One Specific Area Where Purdue's C.J. Cox is Thriving This Season
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Matt Painter likes to tell his players, "We can't rebound your turnover," putting a heavy emphasis on taking care of the basketball. It's a message that sophomore guard C.J. Cox has taken to heart. He hasn't necessarily spoken about it, but he has demonstrated his understanding of that mindset through his play.
Cox, a starter for the Boilermakers who averages 24.1 minutes per game this season, has gone 12 straight games without a turnover after putting another zero in that column Tuesday night against UCLA. The last time he was responsible for a turnover was on Nov. 28 against Eastern Illinois, a 109-62 win for the Boilermakers.
In those 12 games, Cox has played a total of 288 minutes without a turnover. That's an incredible stat for someone who is on the floor as frequently as the sophomore guard. Not only does it demonstrate his ability to protect the basketball, it's also proof that he is confident in his ability to shoot the ball quickly.
Cox's success with the ball in his hands doesn't end there, either. He has just five total turnovers for the season through Purdue's first 19 games. It is the lowest average on the team among players averaging more than 20 minutes per contest.
As a team, Purdue has done a great job of eliminating turnovers this season. The Boilermakers are averaging just 9.6 turnovers per game. Painter likes his team's turnover number to be under 12 per game.
Cox is enjoying a great sophomore campaign in West Lafayette. He's averaging 8.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 45.3% from the floor and 38.2% from three-point range.
The sophomore has helped Purdue in a variety of ways this season, and controlling the basketball has helped the Boilers get off to a 17-2 start.
Braden Smith talks about C.J. Cox's importance
Not long ago, Purdue point guard Braden Smith lauded Cox for what he's done on the floor this season. Yes, he made an impact as a starter for the Boilermakers during his freshman campaign, but he's continued to improve during his sophomore season.
Smith spoke highly about all the things the sophomore does well, especially on the defensive end.
"He can have games where he is our leading scorer, and he showed that in the Bahamas," Smith said on the Running Point with Braden Smith podcast. "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."
Cox isn't the primary point of the offense, but his ability to defend, protect the basketball and hit open shots makes him such an integral piece for the Boilers this season.
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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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