It wasn't the best of weeks for the Purdue men's basketball teams, as the Boilermakers (11-11, 4-5 Big Ten) dropped a pair of conference games against Indiana and at Northwestern. However, a positive from the week was the continued development of A.J. Hammons.
The freshman center was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week after averaging 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game in the two defeats.
It is the first time that Hammons has received the honor and the first for a Purdue player since the award was instituted prior to the 2011-12 season.
The Gary native opened the week with a season-high 30 points on 10-of-14 (.714) shooting from the floor against third-ranked Indiana. He also added five rebounds and a game-high five blocks on the night.
Hammons followed up his performance against the Hoosiers with his second double-double of the season on Saturday at Northwestern, finishing with 19 points and a season-high 13 rebounds.
A season-high seven of Hammons’ 13 boards at NU came on the offensive glass to lead a Purdue effort that grabbed 24 offensive rebounds on the afternoon. He also matched his season high with three assists and blocked a shot against Northwestern.
The Boilermakers will travel to Penn State on Tuesday at 7 p.m. (Big Ten Network).
