In 2013, A.J. Hammons threw his hefty 7-foot frame around the paint in West Lafayette, Indiana, and amassed 30 points (10-for-14) and five blocks against eventual lottery pick Cody Zeller. That day, the Hoosiers thrashed their rival 97-60.

The lone gem for a Boilermakers squad still sifting through the rubble in the post-Robbie Hummel era was the performance of a young man who finally looked the part of a Big Ten breakout star and future NBA draftee.

"It felt pretty good, and it just showed me what I can do if I put my mind to it and stop thinking and just go out and play," Hammons told ESPN.com.

Last season A.J. Hammons averaged 10.8 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. Matthew Holst/Getty Images

But that scene and others like it were never woven into a complete feature film for the big man with big talent but a shaky path that has placed him in college basketball's potential pile.

Two seasons later, the perennial questions about Hammons remain: When will the best A.J. Hammons emerge? Will we ever see it?

"I haven't even seen it myself yet, to tell you the truth," he said. "It's something I'm waiting on too."

Potential remains one of the most obscure words in sports. It's a blanket term for a pool of athletes who could be, should be, might be, will be and may be, if their work ethic somehow merges with the mental commitment and persistence that all elite achievement demands.

That's how you get an Anthony Davis. That's how you get a Victor Oladipo. A Trey Burke.

If there is a gap within those elements, however, then potential becomes a term befitting of the folks who never quite got there -- "there" being a fluctuating peak that's not always plausible.

But that's how you get a Michael Olowokandi. A Darko Milicic. Ndudi Ebi. Taylor King.

A.J. Hammons?

We're still waiting on what he could be. Hammons is listed as the No. 51 pro prospect, according to ESPN's Chad Ford, but he has floated in and out of the first round in mock drafts for the past few seasons. He led the Big Ten in blocks last year (3.1 BPG) but also finished 64th overall in Ken Pomeroy's individual offensive ratings for the league.

Sure, he dropped 18 points, 16 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks in his team's 78-69 loss to then-No. 3 Ohio State on New Year's Eve last season. But he accrued just seven points and one rebound in 22 minutes of action in a loss at Minnesota six days later. That's the pattern that has hindered a young (potential) star throughout his career.

An early-season, three-game suspension last year didn't help negative perceptions about him.

Hammons might be ready to justify the hype, though. He has turned to a diet that features more portions of chicken, rice and broccoli. He is down to 258 pounds and determined to stay there. He has worked on his outside shot throughout the offseason and worked to develop "two or three moves" that can't be stopped.

"He's got a chance to affect the game on both ends of the floor," Purdue's Matt Painter said. "He has a chance to be one of the better big men in our league."

In a recent conversation with ESPN.com about Hammons and the 2014-15 season, Painter used the word consistency five times.

Painter's crew doesn't just want Hammons to peak. It is desperate for it.

"Just showing his motor," Painter said. "He has to sprint, not jog. NBA scouts, they question his motor. … That consistency. Every single day is a game day. Did he give that type of effort in between those games?"

Current projections position Purdue toward the bottom of a Big Ten that will feature the typical seven or eight NCAA tourney-worthy squads and three or four squads that will swallow a contender or two at their building. That's not good for Purdue or Painter.

The two top scorers from last season, Terone Johnson and Ronnie Johnson, left West Lafayette via graduation and transfer, respectively. The Boilermakers finished in last place in the Big Ten in 2013-14 and suffered their second consecutive losing campaign for the first time in 60 years. Now, a roster stitched together by youth and inexperience will rely on Hammons, a junior, to lead.

"You just gotta take it as a challenge and just push every day," Hammons said. "It's going to be very important for me to be a leader. Me, being one of the most experienced players on the team, I have to help everybody else out."

Purdue will rise only if Hammons does first.

"I think it's frustrating for [his teammates] because they know how he can impact the team," Painter said. "He gives us hope because he's made a lot of improvement. He's really responded. I think he'll make a big jump."

He's searching. He feels all those eyes scrutinizing his actions. He hears Painter and his teammates encouraging, pushing and pleading. He's not naive to the urgent cry to mollify a fan base that's uncomfortable with its recent lows.

That's also the obstacle. The whole process begins internally. Desire isn't the issue. Hammons wants to ball so hard every night.

But will he?

The answer might be the difference between an A.J. Hammons who will fight for Big Ten player of the year honors plus a first-round slot in next summer's draft and the young man who could end his time at Purdue with the other talented players who could have, would have, should have.

"That next step is … I have the motivation. It's just I have to show it," he said. "And that's just … that's just a factor, I don't know. It just happens [in games]. It just happens."

"Try not to let people down," he added, "I guess."

Nah, A.J.

Try not to let yourself down.