Purdue’s Canada trip ended with a lopsided scoreboard and a lot of unsettled business.
The Boilermakers beat Calgary 79-48 in their third exhibition game north of the border, but the performance didn’t exactly read like a team that had everything figured out. Even with a 31-point win, the broadcast tone suggested Matt Painter had plenty to chew on, and the game itself backed that up. Calgary, the only NCAA sanctioned program in Canada, was outclassed from the opening stretch.
The clearest bright spot was freshman Antoine West, who led Purdue again with 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range. He also added two rebounds and four steals. Coming off a redshirt season, West has looked like a real step forward early on, and his scoring ability already stands out among Purdue’s guards.
Another freshman, Luke Ertel, kept building his case too. In 19 minutes, he finished with six points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal, going 2-for-7 from the field.
Painter has called Ertel one of the toughest players he has every recruited to Purdue, and the former high school quarterback has played with that edge. He brings a different kind of presence, the sort that seems to sharpen the group around him.
Daniel Jacobsen also gave Purdue something it had been missing in the first two games: a stronger physical imprint. After some uneven play earlier on the trip, the center produced eight points, six rebounds, one assist, four blocks and only one foul against Calgary.
That last number matters. Last season, his physical style often got him into foul trouble and sent him to the bench.
Against the Dinos, he showed what he can be when that balance is there.
The more concerning part of the trip has been the veteran backcourt Purdue expected to lean on. CJ Cox and Omer Mayer were supposed to be known quantities, but through three games they’ve mostly been just fine.
Mayer scored 11 points with three rebounds and four assists, but he also turned it over four times and didn’t show much off the dribble for himself. With the ball in his hands, too often he has looked locked in on one option.
Cox posted 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist, which is respectable enough on paper. The issue is how those numbers are coming. Instead of looking like a centerpiece, he has often felt like a player waiting for Mayer to find him.
Painter’s comments after the second game already hinted at how open this competition still is. He said Purdue lacked separation at any position, including spots many assumed were settled.
The staff is using this trip to test lineups and gather film, and that means the presumed starters may not stay presumed for long. Mayer, Cox and Pierce were widely thought to be the likely starters, but that no longer looks certain.
There are still bigger questions hanging over the roster, too, especially at power forward. Benter and Pierce have been solid without separating themselves, while transfer forward/center Enzo Shahrvin was brought in for the physicality he offers. That kind of presence is something Purdue could use.
For Painter, this trip probably was supposed to provide a few clean answers before the team moves into fall workouts and practices. Instead, it has mostly created more debate.
West and Ertel have been making their own cases, and Jacobsen showed a glimpse of what he can be when he plays with force. At the same time, the veterans haven’t locked anything down.
No starting job has been officially won, but the freshmen have made themselves hard to ignore.
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