Transfer players to have strong impact

By Keith Thomas
Summer Editor

There’s a different kind of summer school going on in Mackey Arena every Tuesday and Thursday night.

Some of the classes offered consist of trash-talking 101 and slam-dunk 500, but none of these showboat seminars are more important for a trio of transfers as applied team integration and unity 123.

Joe Marshall, Travis Best and Willie Deane are realizing the importance of these nighttime pick-up games that are occurring over the summer.

"We’re building team unity because we’re a young team," said Deane, a transfer from Boston College. "We have one leader, Carson Cunningham, and we’re trying to build unity within the squad.

"If you don’t have any togetherness, then you’re five fingers instead of a fist."

According to Best, a Frankfort, Ind., native and Indiana high school all-star who transferred to Purdue from Louisville, the summer sessions are working out well for the Boilermakers.

"We have great team camaraderie," said Best. "That’s one of my favorite things about this team and that’s what makes it kind of special. We all really push each other."

Marshall, a transfer from Mississippi State, has also bought into the team unity theory, which has been greatly established over the summer.

"I love my teammates," said Marshall. "They are working hard; there’s good chemistry on this team and we’re looking forward to coming out hard this summer."

The three transfers are, however, extremely happy to just be playing basketball again.

Best, Marshall and Deane all transferred to Purdue from other universities and, per NCAA rules, were required to sit out last season as redshirts. Now that they have done their time, they just want to get the season started and prove they can play in the toughest basketball conference in the nation.

"I’m very itchy to play," said Marshall. "I’m very, very hungry to play."

Hungry is exactly how Best and Deane described the anticipation of playing in a Mackey-filled arena this upcoming season.

"To just practice and have no game type experiences really made me hungry to play," said Best.

The game-type experiences Best is referring to are going to be somewhat different than what coach Gene Keady put on the court just a year ago.

This guard-heavy team is a much shorter version than that of last season’s Boilermaker squad.

"If this was a 6’5" and under league, we’d be the champions," joked Best.

"We’ve got a lot of guards," added an unconcerned Maynard Lewis, who is one of the returning guards. "But, I’m sure coach (Keady) will find a way to make it work."

Work is what the returning Boilers as well as new members of the team have been doing all summer.

"There’s a lot of dedication and hard work here," said Deane, who transferred to Purdue from Boston College. "It really says a lot about this team when they could be just relaxing and enjoying the summer like everybody else."

For those who doubt the Boilers are going to put a good squad on the floor next season, the trio of transfers begs to argue.

"I really think we’re going to have an impact and make some contributions on this team. We’ve already got a bunch of great players on this team plus some really talented freshmen, and then you throw in three unexpected transfers and we may shock some people," said Best.

Lewis, as one of the now-veterans on this Boilermaker squad, said he has been impressed by the athletic ability of the three transfers.

"They’re a big plus to this team," said Lewis, who adds that the three being eligible this upcoming season couldn’t have come at a better time. "We’ve got a shooter in Travis, quickness in Willie and jumping ability in Joe. They’ll be a big plus to the leadership too."

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