really play alongside one another in a lineup anchored by a pair of 7-footers for Purdue? Can A.J. Hammons and Isaac Haas play alongside one another in a lineup anchored by a pair of 7-footers for Purdue?

"It sure looked like it today," guard Bryson Scott said after the Boilermakers' scrimmage in Mackey Arena.

Indeed, things were very basic on Saturday, but the moments Purdue ran the gigantic lineup out there, it worked.

"I feel like we can play together," Hammons said, "but I'd like to see how it goes against another team instead of (a scrimmage)."

There was one sequence where Haas caught the ball near the baseline, his back to the basket right of the rim. Hammons cut to the basket and Haas twice dumped passes to him for easy dunks.

"We were working on that a little bit before practice yesterday," Hammons said, "because Coach said we'd be running it, but I didn't really expect him to really be looking at me when I was diving. We had some good chemistry but I do want to see how it goes against another team."

Whether they were playing together or against each other, it was a big afternoon for both.

Hammons led all scorers with 22 points in the scrimmage, in which lineups were fluid. His team won all three scrimmage sessions. He also had nine rebounds and three blocked shots, looking spry and explosive off the floor on his numerous two-handed dunks.

He also made two of the three three-pointers he made, a phase of his game Purdue's given him leeway to explore, particularly perhaps when he's at the 4 when Haas is in at center.

"He said as long as they're good shots, smart shots and not really contested, he said I'm allowed to shoot them. I'm glad about that," Hammons said.

"It might surprise some people a little bit. They might not be expecting it. And if people close out hard on me, I can drive it a little bit. I do have a floater game you all haven't seen yet (joking). We're working on that."

Haas, meanwhile, scored 17 points with seven rebounds. A few of his field goals came head-to-head against Hammons down low. Otherwise, he lived at the foul line and made 11-of-13.

"He got great position, kept the ball really high and he hit all his free throws," Hammons said.

Purdue relishes having Hammons and Haas practicing against each other for the competition it's brought to the practice floor.

But it will continue to explore their potential as a tandem.

He will take part in next week's scrimmage - Saturday at 3 p.m. and open to the public - though.

"I thought he was great," Painter said. "He's probably not been through a full practice in a week-and-a-half, two weeks. He's jumped into a couple and gotten hurt right away.

"He's been better in practice," Painter said. "He didn't have a good day today, but he's done some good things. His ability to stretch defenses is going to be a weapon for us."

Stephens was one of several Boilermakers to struggle from deep, as the team made just a combined 5-of-40.

Mathias was 0-for-5 and Rapheal Davis 1-of-7.

Other double-figure scorers for Purdue were P.J. Thompson (12 points) and Scott (11).

Painter and Scott each said that the sophomore is solely being used at the point guard position right now, though Scott said he thinks he might get opportunities to play some away from the ball.