6/16/2016 basketball Edit

Purdue adds new freshman walk-on to roster

Tommy Luce (right) joins Carsen Edwards as Purdue's two current freshmen on its roster.

Brian Neubert • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com staff

Purdue has added guard Tommy Luce to its roster as an invited walk-on.

The 5-foot-10 point guard/combo from Jeffersonville High School has joined the Boilermakers for summer school and has taken part in their workouts this week, including Wednesday's full-squad practice.

Luce is the son of Jeffersonville coach Joe Luce, one of Coach Matt Painter's closest friends in coaching. Joe Luce previously coached at Fountain Central, Benton Central, Marion and Richmond.

That connection mattered in Purdue recruiting Tommy Luce, but only to a point.

"The one thing Matt and I have always kept in perspective is that our professional lives and personal lives are separate," Joe Luce said. "... I think that relationship probably opened some doors for Tommy, with there being a built-in trust there from (Painter) had with Tommy from having known him over a course of time and having seen him develop. But in that walk-on role, I think it's so important that you know what's expected of you and you want somebody who's going to be responsible, who'll be a great teammate, work hard and do what he's asked to do, but also understand his role and understand his personal victories might come in different ways. Tommy's very excited about that, anxious to help in whatever role he can."

The job description for non-scholarship players is always exactly that.

"I think his biggest attribute is just that he's giving young man who understands what it takes to make up a complete basketball team and a complete basketball program," Joe Luce said of his son. "His role will be defined over the course of time, but he understands that being in the gym extra, when the coaches have gone home and you have to make a decision to get on your video game or just hang out, Tommy likes to go to the gym. He was in our gym 24/7. That's what I think he'll bring to that program.

"I think he'll understand, practice-wise, what the coaches are talking about as quick as possible and their expectations, so he can help with running the scout stuff. He's a kid who likes to watch film, likes to be in the gym, likes to be in the coaches' offices and likes to get as much information as he can and apply it however he can to help (his team)."

Luce was recruited by NAIA and Division III schools before the Purdue opportunity surfaced, Joe Luce said.

"His career goal in many ways has always been to coach at the college level, after he got a taste of being around some of our players at Marion, then at Richmond, and now at Jeffersonville this year," Joe Luce said. "We've had a chance to be in some great basketball cities and at Benton Central, it was the same way. That's where I think he kind of got bit by the bug of loving high school basketball.

"Long story short: I think a lot of it had to do with putting himself in a position to be successful when his education is done and there's no better place for that than where he is."

Tommy Luce joins Carsen Edwards as the two freshmen on Purdue's roster and joins senior Jon McKeeman and sophomore Grady Eifert among Boilermaker walk-ons.

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