1. How much does Purdue’s NCAA Tournament run help it?
It wasn’t that Purdue reached the Elite Eight that could matter in recruiting this cycle, but how. The Boilermakers played, and ultimately lost, unforgettably, and because of it, they were the talk of the college basketball world at times during March. To put it one way, Purdue’s probably never been cooler that it is right now.
2. Did Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline change perception?
As Purdue’s built teams around outstanding big men lately, there’s been this perception — and rival recruiters have been happy to breath life into it — that Purdue isn’t a place for guards. Matt Painter will tell you he builds teams around his best players, regardless of position, and nearly 20 years of results back him up, none more so than this year, when the Boilermakers were as guard-oriented as can be, and it wasn’t just Carsen Edwards and the infinite freedom he enjoyed, but Ryan Cline, too.
3. How much do the new early official visits matter?
Purdue had six primo targets on campus already for early official visits. This is new, so what’s it all mean? Obviously, it’s a clear reflection of legitimate interest on the ground floor of the recruiting process, but does it now compel those players to not return for repeat official visits as seniors, as is now permissible? Peaking too early in recruiting is real, and visit experiences can fade over time, especially when they’re so early. Thus, the importance, probably, of the senior-year visit, too. There’s no red flags here from Purdue’s perspective, just something new that there’s no real frame of reference on nationally.
4. Does Purdue take a center?
With one more year of Matt Haarms, two more of Trevion Williams and three more of Emmanuel Dowuona after this season to come — does, or can, Purdue take a center? The guess here is yes it can, but whether it does, that center’s name might have to be Hunter Dickinson.
5. Does Purdue’s M.O. in recruiting matter in a changing landscape?
Under Matt Painter, Purdue has always put a great deal of emphasis on recruiting in-season, on seeing players with their high school teams. That’s not easy to do, but that’s been Purdue’s commitment under Painter, who probably travels to recruit in-season as much as any head coach in college basketball.
The spring and summer evaluation periods are different now, and there’s only one weekend in the spring, followed by a June scene that no one really knows what to make of, followed by a different sort of July, does the team that got out more to see more players during the season have any sort of advantage? Doubtful, but it’s a point worth raising.
Painter’s seen dozens of players over the years more than anyone else, and it’s probably not yielded a distinct advantage on the front end of the recruiting process, in terms of getting the player.
It wasn’t that Purdue reached the Elite Eight that could matter in recruiting this cycle, but how. The Boilermakers played, and ultimately lost, unforgettably, and because of it, they were the talk of the college basketball world at times during March. To put it one way, Purdue’s probably never been cooler that it is right now.
2. Did Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline change perception?
As Purdue’s built teams around outstanding big men lately, there’s been this perception — and rival recruiters have been happy to breath life into it — that Purdue isn’t a place for guards. Matt Painter will tell you he builds teams around his best players, regardless of position, and nearly 20 years of results back him up, none more so than this year, when the Boilermakers were as guard-oriented as can be, and it wasn’t just Carsen Edwards and the infinite freedom he enjoyed, but Ryan Cline, too.
3. How much do the new early official visits matter?
Purdue had six primo targets on campus already for early official visits. This is new, so what’s it all mean? Obviously, it’s a clear reflection of legitimate interest on the ground floor of the recruiting process, but does it now compel those players to not return for repeat official visits as seniors, as is now permissible? Peaking too early in recruiting is real, and visit experiences can fade over time, especially when they’re so early. Thus, the importance, probably, of the senior-year visit, too. There’s no red flags here from Purdue’s perspective, just something new that there’s no real frame of reference on nationally.
4. Does Purdue take a center?
With one more year of Matt Haarms, two more of Trevion Williams and three more of Emmanuel Dowuona after this season to come — does, or can, Purdue take a center? The guess here is yes it can, but whether it does, that center’s name might have to be Hunter Dickinson.
5. Does Purdue’s M.O. in recruiting matter in a changing landscape?
Under Matt Painter, Purdue has always put a great deal of emphasis on recruiting in-season, on seeing players with their high school teams. That’s not easy to do, but that’s been Purdue’s commitment under Painter, who probably travels to recruit in-season as much as any head coach in college basketball.
The spring and summer evaluation periods are different now, and there’s only one weekend in the spring, followed by a June scene that no one really knows what to make of, followed by a different sort of July, does the team that got out more to see more players during the season have any sort of advantage? Doubtful, but it’s a point worth raising.
Painter’s seen dozens of players over the years more than anyone else, and it’s probably not yielded a distinct advantage on the front end of the recruiting process, in terms of getting the player.
