Isaiah Thompson is playing more minutes, making more shots and making more of a defensive impact today for Purdue than he was a few weeks back.
Meanwhile, the Boilermakers' only active true freshman is progressing, Coach Matt Painter said, in those areas that aren't nearly as apparent but nonetheless important for young players.
"His attention to detail is better and he's playing a little harder than he was," Painter said. "We're just trying to get him to be more demanding of himself, and that's hard when you're not used to going up to pressure the basketball all the time, and that's not the only thing you're doing, either.
"You have to pressure the ball defensively, but also push the basketball offensively, make good decisions and know a scouting report from a defensive standpoint. We're just trying to get him to hold himself accountable, pay attention to detail and I think he's made strides there, but he still has a ways to go."
For Thompson, the path to his coach's trust may be paved by preparation, an area he says he's firmly grasped the importance of early in his college career, especially at the defensive end.
Film, most notably.
"I never watched film in high school," Thompson said. "Going up and watching film with the coaches and seeing what you did right and what you didn't do right, that goes a long way in college."
Thompson came to Purdue with a gaudy offensive reputation from his days at Zionsville High School, a three-point acumen that largely defined him as a player, but also speed and quickness that stand as one of a kind on the Boilermakers' current roster.
Scoring has been his thing thus far in his career.
But as Thompson well knew walking in the door, defense is the fastest path to Painter's heart, especially for point guards. Thompson hasn't had to look beyond his own family for reminders of that, since his older brother stood in his same shoes not all that long ago.
The thing with Isaiah Thompson, though, was this, as it relates to preparation: He played exclusively zone in high school.
Now, the exact opposite.
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Thompson said he welcomed Purdue's defensive M.O., that it pressures opposing ball-handlers full-court, always has under Painter.
That doesn't mean it was easy.
"I wasn't used to picking up 94 feet and playing so hard all the time," Thompson said, "and the coaches pushing me."
The rookie guard's defensive presence has shown up more and more lately, probably the most this past weekend vs. Central Michigan. And it's mattered perhaps a little more now that Purdue is using one of the best perimeter defenders in college basketball, Nojel Eastern, increasingly off the ball, as Eric Hunter and Thompson have held up mostly well on it.
In his role pressuring the ball, Thompson's basically the opposite of Eastern, who consumes smaller players with his strength and dimensions.
Thompson isn't particularly big, and he'll get stronger as time goes by, but he is quick.
"You've definitely got to use your quickness because being small I definitely have to be able to use my quickness and just try to get under people and try to turn them as much as I can, and try to speed them up."
Purdue's defensive mentality at point guard has always been to create discomfort.
In so doing, Thompson has settled in.
"The more you play, the more comfortable you get, and I feel like that's kind of how the season's gone for me," Thompson said. "When I'm playing more, I feel like I'm a lot more comfortable, and more aggressive and not passive. I'm just trying to be consistent and staying positive."
Painter talks all the time about success at one end of the floor — or lack thereof — affecting the other.
For Thompson, the progress he's made defensively came after his confidence admittedly wavered early in the season, especially offensively.
Confidence, Thompson says, is the area where he's improved most from the start of the season to the resumption of Big Ten play this week.
"I remember a couple of weeks ago, I kind of lost confidence in myself from an offensive standpoint, but I was able to pick it up just getting in the gym just talking to a couple people," Thompson said. "Confidence is really key in college, whether that's on the quarter or off the court, you've got to stay positive. And that's what I've tried to do."
Earlier this season, teammates spoke of having to urge Thompson to shoot.
The last three games, he's made six threes on 14 tries. He's shooting 34 percent for the season.
Thompson said confidence has brought aggressiveness
"You have to pick your spots and try to make the right play," he said.
But ...
"I've been aggressive all my life. Why stop now?"
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