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Get To Know: Robbie Hummel

Editor’s Note: Throughout August, Timberwolves.com will profile each of the new members of the Wolves’ roster. Part 2 takes a look at second round pick Robbie Hummel making the jump from Purdue to the NBA. Mark RemmeWolves Editor/WriterEmail / Twitter ROBBIE HUMMEL Age: 23 Height: 6-foot-8 Weight: 215 pounds Drafted: 2012: Second Round, 28th by Minnesota College: Purdue Experience: Rookie Position: Small Forward How Acquired: The Timberwolves selected Hummel 58th overall in the 2012 NBA Draft on June 28. He was the team’s lone draft pick after sending their 18th pick, acquired from Utah, to Houston in exchange for Chase Budinger and the draft rights to Lior Eliyahu. Past Experience: Once considered a first round draft pick, Hummel had a standout career with Purdue University in the Big Ten. He finished his senior season by scoring 16.4 points per game, shot 41.7 percent from the floor and was a go-to pure shooter for the Boilermakers throughout his career. He was named to the All-Big Ten First Team as a freshman, junior and senior, was twice an Associated Press All-America Second Team selection and was once named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year. Hummel’s career path changed when he suffered two ACL tears in his right knee nine months apart. He missed the entire 2010-11 season, then returned in 2011-12 for his senior year. What He’ll Bring To Minnesota: Hummel is a shooter, first and foremost. He has confidence in his shot, and his shot attempts per game increased each of his seasons at Purdue from 7.5 attempts as a freshman to 13.3 as a senior. He finished his senior year shooting 38.3 percent from 3-point range. During Summer League in Las Vegas, Hummel showed a willingness to take shots, particularly from the perimeter, which is something the Wolves chased after during their offseason moves this summer. But Hummel also brings a rebounding presence. He averaged 7.2 boards per game as a senior at Purdue and left the Boilermakers’ program with the fourth most rebounds (862) in school history. At 6-foot-8, he will be challenged at the small forward position guarding players with more height and length, but he said one thing he hopes to bring to the team is a lot of effort and activity on the defensive end. “I think my shooting is what I can most provide. That is probably going to be the most beneficial thing,” Hummel said at Summer League. “But also at 6-8 I think I’m a pretty good rebounder, I have a pretty good handle for the ball and I think I understand the concepts offensively and defensively.” Where He’ll Fit In: Hummel will get his chance at training camp to earn a spot on the Wolves’ roster, and if he does he’ll be a rotation wing player that can help supplement the play of Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, Chase Budinger and Alexey Shved. Even though he’s a rookie, Hummel spent five years in college ball and brings maturity to the team. He is the same age as Kevin Love and is older than Ricky Rubio, Malcolm Lee and Derrick Williams. He is also known for having a high basketball IQ and knowing how to react in game situations. He comes from the Big Ten, which he said will help him as one of the more physical conferences in NCAA basketball, and his featured role in Matt Painter’s Purdue system should help him as he learns his role at the wing in Rick Adelman’s system moving without the ball and taking open looks from the outside. “He can really shoot, and I think he has enough, he has some game, too,” President of Basketball Operations David Kahn said. “He’s not what I would call a flashy passer, but he’s steady. He’s got a beautiful shot with a quick release. In our league, if you can make shots on a consistent basis and you have a little size to you—and he’s 6-8, 6-8 ½—then you have a chance to make the league.” Wolves Connections: Hummel spoke with former Wolves center Brad Miller about joining Adelman’s team, being that Miller played at Purdue and played for Adelman in Sacramento, Houston and Minnesota. He also followed former Purdue center Brian Cardinal while he played for the Wolves from 2008-2010. From a family standpoint, Hummel’s great uncle and aunt are longtime residents of Brooklyn Center, his grandparents are from Blue Earth and his family owns a cabin on Pelican Lake near Mille Lacs. He spent holidays in Minnesota growing up and, between his youth and playing in the Big Ten, is very familiar with Minneapolis and the surrounding area. Quotable: “I thought this season, particularly toward the end of the season, he started to show signs of his return to form from before the injury. Robbie was quite a player before his injury. Quite a player. In fact, if he hadn’t been hurt I think most people would agree he was a first round pick.” — Wolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn