NEW CASTLE — a quick rundown of the Purdue-relevant players at Thursday's Hall of Fame Classic at New Castle Field House (i.e. my man cave for the day). Westfield won the event, with Boilermaker signee Braden Smith being named MVP.
Here are both of our video interviews with Smith from the day.
Once again, Smith is a gamer and a really high-level intangibles guy for his high school team, and he controlled games yesterday without even wanting to score. That sort of willingness to play for everyone else considering his status and ability has to be just an unbelievably productive thing for that team. It's uncommon for a player more than capable of getting 20 every game to be so eager to elevate the people around him that he's better than.
Smith is too unselfish at times, because he's one of those open-book sort of players where you can see what they're thinking, and it seems like nine times out of 10 when he was attacking off the dribble, he was doing so with the intention of kicking out for a three and dumping off to someone at the basket. He can be prone to "predetermined thoughts" at times, one of several Matt Painter Bingo cards that'll pertain to Smith during his college career, but his intent is disproportionately centered around others.
But the whole passing thing is just part of the value here. Smith's energy is tangible. His competitiveness is tangible. He celebrates teammates' success as his own. His aggressiveness sets the terms of play oftentimes, and I don't know how many Purdue recruits I've covered over the years who have such an ability to rise to the level of competition as he does. When he goes head to head with other high-level guards, he always shows up.
I don't think it's altogether accurate to call Smith "small." He's short, but he's not small. He's strong, well-put together and plays six inches taller than he is. On Thursday, he blocked 6-foot-11 Xavier Booker's shot behind, stole the ball from a 6-foot-5 guy who was posting him up, himself posted up a soon-to-be high-major college football player (Jaron Tibbs) and rebounded all day. Smith was a terror in passing lanes, as a good deal of his scoring over the two games yesterday came off pick-sixes.
He's just a real pain in the ass to play again, to be honest, and that's a pretty big compliment.
Smith's offensive value is going to increase considerably when he's surrounded by higher-level athletes and better talent and skill, guys who move at the same speed as him and consistently finish the opportunities he affords them.
That said, I think there are going to be significant areas where he is going to have to adjust to the college level.
For one thing, at the high school and grassroots level, he has been able to get really deep on his drives, draw crowds and leave his feet to pass. Those days are numbered. He is going to have to be able to play off two feet — Matt Painter Bingo — at the college level, against considerably more height and length than he sees now, though Cathedral has a college-sized front line.
Simple plays — Matt Painter Bingo — matter more in college and right now, he is prone sometimes to put a little too much on his passes or thread the needle a little too closely.
Purdue's offense has thrived the past however many years it's been with ball-movers more than playmakers as primary ball-handlers, but that's a blanket statement I'm making while needing to point out that Purdue hasn't had a point guard like Smith since probably Lewis Jackson.
I think Smith is really going to be able to help Purdue, and the intangibles he possesses jibe strongly with what historically works at this place.
I've now seen Fletcher Loyer play roughly, 1,863 times (give or take), so I'm not sure what there is more I can tell you here, but I think there's been some circumstances for him this season. I don't care what he says about the wrapped wrist yesterday not affecting him. It sure looked to me like it did, and considering how often he was messing around with the tape, if it didn't impact his delivery or whatever, sometimes that stuff can get in a player's head.
That said, Cathedral did a good job making him work. It has quickness, athleticism and depth enough to do, football player-type guys who are versatile enough to guard guards and a firm understanding that this year, slowly Loyer means severely crippling Homestead. Last year, he and Luke Goode were bookend weapons. They don't have that now. Grant Simmons was a good player, too. Andrew Leeper is a solid player, but as a front-line guy doesn't do much to alleviate pressure off the perimeter, and so Loyer is a marked man and one who gets held, grabbed, bumped and literally scratched and clawed coming off off-ball screens and stuff.
Obviously when you're a body type like Loyer's and when a defense has so much incentive to denying him space, he's going to have to deal with some physical grind. Better get used to it, because a year ago at this time, Michigan State and Wisconsin are coming for his kidneys.
Loyer's battled an ankle injury all season.
He's shooting 34 percent from three right now, down from close to 50 last season. That's largely attributable to him having to shoot more and to take more lower-percentage shots, but also the defensive focus on him and probably the ankle issue.
What people have to understand about high school shooting percentages, is that they do not translate proportionately. In high school, great shooters have to shoot too much and against too much defensive attention. In college, great shooters — theoretically — take fewer shots, and on average, much better shots.
What's impressed me this season about Loyer is how he's getting to the basket. How he's attacking the hard closeouts he's getting every time and burning them for runners or even getting all the way to the rim and finishing. He's always been crafty like that, but he's been especially so this season.
He's just a wonderful offensive player who's going to walk in the door ready-made to impact Purdue at that end of the floor right away. He's going to need to hang in there defensively best he can and be able to weather some physical abuse, but he will make Purdue a better offensive program from Day 1.
This was actually the best I've seen Xavier Booker play, as he shot the ball really well from three-point range — he has a great stroke — and made a few scoring plays around the basket that would seem like a must for any 6-11 player being recruited at the level he's being recruited at.
He has to be able to do more than shoot and handle for his size, because when you're that size and that's all you do, what's the real point of being that size, you know?
Booker is not going to exclusively be a center in college. He's not going to only play at the rim, but right now, he is still 6-11 and has not been much of a rim protector and is not the most productive rebounder in the world. Even if he's going to be a forward in college, it would suit him well to amp those areas up and continue to grow into more of a competitive motor.
He is very talented and he is very tall, long and coordinated, and those can't be overlooked, but he is the consummate case of why college coaches have to recruit players like him like they're finished products long before they are. Because if that light comes on and you're not already top of mind, then you're screwed, because you've just blown it with a pro.
Here are both of our video interviews with Smith from the day.
Once again, Smith is a gamer and a really high-level intangibles guy for his high school team, and he controlled games yesterday without even wanting to score. That sort of willingness to play for everyone else considering his status and ability has to be just an unbelievably productive thing for that team. It's uncommon for a player more than capable of getting 20 every game to be so eager to elevate the people around him that he's better than.
Smith is too unselfish at times, because he's one of those open-book sort of players where you can see what they're thinking, and it seems like nine times out of 10 when he was attacking off the dribble, he was doing so with the intention of kicking out for a three and dumping off to someone at the basket. He can be prone to "predetermined thoughts" at times, one of several Matt Painter Bingo cards that'll pertain to Smith during his college career, but his intent is disproportionately centered around others.
But the whole passing thing is just part of the value here. Smith's energy is tangible. His competitiveness is tangible. He celebrates teammates' success as his own. His aggressiveness sets the terms of play oftentimes, and I don't know how many Purdue recruits I've covered over the years who have such an ability to rise to the level of competition as he does. When he goes head to head with other high-level guards, he always shows up.
I don't think it's altogether accurate to call Smith "small." He's short, but he's not small. He's strong, well-put together and plays six inches taller than he is. On Thursday, he blocked 6-foot-11 Xavier Booker's shot behind, stole the ball from a 6-foot-5 guy who was posting him up, himself posted up a soon-to-be high-major college football player (Jaron Tibbs) and rebounded all day. Smith was a terror in passing lanes, as a good deal of his scoring over the two games yesterday came off pick-sixes.
He's just a real pain in the ass to play again, to be honest, and that's a pretty big compliment.
Smith's offensive value is going to increase considerably when he's surrounded by higher-level athletes and better talent and skill, guys who move at the same speed as him and consistently finish the opportunities he affords them.
That said, I think there are going to be significant areas where he is going to have to adjust to the college level.
For one thing, at the high school and grassroots level, he has been able to get really deep on his drives, draw crowds and leave his feet to pass. Those days are numbered. He is going to have to be able to play off two feet — Matt Painter Bingo — at the college level, against considerably more height and length than he sees now, though Cathedral has a college-sized front line.
Simple plays — Matt Painter Bingo — matter more in college and right now, he is prone sometimes to put a little too much on his passes or thread the needle a little too closely.
Purdue's offense has thrived the past however many years it's been with ball-movers more than playmakers as primary ball-handlers, but that's a blanket statement I'm making while needing to point out that Purdue hasn't had a point guard like Smith since probably Lewis Jackson.
I think Smith is really going to be able to help Purdue, and the intangibles he possesses jibe strongly with what historically works at this place.
I've now seen Fletcher Loyer play roughly, 1,863 times (give or take), so I'm not sure what there is more I can tell you here, but I think there's been some circumstances for him this season. I don't care what he says about the wrapped wrist yesterday not affecting him. It sure looked to me like it did, and considering how often he was messing around with the tape, if it didn't impact his delivery or whatever, sometimes that stuff can get in a player's head.
That said, Cathedral did a good job making him work. It has quickness, athleticism and depth enough to do, football player-type guys who are versatile enough to guard guards and a firm understanding that this year, slowly Loyer means severely crippling Homestead. Last year, he and Luke Goode were bookend weapons. They don't have that now. Grant Simmons was a good player, too. Andrew Leeper is a solid player, but as a front-line guy doesn't do much to alleviate pressure off the perimeter, and so Loyer is a marked man and one who gets held, grabbed, bumped and literally scratched and clawed coming off off-ball screens and stuff.
Obviously when you're a body type like Loyer's and when a defense has so much incentive to denying him space, he's going to have to deal with some physical grind. Better get used to it, because a year ago at this time, Michigan State and Wisconsin are coming for his kidneys.
Loyer's battled an ankle injury all season.
He's shooting 34 percent from three right now, down from close to 50 last season. That's largely attributable to him having to shoot more and to take more lower-percentage shots, but also the defensive focus on him and probably the ankle issue.
What people have to understand about high school shooting percentages, is that they do not translate proportionately. In high school, great shooters have to shoot too much and against too much defensive attention. In college, great shooters — theoretically — take fewer shots, and on average, much better shots.
What's impressed me this season about Loyer is how he's getting to the basket. How he's attacking the hard closeouts he's getting every time and burning them for runners or even getting all the way to the rim and finishing. He's always been crafty like that, but he's been especially so this season.
He's just a wonderful offensive player who's going to walk in the door ready-made to impact Purdue at that end of the floor right away. He's going to need to hang in there defensively best he can and be able to weather some physical abuse, but he will make Purdue a better offensive program from Day 1.
This was actually the best I've seen Xavier Booker play, as he shot the ball really well from three-point range — he has a great stroke — and made a few scoring plays around the basket that would seem like a must for any 6-11 player being recruited at the level he's being recruited at.
He has to be able to do more than shoot and handle for his size, because when you're that size and that's all you do, what's the real point of being that size, you know?
Booker is not going to exclusively be a center in college. He's not going to only play at the rim, but right now, he is still 6-11 and has not been much of a rim protector and is not the most productive rebounder in the world. Even if he's going to be a forward in college, it would suit him well to amp those areas up and continue to grow into more of a competitive motor.
He is very talented and he is very tall, long and coordinated, and those can't be overlooked, but he is the consummate case of why college coaches have to recruit players like him like they're finished products long before they are. Because if that light comes on and you're not already top of mind, then you're screwed, because you've just blown it with a pro.
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