. If he gets a little space, he can explode for an easy dunk. Indiana fans will love to have him because he doesn’t just dunk, he emphatically dunks and will no doubt be a crowd pleaser in Assembly Hall for Tom Crean.
• Bobo Drummond is a blur with the ball but makes some questionable decisions at times. Some of the shots he took really make you scratch your head and that’s an understatement. He does show glimpses of excellent passing, but he also must improve his decision-making dramatically.
• Obij Aget is a 7 footer that will play for Steve Alford at New Mexico. He actually has an okay face up jumper. His frame is slight for his height, but he has the physical tools to be a great player for the Lobos. He might be getting more love from the scouting services if the 2012 class wasn’t stocked with so many talented big men.
• LaLumiere was bothered by Montverde’s ball pressure, full court press, and frequent half court trapping. Montverde led the entire game. Montverde forced a lot of turnovers and created transition points with their suffocating defense.
• The officiating was very loose in this game. The whistle wasn’t blown often and there was a lot of contact all over the floor. I’m not sure whether this officiating benefited one team more than the other, but it was frustrating to watch so many no calls which contributed to the sloppy play.
• Players got their first taste of a shot clock. The ESPN National High School Invitational used a 35 second shot clock. This also contributed to the frantic pace of the game. *Note: Montverde played with a shot clock for at least part of their season. This was obvious as they looked a lot more comfortable setting up their halfcourt offense.
• Lack of outside shooting: LaLumiere didn’t make a three pointer until three minutes left in the game.

• Purdue’s basketball recruits got some love from the media and coaches when Indiana All-State teams were announced. Class of 2012 point guard signee Ronnie Johnson was named 1st Team All State. Class of 2013 verbal commit Bryson Scott was named 2nd Team All-state. Scott, a point guard, was the only junior named on the 1st, 2nd, or 3rd All State teams. Full 1st team All-State: Yogi Ferrell, Gary Harris, Ronnie Johnson, Kellen Dunham, and Jeremy Hollowell. Full 2nd team: R.J. Hunter, Glenn Robinson III, Ron Patterson, Bryson Scott, and Trey Lyles. Note: Purdue signees Rapheal Davis and Jay Simpson were not eligible because their school is not a member of the Indiana High School Athletic Association. 
• Speaking of Davis and Simpson, they will be featured on ESPNU on Thursday at 2 p.m. (EST) when LaLumiere takes on Montverde (FL) in the ESPN Rise Invitational. If you’ll be working at that time, do what I did and set your DVR accordingly!
• Danny Etling, a QB from Terre Haute, Indiana, continues to get courted by Danny Hope and staff. Etling has a Purdue connection: he is the cousin of graduating linebacker Joe Holland. Etling impressed at the Elite 11 regional camp in Dallas, Texas. He is high on Purdue given his Boilermaker connection, but he plans to wait to decide (see the first hyperlink in this paragraph). It is likely that Purdue will only take one quarterback in this class given that they loaded up with multiple quarterbacks in the previous class. Etling is a pocket quarterback with very good mechanics, good size, and good arm strength. His highlight footage is linked below:

• Purdue had two notable football recruiting visitors at Wednesday’s practice: Antonio Allen and John Kenny. Kenny is a linebacker from Carmel. Each player earned an offer from Purdue during their visit Wednesday to West Lafayette. Kenny also has offers from Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, and Boise State among others. Both Allen and Kenny are 2013 players. Allen is a hard-hitting safety from Ben Davis. Allen has offers from Iowa, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Illinois, and Indiana. Below are Antonio Allen’s highlights.

• Chase Dutra, a wide receiver/safety prospect from Brownsburg, Indiana, also visited Purdue’s practice on Wednesday. He currently has an offer from Western Michigan. He has also visited Indiana.
• Finally, Goldandblack.com summarized Purdue’s Wednesday’s practice. The topics include running back depth, the upcoming annual “Steak and Beans” scrimmage on Friday, and linebacker depth.

After news that Shaka Smart turned down the Illinois job offer, the Illini faithful got a bit worried. And to add to their anxiety, there were subsequent reports that Alabama’s Anthony Grant and Florida State’s Leonard Hamilton were not interested in the head coaching position at Illinois.

With news on Friday afternoon, though, the Illini must be giddy with the thought that they could be the program to finally poach Butler’s Brad Stevens. Stevens was a hot commodity after not one, but two NCAA runner-up performances in back-to-back years (2010 and 2011). Despite the money thrown at him by programs with major funds, like Oregon, Stevens stayed the course at Butler.

Now that could all change. On Friday afternoon, it was reported by Illinois Loyalty that Stevens has been offered a $20 million contract over 8 years. And to add fuel to the fire, Adam Hoge of CBS Sports Chicago tweeted on Friday at 3:21 pm that a private plane from Indianapolis was en route to Champaign, Illinois:

Of course there is a small private plane flying from Indianapolis to Champaign just minutes after these Brad Stevens rumors blow up.

March 23, 2012 2:21 pm via TweetDeckReplyRetweetFavorite

@AdamHogeCBS

Adam Hoge

So if Stevens makes the jump from Butler, what will that mean for the rest of the Big Ten? In short, watch out. Stevens achieved two Final Fours in consecutive years at a mid-major school from the Horizon League. Stevens’ teams only had two legit NBA players (Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack). If Stevens can make that kind of a run at Butler with only two NBA players on a roster, imagine what he can do at a school with resources like Illinois.

Of course, there’s no guarantee Stevens will achieve the same success at Illinois. In a high pressure Big Ten basketball conference, he will not be able to cruise through the conference schedule like he did at Butler.

That said, if Butler lands at Illinois, you can be certain that the rest of the Big Ten will take notice of the baby faced 35 year old coach with more Final Four appearances than all Big Ten coaches other than Tom Izzo.