Johnson's 25 and 11 Lead Purdue to 3-0 Record; Heels Drop Second Straight

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, November 21, 2010

It would be a mistake to ignore the Purdue Boilermakers, even though they've lost their star forward, Robbie Hummel for the season. Hummel tore his right ACL back in October and is done for the season. It was the second time in eight months that Hummel's suffered the same injury, but the Boilermakers are committed to moving on without him.

Picking up much of the slack is JaJuan Johnson, a big-time player in his own right. Johnson, a 6'10" senior who is likely to be a first round pick in next year's NBA draft, is a force in the pivot. In Sunday's 82-67 Boilermaker win over Oakland, Johnson scored 25 points to go with 11 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

E'Twaun Moore led all scorers with 26 points, as Purdue improved to 3-0. Purdue is currently ranked in the Top 15 in all polls.

Notable: Those who thought the North Carolina would be back in their usual Top 10 form this season might want to rethink that notion after the Tar Heels suffered their second straight loss, as Vanderbilt dumped them, 72-65, in one of the consolation games at the Puerto Rico Tip Off Sunday. Minnesota, who won the tourney with a 74-70 win over West Virginia, bested Carolina on Friday, 72-67.

The problems for the Tar Heels are very much the same as last season's, in the back court. There's plenty of talent, but nobody seems to be able to handle or distribute the rock. In the loss to Vanderbilt, they only had eight assists, while committing 22 turnovers.

Xavier's Tu Holloway scored a career-high 31 points, leading the Musketeers to a 57-52 victory over Seton Hall in the Paradise Jam tournament Sunday. Xavier will face Old Dominion, 61-60 winners over Clemson, in the tournament championship Monday night.

Johnson's 23 and 15 for Purdue Friday's Top Performance

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 19, 2010

When the Purdue Boilermakers took the court against Sienna in their opening round game Friday night, they were well aware of two things: Sienna was a dangerous team that had produced upsets in each of their last three NCAA appearances, and that Purdue would have to find a way to win without Robbie Hummel, one of their best players.

Pudue found resolve in their defense and lane domination from senior center JaJuan Johnson, who posted 23 points and tied his career high with 15 rebounds in the 72-64 triumph. Johnson kept the Saints out of the paint with his imposing 6'10" frame and long wingspan, blocking 3 shots officially, but intimidating and changing quite a few forays toward the rim.

Johnson and his Boilermaker teammates will attempt to advance to the regional semi-final when they face the Texas A&M Aggies Sunday afternoon in round two.

Badgers Bury Buckeyes; Purdue Punished Mountaineers

College Hoops Player of the Day for Thursday, December 31, 2009

Don't think twice about the Wisconsin Badgers reaching the top of the Big Ten and doing some serious damage in March - this team can play with anybody, and, usually, beat them.

The Badgers opened Big Ten play hosting Ohio State on the last day of 2009, and left the Buckeyes feeling like they'd rather leave memories of that year behind them. Wisconsin, playing tenacious defense and turning take-aways into points, built and early lead and pulled away late for the lopsided 65-43 win. By holding Ohio State to their worst shooting performance of the season, 14-of-43 (33%), Wisconsin established themselves as one of the top defensive teams in the conference, maybe the country.

Trevon Hughes led the scoring with 16 points, hitting 5 of 10 shots overall, but making 3 of 5 from 3-point range. The Badgers shot 10-for-21 from beyond the arc. Hughes, a 6-foot senior guard, also snatched 7 rebounds, a category in which the Badgers beat the Buckeyes, 34-25.

Wisconsin improved to 11-2, their losses coming on the road at Gonzaga and an 88-84 overtime loss at Wisconsin-Green Bay. However, the Badgers can look to quality wins over Arizona, Duke, Marquette, and now, Ohio State, for positive reinforcement that they are one of the best in the nation.

Ranked #23 coming into the Ohio State game, the Badgers are likely to move up in the polls, though they face a tough stretch with four tough games just ahead: at Penn St. January 3, at Michigan St. Jan. 6, Purdue Jan. 9, at Northwestern Jan 13.

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College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, January 1, 2010

...And then there were five.

The Purdue Boilermakers knocked West Virginia out of the ranks of the undefeated, opening the new year with a 77-62 thumping of the Mountaineers, leaving the 13-0 Boilermakers - along with Kansas, Texas, Kentucky and Syracuse - as the only unbeaten teams in Division 1.

Led by 6'10" center JaJuan Johnson's 25 points and 10 rebounds, the Boilermakers expanded a 5-point half time lead to as many as 26 in the second frame, turning a Top 10 showdown into a one-sided blowout. Johnson's season-high point tally came on 8-for-14 shooting, mostly on dunks and shots from inside the paint, and a 9-for-11 performance on the free throw line.

Purdue is tied with four other teams at 1-0 in the Big Ten after having beaten Iowa, 67-56, on Tuesday, to open conference play. They were ranked #4 coming in, with West Virginia #6. The Mountaineers will surely drop a few spots in the polls, but Purdue should stay put behind Kansas, Texas and Kentucky.