Somewhere, S.C. - Here's some information and news, really, about Purdue Class of 2017 targets.
• Nate Pierre-Louis, who we really haven't covered, is a legitimate Purdue target and may be a player they have a great chance to get. He will officially visit in August, a piece of info confirmed by our Vanderbilt site in a recent interview.
He is a combo guard, largely the same as Nojel Eastern from a categorical perspective.
SMU has been involved but the Larry Brown yesterday may have deep-sixed them. Seton Hall is neay-by. We'll see if that matters. Otherwise, Purdue and Vanderbilt are clear contenders, and he's a player we're pretty sure Purdue would take if he wanted to commit now (which he won't, because he hasn't made any official visits yet).
(Kelly Kline/Under Armour)
• We'd like to keep this out of the mainstream because it's sort of homefront-related and thus personal (and we'd politely ask you all to help us do so by not putting it anywhere), but Jaren Jackson's mother has left her job at the NCAA and taken a job on the East Coast. Editorializing, this can't possibly help Purdue, because "close to home" is a selling point and now "home" may be a moving target.
Matt Painter, though, did make a significant impression with his week-plus spent following Jackson in Spain. None of the other head coaches recruiting him went overseas to recruit him, let alone stayed the entire time. Not sure about assistant coaches.
To be clear: There is a rule that provides permission for coaches to attend certain USA Basketball competition and events for recruiting purposes, even if it's outside the NCAA's evaluation windows. Painter obviously has a role with USA Basketball, but his primary reason for being over there was Jackson.
But anyway, back to Jackson. If "home" does move east, that would presumably work to at least some degree in the favor of Maryland. At least that stands to reason to suggest.
• Xavier Tillman is at least as of now scheduled to visit on the last weekend of August officially, but may make an unofficial, too, for one of Purdue's pre-Spain practices.
Purdue will not have an elite camp this year because of scheduling issues with the exhibition trip and whatever else, but those practices can make for a really valuable recruiting opportunity too, because August is big for unofficial visits and actual practices are not something recruits often see on visits that time of year.
August is going to be busy for Purdue in recruiting, because we'd think they'd get several official visits that month: Tillman, Pierre Louis, and assuming they get a visit from Kyle Young, he sounds like he wants to get into this process quickly to get it over with quickly.
• Evan Battey is going to be in Milwaukee this week. Purdue, including Painter, will see him there. If he plays well, don't be surprised to see him get an offer. (Our opinion.)
Painter's really emphasized skill lately in recruiting and best we can tell, Battey is the most skilled offensively of the rugged frontcourt types Purdue has offered, which is to say Tillman, Theo John and Isiah Jasey. We'd view Jackson and Malik Williams differently.
Theo John and Nojel Eastern should be in Milwaukee, as well, barring any last-second call-ups to Nike's academy scene.
• Nate Pierre-Louis, who we really haven't covered, is a legitimate Purdue target and may be a player they have a great chance to get. He will officially visit in August, a piece of info confirmed by our Vanderbilt site in a recent interview.
He is a combo guard, largely the same as Nojel Eastern from a categorical perspective.
SMU has been involved but the Larry Brown yesterday may have deep-sixed them. Seton Hall is neay-by. We'll see if that matters. Otherwise, Purdue and Vanderbilt are clear contenders, and he's a player we're pretty sure Purdue would take if he wanted to commit now (which he won't, because he hasn't made any official visits yet).
(Kelly Kline/Under Armour)
• We'd like to keep this out of the mainstream because it's sort of homefront-related and thus personal (and we'd politely ask you all to help us do so by not putting it anywhere), but Jaren Jackson's mother has left her job at the NCAA and taken a job on the East Coast. Editorializing, this can't possibly help Purdue, because "close to home" is a selling point and now "home" may be a moving target.
Matt Painter, though, did make a significant impression with his week-plus spent following Jackson in Spain. None of the other head coaches recruiting him went overseas to recruit him, let alone stayed the entire time. Not sure about assistant coaches.
To be clear: There is a rule that provides permission for coaches to attend certain USA Basketball competition and events for recruiting purposes, even if it's outside the NCAA's evaluation windows. Painter obviously has a role with USA Basketball, but his primary reason for being over there was Jackson.
But anyway, back to Jackson. If "home" does move east, that would presumably work to at least some degree in the favor of Maryland. At least that stands to reason to suggest.
• Xavier Tillman is at least as of now scheduled to visit on the last weekend of August officially, but may make an unofficial, too, for one of Purdue's pre-Spain practices.
Purdue will not have an elite camp this year because of scheduling issues with the exhibition trip and whatever else, but those practices can make for a really valuable recruiting opportunity too, because August is big for unofficial visits and actual practices are not something recruits often see on visits that time of year.
August is going to be busy for Purdue in recruiting, because we'd think they'd get several official visits that month: Tillman, Pierre Louis, and assuming they get a visit from Kyle Young, he sounds like he wants to get into this process quickly to get it over with quickly.
• Evan Battey is going to be in Milwaukee this week. Purdue, including Painter, will see him there. If he plays well, don't be surprised to see him get an offer. (Our opinion.)
Painter's really emphasized skill lately in recruiting and best we can tell, Battey is the most skilled offensively of the rugged frontcourt types Purdue has offered, which is to say Tillman, Theo John and Isiah Jasey. We'd view Jackson and Malik Williams differently.
Theo John and Nojel Eastern should be in Milwaukee, as well, barring any last-second call-ups to Nike's academy scene.
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