With yet another season ending injury to Robbie Hummel, the Purdue Boilermakers are going to need a lot from 6’4″, 184 lb swingman E’Twaun Moore. A valuable three from East Chicago, IN, Moore matters now more than ever, as Purdue looks to fill the all the production vacated by Hummel’s absence.
They had Final Four expectations in West Lafayette before Robbie went down, but the outlook is still pretty positive this season. Purdue ranks 6th in the Fox Sports poll, 8th in the Coaches and 14th in the AP. They are expected to be a factor in a loaded Big Ten, and if you believe in the Ewing Theory, a major national player as well.
“It makes playing more interesting, more fun,” Moore said about all the talent in the Big Ten.
“From a mental standpoint it makes you tougher cuz you know every night people will be coming at your head,” he continued.
I asked Moore if the Hummell injury changes how he feels opponents view the team. Are they the underdogs, or the favorite with a target on their back?
“I think more of an underdog. People now think hey we can beat them so that will make us more hungry,” Moore responded.
Last season, Moore ranked fifth in the league in scoring (17.2), sixth in steals (1.4), 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.2), 11th in assists (3.1) and 15th in both field goal percentage (47.2) and three-point field goal percentage (38.4) in conference play. He also took home the Paradise Jam Tournament MVP award last season.
Moore talked about what he must do to take his game to the next level. “Getting more explosive as I go to the rim, getting physically stronger.”
I then followed up by asking if there’s a player in the NBA he models his game on, or looks up to.
“I haven’t given it much thought but now that you say that i might have to maybe look and see. It might help,” he said.
E’Twaun led the Boilers in scoring in each of his three seasons on campus, the first member of the Boilermakers to do so since Troy Lewis in ’86-’88.
Paul M. Banks is CEO of The Sports Bank.net , a Midwest webzine. He’s also a regular contributor to the Tribune’s Chicago Now network, Walter Football.com, Yardbarker Network, and Fox Sports.com
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