This time, JaJuan Johnson went back to wearing a shirt under his jersey.

And he still dropped 21 points.

Johnson went T-shirt-less against Illinois for perhaps the first time during his Purdue career and delivered a 24-point, 12-rebound effort to snap out of a three-game slump.

But he went back to his traditional look against Michigan and still delivered: Making 9 of 17 shots to score 21 points and grab seven rebounds.

Johnson just shrugged and smiled afterward, saying he's "gotta switch it up."

It worked long enough to snap him out of a funk.

During Purdue's three-game losing streak, Johnson made 8 of 19 shots and scored only 18 points. He had 17 rebounds.

Since, coach Matt Painter said the team has made more of an effort to get the ball to Johnson in the post, and he's called for the ball more, too.

In the 69-59 victory over the Wolverines, the Boilermakers did a nice job of lobbing the ball over Michigan's zone to find Johnson for easy baskets inside. That's something they didn't do against Ohio State's zone defense in a loss at home about one week earlier.

"We really talked after the Ohio State game -- or I should say I talked -- about JaJuan Johnson getting the basketball more and really that being a two-way street," Painter said. "You've got to work together to get him the basketball because when the ball goes inside to somebody who can score the ball, you're going to get people in foul trouble, you're going to get to the free throw line and you're going to take higher percentage shots close to the hoop. We've really put an emphasis on it.

"He's just got to continue to work and demand the ball and make the whole arena see he's open."

Johnson didn't talk much about his individual game, but he did acknowledge an emphasis on getting the ball into the post. No matter who is on the block.

"Just getting the ball inside has been helping us the last few games," he said.

• Be sure to check back Sunday for a special "Kramer Chronicles" post-game edition and more reaction from the game. That will include Painter talking about his, um, encounter with official Steve Olson in the second half. Which may have actually been intended for Michigan assistant coach John Mahoney.