Hummel eager to report for practice

Almost eight months since his season-ending right knee injury, Robbie Hummel can't wait to get back on the court today for the Purdue basketball team's first official practice for 2010-11.

Hummel's senior class is 81-25, including five NCAA tournament game victories, a Big Ten tournament title and a conference regular-season tri-championship. He is poised to prove he has come all the way back from anterior cruciate ligament surgery.

The Boilermakers are scheduled to practice from 5 to 7 p.m. The practice is closed to the public.

"I'm definitely very eager to start," Hummel said Thursday afternoon.It feels great to be back on the court again with the guys. I'm excited, and I know the other guys are, too. We're just looking to get out here on the court and improve every day."

Hummel, a preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award given to the national player of the year, is pleased to report that he has shot the ball well during individual workouts.

His dribbling and passing need work, he says.

"I've felt really good in the workouts, especially shooting the ball," Hummel said.It's my ballhandling that leaves me really fast. It comes back really fast, too, so I've been working on that. I do feel pretty good."

Purdue will begin practice with three freshmen guards Terone Johnson and Anthony Johnson and center Travis Carroll.

Redshirt freshman center Sandi Marcius will be limited in early practices by an ankle injury, although he was dressed for Wednesday's individual workouts.

"I'm eager to see how the young guys come in and how they play, especially in the more competitive drills," said Hummel, who averaged 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds last season.

"Other than that, we're a pretty set team with roles that are pretty much defined. Hopefully, we can get some guards crashing the boards."

Junior guard Ryne Smith the son of a high school basketball coach said there's something special about the first official practice.

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"It's a little different now," Smith said,It's even more exciting to know what we all can do and accomplish together on down the road. I'm definitely excited. I'm not nervous at all. I'm more pumped than anything."

Smith said patience is important during early season practices.

"Every year I've started practice high school or college those practices have been a little ugly, just because everyone is getting used to playing again," Smith said.

"You have to get used to the actual game speed of playing basketball. I'm eager to see what we are able to accomplish in practice and what we are going to be like in the first game."

Reserve shooting guard Smith said Purdue's experience should help it cope with lofty expectations.

With Hummel, E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson, the Boilermakers will be a top-five team in almost every preseason poll.

"We talked last year about how you have to play well with a target on your," Smith said.

"We're all used to that. Hopefully, we can overcome teams putting the target on us."