Saturday morning's offer to Grant Weatherford, and his subsequent acceptance, means the following for Purdue:
It is a crystal clear indication again that Matt Painter believes the road map back to winning like Purdue has become accustomed is paved with the most basic elements, things like toughness, effort, unselfishness and investment. Those are characteristics Weatherford should bring in abundance.
Beyond that, it's clear, and make no mistake about this, please: Purdue is not done recruiting point guards.
It has not come this far with players like Jalen Brunson and Glynn Watson to politely excuse itself from both recruitments long before either player has so much as made a decision-minded visit to a college campus. Purdue will keep recruiting both players to the very end, in addition to big men, in what is now looking like a class in which it is willing to sign four if it can get them.
Weatherford is technically a point guard, but a player whose impact on games would not be a positional thing. It would be intangible.
He was not recruited as much to run an offense as much as he was to disrupt one. He was not recruited as much to make shots as he was to deny them. He might play point guard on paper, but again, his value is projected to be in different areas than typical point guard-ish stuff.
There is some surprise here Purdue moved as quickly as it did on Weatherford, but it was not a decision made on a whim, nor was it a "Plan B" situation.
For one thing, you can't get to Plan Bs until Plan As have done something. Additionally, July isn't as much about finding Plan B as it is finding more of Plan A.
Anyway, digression takes hold.
Weatherford is a garbage man, and that's a good thing.
From what we saw in July, it's hard to gauge his shooting, because he didn't do much of it. When Ryan Cline and Kyle Guy are flanking you, that phase of the game is well accounted for. So ask me if Weatherford can shoot and I say, I don't know. Doesn't mean he can't.
Is Weatherford quick? Well, he is strong and aggressive off the dribble when he has to be, and that goes a long way for a player that looks quick enough for a guy built like a weak-side linebacker. At least it did at the adidas Invitational, where a lot of will was propelling him to the basket in big moments.
Is he a great athlete? He's not bad.
Is he a competitor? Absolutely. People say AAU has dulled kids' competitive edge. It hasn't touched Weatherford's, as was very clear this summer, especially at the adidas Invitational, the title game being his watershed moment and the game that got the ball rolling toward a Purdue offer.
Ryan Cline helped, but really it was Weatherford that carried Indiana Elite past Eric Gordon Central Stars - winner of 18 straight prior to that - in a tournament that IE played without three of its best players, including its normal primary ball-handlers in Hyron Edwards and Kyle Guy. The ball was in Weatherford's hands with the game on the line, and every play he made was either a big one or at least the right one.
You can say such things about a lot of players, though, and that doesn't mean they're Big Ten-worthy.
But no one knows Purdue's needs better than Purdue, and right now, there aren't many that know Weatherford better than Purdue. Per Weatherford, Purdue called his high school coach "every day" in July. After two assistant coaches saw him play that Invitational title game, Purdue had the whole rest of the month to watch him.
Individual comparisons are always inherently flawed, but generally speaking, by recruiting Weatherford, Purdue is trying to replicate the story of another in-state kid who played football and chose Purdue over Ball State. Chris Kramer's complexion is what Boilermaker coaches see in Weatherford.
Thing is, how many Chris Kramers have there been at Purdue? Or anywhere else for that matter? To the first question, none. To the second, not very many.
Purdue wants another one. Maybe needs another one.
There are no promises here about this addition, but also no questions about what Purdue is hoping it means long-term.
Painter told Weatherford Saturday he wants winners and "warriors."
That's why he offered him a scholarship.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
It is a crystal clear indication again that Matt Painter believes the road map back to winning like Purdue has become accustomed is paved with the most basic elements, things like toughness, effort, unselfishness and investment. Those are characteristics Weatherford should bring in abundance.
Beyond that, it's clear, and make no mistake about this, please: Purdue is not done recruiting point guards.
It has not come this far with players like Jalen Brunson and Glynn Watson to politely excuse itself from both recruitments long before either player has so much as made a decision-minded visit to a college campus. Purdue will keep recruiting both players to the very end, in addition to big men, in what is now looking like a class in which it is willing to sign four if it can get them.
Weatherford is technically a point guard, but a player whose impact on games would not be a positional thing. It would be intangible.
He was not recruited as much to run an offense as much as he was to disrupt one. He was not recruited as much to make shots as he was to deny them. He might play point guard on paper, but again, his value is projected to be in different areas than typical point guard-ish stuff.
There is some surprise here Purdue moved as quickly as it did on Weatherford, but it was not a decision made on a whim, nor was it a "Plan B" situation.
For one thing, you can't get to Plan Bs until Plan As have done something. Additionally, July isn't as much about finding Plan B as it is finding more of Plan A.
Anyway, digression takes hold.
Weatherford is a garbage man, and that's a good thing.
From what we saw in July, it's hard to gauge his shooting, because he didn't do much of it. When Ryan Cline and Kyle Guy are flanking you, that phase of the game is well accounted for. So ask me if Weatherford can shoot and I say, I don't know. Doesn't mean he can't.
Is Weatherford quick? Well, he is strong and aggressive off the dribble when he has to be, and that goes a long way for a player that looks quick enough for a guy built like a weak-side linebacker. At least it did at the adidas Invitational, where a lot of will was propelling him to the basket in big moments.
Is he a great athlete? He's not bad.
Is he a competitor? Absolutely. People say AAU has dulled kids' competitive edge. It hasn't touched Weatherford's, as was very clear this summer, especially at the adidas Invitational, the title game being his watershed moment and the game that got the ball rolling toward a Purdue offer.
Ryan Cline helped, but really it was Weatherford that carried Indiana Elite past Eric Gordon Central Stars - winner of 18 straight prior to that - in a tournament that IE played without three of its best players, including its normal primary ball-handlers in Hyron Edwards and Kyle Guy. The ball was in Weatherford's hands with the game on the line, and every play he made was either a big one or at least the right one.
You can say such things about a lot of players, though, and that doesn't mean they're Big Ten-worthy.
But no one knows Purdue's needs better than Purdue, and right now, there aren't many that know Weatherford better than Purdue. Per Weatherford, Purdue called his high school coach "every day" in July. After two assistant coaches saw him play that Invitational title game, Purdue had the whole rest of the month to watch him.
Individual comparisons are always inherently flawed, but generally speaking, by recruiting Weatherford, Purdue is trying to replicate the story of another in-state kid who played football and chose Purdue over Ball State. Chris Kramer's complexion is what Boilermaker coaches see in Weatherford.
Thing is, how many Chris Kramers have there been at Purdue? Or anywhere else for that matter? To the first question, none. To the second, not very many.
Purdue wants another one. Maybe needs another one.
There are no promises here about this addition, but also no questions about what Purdue is hoping it means long-term.
Painter told Weatherford Saturday he wants winners and "warriors."
That's why he offered him a scholarship.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2014. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
