Purdue’s roster looks different enough this season that Matt Painter keeps reaching for one particular blueprint from his own past. Not the last two years.
Not some vague long-term vision. He goes back to the 2018-19 team, the one that won a share of the Big Ten regular-season title and pushed all the way to the Elite Eight.
That group, Painter noted, had plenty in common with the current Boilers: four starters were gone from the previous year, and early in the season the pieces didn’t snap together right away. But once they did, Purdue took off.
“I look at it like the team with Carsen Edwards that lost four starters,” Painter said while joining Boilers in the Stands. “We had some struggles in the first 10, 11, 12 games, and then got some things figured out.
When you get it figured out, it helps you. But that wasn't hard to figure out who should be playing.”
There are similarities in the way this roster is built, too. When Isaac Haas graduated after the 2017-18 season, Purdue shifted toward Matt Haarms, a more mobile and versatile center. Painter sees a comparable fit now with Daniel Jacobsen.
Painter isn’t predicting a drawn-out learning curve this time around, but he is acknowledging that new responsibilities can still bring some early bumps.
“Sometimes, it takes a little bit of time to get there,” Painter said. “I would like to think that this team won't take that much time.
But the thing that is good about it is that everybody is so close. When we sub, we don't lose anything.
A lot of times, coaches say that, but you lose something. It's pretty even in our practices.
It's really even, actually.”
The first two exhibition games have offered at least a hint that this group may not need much convincing. Purdue has opened the preseason with a pair of 30-point wins.
The Boilers started with an 87-55 win over Ball State at Mackey Arena. Gicarri Harris scored 16 points, C.J. Cox finished with 15, Antione West Jr. added 11, and Daniel Jacobsen contributed eight points, six rebounds and five blocks.
Last Thursday at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Purdue handled Purdue-Fort Wayne 92-62. West led the way with 16 points, Omer Mayer had 15, Cox added 13, and Jacobsen finished with 11. Jack Benter chipped in 10 points and six rebounds in the win over the Mastodons.
The next test is the one Painter is most interested in seeing. Purdue heads to Hartford, Conn., this week to face UConn in what he views as the most revealing game of the non-conference slate.
Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will steam on UConn-Plus.
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