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Former Colorado State guard joins Purdue program

Jon Octeus

Colorado State’s Jon Octeus reacts to a call during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against UNLV on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2014, in Las Vegas. UNLV defeated Colorado State 78-70. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

AP

Entering the 2014-15 season the Purdue Boilermakers were expected to have just one upperclassman in its perimeter rotation, junior Rapheal Davis. However that officially changed Thursday, as head coach Matt Painter added another player with Division I experience in the form of Colorado State graduate transfer Jon Octeus.

News of Octeus joining the Purdue program was first reported by Jon Rothstein of CBSSports.com, with Purdue announcing the news via press release Thursday morning.

“We are excited to have Jon join our program. He is an athletic, hard-working, versatile guard that can play and guard three positions,” Painter said in the release. “He averaged almost 14 points a game in a very good conference and has a knack of getting to the basket and drawing fouls.”

After averaging 13.4 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game at Colorado State last season, Octeus originally committed to joining the UCLA program. However he was not admitted into graduate school, meaning that Octeus would not be able to join Steve Alford’s program.

Adding Octeus is a big deal for a Purdue team that lost its top two perimeter scoring options at the end of last season. Terone Johnson (12.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.4 apg) graduated and younger brother Ronnie (10.8, 2.8, 3.7) transferred to Houston, leaving sophomore Kendall Stephens (8.0 ppg) as the team’s most productive perimeter returnee.

Center A.J. Hammons is Purdue’s leading returning scorer, as he accounted for 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per contest in 2013-14. Octeus’ addition gives Purdue a boost on both ends of the floor, with regards to both talent and experience.

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