David Jenkins Jr. Finding Comfortability in his Role With Purdue Basketball

Purdue guard David Jenkins logged nine points on 3-of-4 shooting, including 3-of-3 from the 3-point line to help the team in a 71-69 victory over Ohio State on the road. He earned the chance to start in the second half and played a total of 19 minutes.

D.J. Fezler | Jan 6, 2023

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Purdue Boilermakers

COLUMBUS, Ohio — David Jenkins Jr. transferred to Purdue to be a shooter. Through the first two months of the 2022-23 college basketball season, he added a veteran presence but had yet to showcase his perimeter prowess.

After suffering their first loss of the season, the No. 1-ranked Boilermakers looked to bounce back with a road matchup against No. 24 Ohio State. Jenkins displayed the firepower the team knew he was capable of, helping the team to a 71-69 win on Thursday night at Value City Arena.

In 19 minutes on the floor, Jenkins score nine points on 3-of-4 shooting and went 3-of-3 from the 3-point line. His three makes from beyond the arc marked a season-high, and he added two assists without a turnover.

"It's obviously hard when you hit a little adversity," Jenkins said. "When Ohio State went up however many points they went up, the loud and intense crowd, I just liked our poise throughout the end of the game. We got stops, we made some big shots."

Jan 5, 2023; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard David Jenkins Jr. (14) celebrates the win against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Value City Arena / © Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Jenkins, who now has 332 career 3-pointers in his college career, entered Thursday's game just 6-of-30 from the 3-point line this season. In a new role with the Boilermakers, he's averaging a career-low 15.5 minutes and is having trouble finding a rhythm with less playing time.

In a hostile environment, Purdue trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half and struggled to hit shots on the offensive end of the floor. The team missed seven of its first eight attempts, and Ohio State took advantage with a 12-0 run before the second media timeout.

However, Jenkins buried a 3-pointer off the bench to stop the scoring barrage. The Boilermakers went scoreless for more than four minutes and missed their first six attempts behind the arc to open the game. But after the triple by Jenkins, they finished the first half 6-of-8 from deep and went into the locker room trailing by just three points.

Jenkins' second 3-pointer of the first half sparked a 9-0 run to tie the game with less than two minutes before the break. During the stretch of three consecutive 3s, Jenkins also assisted a deep shot by freshman guard Braden Smith that found the bottom of the net, but the Buckeyes added a perimeter basket before halftime to take a 36-33 lead.

Smith pickin' pockets and cashing in the money 💰 🔥 @3bradensmith x @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/jy4rViPFAg
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 6, 2023

With six points on 2-of-3 shooting in just nine minutes during the opening period, Purdue coach Matt Painter told Jenkins he was going to start the second half. He took the place of freshman guard Fletcher Loyer, who struggled mightily in the first half before catching fire.

Jenkins played 10 minutes in the second half and made a key pass to Smith on a 3-pointer to spark a 10-0 run. He also made his only shot attempt of the period.

The Boilermakers had a six-point lead — their largest of the game — before freshman forward Brice Sensabaugh and the Buckeyes roared back with a 10-2 run to tie the game with 10:26 left to play. Jenkins drilled a 3-pointer to stop the scoring surge, as neither team led by more than four points in the final 13 minutes.

"We know the player David is and what he's been the last few years," Loyer said. "So really just him staying confident, whether it's coming off the bench or whether it's starting in that second half, we're all behind him because we know he can help the team win. We see him put in the work and we see what he's done, and we just want him to be a scorer out there."

Loyer got in on the 3-point shooting in the second half, scoring all 11 of his points after halftime and nailing the game-winning 3-pointer with 11 seconds left to play. He matched a team-high with three made shots from beyond the arc, and Purdue recorded a season-high 13 made 3-pointers in the win.

Jan 5, 2023; Columbus, OH, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) hits the game-winning three pointer over Ohio State Buckeyes guard Isaac Likekele (13) during the second half of the NCAA men's basketball game at Value City Arena. Purdue won 71-69 :: © Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

"It gives you momentum at the end of the day," Jenkins said. "Seeing 3s going in, especially when we haven't been shooting as good as a team overall, we have a bunch of good shooters though, and we know that.

"We know it can't rain forever. At some point, we're going to get hot, and it's going to continue for us. We've got guys that work on their game each and every day consistently. I've never seen guys work on the game as much as here."

For Jenkins, Thursday night's performance will surely be a confidence booster. Purdue is his fourth college basketball program in four years, and his responsibilities for the No. 1 team in the nation are like nothing he's experienced so far.

But despite all the differences that come in a new environment, Jenkins is taking on the challenge of filling his role to the best of his ability. If the Boilermakers want to make a strong push in the Big Ten conference, they'll need him to have nights like the one he had against the Buckeyes.

"It doesn't matter if you were a 20- or 30-point scorer for a different team. You come here, you might have a different role," Jenkins said. "And I think everybody knows their role on this team, which is very important. Being able to be humble and take a little piece of humble pie is important on this team. I think we have guys with high character and charisma on this team, which has allowed us to be good."

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