Photo: Purdue
With Purdue basketball set to officially open preseason practice on Oct. 14, we are keeping busy with a series making projections on each of Purdue's scholarship players, keeping in mind that we are basing such things off less than ever because of this bizarro world off-season. Please keep in mind that more in unknown — to people like us and maybe even to coaches and such — than ever before heading into a season.
Anyway, we continue today with Mason Gillis, one of Purdue's two redshirt freshmen..
Prior Editions: Trevion Williams | Eric Hunter | Aaron Wheeler | Sasha Stefanovic | Isaiah Thompson | Emmanuel Dowuona | Ethan Morton | Jaden Ivey | Brandon Newman
The point in his career
Gillis comes out of redshirt having not played a formal competitive game in a couple years, since he missed his senior season and the spring preceded it due to a knee injury and then redshirted last season. Needless to say, he's eager, and he has particular reason to be this season, because opportunity comes quick, as he and Aaron Wheeler are really Purdue's only two true forwards, a spot that's wide open. Gillis has battled some off-season health challenges unrelated to his knee and Painter said recently he dealt with some conditioning issues. How quickly he can get past that will be important, but he'll play for Purdue this season, for sure.
Projected role
Gillis and Wheeler will compete for that forward spot, with Wheeler's experience maybe giving him an advantage to start with, but at worst, one would think a timeshare might very much be in the making if Gillis fares OK in the preseason. The two players are distinctly different, the one common bond being that can both make threes, though Wheeler struggled last season, and Gillis is unproven thus far, and that could create a situation where matchups or the 'hot hand' may loom large over the rotation at forward. Game situations, too, could compel Purdue to play four guards. But Gillis is a safe bet for a spot in Purdue's rotation.
Best case scenario
Gillis is regarded around the program as a really high-effort player, a tough player and an emerging leader, and providing all those factors would be part of his best case scenario for him right away. Teammates have called him one of Purdue's best rebounders. One actually called him Purdue's best rebounder, but I should qualify that by saying I'm not sure whether that player meant 'beside Trevion Williams.' Gillis is strong as hell, active and energized, and those things showing up, as well as him being able to make open threes, could make him a really important player for Purdue. Staying healthy all season goes without saying.
Worst case scenario
Worst case might just involve his health, on any front. If anything occurs that would hold him back in terms of his effort level or simply how much he can play at the level he wants to play, that would be a concern. Tenacity is going to be central to his value, and it stands to reason to suggest that would correlate to health and conditioning. Gillis is not a 6-10. He's going to have to harder and faster than bigger people, and that will be hard if there are any limitations at play. Consistency as a shooter is also important for both Gillis and Wheeler alike, and struggles for either or both would be part of their worst cases, because Purdue would like to spread the floor, obviously.
Reasonable expectations
There's probably a wide range of outcomes here, more of them positive than not, but still a wide range. I wish I knew more about the conditioning issue but I think if he's totally healthy and full-go, Gillis is a lot of exactly what Purdue needs from an effort and tenacity perspective and maybe sort of an Evan Boudreaux 2.0 in that sense because of the effort and ability to make threes from the 4. We'll see.
