Braden Smith Raves About Critical Role CJ Cox Plays in Purdue's Success
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CJ Cox may not get the same attention as others on Purdue's roster this season, but Braden Smith says the sophomore guard deserves a lot more credit than he receives. When it comes to winning basketball games this year, Cox has played an instrumental role.
Yes, Cox has proven to be a capable shooter early in his career at Purdue, but where he's making the biggest impact is on the defensive end. In his Running Point with Braden Smith podcast, Smith spoke about the important role the sophomore plays and how he continues to help the Boilermakers win.
"He can have games where he is our leading scorer, and he showed that in the Bahamas," Smith said. "He's one of those guys who doesn't get a lot of praise, but he's probably also one of those guys who does the most for us.
"Think about it, he guards the best offensive guy on the other team every single night. And then he's asked to make shots consistently off the ball, and he doesn't get plays called for him. For a lot of people, that's kind of hard. But for him, I think he's just accepted that role and has done an unbelievable job."
In the Baha Mar Championship, Cox scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting in an 80-71 win over Memphis. He has scored in double figures in seven of Purdue's 17 games this year.
On the season, Cox is averaging 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. He's shooting at a 47.2% clip, as well. While all of that stuff is important, Smith said Cox's willingness to play his role is the most important quality he brings to the court.
"He can catch-and-shoot, knock down a shot. He can go create off a zone, off the ball screen, or one-on-one. Then, he guards the best player," he said. "It's nice having a guy like that, he understands his role and understands what he has to do for us to be successful."
Maturity has helped CJ Cox
As a freshman, Cox jumped right into the mix and began to make an impact in his first season at Purdue. Still, he had to go through a learning curve. Smith says now that Cox has a full year under his belt, he's been more consistent.
"I think the maturity of him has been night and day," Smith said. "Obviously, freshman year, you're trying to learn, trying to figure stuff out, but now that he has that under his belt, he's been who he is this year."
Cox had some bright moments during his freshman season. He made a splash in Purdue's win over Alabama at Mackey Arena last season, and also had a big afternoon in the team's win over McNeese in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The difference, though, is that Cox has played with more consistency this year. As a result, Purdue sits at 16-1 on the season and 6-0 in the Big Ten.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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