So Let’s Dream

Yes, we're all constantly refreshing Twitter to see if the magic words "Caleb Swanigan commits to Purdue" come across. Even then, I want proof of life in the form of Matt Painter holding up a signed LOI. We're back in the race, however, and according to some writers we may even be in the lead. I have had two different people reach out to me anonymously. One said he is a lock to come, the other said he is a lock to Cal. Obviously, both can't be right.

But let's say he does sign. What does our starting lineup look like?

Starting Five:

PG - Rapheal Davis - Sr.

SG - Kendall Stephens - Jr.

SF - Vince Edwards - So.

PF - Caleb Swanigan - Fr.

C - A.J. Hammons - Sr.

Holy. Crap.

I mean, wow. That is a lineup. The frontcourt of Edwards-Swanigan-Hammons could all legitimately be in the NBA one day. Even then, Edwards is the weakest link and he is far from weak. One of the things I always wanted to see was Robbie Hummel just destroying the opposition at the three. Well, Edwards has had some flashes of being the next Hummel and we could actually play him there! Swanigan is a true four, one of the first we have had in awhile, and the inside-out game of Edwards can create all kind of offensive mismatches, especially if he hits threes at a better rate (and he was decent last year).

The odd part is Davis at the point, which is possible. If you think of the Purdue offense, it really does not need a traditional point guard. That is why traditional points haven't done too well here. It needs someone to bring the ball up and get the motion offense moving. Once we have the ball in the half-court the offense is designed so anyone can make the entry pass, drive, or shoot. Therefore, why couldn't Ray D. be that guy? We need him on the floor for his defensive abilities and he is very similar to Keaton Grant. His improved three-point shooting also meshes well with Stephens and Edwards.

Primary backups

PG - P.J. Thompson - Fr.

SG - Dakota Mathias - So.

SF - Basil Smotherman - Jr.

PF - Jacquil Taylor - Fr. (RS)

C - Isaac Haas - So.

This isn't a bad lineup even if they have to play by themselves. Haas and Hammons have been relatively interchangeable in their one season together. Thompson has a lot of promise at the point and has a lot expected of him. Smotherman can be a pretty good player at the three and Mathias gives them some shooting.

Now, for some fun lineups:

Welcome to your defensive nightmare:

PG - Grant Weatherford - Fr.

SG - Ryan Cline - Fr.

SF - Davis

PF - Swanigan

C - Hammons

Good luck, other teams trying to score. This is two Defensive Player of the Year candidates, a Kramer disciple (Weatherford), and an NBA caliber power forward. Cline is pretty good on defense too. When I saw him in the sectional this year yes, he had a 30 point came, but he made the play of the game by forcing a critical 5-second call in the closing minute.

Mad Bombers

PG - Cline

SG - Mathias

SF - Stephens

PF - Edwards

C - Hammons

All five of these guys can shoot, as even Hammons has shown some range in the past.

Press-time five

PG - Thompson

SG - Stephens

SF - Davis

PF - Smotherman

C - Taylor

It may not be 40 minutes of hell, but why not put five athletic guys on the floor for a helter-skelter full-court press that can cause tons of havoc?

EmB1Ggened

PG - Thompson

SG - Swanigan

SF - Taylor

PF - Hammons

C - Haas

It will never happen, but basically we can blot out the sun with the height in this lineup.

So, as you can see, Swanigan opens up a world of possibilities. The nice thing is that with Taylor also as a true four, plus Haas backing up Hammons, we have four post players, two at each position. Smotherman and Edwards can use their athleticism at the three and won't be out of position against bigger fours. We can now create some really, really fun mismatches on offense. We can also get even nastier on defense.

Purdue basketball could be really, really fun!