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.