Purdue basketball's David Jenkins overcomes eye injury, ready for more against Marquette

WEST LAFAYETTE – After not practicing for nearly a week, it would’ve been easy to understand David Jenkins sitting out last Friday’s matchup against Austin Peay.

But coach Matt Painter wasn’t just thinking about Purdue’s second game of the regular season. He was considering Tuesday’s key game against Marquette in the Gavitt Tipoff Games at Mackey Arena.

Jenkins, a transfer guard from Utah in the offseason, wasn’t cleared to practice after suffering an injury to his eye after colliding with teammate Mason Gillis on Nov. 5.

Jenkins participated in Friday’s shootaround prior to facing Austin Peay and played 15 minutes, hitting the Boilermakers’ first 3-pointer after 16 straight misses to start the game.

Purdue basketballShooting struggles from 3-point range won't last long

“He played hard and did some good things,” Painter said. “If you sit out for a week, you’d be amazed how you lose your wind, and your conditioning suffers a little bit. We needed him to get out there and get this game under his belt so he could be ready for Tuesday.”

Jenkins did play in Purdue’s scrimmage against Cincinnati and in the exhibition victory over Truman State, gaining experience in game-like conditions. However, he missed the season opener against Milwaukee.

He held an ice pack on his right eye while sitting on the bench during the 84-53 win.

“Painter wanted to get my feet wet without having practiced since Saturday and missed the game,” Jenkins said. “I haven’t been able to get up and down a little bit and he put me out there in certain spots, but it felt good with the energy. It’s crazy out there and obviously, I have a bunch of teammates with high character that will lift you up when you’re down.”

Jenkins visited a plastic surgeon, who removed hardened blood from above his eye. Without the procedure, Jenkins could’ve missed up to two weeks while the swelling went down.

“They called it a blood bruise or something like that,” Jenkins said. “I had to go to a plastic surgeon and get it removed – a big blood clot I had. I was lucky I was able to play, and my eye opened up. Hopefully, it heals a little easier now.”

But the 24-year-old backup point guard to freshman Braden Smith is expected to come off the bench against the Golden Eagles and provide a spark with the second group. Jenkins' personality has blended well with the returning players and newcomers, giving the Boilermakers valuable addition on the perimeter.

"David has just been great," Painter said. "He got hurt in a practice and he scrimmaged the next day. He wasn't very good in the scrimmage but just the fact that he scrimmaged and just pushed through it showed his toughness. His ability to go out here and play - he missed a week of practice. We look forward to getting him in the mix. We expect good things and I think he's really going to help us."

Jenkins likely will play a key role in how the Boilermakers deal with Marquette's pressure. The Golden Eagles, under Purdue nemesis Shaka Smart who beat the Boilermakers while at VCU and Texas, will test the ballhandling skills and composure throughout Tuesday's game.

Purdue overcame its 3-point shooting woes by watching big man Zach Edey dominate inside with a career-high 30 points on 12 of 13 shooting.

“We took a lot of great shots,” Edey said. “It would be a different story if we were taking really contested, those sidestep 3s. The other team knows we have great shooters. We kept playing and kept sticking to our game plan."

Starting Tuesday, the Boilermakers will need more balance with the upcoming schedule.

After Marquette, Painter’s team will face West Virginia in the Phil Knight Legacy on Thanksgiving and a victory would likely pit the Boilermakers against No. 2 Gonzaga. Purdue could also play Xavier or Florida in Portland, Oregon as part of the tournament.

A matchup at Florida State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge awaits after the trip out west and the conference opener against Minnesota closes out the stretch in early December.

Mike Carmin covers Purdue sports for the Journal & Courier and USA Today Sports Network. Email mcarmin@gannett.com and follow on Twitter and Instagram @carmin_jc

Marquette (2-0) at Purdue (2-0)

Tuesday

Time: 8:30 p.m.

TV: Fox Sports 1

Radio: WAZY (96.5)

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Marquette at Purdue basketball: Gavitt Tipoff Games