Last week, we asked you to submit basketball- and recruiting-related questions for a mailbag series.
We want to get every question answered, so what we're going to do is try to do this five questions at a time, starting today with five randomly picked questions.
We'll try to get everything else answered by the end of the week.
Part I ...
Question: Just how do you see the big man duties working out down the road with Jay Simpson and Derek Willis not necessarily being conventional bigs? Is it essential Purdue lands someone like Wideman to give us more of a true low post presence, or do you think Willis and Simpson could develop the necessary skills in the paint to demand double teams around the basket and free up shooters on the perimeter (as opposed to being camped out there themselves)?
Answer: It's difficult at this stage of both players' careers to really pigeon-hole them for college. Not sure I'd call them 'finesse' big men, but they are certainly both very skilled.
If Simpson turns it up as a rebounder, he's certainly got the body and physical attributes to play down low. That he can step out and shoot and handle is simply value added, and Purdue's shown it knows how to use a player like that, based on Robbie Hummel's success.
Willis is obviously a unique talent, and the term 'unique' is being used appropriately there, because I'm not sure Purdue's ever seen anything like him. The possibility exists the Boilermakers could have a 6-foot-11 player with guard skills. He'll play the 4 in college.
But to your point, yes, there would certainly seem to be some value in finding some physicality to complement those guys, but Travis Carroll and Sandi Marcius shouldn't be forgotten about. Those are certainly players who'll throw their bodies around in the paint.
But yes, Wideman would seem like an ideal fit from that perspective as well.
Sometimes when you look at recruits, you should evaluate who they'll be playing with and how they fit.
Wideman's potential to be a big-time 'dirty-work' guy in college could make the skilled big men around him better, should be come to Purdue. Conversely, the skills of the players around him would then free up space for him to do his thing down low.
But Simpson and Willis could fit in very well as is from a talent perspective. With what Purdue does offensively, a lot of different people get opportunities to handle the ball, pass the ball and make decisions. Big men who can do those things create difficult matchups and Painter's proven to be pretty sharp when it comes to finding advantages to exploit.
Looking at Purdue on paper from an offensive standpoint, it would seem like a low-post scorer is something it could need.
Carroll, though, I think can be a real scoring threat for the Boilermakers in coming years and Simpson can be an outstanding back-to-the-basket player. He's shown an array of low-post offensive moves in AAU ball that belie his age. It just drives you nuts when he doesn't look to do it.
Question: Assuming Robbie Hummel is able to come back effectively, do you see D.J. Byrd being his backup, or potentially sliding over to the 3? I think he could be more effective as a 3, a position that more closely relates to his strengths.
Answer: I think it's very possible Byrd could see more time on the wing this season, allowing Purdue to play a little bigger in the frontcourt, but it will depend largely on his off-season. Byrd's ability to play on the perimeter, quite simply, comes down to defense.
If he shows he can guard a 3, which in college generally equates to a third guard, then it will certainly be an option. If he can't, then it probably won't be.
Byrd worked last off-season on this, recognizing the importance of it. As it turned out, Hummel's re-injury took the possibility of him playing more on the wing off the table, for all intents and purposes. Now, the possibility exists again.
After essentially playing guard in high school, Byrd played the 4 his first two seasons out of necessity as much as anything, but in a lot of ways, it's the position he best translated to at the college level.
He may be undersized in relation to the prototype but his mentality suits the position well and his skills do favor him in a lot of matchups. He gets a lot of good looks from the perimeter when guarded by bigger players. Certainly, he'd like to knock more of them down this season. I think there were times this past season, too, where you saw his ability to pass and make decisions really benefited Purdue.
This season, perhaps more than ever, even more than last season, could be matchup-driven. Last season, you saw Matt Painter deviate slightly from the way he'd probably prefer to do things and went with situational starting lineups.
That could be the case again this year. Byrd could be one of the key figures in that, because his experience, if nothing else, is going to be difficult to keep out of that starting five.
Question: I see a lot of Purdue recruits are getting invited to various high-profile combines and all-star events like the Nike Skills Academies? How big a deal is that?
Answer: It is a big deal in some cases; in others, it's really not.
Yeah, it's always a positive when your recruits get to play against great competition and get some high-level instruction, but considering the level of influence wielded by colleges and apparel companies in the selection process, it's not exactly like these guys in some cases are getting inducted into Springfield here.
But that said, with the level of player Purdue's been able to get, it's not like these guys need strings pulled to get recognized.
Ronnie Johnson, for example, got into NBA Camp on his own merits and Derek Willis certainly earned his place in the Nike Elite 100 event in St. Louis with an outstanding showing at the adidas May Classic. Those are events where the playing field is absolutely even for anybody to earn their way into.
Question: Just curious as to what's changed that now you think Purdue's a factor in Gary Harris' recruitment to make you say that we're now a factor. Did you get this impression from talking to him? others? Can you divulge any details of the information you received that changed your mind from a few months ago?
Answer: I don't know if all that much has changed really. Purdue was a non-factor for a good period of time with Harris because several scholarships were accepted early and it didn't look like there was going to be room for the Boilermakers to recruit anyone else.
But Purdue has been very aggressive in continuing to recruit the 2012 class and during the past year has made Harris a major emphasis and in so doing it's quietly become a contender for the blue-chip guard and Purdue legacy. Note the term 'contender.' No one's saying 'leader' or 'lock' so do not misunderstand.
Harris doesn't reveal much about recruiting, but he did make a pair of unofficial visits to Purdue during the season, and actions often say a lot. That was a pretty surreal environment that had to have had at least some effect on any recruit there.
I think Ronnie Johnson helps. Any time a top point guard and long-time peer goes to a school recruiting you, it could make that school a little more attractive.
And in general, Purdue just does make a lot of sense. Obviously there are long-standing ties there, though it remains to be seen whether that's any sort of lure for him.
But it is very close to home, a very successful program of late with a run of players who've thrived as freshmen.
Purdue emphasizes in recruiting the success its past players have had. E'Twaun Moore came to Purdue, started from Day 1 and left as one of the greatest scorers in school history. You can bet that’s been pointed out to Harris, who was at that Ohio State game when Moore went berserk against the No. 1 team in the country.
Harris will play immediately wherever he goes and probably be a star, but I don't think there's any question that for a high-character, defensive-minded player like Harris, the fit at Purdue would be ideal. But again, he'll fit in anywhere. He's too good.
Question: New Facilities ? you’ve touched on this in the past but in terms of what kids are saying when they first see them and in terms of initial reactions and the “Wow” factor ? are the facilities having this effect and has it been a deciding factor on a recruit coming here to your knowledge?
Answer: It's difficult to say anything other than they certainly can't hurt. Facilities are superficial draws, eye-catching amenities that capture attention. It's up to coaches to do a good enough job recruiting to keep that attention and turn it more substance-based. If a recruit is choosing a school primarily because of facilities, that might not end well.
But yes, the facilities Purdue will soon have will take a backseat to very few schools, if any, which as much as anything demonstrates a commitment to basketball on the school's part and sends the message that Purdue's program and players will have the resources needed to be successful. That, and they'll look cool, which never hurts, either, with teen-agers.
Whether the facilities have specifically landed a recruit, I wouldn't say so. Purdue landed most of its 2012 and 2013 commitments - there are now eight of them altogether - long before the facilities were even close to being finished.
In fact, when Purdue landed its first three 2012 recruits, there was barely even a shovel in the ground.
So the impact should be felt more in the future. But again, facilities should only be a piece of the puzzle in a recruit deciding what school to go. Relationships, style of play, opportunity, academics and proximity to home, to me anyway, would seem much more important than access to a really, really nice practice gym.
Every kid is different and every kid makes their decision for different reasons, but I can't imagine any of those eight recruits choosing Purdue specifically for the arena, or at least largely because of it. But it certainly didn't hurt.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
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We want to get every question answered, so what we're going to do is try to do this five questions at a time, starting today with five randomly picked questions.
We'll try to get everything else answered by the end of the week.
Part I ...
Question: Just how do you see the big man duties working out down the road with Jay Simpson and Derek Willis not necessarily being conventional bigs? Is it essential Purdue lands someone like Wideman to give us more of a true low post presence, or do you think Willis and Simpson could develop the necessary skills in the paint to demand double teams around the basket and free up shooters on the perimeter (as opposed to being camped out there themselves)?
Answer: It's difficult at this stage of both players' careers to really pigeon-hole them for college. Not sure I'd call them 'finesse' big men, but they are certainly both very skilled.
If Simpson turns it up as a rebounder, he's certainly got the body and physical attributes to play down low. That he can step out and shoot and handle is simply value added, and Purdue's shown it knows how to use a player like that, based on Robbie Hummel's success.
Willis is obviously a unique talent, and the term 'unique' is being used appropriately there, because I'm not sure Purdue's ever seen anything like him. The possibility exists the Boilermakers could have a 6-foot-11 player with guard skills. He'll play the 4 in college.
But to your point, yes, there would certainly seem to be some value in finding some physicality to complement those guys, but Travis Carroll and Sandi Marcius shouldn't be forgotten about. Those are certainly players who'll throw their bodies around in the paint.
But yes, Wideman would seem like an ideal fit from that perspective as well.
Sometimes when you look at recruits, you should evaluate who they'll be playing with and how they fit.
Wideman's potential to be a big-time 'dirty-work' guy in college could make the skilled big men around him better, should be come to Purdue. Conversely, the skills of the players around him would then free up space for him to do his thing down low.
But Simpson and Willis could fit in very well as is from a talent perspective. With what Purdue does offensively, a lot of different people get opportunities to handle the ball, pass the ball and make decisions. Big men who can do those things create difficult matchups and Painter's proven to be pretty sharp when it comes to finding advantages to exploit.
Looking at Purdue on paper from an offensive standpoint, it would seem like a low-post scorer is something it could need.
Carroll, though, I think can be a real scoring threat for the Boilermakers in coming years and Simpson can be an outstanding back-to-the-basket player. He's shown an array of low-post offensive moves in AAU ball that belie his age. It just drives you nuts when he doesn't look to do it.
Question: Assuming Robbie Hummel is able to come back effectively, do you see D.J. Byrd being his backup, or potentially sliding over to the 3? I think he could be more effective as a 3, a position that more closely relates to his strengths.
Answer: I think it's very possible Byrd could see more time on the wing this season, allowing Purdue to play a little bigger in the frontcourt, but it will depend largely on his off-season. Byrd's ability to play on the perimeter, quite simply, comes down to defense.
If he shows he can guard a 3, which in college generally equates to a third guard, then it will certainly be an option. If he can't, then it probably won't be.
Byrd worked last off-season on this, recognizing the importance of it. As it turned out, Hummel's re-injury took the possibility of him playing more on the wing off the table, for all intents and purposes. Now, the possibility exists again.
After essentially playing guard in high school, Byrd played the 4 his first two seasons out of necessity as much as anything, but in a lot of ways, it's the position he best translated to at the college level.
He may be undersized in relation to the prototype but his mentality suits the position well and his skills do favor him in a lot of matchups. He gets a lot of good looks from the perimeter when guarded by bigger players. Certainly, he'd like to knock more of them down this season. I think there were times this past season, too, where you saw his ability to pass and make decisions really benefited Purdue.
This season, perhaps more than ever, even more than last season, could be matchup-driven. Last season, you saw Matt Painter deviate slightly from the way he'd probably prefer to do things and went with situational starting lineups.
That could be the case again this year. Byrd could be one of the key figures in that, because his experience, if nothing else, is going to be difficult to keep out of that starting five.
Question: I see a lot of Purdue recruits are getting invited to various high-profile combines and all-star events like the Nike Skills Academies? How big a deal is that?
Answer: It is a big deal in some cases; in others, it's really not.
Yeah, it's always a positive when your recruits get to play against great competition and get some high-level instruction, but considering the level of influence wielded by colleges and apparel companies in the selection process, it's not exactly like these guys in some cases are getting inducted into Springfield here.
But that said, with the level of player Purdue's been able to get, it's not like these guys need strings pulled to get recognized.
Ronnie Johnson, for example, got into NBA Camp on his own merits and Derek Willis certainly earned his place in the Nike Elite 100 event in St. Louis with an outstanding showing at the adidas May Classic. Those are events where the playing field is absolutely even for anybody to earn their way into.
Question: Just curious as to what's changed that now you think Purdue's a factor in Gary Harris' recruitment to make you say that we're now a factor. Did you get this impression from talking to him? others? Can you divulge any details of the information you received that changed your mind from a few months ago?
Answer: I don't know if all that much has changed really. Purdue was a non-factor for a good period of time with Harris because several scholarships were accepted early and it didn't look like there was going to be room for the Boilermakers to recruit anyone else.
But Purdue has been very aggressive in continuing to recruit the 2012 class and during the past year has made Harris a major emphasis and in so doing it's quietly become a contender for the blue-chip guard and Purdue legacy. Note the term 'contender.' No one's saying 'leader' or 'lock' so do not misunderstand.
Harris doesn't reveal much about recruiting, but he did make a pair of unofficial visits to Purdue during the season, and actions often say a lot. That was a pretty surreal environment that had to have had at least some effect on any recruit there.
I think Ronnie Johnson helps. Any time a top point guard and long-time peer goes to a school recruiting you, it could make that school a little more attractive.
And in general, Purdue just does make a lot of sense. Obviously there are long-standing ties there, though it remains to be seen whether that's any sort of lure for him.
But it is very close to home, a very successful program of late with a run of players who've thrived as freshmen.
Purdue emphasizes in recruiting the success its past players have had. E'Twaun Moore came to Purdue, started from Day 1 and left as one of the greatest scorers in school history. You can bet that’s been pointed out to Harris, who was at that Ohio State game when Moore went berserk against the No. 1 team in the country.
Harris will play immediately wherever he goes and probably be a star, but I don't think there's any question that for a high-character, defensive-minded player like Harris, the fit at Purdue would be ideal. But again, he'll fit in anywhere. He's too good.
Question: New Facilities ? you’ve touched on this in the past but in terms of what kids are saying when they first see them and in terms of initial reactions and the “Wow” factor ? are the facilities having this effect and has it been a deciding factor on a recruit coming here to your knowledge?
Answer: It's difficult to say anything other than they certainly can't hurt. Facilities are superficial draws, eye-catching amenities that capture attention. It's up to coaches to do a good enough job recruiting to keep that attention and turn it more substance-based. If a recruit is choosing a school primarily because of facilities, that might not end well.
But yes, the facilities Purdue will soon have will take a backseat to very few schools, if any, which as much as anything demonstrates a commitment to basketball on the school's part and sends the message that Purdue's program and players will have the resources needed to be successful. That, and they'll look cool, which never hurts, either, with teen-agers.
Whether the facilities have specifically landed a recruit, I wouldn't say so. Purdue landed most of its 2012 and 2013 commitments - there are now eight of them altogether - long before the facilities were even close to being finished.
In fact, when Purdue landed its first three 2012 recruits, there was barely even a shovel in the ground.
So the impact should be felt more in the future. But again, facilities should only be a piece of the puzzle in a recruit deciding what school to go. Relationships, style of play, opportunity, academics and proximity to home, to me anyway, would seem much more important than access to a really, really nice practice gym.
Every kid is different and every kid makes their decision for different reasons, but I can't imagine any of those eight recruits choosing Purdue specifically for the arena, or at least largely because of it. But it certainly didn't hurt.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2011. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
Check out GoldandBlack.com on
