I don't know specifically why Nojel Eastern is transferring from Purdue, likely to have to sit one season to play one season somewhere else, but I do know this: It's too bad it's ending this way.
Under a very different set of circumstances, Eastern would have left the Boilermakers as an immensely popular player. The things that define him as a player jibe well with the things Purdue historically has prided itself on, and historically Purdue fans have been captivated by such things, by game-changing defense and physical toughness most notably. Purdue's not had many better, more charismatic, bigger-hearted, selfless people on its team over the years, and typically fans respond favorably to that sort of stuff too.
But Purdue's coming off a bad season, by its high standards, and the pieces who really mattered toward the year prior's success, their limitations were laid bare when they were asked to be foundations, or something like it. Eastern and Matt Haarms — also gone — alike endured very disappointing junior seasons in almost every way.
The gaps in Eastern's skill set as a basketball player aren't difficult to decipher, and for a lot of fans, made him an easy target for fans.
It wasn't the only lightning rod here. There is never anything to be gained from players' family members engaging in message board and social media warfare with fans. There's simply nothing to be gained, no matter how noble the intent may be.
It is too bad it ends this way, but that's that.
Purdue has lost both its seniors off this team to come, and will now go back-to-back seasons without a single fourth-year senior on scholarship. Coaches want to get old and stay that way, and it's hard nowadays with transferring being as normalized as it is.
What Purdue actually lost today I suppose lies in the eye of the beholder.
Eastern was an elite defender for the Boilermakers, the best Matt Painter's had, IMO, and a game-changer in that regard. Those capable of looking beyond scoring and basic offensive skill understood that. Those who couldn't, made fun, and that's fine, I guess. I've never understood the urge to cannibalize the players you root for, but to each his own.
With Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline, Purdue found a place for Eastern offensively, and he was good in that role. This season, they never figured it out, and it came to where the price for Eastern's elite defensive work was paid at the offensive end, where Purdue lacked gravitational players for role guys to orbit as they did the year prior. Haarms was much a victim of the same fate at the offensive end.
Next season, my guess was not really a guess: It was the most educated of guesses, that Eastern would be moving to forward, at least much of the time. Eastern technically played point guard for Purdue the past three seasons, but very little was asked of him in that role that wasn't essentially asked of everyone who touches the ball: Make good decisions. That was a mixed bag this past season and part of Purdue's offensive problem. Not it's only problem, but part of the problem. Eastern was never Chris Paul as a PG, nor was any Purdue point guard that came before him, nor did Purdue need him to be.
This past season was a disappointing one for both of Purdue's juniors, Nojel Eastern and Matt Haarms, as players and on down the line. I've never been more wrong about a class' leadership potential than I was those two guys, because Purdue was painfully obviously missing something. That said, I don't know if I was wrong that those guys could have been great leaders. They just weren't.
Purdue had a bad season and then both the guys it needed the most from left.
I guess that's college basketball nowadays.
In this case, it's just too bad this is how it ended.
Under a very different set of circumstances, Eastern would have left the Boilermakers as an immensely popular player. The things that define him as a player jibe well with the things Purdue historically has prided itself on, and historically Purdue fans have been captivated by such things, by game-changing defense and physical toughness most notably. Purdue's not had many better, more charismatic, bigger-hearted, selfless people on its team over the years, and typically fans respond favorably to that sort of stuff too.
But Purdue's coming off a bad season, by its high standards, and the pieces who really mattered toward the year prior's success, their limitations were laid bare when they were asked to be foundations, or something like it. Eastern and Matt Haarms — also gone — alike endured very disappointing junior seasons in almost every way.
The gaps in Eastern's skill set as a basketball player aren't difficult to decipher, and for a lot of fans, made him an easy target for fans.
It wasn't the only lightning rod here. There is never anything to be gained from players' family members engaging in message board and social media warfare with fans. There's simply nothing to be gained, no matter how noble the intent may be.
It is too bad it ends this way, but that's that.
Purdue has lost both its seniors off this team to come, and will now go back-to-back seasons without a single fourth-year senior on scholarship. Coaches want to get old and stay that way, and it's hard nowadays with transferring being as normalized as it is.
What Purdue actually lost today I suppose lies in the eye of the beholder.
Eastern was an elite defender for the Boilermakers, the best Matt Painter's had, IMO, and a game-changer in that regard. Those capable of looking beyond scoring and basic offensive skill understood that. Those who couldn't, made fun, and that's fine, I guess. I've never understood the urge to cannibalize the players you root for, but to each his own.
With Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline, Purdue found a place for Eastern offensively, and he was good in that role. This season, they never figured it out, and it came to where the price for Eastern's elite defensive work was paid at the offensive end, where Purdue lacked gravitational players for role guys to orbit as they did the year prior. Haarms was much a victim of the same fate at the offensive end.
Next season, my guess was not really a guess: It was the most educated of guesses, that Eastern would be moving to forward, at least much of the time. Eastern technically played point guard for Purdue the past three seasons, but very little was asked of him in that role that wasn't essentially asked of everyone who touches the ball: Make good decisions. That was a mixed bag this past season and part of Purdue's offensive problem. Not it's only problem, but part of the problem. Eastern was never Chris Paul as a PG, nor was any Purdue point guard that came before him, nor did Purdue need him to be.
This past season was a disappointing one for both of Purdue's juniors, Nojel Eastern and Matt Haarms, as players and on down the line. I've never been more wrong about a class' leadership potential than I was those two guys, because Purdue was painfully obviously missing something. That said, I don't know if I was wrong that those guys could have been great leaders. They just weren't.
Purdue had a bad season and then both the guys it needed the most from left.
I guess that's college basketball nowadays.
In this case, it's just too bad this is how it ended.
Last edited:
