Purdue’s first look without Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn came with a familiar kind of punch. The names have changed, but the Boilermakers still showed an offense that wants to stretch the floor, move the ball and bury teams from deep. In an 87-55 exhibition win over Ball State at Mackey Arena, Purdue flashed exactly the kind of shooting depth that could define this season.
The headline number was 17. That’s how many threes Purdue knocked down, the most in program history for an exhibition.
The Boilers launched 40 attempts from beyond the arc and hit 42.5% of them, and it never really looked forced. The spacing was there, the actions were clean, and Purdue kept finding open looks for its guards and wings.
If that becomes the identity, this team could end up taking and making a ton of threes.
That sort of approach was on display with veterans like CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris, along with newcomers Luke Ertel and Jacob Webber. Add in Antoine West and Jack Benter, and there’s real shooting potential across the roster.
The point is not just that Purdue has shooters. It’s that the group looks deep enough for this to be a problem for defenses every night.
The ball movement backed that up. Purdue finished with 23 assists on 28 made field goals, led by Gicarri Harris with five and Daniel Jacobsen with four.
For a team trying to replace one of college basketball’s all-time assist leaders, that’s a strong first showing. The Boilers shared it well, and the offense kept humming.
Jacobsen, in particular, gave Purdue a lot to like on the interior. The 7-foot-5 sophomore played 17 minutes and posted 8 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks, finishing plus-25.
He was active as a rim protector and showed better lateral movement than last season. There were still a few moments when smaller players got him off balance, but the shot-blocking presence was obvious.
He was credited with five blocks, though one late whistle appeared questionable.
Purdue’s efficiency was right where it has been for much of the recent stretch. The Boilermakers finished with 1.403 points per possession against Ball State, a number that fits their recent offensive profile.
Since the 2021-2022 season, Purdue’s worst offensive output by points per possession has been .855, the best mark in college basketball. That kind of consistency matters because the Boilers don’t often have nights where the whole operation falls apart.
There was also another number that tells the story of Purdue’s grip on in-state opponents at Mackey Arena: 22-1. Since the 2016-2017 season, Purdue has gone 22-1 against in-state programs in its home arena. That dominance has been part of the backdrop for the program’s recruiting success inside Indiana.
And there was a larger marker of how much has changed around the program. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn gave Purdue 1,446 days of basketball, and during that run the trio helped the Boilermakers go 117-32. This season will look different without them, but the exhibition against Ball State suggested Purdue may still have an offense built to stay among the best in the country.
Even without Sinan Huan and Rivers Knight getting on the floor, the 11 players who did play each scored at least once and recorded at least one assist. That kind of spread won’t last all season, but it gave Purdue plenty to sort through as the roster settles in.
In Other News...
Kansas Just Added A Purdue Veteran Bill Self Can Actually Use
Trey Kaufman-Renns college career has taken a surprising turn after five seasons at Purdue, where he developed into one of the Big Tens most experienced and decorated forwards. The veteran big man brings a rsum that includes first-team All-Big Ten honors and honorable mention All-American recognition, along with the kind of NCAA Tournament exposure programs value when the calendar turns and the games get tighter.
Kansas now has a proven frontcourt piece in the fold, and the timing is notable given the uncertainty around his next step. A court ruling opened the door for him to keep playing while his case against the NCAA moves forward, giving Bill Self another seasoned option to lean on as the Jayhawks try to add more stability and depth inside. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Suddenly Has Two Problems It Can't Ignore
Purdue came out of its matchup with Washington having done the hard part on defense, only to watch the offense give away the edge. The Boilermakers forced five turnovers, but they could manage only six points off those takeaways, a frustrating waste in a game where hidden yardage and field position should have mattered far more.
The defensive side had its own setback when Hiduri Hines was lost early, and Washington took advantage with a steady stream of explosive plays. Barry Odom pointed to trouble up front and a running game that never found traction, two issues Purdue cannot afford to let linger if it wants to turn recent takeaways into actual wins. [Read more 🡒]
Arizona Is Back In The National Title Conversation Early
The preseason AP Top 25 has a familiar national-championship feel, with Florida opening at No. 1 and a stacked group near the top that includes Duke, Illinois, UConn and Arizona. For Purdue, though, the new poll brings a sharper note than most of the teams around it. The Boilermakers are no longer among the ranked teams after a long run that made them a constant in the weekly conversation and a fixture in the upper half of the poll.
Even with that change, Purdue remains part of the broader picture, since the Boilermakers were still in the mix among teams drawing votes. Around them, the poll has plenty of fresh storylines, from Kentucky closing in on its 1,000th AP poll appearance to Vanderbilt making its first preseason Top 25 appearance since 2015, but Purdues slide out of the rankings is the one that changes the look of the Big Ten at the start of the year. [Read more 🡒]