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Welcome to this week's “BOILING OVER,” GoldandBlack.com’s weekly information-clearinghouse and analysis column meant for our site members and site members only. We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping us keep what is sometimes delicate or proprietary information confined to this message board. This feature allows us to be more flexible in our reporting, to our readers' benefit, and we lose that ability if we can't keep this feature secure and the value of our site's membership at its peak. Additionally, we address recruiting and hiring processes in-depth and often without filter in this feature and we do it behind a subscription-protected barrier for a reason, in hopes of avoiding situations where our reporting can impact the recruiting process, which can happen occasionally.
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PURDUE BASKETBALL RECRUITING
With two 2024 commitments now after Kanon Catchings joined Jack Benter in Purdue's class, the Boilermaker coaching staff now hosts two more targets this weekend, as point guard target Travis Perry makes what might be a quick official visit (because of some golf obligations) and big man Raleigh Burgess makes an unofficial on Saturday.
(Possible that grassroots teammate Flory Bidunga shows up, as well, after he originally planned to visit last week. We'll see.)
Anyway ...
Perry and Burgess both have offers and are established targets In positional categories that seem like needs for Purdue — point guard and the post, respectively — even though Purdue may now suddenly be In a mode where they're in no hurry to fill that class, due to scholarship uncertainty and the sheer early-ness of all this. Probably a moot point since these aren't players likely to commit any time soon, nor is recent visitor Gicarri Harris, another guard target.
Again, these are long-haul-type recruitments, as Purdue's already gotten the two players who were likely to be early commitments, with Catchings and Benter giving them a good amount of skill and versatility and no real redundancy between them.
It's an absolute must for Purdue to sign a ball-handler, both in the 2024 class and probably off the transfer wire in the spring, to help next year.
As much of a need as center would be in 2024, Purdue's biggest need figures to be that guard spot, though again, time's on the Boilermakers' side here, and you never know what comes up in the spring. Thus the element where you are just in no hurry to fill up now.
The center search at this early juncture centers, no pun intended, are Burgess and South Dakota's JT Rock, who has committed to make an official visit to Purdue during the basketball season.
• Harris told us after his Purdue visit that he'll now make an unofficial to Georgia and officials to Auburn (if not an unofficial) and Stanford (definitely an official).
Long way to go on that one, but every indication is that the visit went really well. (BN)
PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Purdue's going to have another slew of unofficial visitors in for the Indiana State game, including a delegation from Douglass High School in Lexington, notably defensive backs Terrion Hicks and Jeremiah Lowe and offensive lineman Demeco Kennedy.
Arty Bryant, a 2024 defensive lineman from Carmel, is supposed to come. He's one of a couple of younger guys at Carmel that Mark Hagen's been hitting John Hebert up about. Hamilton Southeastern offensive lineman Styles Prescod and Westfield defensive lineman William Goodvine are visiting as well. Prescod already has Cincinnati, Indiana and West Virginia offers, among others.
Other In-state guys: Avon offensive lineman Zach Bamdy and NorthWood wide receiver NiTareon Tuggle.
Some others: Wisconsin linebacker Sam Pilof and Ohio DB Leo Colombi.
Pilof already holds Penn State and Wisconsin offers among others.
Bunch of commitments coming, as well, per usual. (BN)
PURDUE BASKETBALL
Just to try to be clear here, our understanding remains that every member of Purdue's basketball has been "fully cleared" for full participation in practice, including Brian Waddell. A reminder though that full clearance does not necessarily mean that every player Is treated the same and there have been some Indications that Waddell may be eased back into the heavy stuff and that he must regain some confidence In his knee, per his own admission.
Here's our video interview with him from last week, which will be part of a larger story at some point probably next week.
PURDUE FOOTBALL RECRUITING
Tomorrow night, we'll be covering tight end commitment George Burhenn's game against New Palestine. Stay tuned.
