Robbie Hummel has kept the bulky back brace he was forced to don most of last season.
Just in case.
"I'd like to light it on fire," the Purdue junior forward half-jokingly says.
Last season was certainly one to forget for the skilled and talented 6-foot-8 Hummel. His Boilermakers took yet another step forward in their development, winning 27 games and advancing to the Sweet 16.
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But they did it with their best player being far less than 100 percent.
Hummel averaged 12.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, which isn't bad for most players. But he was expected to vie for Big Ten Player of the Year honors and wasn't even the most productive player on his own team.
That'll change this season.
Despite the fact that teammate JaJuan Johnson (13.4 ppg, 5.6 rpg) made significant strides last season with Hummel in and out of the lineup, this is Hummel's team.
And if he's healthy, which he is, Hummel is one of the elite players in the country.
There are conflicting opinions on what kind of player he'll be at the next level, but there's no doubt he's a terrific college player.
Hummel is able to score in a variety of ways (he's capable of scoring in the post and shot 45 percent from long range in a healthy freshman campaign), he rebounds, is a leader and is one of the toughest players in a league known for its brawn.
"I couldn't get him off the floor," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "We finally had to tell him he couldn't play. He's a guy who refuses to come off the floor."
Hummel is 100 percent healthy.
I got a chance to see him earlier this month, and he was moving with ease. His shot was falling from beyond the arc, he was playing with reckless abandon and was smiling again.
His coach and teammates weren't even holding their collective breath every time he went to the floor.
"Last year, everyone paused every time he fell in practice," Johnson said.
"You could tell with the way he was playing and the way he was moving that he wasn't right all season," added Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore, who has played alongside Hummel since their AAU days. "He wasn't as aggressive. Now he's way more athletic and is playing better and stronger."
Hummel said the first time he felt as though he was back to his old form was in Colorado Springs this past summer when he was trying out for the United States team in the World University Games.
Hummel said this year's goals are clear: Win the Big Ten and be playing an hour down the road in Indianapolis when the Final Four rolls into town in early April.
The Boilermakers, who return their top six players from last season, are ranked seventh in the country in both preseason polls and have a legitimate shot at reaching the Final Four.
But only if Hummel's back doesn't act up.
"It's really a non-issue," Painter said. "He's been pain free for seven months now."
The core of Purdue's team has been together for the past two seasons: Hummel, Johnson and Moore all came in together, along with Scott Martin, who transferred to Notre Dame after his freshman season.
Senior guards Keaton Grant and Chris Kramer had been in West Lafayette for a year and speedy starting point guard Lewis Jackson came in last season.
The Boilermakers surpassed everyone's expectations — including their own — when the highly touted freshmen made an NCAA appearance and advanced to the second round.
Last year, they won the Big Ten Tournament and went to the Sweet 16 after wins against Northern Iowa and Washington.
This year, Painter has added a couple of pieces, which may be all that is needed for the Boilermakers to get to Indy.
Sophomore Ryne Smith will get on the floor due to his ability to shoot the ball from deep (Hummel says Smith is the team's top long-range option), and 6-foot-9, 260-pound freshman Sandi Marcius should develop into the physical big man that will give Painter depth behind Johnson up front.
"The Final Four and the national championship are our goals," Hummel said.
They aren't all that far away.
