Any idea who Coach Painter is talking about?

[Ihaveswag29]

I was on the "we need a transfer train" for next year, but the past few games make me feel a little different.

I know the talent has been lower, but we've also changed how we played. We aren't relying on a strategy that can be easily killed with the hard hedge, but more have a motion offense that we had pre-edey. Also, the players are adjusting to having to play defense, where last year they didn't have to because Edey could just swallow everything. We also feel like a more complete team with Furst providing valuable minutes at the 5. Keep this same roster and have Jacobsen at the 5, I think we can compete.

 

[boilerzz]

Could Purdue benefit from a high level transfer? Of course. Does Purdue have to get a transfer to be a National Title contender? Nope.

The team we've seen the last 5 games is a fringe title contender. According to Bart Torvik, Purdue is the 3rd best team in the nation in 2025 (since the calendar turned). Does that mean we'll win the title or make the Final Four? Of course not. 1 seeds only make the Final Four about 40% of the time.

But if you take this team, get continued development (we are seeing the evolution of Harris, Cox and Burgess in season this year), lose only Furst and add Jacobsen, Benter and West, that team is absolutely talented enough to be a title contender.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Sure. If he wanted a little money it probably wouldn’t have mattered. If he wanted a promise to make more than Braden, for example, that would be a potential issue. The problem is that a majority of these transfers are treating it as free agency and looking to cash in with the highest bidder.

It is not a perfect example, but my understanding is that Rutgers used a majority of its NIL money to bring in its two superstar freshmen and was unable to keep its veterans as a result. Painter is prioritizing continuity and I think it’s absolutely the right approach that very few coaches are able to pull off. Again, I am not saying that Purdue should never take a transfer, but it is not a foundational strategy and is not going to be done at the expense of bringing back the important contributors on next year’s team.

People look at the Auburn game and assume that Purdue can’t compete with this approach, but Auburn is loaded this season and Purdue is kind of in a transition year and still a legitimate top 15 team. There’s a lot of talent on this roster with a lot of potential for growth and improvement, not to mention the 7’3” returning injured freshman and who gave us a glimpse of his tremendous potential.

And what happens when 4 teams are loaded next year in transfers and we have who we have? It doesn’t hurt to go get at least two guys who can help, and hell, spend some money on them. We hope cox, Colvin, Harris and Heide can all be great support next year and same with RB and DJ. But just in case, got get 2 guys that can help out immediately. What doesn’t hurt? Scholarships expand from 13-15 and schools can start paying kids directly. Why waste the Big 3s last year and not go all out?

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

I was on the "we need a transfer train" for next year, but the past few games make me feel a little different.

I know the talent has been lower, but we've also changed how we played. We aren't relying on a strategy that can be easily killed with the hard hedge, but more have a motion offense that we had pre-edey. Also, the players are adjusting to having to play defense, where last year they didn't have to because Edey could just swallow everything. We also feel like a more complete team with Furst providing valuable minutes at the 5. Keep this same roster and have Jacobsen at the 5, I think we can compete.

The strategy can be killed by 3s not falling and the head of the snake (smith) being cut off. At Oregon and vs Michigan at home (with their 2 headed 7 foot monster) will be great tests to see how this new lineup will compete against a lot better competition.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Could Purdue benefit from a high level transfer? Of course. Does Purdue have to get a transfer to be a National Title contender? Nope.

The team we've seen the last 5 games is a fringe title contender. According to Bart Torvik, Purdue is the 3rd best team in the nation in 2025 (since the calendar turned). Does that mean we'll win the title or make the Final Four? Of course not. 1 seeds only make the Final Four about 40% of the time.

But if you take this team, get continued development (we are seeing the evolution of Harris, Cox and Burgess in season this year), lose only Furst and add Jacobsen, Benter and West, that team is absolutely talented enough to be a title contender.

Hope you’re right if we don’t go to the portal but the teams we have played so far in 2025 aren’t that great. I believe in the big 3 and the development but it doesn’t hurt at all to go get 1-2 veteran guys who can give you decent mins when called on.

 

[qazplm]

Hope you’re right if we don’t go to the portal but the teams we have played so far in 2025 aren’t that great. I believe in the big 3 and the development but it doesn’t hurt at all to go get 1-2 veteran guys who can give you decent mins when called on.

Yep. No criticism for the success the last five games, kudos for everyone, great job, no notes, but let's not pretend it wasn't a drop in competition level and all problems are now solved. Gonna need to see how we are against Michigan, OSU, MSU, and Oregon (although I'm not fully convinced on them yet) and the like.

You need either massive talent or at least some luck to make the final four and you mitigate the latter with more talent.

I don't see a F4 team as is. I see a team that definitely is Sweet 16 worthy with a decent shot at an Elite 8 if everything falls into place (which isn't by any means guaranteed) but unless everyone develops and no one regresses or plateaus (and that's a pretty unreasonable expectation), then yeah this team needs a little more to consistently compete at the F4 level.

 

[qazplm]

Sure. If he wanted a little money it probably wouldn’t have mattered. If he wanted a promise to make more than Braden, for example, that would be a potential issue. The problem is that a majority of these transfers are treating it as free agency and looking to cash in with the highest bidder.

It is not a perfect example, but my understanding is that Rutgers used a majority of its NIL money to bring in its two superstar freshmen and was unable to keep its veterans as a result. Painter is prioritizing continuity and I think it’s absolutely the right approach that very few coaches are able to pull off. Again, I am not saying that Purdue should never take a transfer, but it is not a foundational strategy and is not going to be done at the expense of bringing back the important contributors on next year’s team.

People look at the Auburn game and assume that Purdue can’t compete with this approach, but Auburn is loaded this season and Purdue is kind of in a transition year and still a legitimate top 15 team. There’s a lot of talent on this roster with a lot of potential for growth and improvement, not to mention the 7’3” returning injured freshman and who gave us a glimpse of his tremendous potential.

It is free agency so treating it like such isn't a problem. Neither is cashing in with the highest bidder. The question is more are they worth it. Some are, some aren't.

So let's say Zach Edey unknowingly got into a transporter accident and created a second version of himself after his junior year. That version has now been found and has college eligibility left and wants to come to Purdue but wants 500k.

We say no?

Obviously you don't throw money at anyone. Obviously you go for someone who fits the culture and fills a need. No one here is proposing we just toss dollars at whomever. No one is even proposing going after superstars. Everyone I've seen is talking about one or two players who can come in and fill gaps. Another athletic big or Jones type player.

 

[proudopete]

And what happens when 4 teams are loaded next year in transfers and we have who we have? It doesn’t hurt to go get at least two guys who can help, and hell, spend some money on them. We hope cox, Colvin, Harris and Heide can all be great support next year and same with RB and DJ. But just in case, got get 2 guys that can help out immediately. What doesn’t hurt? Scholarships expand from 13-15 and schools can start paying kids directly. Why waste the Big 3s last year and not go all out?

I think Painters opinion on portal guys is that he wants those minutes to go to the guys who are loyal to the team so they can develop. Having said that, I could see him grabbing one guy out of the portal but it would have to be a guy who he trusts and that can be accepted by the team. I do not see him going after two guys and “spending money on them” isn’t gonna happen.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Yep. No criticism for the success the last five games, kudos for everyone, great job, no notes, but let's not pretend it wasn't a drop in competition level and all problems are now solved. Gonna need to see how we are against Michigan, OSU, MSU, and Oregon (although I'm not fully convinced on them yet) and the like.

You need either massive talent or at least some luck to make the final four and you mitigate the latter with more talent.

I don't see a F4 team as is. I see a team that definitely is Sweet 16 worthy with a decent shot at an Elite 8 if everything falls into place (which isn't by any means guaranteed) but unless everyone develops and no one regresses or plateaus (and that's a pretty unreasonable expectation), then yeah this team needs a little more to consistently compete at the F4 level.

Yeah not sure in Oregon but still the road games in B1G are tough and they have talent. I hope we don’t slip at Washington.

I think ceiling is F4 (but things have to break perfectly and I think it’s a very low chance). If we can get to the S16 in Midwest bracket Indy, I think we have a legit shot to beat a 1-4 seed and get to the E8 tho. I’m prob just daydreaming haha. But agree to everything for F4 next year (you have convinced me enough throughout the last month, as well as seeing the competition and how we reacted to it).

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

I think Painters opinion on portal guys is that he wants those minutes to go to the guys who are loyal to the team so they can develop. Having said that, I could see him grabbing one guy out of the portal but it would have to be a guy who he trusts and that can be accepted by the team. I do not see him going after two guys and “spending money on them” isn’t gonna happen.

Agreed about how paint does things but if we don’t go all out for one of the bets classes we have ever had with two of the best backcourt mates/best PG in our history, I believe we will all be sayin “what if”.

 

[boilerzz]

Hope you’re right if we don’t go to the portal but the teams we have played so far in 2025 aren’t that great. I believe in the big 3 and the development but it doesn’t hurt at all to go get 1-2 veteran guys who can give you decent mins when called on.

Again, as I said, of course it doesn't hurt (unless it disrupts chemistry which we've seen quite a bit in college basketball the last couple of years). But I'm nowhere near ready to say it's a necessity. Hell, it's only January.

 

[tjreese]

Again, as I said, of course it doesn't hurt (unless it disrupts chemistry which we've seen quite a bit in college basketball the last couple of years). But I'm nowhere near ready to say it's a necessity. Hell, it's only January.

This team is substantially better than the team that loss games. Not going to say they can beat Auburn if Auburn doesn't have a bad game, but could win the other games. I think the things that Caleb AND CJ bring fill in some voids in this team. Have they arrived? No, but they are playing better and we are starting to see the freshmen start to get it. Next year Jacobson will help, but he will be a freshmen essentially and he will have some learning experiences happen. Now if Myles and Cam can show some more improvement (starting to see Cam put it on the floor a little to pull in the D) that will also improve the team.

Now as a shocker and no I'm not drunk. I see this team with a higher ceiling than last year. I also see this team with a lower floor than last year and the average being lower. The 3 pt shooters on this team "potentially" in a given game raise the ceiling...that just isn't the normality of the team. Zach allowed that consistent scoring no matter what the other team did typically, but his consistency shooting twos can't match the unlikely event of this team being hot behind the arc. Last year's team would beat this years team most the time, but if this years team plays at a magic level (borrowing from Gene) it can be very good.

Bottom line nobody can access what if anything Purdue needs next year and I know that the coaches with all the work they put in want to win the final game of a season as well and the portal one way or another will have all their work and desires going into the decision deeper than what we know. Matt has shown he will grab portal players when he thinks they can help. We shall see what happens in a few months. Personally, I'm guessing he may take one...maybe two, but more confident (not most , but more) in one player and believe it will be a 4 or 5 and I think that can swing with either position depending on the particular skill set a 4 or 5 have.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

This team is substantially better than the team that loss games. Not going to say they can beat Auburn if Auburn doesn't have a bad game, but could win the other games. I think the things that Caleb AND CJ bring fill in some voids in this team. Have they arrived? No, but they are playing better and we are starting to see the freshmen start to get it. Next year Jacobson will help, but he will be a freshmen essentially and he will have some learning experiences happen. Now if Myles and Cam can show some more improvement (starting to see Cam put it on the floor a little to pull in the D) that will also improve the team.

Now as a shocker and no I'm not drunk. I see this team with a higher ceiling than last year. I also see this team with a lower floor than last year and the average being lower. The 3 pt shooters on this team "potentially" in a given game raise the ceiling...that just isn't the normality of the team. Zach allowed that consistent scoring no matter what the other team did typically, but his consistency shooting twos can't match the unlikely event of this team being hot behind the arc. Last year's team would beat this years team most the time, but if this years team plays at a magic level (borrowing from Gene) it can be very good.

Bottom line nobody can access what if anything Purdue needs next year and I know that the coaches with all the work they put in want to win the final game of a season as well and the portal one way or another will have all their work and desires going into the decision deeper than what we know. Matt has shown he will grab portal players when he thinks they can help. We shall see what happens in a few months. Personally, I'm guessing he may take one...maybe two, but more confident (not most , but more) in one player and believe it will be a 4 or 5 and I think that can swing with either position depending on the particular skill set a 4 or 5 have.

So tj, you’re saying if their ceiling is higher than last years, you think…. 😃

If they get hot in the tourney and hit 50% from 3 and limit TOs…anything is possible I suppose! I’m hoping for a second weekend this year in Indy and then anything from there would be magical.

 

[tjreese]

So tj, you’re saying if their ceiling is higher than last years, you think…. 😃

If they get hot in the tourney and hit 50% from 3 and limit TOs…anything is possible I suppose! I’m hoping for a second weekend this year in Indy and then anything from there would be magical.

I would take last years team at this time, but this team could if everything fell in place could beat a team considered much better. The higher ceiling and lower floor tell the variation in their potential play and the 3 ball has a lot to do with that. Many of the players from last year have another year...and the freshmen are starting to come on. By the same token...if shots are not falling a decent percent a good team can beat them whereas last year...Zach was always a bail out at closing time when things didn't work out to score two or get fouled...as well as forcing the other team into more threes and mid range where they might miss as well. Just saying, if this team gets hot...watch out, but the consistency of last years team is hard to beat.

 

[pubill]

Sure it's a good roster. That doesn't make it a final four roster. I agree we should add more. A day like today when the opponent provides almost no resistance shows this team has a very high skill level, no doubt.

Other games have showed we struggle when other teams have athletic guards that get into you.

The truth is in the middle, which still makes this a good team, but it could use another Jones like addition.

Cox is better than Jones for sure by next year.

 

[BoilerAndy]

I don’t think so with everyone getting a year older and DJ back. This is a good roster. It just needs to get older.

That is Painter's approach. One of the popular comments here is, "Painter can always upgrade with the portal." My take is that he knows who he's got, who he has coming in as recruits, and who is realistically available to him in the portal. portal. He may simply decide that the players that are realistically available to Purdue are not upgrades to who he's got and who he has coming in.

 

[02BoilerUp]

I was on the "we need a transfer train" for next year, but the past few games make me feel a little different.

I know the talent has been lower, but we've also changed how we played. We aren't relying on a strategy that can be easily killed with the hard hedge, but more have a motion offense that we had pre-edey. Also, the players are adjusting to having to play defense, where last year they didn't have to because Edey could just swallow everything. We also feel like a more complete team with Furst providing valuable minutes at the 5. Keep this same roster and have Jacobsen at the 5, I think we can compete.

Also will have Benter who is a very good shooter, but may not have a chance at many mins next yr if everybody returns. West will likely redshirt. I don't really see how he could get mins at guard next year whatsoever.

 

[northside100]

That is Painter's approach. One of the popular comments here is, "Painter can always upgrade with the portal." My take is that he knows who he's got, who he has coming in as recruits, and who is realistically available to him in the portal. portal. He may simply decide that the players that are realistically available to Purdue are not upgrades to who he's got and who he has coming in.

You nailed it. Everyone is so anxious to say MP needs to hit the portal or doesn’t. There’s time to evaluate needs and then MP and staff will evaluate those needs versus what they can get. Matt isn’t going to sell his soul but he knows what the stakes are and how to play this game.

 

[BoilerAndy]

It is free agency so treating it like such isn't a problem. Neither is cashing in with the highest bidder. The question is more are they worth it. Some are, some aren't.

So let's say Zach Edey unknowingly got into a transporter accident and created a second version of himself after his junior year. That version has now been found and has college eligibility left and wants to come to Purdue but wants 500k.

We say no?

Obviously you don't throw money at anyone. Obviously you go for someone who fits the culture and fills a need. No one here is proposing we just toss dollars at whomever. No one is even proposing going after superstars. Everyone I've seen is talking about one or two players who can come in and fill gaps. Another athletic big or Jones type player.

A generational player says he wants to come to Purdue for a fraction of his worth?