ROSEMONT, Ill. - Purdue has made it clear all offseason that Antione West Jr. is a name to watch.
The sophomore guard redshirted in his first year in West Lafayette, but the buzz around him has only grown after a summer in which he flashed both sides of his game. On Purdue’s trip to Canada, West showed off his shooting range and brought real edge on defense, giving the Boilermakers a glimpse of what he can bring when the games count.
That belief was on display again when Matt Painter talked about West during an appearance on the Big Ten Network’s studio set. Painter said the guard had a strong freshman season in practice and preparation, but Purdue’s crowded backcourt made it hard to carve out minutes with Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris and Omer Mayer all in the mix.
"Antione West is a really good two-way player. He's a plus-five, plus-six wingspan, very, very good on the basketball, good at creating for himself, good combo guard," Painter said.
"We just had a deep backcourt [last year]. How much was he going to play?
Who was it going to affect?
"I compared it to Patrick Mahomes not playing instead of Alex Smith, who was a great quarterback in the NFL, and then learning that year. Then, all of a sudden, Patrick Mahomes, in a quick amount of time, was the best player in the NFL. He's going to be one of the better guards in our league."
Painter’s point was simple: the talent was there, but the timing wasn’t.
Under the old NCAA rules, Purdue likely would have been reluctant to use a year of eligibility on spot minutes, and the five-for-five eligibility rule arrived one year too late for West. That said, the door is open for a big leap now, and it may not take all five seasons before NBA scouts start taking a close look.
The confidence around West isn’t coming from Painter alone. Omer Mayer said in September that he called West a "certified hooper," pointing to the range he brings on offense. At Big Ten Media Days, both CJ Cox and Daniel Jacobsen said West had been the most noticeable player in offseason work.
Braden Smith’s belief has been even bolder. It has been mentioned multiple times that Smith expects West to be Purdue’s leading scorer this season, which is strong praise coming from one of the program’s all-time greats.
At this point, no one can say exactly how far West will go this season. But the expectation level is obvious: Purdue thinks it has something special in the sophomore guard.
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