NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Indiana of last decade
By Joey Loose
10. A. J. Hammons – Purdue
A state full of basketball talent did manage to keep many of the guys on this list, starting with this 7’0 center from Gary. Hammons was a top 100 recruit in the 2012 class and committed to Matt Painter and Purdue. Hammons would spend all four years of his collegiate career as an interior force for the Boilermakers.
Hammons was a double-digit scorer throughout his career while also putting up some impressive rebounding numbers. As a freshman, he had a 30-point performance against Indiana, one of many memorable outings throughout a career full of double-doubles and key moments. He averaged 15.0 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a senior, helping lead the Boilermakers to a second straight NCAA Tournament.
He twice led the conference in blocks, was a three-time member of the Big Ten All-Defense team, and was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year during his senior season. He made a remarkable impact on both sides of the ball, leading the conference in field goal percentage as a senior, while also being named to the conference’s First Team. Hammons wasn’t drafted and only briefly played in the NBA, continuing his life beyond basketball.