Purdue’s 2026-27 lineup picture is starting to come into focus, and the most important call in it is at point guard.
Even with Luke Ertel bringing plenty of buzz from Mount Vernon High School, the job looks like it belongs to Mayer. He already got a taste of that role during his freshman season, filling in for Braden Smith in stretches and also spending time off the ball - something that was new for him as a natural point guard. Now, with practice underway in West Lafayette and a trip to Canada for exhibition play approaching, Mayer appears set to spend most of his time running the offense.
That should give Purdue a guard who can do a little of everything. Mayer can set the table for others, but he’s also comfortable scoring himself. He’s a bit more willing to let it fly than Smith was, and he has already shown he can create open looks for teammates.
On the wing, Cox stands out as the one sure thing from last year’s starting group. He’s the only returning starter and the Boilers’ top returning scorer, coming off a sophomore season in which he averaged 8.5 points per game and shot 37.3% from three. Across his first two years in the program, he’s shown he can score in bunches, and with Purdue losing its top four scorers from last season, there’s a real path for him to become the offense’s primary option as a junior.
Cox’s value goes beyond the scoring, too. He’s also Purdue’s best perimeter defender, so the workload on both ends of the floor is going to be heavy.
The frontcourt mix is where things get especially interesting. Pierce is widely projected to play the four, but there’s a case for him to open at the three instead.
He may not bring the kind of three-point shooting you typically want from a wing, but he would add athleticism, scoring and rebounding there. At 3 or 4, he gives Purdue a lot of flexibility.
If rebounding becomes a concern in the starting five, Pierce at the three starts to make even more sense. He has the size to handle either spot, and the former Princeton standout brings a lot of useful pieces to the table.
Burgess also looks like a major piece of the puzzle. He may be Purdue’s strongest vocal leader heading into the season, and he could also wind up as the team’s top rebounder.
At 6-foot-11, he can play both the four and the five, and his redshirt year seems to have done exactly what Purdue needed it to do. When he was a true freshman, stamina was an issue.
That shouldn’t be the case now.
Burgess can hold his ground in the post, use his strength to carve out space, and battle bigger bodies on the glass. He can also step out and help stretch the floor offensively.
Then there’s Jacobsen, who is expected to take a noticeable leap after his first full season at Purdue. At 7-foot-4, he brings serious athleticism and gives the Boilermakers a lob threat, while also being able to finish at the rim and hit jumpers. If that offensive game becomes more consistent, he’ll be a tough cover at the five.
The biggest area for growth is on defense. Jacobsen has to avoid cheap fouls and be better when the ball is on the glass. If he cleans that up, his shot-blocking and rim protection already give Purdue something real in the middle.
In Other News...
Purdue Sends Greg Goff A Clear Vote Of Confidence
Greg Goffs latest contract extension gives Purdue a familiar face to keep steering the baseball program after a stretch of steady, if still unfinished, progress. The Boilermakers have put together three straight 30-win seasons under his leadership and have gone 101-67 over the past three years, a run that has moved the program closer to the kind of consistency it has been chasing since its last NCAA Tournament appearance in 2018.
The new deal signals that Purdue sees the trajectory as real, even if the final step remains out of reach for now. The Boilermakers have been knocking on the door of postseason qualification, and the extension through 2029 suggests the school is willing to let Goff keep building on that foundation rather than reset after a few near-misses. [Read more 🡒]