Last week, when I posted about the Purdue backcourt, I was basically taking the front court court for granted, but concerns about replacing Hammons got me thinking that the front court merits its own discussion. I'm a huge fan of AJ and thought that he was one of the most impactful 2-way players in the country, so replacing him is definitely a concern. The concern that was expressed on the backcourt thread is that the offense might get a little better as players make minor improvements, but that the defense would get much worse with the loss of its rim protector (not to mention two solid defenders in Davis and Hill).
While I am concerned about losing Hammons, I am more comfortable with the composition of the team this season and that starts with the front line. Last season, I thought that the late addition of Swanigan was kind of a mixed blessing. Painter had to play Swanigan a lot, but Swanigan wasn't completely ready for the role that he was thrust into. His offensive efficiency was low and his turnovers were high as he struggled to co-exist with another big man and a crowded lane and Purdue struggled at times with spacing in the 3-2 motion offense. On defense, he was forced to guard quicker, more experienced fours, a role that he struggled with at time as we wasn't adept at guarding in space. I think that this season will be different. I think that Swanigan will put it all together and emerge as an all conference player, thriving in a somewhat different role. The biggest change is that I think that he will split his time between the 4 position and the 5 in a more open offense. Assuming that Haas plays 25 mpg and Swanigan plays 30 mpg, I expect that they would only play together 15 minutes, with one or the other manning the 5 in a 4-1 offense for the other 25 minutes. I think that both bigs will thrive with better spacing in the 4-1, and going small at the 4 will help with defensive match-ups, as well. Spacing will be key. Late in the NCAA tournament game last season, Little Rock basically stopped guarding Davis and Hill on the perimeter and dared them to shoot. That will be much harder to do this season with the shooters that Purdue has.
As I mentioned, I expect a huge improvement from Swanigan this season. He wasted a lot of possessions last season, but that is typical for freshman big men and he is too talented and hard working not to expect it to be cleaned up. From what I saw from Spain, I think that he has lost weight and I think that any improvement in quickness will help him greatly.
As far as Haas, I am excited to see what he can do as the starter. He is almost unguardable one on one when he gets good position because of his massive size and surprising skill level. Like Swanigan, I think that he has lost weight and should have improved mobility. Foul trouble is a concern, but his per minute foul stats weren't awful last season. He can't be what Hammons was last season, defensively, but I think that he does some things better than Hammons did and I think that he'll be ok. He will stay with his man more and stay more sound instead of playing on instinct as Hammons seemed to do. One think AJ rarely did, for example, is box out. Haas will keep his man off of the offensive boards. Overall, I don't expect a huge drop-off from Hammons to Haas and it is possible that there won't be a drop-off at all.
I also think that Vince Edwards will have a big season, splitting his time between the 3 and 4 positions. He started to emerge late last season and his confidence seems to be growing. He's become a very good shooter, but he's made strides in other areas, as well. I think that his unselfishness and decision-making is key for Purdue.
I think that Smotherman and Taylor will be fighting for minutes this season, but both have the potential to establish themselves as part of the late-season rotation. Smotherman is a great athlete with the ability to provide a spark and Taylor brings a nice combination of length, athleticism, and shooting ability.
In case it isn't obvious, I think Purdue's front line will be excellent and very effective.
While I am concerned about losing Hammons, I am more comfortable with the composition of the team this season and that starts with the front line. Last season, I thought that the late addition of Swanigan was kind of a mixed blessing. Painter had to play Swanigan a lot, but Swanigan wasn't completely ready for the role that he was thrust into. His offensive efficiency was low and his turnovers were high as he struggled to co-exist with another big man and a crowded lane and Purdue struggled at times with spacing in the 3-2 motion offense. On defense, he was forced to guard quicker, more experienced fours, a role that he struggled with at time as we wasn't adept at guarding in space. I think that this season will be different. I think that Swanigan will put it all together and emerge as an all conference player, thriving in a somewhat different role. The biggest change is that I think that he will split his time between the 4 position and the 5 in a more open offense. Assuming that Haas plays 25 mpg and Swanigan plays 30 mpg, I expect that they would only play together 15 minutes, with one or the other manning the 5 in a 4-1 offense for the other 25 minutes. I think that both bigs will thrive with better spacing in the 4-1, and going small at the 4 will help with defensive match-ups, as well. Spacing will be key. Late in the NCAA tournament game last season, Little Rock basically stopped guarding Davis and Hill on the perimeter and dared them to shoot. That will be much harder to do this season with the shooters that Purdue has.
As I mentioned, I expect a huge improvement from Swanigan this season. He wasted a lot of possessions last season, but that is typical for freshman big men and he is too talented and hard working not to expect it to be cleaned up. From what I saw from Spain, I think that he has lost weight and I think that any improvement in quickness will help him greatly.
As far as Haas, I am excited to see what he can do as the starter. He is almost unguardable one on one when he gets good position because of his massive size and surprising skill level. Like Swanigan, I think that he has lost weight and should have improved mobility. Foul trouble is a concern, but his per minute foul stats weren't awful last season. He can't be what Hammons was last season, defensively, but I think that he does some things better than Hammons did and I think that he'll be ok. He will stay with his man more and stay more sound instead of playing on instinct as Hammons seemed to do. One think AJ rarely did, for example, is box out. Haas will keep his man off of the offensive boards. Overall, I don't expect a huge drop-off from Hammons to Haas and it is possible that there won't be a drop-off at all.
I also think that Vince Edwards will have a big season, splitting his time between the 3 and 4 positions. He started to emerge late last season and his confidence seems to be growing. He's become a very good shooter, but he's made strides in other areas, as well. I think that his unselfishness and decision-making is key for Purdue.
I think that Smotherman and Taylor will be fighting for minutes this season, but both have the potential to establish themselves as part of the late-season rotation. Smotherman is a great athlete with the ability to provide a spark and Taylor brings a nice combination of length, athleticism, and shooting ability.
In case it isn't obvious, I think Purdue's front line will be excellent and very effective.
