Purdue’s first road trip of the season brought a mixed opening stretch before the Boilers settled in and pulled away from Purdue Fort Wayne, 92-62. The Mastodons’ pressure gave Purdue problems early, but once the game started to slow down for the visitors, the offense found its footing and the defense tightened up in the second half.
The biggest takeaway? Purdue’s bench was the engine.
The Boilers got 42 points from their reserves, with Antoine West leading the way at 16. That kind of production gives Purdue a different look from some of its recent teams, and it was on full display in Fort Wayne.
The second half was especially sharp. Purdue scored 50 points after halftime and shot 22-for-31, good for 71% from the field.
The Boilers made a clear push to get into the paint and involve their bigs more, and the shift showed up in the shot chart. With the regular rotation getting limited late and the deep reserves seeing about four minutes of action, Purdue might have pushed past 60 in the half if the starters had stayed in longer.
One of the more encouraging individual lines belonged to Jack Benter, who pulled down what would have been a career-high 10 rebounds in just 18 minutes. He may not fit the traditional power forward mold, but he keeps making winning plays.
Purdue saw that last season when necessity pushed him into that role, and it’s not hard to see why his rebounding matters so much for a team built around shooters. He had nine games last season with at least five rebounds, and that kind of steady production gives this roster another useful layer.
The free-throw gap was another notable piece of the night. Purdue went to the line 7 times, while Purdue Fort Wayne had 20 attempts.
For a team that may not live at the foul line because of how much it leans on perimeter shooting, that’s a number Purdue has to keep in check. If the Boilers aren’t going to pile up free throws themselves, they can’t afford to give away that kind of edge often.
The paint scoring split told a similar story of adjustment. Purdue had only 8 points in the paint in the first half, then jumped to 34 in the second.
That kind of swing figures to be important this season, especially after the departures from the Big 3 era. In past years, much of that interior damage came from Zach Edey or Trey Kaufman-Renn.
This version of Purdue may need to create it more collectively, unless Daniel Jacobsen keeps building on what he has shown in exhibition play.
Jacobsen’s numbers have been eye-catching. In two exhibition games and 32 total minutes, he has 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 blocks. If he can keep that level up and stay on the floor, Purdue could have a major interior piece to pair with its guard and wing depth.
That depth is already showing itself in how the Boilers are attacking from the outside. Through two exhibition games, 58.9% of Purdue’s field goal attempts have come from three-point range, and the team is knocking them down at a 41.1% clip. Four different guards have made multiple threes in a single game, making it tough for defenses to load up or collapse.
And there’s also a bigger number hanging over the program: 1,983. That’s where Purdue will enter the 2026-2027 season in total wins, putting the program 10th all time in men’s college basketball. The Boilers could reach 2,000 wins by the end of January.
In Other News...
Purdue's New Rotation Is Already Giving Boilers Fans Something To Debate
Purdues preseason tune-up against Purdue Fort Wayne offered a first look at how the Boilermakers might spread the floor and sort out their backcourt and wing minutes, and there was plenty to like in a 93-62 win at Memorial Coliseum. The offense hummed along at 58.1% shooting overall, including 13-for-33 from three-point range, while a handful of younger pieces made their case for more steady run in the rotation.
CJ Cox, Antione West, Jack Benter and Omer Mayer each gave Purdue something different to think about. Cox scored 13 points, West finished with 16, Benter cleaned up the glass with 10 rebounds and Mayer added 15 points and four assists, giving the staff some early evidence that the next wave can already fit into the mix. For a team trying to settle on its preferred combinations, nights like this can be encouraging and a little tricky at the same time. [Read more 🡒]