Welcome to this week's “BOILING OVER,” GoldandBlack.com’s weekly Ultimate Ticket information-clearinghouse and analysis column meant for our subscribers and our subscribers only.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping us keep what is sometimes delicate information confined to this message board.
We certainly don’t want it to come to this, but if there are problems, subscriptions have and will be canceled over this.
We know there are a lot of blogs out there and a lot of you are on Twitter and other message boards, and we don’t want to come off like Darth Vader here, but we would be doing all our subscribers a disservice if weren’t proactive about protecting the value of their subscription. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Additionally, we address recruiting 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. So again, we appreciate everyone's cooperation very much.
That means Xavier Simpson is headed someplace else. So is Te'Jon Lucas. Our guess is Purdue would have gotten one of those guys eventually - don't know which one - had the need remained unfilled.
That means Purdue's done with Maryland's Alani Moore, who didn't have an offer yet, but was planning a September official visit, and done with Michael Bibby, former NBA star Mike Bibby's son, who Purdue coaches have been working on for some time now to get involved with as another point guard option.
And it means Purdue is almost certainly done with the junior college route at point guard, where it had been laying the groundwork to potentially recruit Tyler J.C. guard Ronnie Stacy. Purdue had a connection there in that Greg Gary recruited Tyler coach Mike Marquis' son to Tulane years ago.
And it means that there are reasonable scenarios that could have Purdue being done recruiting for 2016, at least for the fall portion of it.
We doubt seriously that Purdue signs only one player early, but we will repeat: The only need was point guard; big man options are both limited and nationally recruited; late scholarship availability has proven tremendously valuable at Purdue lately; and the 2017 class is loaded.
Purdue can sign as many as three. It'll probably sign more than one, but it doesn't have to.
Purdue would like a big man. James Banks and Schnider Herard have offers and an audience with both top-100 players.
The other thing would be a wing if a good one can be found. Don't know of too many apparent A-list targets there so that may be a spot where Purdue is still playing the field. (BN)
It should be noted that there's some wildcard factors here that could alter the landscape some.
For one thing, redshirts.
If we had to lay money right now on whether or not freshman Ryan Cline will redshirt this season, we'd bet on him doing so, understanding that at this moment it is way too early to know anything with any certainty.
It's just that he is player that would be very agreeable to it - if not wanting to do it - with a support system around him that may even be pulling for it. In recruiting, the family actually talked of a desire to redshirt at various points, and you do not see that very often.
Now, if Cline emerges as a player Purdue needs to win games, he will play. But if it determines it is well set at the 2/3 with Dakota Mathias, Kendall Stephens, Rapheal Davis, Vince Edwards and whoever else might be in those buckets, then Matt Painter's stance on wasting players' freshman years for minimal gain has been made clear over the years, the Ryne Smith Principle, as we can call it.
It stands to reason to suggest that Mathias and Stephens should be well positioned to log the bulk of the minutes at the shooting guard position, and it is debatable whether Purdue would be wise to spend much time with any combination of Mathias, Stephens and Cline on the floor together defensively.
So, on paper right now, it looks like Cline may be expendable enough to redshirt, to give him a chance to develop his body. Learning is not an issue for him - he's taken to Purdue's offense, from what we're told like a duck to water, to use a terrible cliché - but he can stand to develop his body some.
The other consideration there might be point guard. Cline is thought to be able to factor into that position some against certain matchups. Probably not Minnesota or anyone who presses, but against opponents where he can walk it up and initiate an offense, he can do that.
If Purdue needs another option at the 1, then maybe that is considered also.
But again, redshirting makes a lot of sense for Cline and the luxury would seem to be there. But it's too easy.
The other wildcard, obviously, is Caleb Swanigan, who if all goes as planned will have early entry potential at some point. So Purdue will have to recruit for contingencies the same way it has been with A.J. Hammons. That's a pain in the neck, but a good problem to have because it means you have good players.
Anyway, we told you there was going to be a scholarship chart.
Finally, here's a scholarship chart.
(BN)
Things have changed some in the past week with the decommitments of Jacoby Hill and Jake Long, each of whom must be replaced now, but the number we keep hearing in terms of scholarship availability hasn't changed.
Eleven.
Even with those two back-outs, Purdue sits today with nine pledges, assuming all is as it seems with those we have down as being committed.
So, yeah, space is limited, to put it nicely, but this can't possibly be it. There has to be some wiggle room somewhere, some space likely to appear someplace.
Purdue needs defensive linemen above all else now, and will presumably want to replace Long in its class, taking into account Josh Hayes' uncertain academics, as far as we know. Corner is a huge need and the Boilermakers just lost one and may still have to fight to keep Brandon Shuman for all we know.
As for some of the other presumed needs out there - tight end, kicker, whatever else - we just don't see a whole lot of urgency at any position beside the D-line.
We do think Purdue may take another high school wide receiver and if Ohio's Terrance Landers gives reason to believe he's on the right track to qualify, they would be willing to take him.
When you look at a position like tight end, Purdue's need was now. Now that you look forward, you look at next year and see Cole Herdman - who could stand to see significant playing time this season - back, along with your two 2015 signees, Jess Trussell and Brycen Hopkins, as either redshirt freshmen, sophomores or some combination thereof.
If you are going to take one when scholarships are limited, you want an impact guy. They don't grow on trees and the A-list tight ends Purdue offered first are mostly committed elsewhere now.
Our guess is that position isn't an urgent need right now, but can become one this winter if Purdue doesn't like what it sees this fall from the young guys it has now. (BN)
Danny's younger brother has been a dominant offensive player for C.C. just like his older sibling. He doesn't have great size, but he is not tiny either. Purdue has looked at him as a wide receiver prospect, though corner would seem conceivable also.
Anthrop camped at Purdue in June in the middle of his high school baseball team's playoff run and got basically a private camp with OC John Shoop and receivers coach Gerad Parker.
Doubtful Purdue would try to pull him as a walk-on because he's good enough to get a scholarship somewhere for something, whether it's in football or certainly baseball, where he might be an even better prospect.
Something to watch, though.
Speaking of Anthrops … former Purdue basketball player Dru Anthrop has landed a gig as a student assistant coach at St. John's under Chris Mullin. He's been working for the Pacers in the video department but will get a chance to do some coaching while working on his graduate degree with the Red Storm program. (BN)
As you know, Miller went mostly underground during the recruiting process, then popped his head up just long enough to declare his commitment to Purdue, then quickly wiped away all mention of it from his social media, then went underground again. We have gotten indications of him being solid to Purdue and indications of him not being solid to Purdue at the same time, so not sure what to believe, but just FYI. (BN)
Banks could not have played this season had he returned to Mount Vernon Christian in Georgia because of an eligibility matter related to a prior transfer or something, can't remember.
Does the move to LaLumiere help Purdue?
Only in the sense that it might make it more reasonable for him to get to campus for a visit, though his uncle and family in general will presumably remain in Georgia, and the player is only part of the equation when it comes to visits.
Additionally, Purdue's coaches won't have to get on a plane this fall to watch Banks work out or do in-home visits with him, which can make them more efficient in their travel, for whatever that's worth. Fall recruiting travel isn't nearly the debacle July is, though, so that's not all that big a deal.
But it can't hurt anyone involved outside the Southeast for him to be leaving the Southeast.
Notre Dame is also very involved with Banks and probably isn't displeased to see him 45 minutes away now.
Banks has a family connection to Purdue in that one of his aunts is an alumnus and the player himself has talked about wanting to study engineering in college. (BN)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2015. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
Last edited:
