Big Ten men’s basketball media day is set for Oct. 8 in Rosemont, Illinois, and Purdue coach Matt Painter is walking into it with a roster that looks very different from the one fans are used to seeing.
This is a young team, a new-look group, and one with a lot left to prove. The Boilermakers won’t spend long hiding from the questions, either. A few of them sit right at the center of Purdue’s season.
The biggest one starts inside with Daniel Jacobsen. Last season, he showed flashes, but he also looked like a player who wasn’t quite ready to handle Big Ten physicality on a nightly basis. He finished the year averaging 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and now the burden shifts even more heavily onto him with no Oscar Cluff or another established big man beside him.
That makes Jacobsen’s offseason jump one of the most important storylines on the roster. Purdue needs more from him on the glass, but it’s not just about rebounds. His footwork and overall presence in the paint have to take a step forward, too.
The frontcourt, in general, is the other obvious pressure point. Purdue added newly cleared big man Enzo Shahrvin, but the real question is whether that’s enough to stabilize the rebounding battle.
The Boilermakers are trying to blend a group that has barely shared the floor, including Shahrvin, Princeton transfer Caden Pierce and, for all intents and purposes, Raleigh Burgess. That kind of mix usually takes time, and this front line looks no different.
Then there’s Antione West Jr., who has already made a strong impression. The buzz around him was loud, but the trip to Canada made it clear he may be even further along than expected. West looked like the best player on the floor for much of that trip, and he kept showing exactly why people were so high on him.
He can score. He can defend.
And there’s a real argument that he could end up being one of Purdue’s best defenders, too. The puzzle now is where he fits.
With four other guards fighting for starting spots, the lineup picture gets complicated fast. CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris feel essential, which raises the question of whether West gets squeezed out.
Even so, he sounds hard to keep off the floor.
Painter also has a freshman class that could end up being the best of his Purdue tenure. Luke Ertel, Jacob Webber, Rivers Knight and Sinan Huan are all new to the roster, and at least one of them seems positioned to contribute right away. Ertel looks on track for playing time, but he may not be the only freshman who gets a chance.
Webber is the name that stands out as the sleeper. He still has work to do, but there may not be a better shooter on the roster. Knight and Huan are probably not ready yet, though if the frontcourt gets hit with problems, their number could be called sooner than expected.
That’s part of what makes this Purdue team so intriguing. The expectations are different this time.
This doesn’t look like a national title contender, but it does look like a group with room to grow in real time. The roster is loaded with young players who are still waiting to be fully appreciated.
Burgess, Jack Benter and West are the ones who seem to be flying under the radar, and it will be worth hearing how Painter views that group at media day. With new faces, new roles and plenty of uncertainty, this team feels like one that could surprise in more ways than one.
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