JaJuan Johnson News

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View full size photo>> The marquee matchup everybody wanted will take place tonight in the Paradise Jam Tournament finals, as Purdue and Tennessee square off in the first top ten showdown of the college basketball season.

St. THOMAS, Virgin Islands -- JaJuan Johnson had 18 points and 10 rebounds to lead No.

GAME NOTES: The seventh-ranked Purdue Boilermakers will attempt to avoid an upset tonight as they take on the Saint Joseph's Hawks in the semifinals of the Paradise Jam.

The South Dakota State Jackrabbits have the unenviable task of the opening the Paradise Jam in the U.S. Virgin Islands tonight against the seventh-ranked Purdue Boilermakers.

2. JaJuan Johnson, Purdue: As Purdue's inside presence, he could be the Boilers' most important player.

Purdue has named six team captains for this season in senior guard Chris Kramer, senior guard Keaton Grant, junior forward Rob Hummel, junior guard E'Twaun Moore, junior forward/center JaJuan Johnson and senior guard Mark Wohlford.

3. Ohio State - Junior guard/forward Evan Turner is the Big Ten's best NBA prospect, but he might be asked to do too much playing point guard.

Tonight, the seventh-ranked Purdue Boilermakers welcome the Cal State Northridge Matadors to Mackey Arena for the official season opener for both teams.A On both sides of the court, new faces will feature prominently.

The Purdue Boilermakers go in search of their fifth straight season-opening victory under head coach Matt Painter when they kick things off tonight against the visiting Matadors of Cal State Northridge.

The seventh-ranked Purdue Boilermakers know what they have in veterans such as JaJuan Johnson, Robbie Hummel, and E'Twaun Moore.A What they need to discover is how much support that talented trio can expect from the younger members of this year's team.

Purdue hasn't been to a Final Four since 1980, but with all five starters back from last season's team that reached the regional semifinals, the Boilermakers might have an opportunity at making the one-hour drive to Indianapolis in April.

Four players -- three from Indiana, two ranked in top 100 -- expected to solidify commitments to Boilers For the past four years, Purdue coach Matt Painter has been building his team with talent from Indiana and around the Midwest.

So Purdue plays its second and final exhibition game, against traditional Division II power Kentucky Wesleyan.

They've been to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. They've been ranked in the top 10.

Well, we'll get our first live look at Purdue in its season of big expectations, as it opens the two-game exhibition schedule against California of Pennsylvania, a Division II school near Pittsburgh.

7 Purdue Boilermakers beat California of Pennsylvania 78-44 in an exhibition game on Tuesday night.

Chris Kramer soared, Keaton Grant scored and the Paint Crew roared. So much for Boiler exhibition vulnerability.

Leading into the college basketball season openers, Sporting News will preview each of the top 25, counting backward from our preseason power poll.

Coach: Matt Painter . Last season's record: 27-10 overall, 11-7 in Big Ten . Postseason: Lost in third round of NCAA tournament to Connecticut .