Purdue's Guards Switch Places

Lance Jones leans back comfortably against the cement block wall tucked back towards the players locker rooms in Jersey Mike's Arena a few minutes after Purdue's grueling 68-60 win over Rutgers. He's still in his jersey. The last one to come back to the locker room. He's still got sweat sliding down the side of his face, but it doesn't take long for him to start smiling.

Lance Jones was 1 of 10 from the floor against Rutgers. It's a mark that's fitting for a Purdue player to shoot at Rutgers where Purdue has struggled consistently, including in three straight losses.

But ass he states after being asked about this place, he doesn't know about the Purdue heart break that's stained the hardwood here. He wasn't around.

Lance Jones just played his ass off and had one of his best games of the season, taking the role of distributor from his counterpart in the back court, mixing in some rebounding that was Zach Edeyesque, and throwing in a whole lot of steals - a trademark of Lance Jones and exactly what he was meant to bring this team.

All in all, Lance Jones needed his fifth steal of the game to get his only bucket. He scored just 4 points in the game coming off 24 points against Michigan. But everywhere else, Lance Jones was spectacular. He grabbed 10 boards on a night where Purdue was out rebounded for the first time this season. He dished 8 assists on a night that Purdue shot just 5 of 19 from three.

He had 5 steals, on a night where Purdue won by just 8 points, and needed every stop.

It was his fifth steal that led to his only easy bucket of the game, a lay up, and it came at a time when his team needed a stop.

It wasn't an easy win for Purdue, despite going into the half with a double-digit lead. Rutgers rushed back, and for a second it looked like Purdue might fall to the storm of the Scarlet Knights again in an Arena where cursed endings seem to live for the Boilers.

But this team did what it's done all season, according to Lance Jones.

"What we've done so far this year is stick together," Jones said about what made a difference in this game.

And just like that, the serious answers gave way to a good time. As Lance Jones entertained us, Matt Painter made his way past through the hallway. He had some comments for his transfer guard.

"10 rebounds," Matt Painter said walking by. "You got 10 rebounds in November."

Then a pause as Painter kept walking, his voice trailing off with his steps, "That's cool. I like that s**t."

It's normally Braden Smith threatening triple-doubles, but after this game, it was Jones that had double-digits in rebounds with 8 assists.

"I told him after the game we kinda switched roles," Lance Jones said after the game. "He was knocking down the shots, and I was distributing and rebounding down."

It was Purdue's version of a Freaky Friday movie with Smith taking over the aggressive scorer role from the back court. On a night where Purdue was just 5 of 19 from three, Smith knocked down 3 of them and had 19 points on just 10 field goal attempts.

Smith still managed to snag 6 rebounds, but had just 2 assists. Instead, Lance Jo had a season-high eight assists and did a great job finding Smith and Edey.

After the game, the make up of the back court showed itself again.

"Just the W," Smith said about whether he cared about any of his state. " Usually I like to distribute a little bit more and get the assists, but tonight the ball was going in."

Smith and Jones will be tested like this as the season winds down and tournament play starts. Purdue's ability to have two guards capable of playing both roles should go a long way towards ending its struggles in March.

And Jones doesn't have illusions about who is most likely to get to a triple-double this season.

"I think he's going to get it before me," Jones said with a laugh after the game.

But for now the vocal Jones will get to celebrate his turn to stuff the stat sheet. His only mystery will be which one to celebrate the most.

"Steals, steals, steals," Jones says at first but then starts to question. "Five steals? Maybe the assists. Maybe the rebounds, too."

When you play a complete game like Jones, you get to celebrate it all.

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