Wheeler

[Boiler Buck]

Could anyone see him starting? OR getting 20+ minutes next year?

I have only seen the one game, but me like the length and athletic ability. If he is willing to play D, and can do that well(key) because of his length and athletic ability -- I could see it.

 

[buffboiler]

Not sure if I see the traits of a up and coming defensive BIG POY, yet!

TIC.

 

[Chuchumutha]

Could anyone see him starting? OR getting 20+ minutes next year?

I have only seen the one game, but me like the length and athletic ability. If he is willing to play D, and can do that well(key) because of his length and athletic ability -- I could see it.

Short answer: Yes. Here's what I know from watching multiple games this year. He is long, athletic, has a great motor, and can shoot. The one negative is strength. If he can get in the weight room he has a chance to be a significant contributor. I see him as a 3/4 hybrid so having to bang down low might not be that big an issue initially. Defense will determine how much he plays but more from a technique standpoint. He has the potential to be very good defensively given time.

 

[punaj]

I think he can be great. Love his athletic ability. Reminds me of Jacob Lawson, but with a lot more talent. I'm looking forward to watching him for the next four years.

 

[pharoutengineer]

From what I've seen I am very optimistic about Wheeler. He has a ton of athleticism and skill for his size. Don't think he'll start this year but I'd wager he'll be a star before his career is over. In the short term I think between him and Eastern they should provide the booster shot of athleticism this team needs.

 

[boilerzz]

Could anyone see him starting? OR getting 20+ minutes next year?

I have only seen the one game, but me like the length and athletic ability. If he is willing to play D, and can do that well(key) because of his length and athletic ability -- I could see it.

I'd be stunned. He's got a long way to go defensively and if there is one thing Matt Painter has proven, it's that he'll forgive indiscretion on the offensive end. But if you slack on D, you sit.

 

[BuilderBob6]

He isn't going to start.
In order for him to get significant minutes it means somebody will have to sit those minutes.
Vince is getting all he can handle. Ewing is backing him up..........he is more experienced and is physically more ready to play in the B1G than Wheeler.......and built better to play the 4.
Dakota and Cline are taking the 3 while rotating through the 2 with Carsen. Wheeler might see some time at the three but not much.
As boilerzz said, defense gets you on the floor with Painter. While Wheeler certainly is the type of athlete we need, his D will most likely need a ton of work.........his body does too. He may actually redshirt.

 

[Dakota Girl]

Could anyone see him starting? OR getting 20+ minutes next year?

I have only seen the one game, but me like the length and athletic ability. If he is willing to play D, and can do that well(key) because of his length and athletic ability -- I could see it.

I'll temper my answer with a "non of us has any idea but..." statement, which is very similar to one of my favorites, "I don't know but I'll tell you what...". Anyway. Yes. He possesses the length and athleticism traits that we just watched in players like Josh Jackson, Justin Jackson, Michael Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Josh Hart, etc..
I'm not saying he's that good but

Could anyone see him starting? OR getting 20+ minutes next year?

I have only seen the one game, but me like the length and athletic ability. If he is willing to play D, and can do that well(key) because of his length and athletic ability -- I could see it.

he's got the right physical tools to be a high impact player. I know he's skinny but we've seen a lot of thin freshmen play at a high level lately. Maybe the no impedance rules are helping these thinner players.
If he can be effective on defense he will get good minutes.

Huh. Thought I lost that first post but it just showed up again.

 

[Dakota Girl]

He isn't going to start.
In order for him to get significant minutes it means somebody will have to sit those minutes.
Vince his getting all he can handle. Ewing is backing him up..........he is more experienced and is physically more ready to play in the B1G than Wheeler.......and built better to play the 4.
Dakota and Cline are taking the 3 while rotating through the 2 with Carsen. Wheeler might see some time at the three but not much.
As boilerzz said, defense gets you on the floor with Painter. While Wheeler certainly is the type of athlete we need, his D will most likely need a ton of work.........his body does too. He may actually redshirt.

you make good points when considering the finite amount of minutes. He will have to take a big chunk of Clines minutes to get 20.
Cline better work on his game it's getting crowded.

 

[Ben Shadeland]

you make good points when considering the finite amount of minutes. He will have to take a big chunk of Clines minutes get some four minutes to get 20.
Cline better work on his game it's getting crowded.

You said a mouthful in that last sentence. Cline has the opportunity to be special. But from the outside looking in, it seemed like his priorities weren't straight last off-season. He could see an increased role this year IF he puts in the work and makes good decisions.

I'm rooting for him and think he'll do great things over his last two years here.

 

[boilerbusdriver]

What is the height of this Mr. Wheeler, that has people talkin?? Thanks in advance

 

[ghost_of_d.]

What is the height of this Mr. Wheeler, that has people talkin?? Thanks in advance

He's listed at 6'8 and he looks every bit of it. There's a new video of him from the Prep national championships and he looks like a longer, quicker, and much more explosive V. Edwards. Not saying he'll be as good, or even anywhere close to as good, but the player he instantly reminded me of in this video is Corey Brewer from his Gators days.

 

[boilerbusdriver]

Watching that highlight clip, very nice addition to PU, always can use speed, quickness, and hops and throw in some handles, and a little shooting....wow!
Imagine in 2 years with Wheeler, Nojel, and CE, 3 really nice pieces too build around!!

 

[takedownboiler]

I could see him getting situational 20+ for certain games. It would have been nice to have someone who could jump with a few of those Kansas guys on all those offensive rebounds we lost or grab one two at the other end for us. He brings that quick burst off the floor jumping ability that we have lacked.

 

[laguna1]

Definitely not starting, but I'd love it if he warranted 20 minutes a game. Depends on his D I think. I'm definitely excited about his potential.

 

[laguna1]

He's listed at 6'8 and he looks every bit of it. There's a new video of him from the Prep national championships and he looks like a longer, quicker, and much more explosive V. Edwards. Not saying he'll be as good, or even anywhere close to as good, but the player he instantly reminded me of in this video is Corey Brewer from his Gators days.

View embedded media

You could have watched his entire last game where he was like 5-5 from 3, and named MVP.

 

[Chuchumutha]

He's listed at 6'8 and he looks every bit of it. There's a new video of him from the Prep national championships and he looks like a longer, quicker, and much more explosive V. Edwards. Not saying he'll be as good, or even anywhere close to as good, but the player he instantly reminded me of in this video is Corey Brewer from his Gators days.

View embedded media

I'll admit, I would be a bit disappointed if Wheeler doesn't meet or exceed Vince's production by the time he's an upperclassman. Very high ceiling.

 

[BoilerStation]

I don't think the minutes will be there for him to play a huge role and also do not think we will see him starting. We are a veteran team and the guy playing his position ahead of him is very very good. I'm extremely excited for Wheeler but I just don't know how much opportunity will be there to get more than 10 to 15 mins of PT a game. It will be important to get whatever experience he can and learn as much as possible from Vince for the year they will be playing together.

 

[ChoiceBeef]

I think he will get opportunities but not sure if it will be 20 minutes.

He is very athletic and will bring a new dimension to our team but will need to add muscle to his frame to withstand conference play.

He seems like a good kid and a hard worker and have no doubts he will do what it takes to get there.

I see him being battling for a starting role when Vincent graduates

 

[Wolegib]

I don't envision him starting this year! A lot of his time will depend on what Painter ends up doing with the back court. I'm predicting Eastern and C Edwards will both receive 20-25 minutes per game. A lot of people were predicting C Edwards would start next year.

If C Edwards starts, and Eastern gets 20+ minutes, what happens to Mathias and Thompson? Does Mathias shift to SF and V Edwards shift to PF? Or does VEdwards remain at SF?

I like Wheeler, but I can't see him getting many minutes next year at SF. The biggest amount of available minutes next year will be at PF. And I see those minutes being shared by Ewing, Taylor and V . Edwards.

I believe Wheeler is more talented than Ewing, but I will predict Ewing will see more playing time, and Wheeler may end up redshirting next year and focusing on becoming a SF.

 

[BoilerStation]

I don't envision him starting this year! A lot of his time will depend on what Painter ends up doing with the back court. I'm predicting Eastern and C Edwards will both receive 20-25 minutes per game. A lot of people were predicting C Edwards would start next year.

If C Edwards starts, and Eastern gets 20+ minutes, what happens to Mathias and Thompson? Does Mathias shift to SF and V Edwards shift to PF? Or does VEdwards remain at SF?

I like Wheeler, but I can't see him getting many minutes next year at SF. The biggest amount of available minutes next year will be at PF. And I see those minutes being shared by Ewing, Taylor and V . Edwards.

I believe Wheeler is more talented than Ewing, but I will predict Ewing will see more playing time, and Wheeler may end up redshirting next year and focusing on becoming a SF.

I've gone back and forth on whether I would want Wheeler to redshirt. How often do you really see high potential players redshirt at other schools? I feel like it never happens. I just get the sense that more is learned when you have the ability to actually enter a game even if he doesn't get lots of minutes vs sitting on the bench knowing you will never be in the game. It takes a very special player to work just as hard over the course of a season knowing he will never play. Was joking with my brother the other day about Painter being the only coach to take a commitment from a kid like Sasha then use a redshirt on a player like that. I'm sure it's not true but it feels that way sometimes. I do think if we want to reach the next level with our teams then redshirting and keeping lesser players(3 stars or lower) around an extra year may need to go away. Reserve the redshirts for injuries, academic or personal reasons.

 

[Wolegib]

I'm not a big fan of red shirting in basketball! Even if a player averages less than 5 minutes, there is the potential he may play 20 mins in a critical game! If a player red shirts, to me it basically means the coach doesn't feel he is good enough to make the top 10 of his rotation!

I'm still curious to see what position Wheeler ends up playing! I'd love to see him play SF. I'd also love to see V Edwards continue to play SF! It will be fun to watch!

 

[Boiler Buck]

Like the poster said above the new freedom of movement rules allow skinny players like W ability to do more than they could a few years ago.

It all boils down to how quickly he can pick up defensive schemes to me. When he can do that well - he will play. Too talented offensively not to. Typical frosh take awhile. CE spoiled us by stepping in quickly. Will W do likewise?....many say no. If he is totally lost on D - that would be the only reason for a RS, as I think the freedom of movement rules will allow him to do what he wants offensively.

But D is the question on every single one of these newbies.

 

[BoiledSteel]

I'm not a big fan of red shirting in basketball! Even if a player averages less than 5 minutes, there is the potential he may play 20 mins in a critical game! If a player red shirts, to me it basically means the coach doesn't feel he is good enough to make the top 10 of his rotation!

I'm still curious to see what position Wheeler ends up playing! I'd love to see him play SF. I'd also love to see V Edwards continue to play SF! It will be fun to watch!

True to a point, but some players need to put on muscle in order to get them more effective in the college game. By not red shirting sure there is a chance they could impact a game, but you can say the same thing on the flip side. What if that player that red shirts makes an impact for an entire season because he needed that extra year to grow in to his body? It's not as cut and dry as saying he isn't good enough rather he is good enough but stands to be even better if he takes a year. There is always a bigger picture to look at.

 

[boilerzz]

I'm not a big fan of red shirting in basketball! Even if a player averages less than 5 minutes, there is the potential he may play 20 mins in a critical game! If a player red shirts, to me it basically means the coach doesn't feel he is good enough to make the top 10 of his rotation!

I'm still curious to see what position Wheeler ends up playing! I'd love to see him play SF. I'd also love to see V Edwards continue to play SF! It will be fun to watch!

On the flip side, you could get a situation where coaches feel like they need to get players' minutes and it is detrimental to the team's flow. One of Painter's biggest mistakes last year was the minutes distribution to Kendall, Dakota and Cline. Until Kendall fell by the wayside, none of them could get into the flow of the game because their minutes were choppy.

 

[PU52Chevy]

I'll temper my answer with a "non of us has any idea but..." statement, which is very similar to one of my favorites, "I don't know but I'll tell you what...". Anyway. Yes. He possesses the length and athleticism traits that we just watched in players like Josh Jackson, Justin Jackson, Michael Jackson, Andrew Jackson, Josh Hart, etc..
I'm not saying he's that good but

he's got the right physical tools to be a high impact player. I know he's skinny but we've seen a lot of thin freshmen play at a high level lately. Maybe the no impedance rules are helping these thinner players.
If he can be effective on defense he will get good minutes.

Huh. Thought I lost that first post but it just showed up again.

Heeee Heee Moon Walks

 

[StickPurdue]

I don't envision him starting this year! A lot of his time will depend on what Painter ends up doing with the back court. I'm predicting Eastern and C Edwards will both receive 20-25 minutes per game. A lot of people were predicting C Edwards would start next year.

If C Edwards starts, and Eastern gets 20+ minutes, what happens to Mathias and Thompson? Does Mathias shift to SF and V Edwards shift to PF? Or does VEdwards remain at SF?

I like Wheeler, but I can't see him getting many minutes next year at SF. The biggest amount of available minutes next year will be at PF. And I see those minutes being shared by Ewing, Taylor and V . Edwards.

I believe Wheeler is more talented than Ewing, but I will predict Ewing will see more playing time, and Wheeler may end up redshirting next year and focusing on becoming a SF.

I think Haas keeps the same number of minutes, I doubt it goes up much. I think Clines minutes fall off big time. Obviously, Biggie leaving frees up minutes as well. I think Wheeler and Ewing will battle for Biggie's open minutes. Mathias may lose a few minutes and I think PJ has his minutes drop off if Carsen shows more improvement. I like the idea of a more athletic lineup of Ewing, Wheeler, Vince, Eastern, and Carsen. If Taylor is healthy, he may take a lot of minutes from Ewing. Then a more traditional Purdue lineup of PJ, Cline, Mathias, Vince, Haas. Individual substitutions based on rythem and who is hot, but we can play two different styles and finally have the athletes for a zone to spice things up (I hesitate to use the Z word for fear that the topic will hyjack the post). Ondigo would be a nice addition, but from what I read he currently isn't an athletic rim protector and he is better with his back to the basket. Don't think there is a lot of minutes for that next year.

 

[BuilderBob6]

I think Haas keeps the same number of minutes, I doubt it goes up much. I think Clines minutes fall off big time. Obviously, Biggie leaving frees up minutes as well. I think Wheeler and Ewing will battle for Biggie's open minutes. Mathias may lose a few minutes and I think PJ has his minutes drop off if Carsen shows more improvement. I like the idea of a more athletic lineup of Ewing, Wheeler, Vince, Eastern, and Carsen. If Taylor is healthy, he may take a lot of minutes from Ewing. Then a more traditional Purdue lineup of PJ, Cline, Mathias, Vince, Haas. Individual substitutions based on rythem and who is hot, but we can play two different styles and finally have the athletes for a zone to spice things up (I hesitate to use the Z word for fear that the topic will hyjack the post). Ondigo would be a nice addition, but from what I read he currently isn't an athletic rim protector and he is better with his back to the basket. Don't think there is a lot of minutes for that next year.

Mathias will not lose minutes, period.
You won't see your athletic lineup, ever. Painter is not going to jump head long into a young, inexperienced lineup at any point next year........no matter how athletic it may be.

This transition to a more athletic team is going to happen over time, when these new players are ready. At some point it's going to involve a different offense than what we currently run but I don't think that happens until the seniors are gone. Hopefully we can get more penetration next year so we don't have to rely on the inside outside game to get threes.

Wheeler is an exciting talent, the kind of player Painter is moving toward.......we're all happy to see it. Although I think he's improved beyond his rank, he received that rank for a reason.
As I and others have said, defense cannot be discounted. Painter's defensive concepts present a steep learning curve for most freshmen. Fans tend to only think of offense, there's a lot more to it.

I've heard several coaches talk about how they wish they could have redshirted players but they couldn't because they needed immediate help or depth. We don't necessarily have that problem. Is it worth a year of eligibility for to average 5 minutes a game?

We have 4 seniors, a junior and a sophomore returning. Of course anything is possible, but to expect a 3 star freshman to come in next year and play significant minutes is highly unlikely. Eastern has a much better chance at significant time as he is very skilled and the point needs a backup. Ewing has more experience and has the size to back up Vince. That adds up to 8 players. I don't think the 9th player who is a freshman is gonna see much time and right now that's Wheeler. I'm sure there are those that think he will take time from Cline, don't think that's realistic.
It seems like this is yet another example of fans over hyping an incoming player. I'm excited about him too but our expectations have to be realistic.

 

[Chuchumutha]

I'm not a big fan of red shirting in basketball! Even if a player averages less than 5 minutes, there is the potential he may play 20 mins in a critical game! If a player red shirts, to me it basically means the coach doesn't feel he is good enough to make the top 10 of his rotation!

I'm still curious to see what position Wheeler ends up playing! I'd love to see him play SF. I'd also love to see V Edwards continue to play SF! It will be fun to watch!

I tend to agree with you but for a different reason. It's been a long time since a Purdue redshirt played all four years of eligibility at Purdue.

 

[StickPurdue]

Mathias will not lose minutes, period.
You won't see your athletic lineup, ever. Painter is not going to jump head long into a young, inexperienced lineup at any point next year........no matter how athletic it may be.

This transition to a more athletic team is going to happen over time, when these new players are ready. At some point it's going to involve a different offense than what we currently run but I don't think that happens until the seniors are gone. Hopefully we can get more penetration next year so we don't have to rely on the inside outside game to get threes.

Wheeler is an exciting talent, the kind of player Painter is moving toward.......we're all happy to see it. Although I think he's improved beyond his rank, he received that rank for a reason.
As I and others have said, defense cannot be discounted. Painter's defensive concepts present a steep learning curve for most freshmen. Fans tend to only think of offense, there's a lot more to it.

I've heard several coaches talk about how they wish they could have redshirted players but they couldn't because they needed immediate help or depth. We don't necessarily have that problem. Is it worth a year of eligibility for to average 5 minutes a game?

We have 4 seniors, a junior and a sophomore returning. Of course anything is possible, but to expect a 3 star freshman to come in next year and play significant minutes is highly unlikely. Eastern has a much better chance at significant time as he is very skilled and the point needs a backup. Ewing has more experience and has the size to back up Vince. That adds up to 8 players. I don't think the 9th player who is a freshman is gonna see much time and right now that's Wheeler. I'm sure there are those that think he will take time from Cline, don't think that's realistic.
It seems like this is yet another example of fans over hyping an incoming player. I'm excited about him too but our expectations have to be realistic.

Biggie got huge minutes as a freshman and to be honest, so did Carsen. It would not be crazy to see Wheeler and Eastern pull in 20 a game. Most of those would come from Biggie and Cline. If they can play as freshman, they will play. Wheeler is the best combination of size and athleticism that Purdue has had in a while. It would be crazy not to toy with the super athletic lineup, even if it was only preseason, just to see what he has. I would like to see that lineup in scrimmages as well to get the seniors used to playing athletic players. Kansas throttled them because the seniors, though fantastic ball players, were not athletic. It's unlikely that improves. Look at a team like South Carolina. Athletic teams can over acheive. Teams like Purdue often under achieve. It may take those seniors leaving before Painter makes the change, but if Purdue struggles without Biggie, I think it would very much be worth taking the chance on the young group. Get them ready for the future and make sure they don't get an urge to transfer away.

 

[BoilerStation]

Biggie got huge minutes as a freshman and to be honest, so did Carsen. It would not be crazy to see Wheeler and Eastern pull in 20 a game. Most of those would come from Biggie and Cline. If they can play as freshman, they will play. Wheeler is the best combination of size and athleticism that Purdue has had in a while. It would be crazy not to toy with the super athletic lineup, even if it was only preseason, just to see what he has. I would like to see that lineup in scrimmages as well to get the seniors used to playing athletic players. Kansas throttled them because the seniors, though fantastic ball players, were not athletic. It's unlikely that improves. Look at a team like South Carolina. Athletic teams can over acheive. Teams like Purdue often under achieve. It may take those seniors leaving before Painter makes the change, but if Purdue struggles without Biggie, I think it would very much be worth taking the chance on the young group. Get them ready for the future and make sure they don't get an urge to transfer away.

20 minutes a game for Wheeler and Eastern? Outside of multiple injuries or players being lost from the team there is no way this happens. Painter has been complimentary of Cline and he has started to expand his role a little bit outside of just being a 3 point threat. He started like the last like 6 or 7 games of the season for us. May not be an increase as far as minutes go for Cline, but I don't think he will play that much less either.

 

[BuilderBob6]

Biggie got huge minutes as a freshman and to be honest, so did Carsen. It would not be crazy to see Wheeler and Eastern pull in 20 a game. Most of those would come from Biggie and Cline. If they can play as freshman, they will play. Wheeler is the best combination of size and athleticism that Purdue has had in a while. It would be crazy not to toy with the super athletic lineup, even if it was only preseason, just to see what he has. I would like to see that lineup in scrimmages as well to get the seniors used to playing athletic players. Kansas throttled them because the seniors, though fantastic ball players, were not athletic. It's unlikely that improves. Look at a team like South Carolina. Athletic teams can over acheive. Teams like Purdue often under achieve. It may take those seniors leaving before Painter makes the change, but if Purdue struggles without Biggie, I think it would very much be worth taking the chance on the young group. Get them ready for the future and make sure they don't get an urge to transfer away.

Biggie was a 5 star stud, getting minutes as a freshman was a given. Carsen would be a better comparison......his athleticism, ability to penetrate, and lack of fear was needed on this team, but also because we had no depth. I assume you also noticed how his youth hurt showed in his defense and his lack of control on offense.
Sitting experienced seniors for freshmen is a bad idea, unless we're talking about 5 stars.
I have to stop here. When you say it would not be crazy to play Eastern and Wheeler 20 minutes each, knowing what we know now.........it's not worth the time to argue.

 

[Boiler Buck]

Fact is team doesn't get better if 2 newbies don't pull major minutes.

 

[tjreese]

I think Haas keeps the same number of minutes, I doubt it goes up much. I think Clines minutes fall off big time. Obviously, Biggie leaving frees up minutes as well. I think Wheeler and Ewing will battle for Biggie's open minutes. Mathias may lose a few minutes and I think PJ has his minutes drop off if Carsen shows more improvement. I like the idea of a more athletic lineup of Ewing, Wheeler, Vince, Eastern, and Carsen. If Taylor is healthy, he may take a lot of minutes from Ewing. Then a more traditional Purdue lineup of PJ, Cline, Mathias, Vince, Haas. Individual substitutions based on rythem and who is hot, but we can play two different styles and finally have the athletes for a zone to spice things up (I hesitate to use the Z word for fear that the topic will hyjack the post). Ondigo would be a nice addition, but from what I read he currently isn't an athletic rim protector and he is better with his back to the basket. Don't think there is a lot of minutes for that next year.

There is nothing in Purdue basketball for next year that would surprise me more than Purdue playing the zone word. I think the odds favor Biggie coming back much higher than Purdue playing the zone word. Sure, I could be wrong, but I really doubt it. I think the odds improve after next year, but how much?

 

[tjreese]

There is nothing in Purdue basketball for next year that would surprise me more than Purdue playing the zone word. I think the odds favor Biggie coming back much higher than Purdue playing the zone word. Sure, I could be wrong, but I really doubt it. I think the odds improve after next year, but how much?

Ha ha, phone auto correct wouldn't even allow me to type the Z and instead corrected it to zone. I must have one of those smart phones.

 

[BuilderBob6]

Fact is team doesn't get better if 2 newbies don't pull major minutes.

Are you saying the newbies have to be good enough to play major minutes?
Better as in farther in the tournament or what? Are you viewing this team through the prism of the Kansas game?

 

[Inspector100]

Ha ha, phone auto correct wouldn't even allow me to type the Z and instead corrected it to zone. I must have one of those smart phones.

You have been hacked by Nagem

 

[StickPurdue]

Are you saying the newbies have to be good enough to play major minutes?
Better as in farther in the tournament or what? Are you viewing this team through the prism of the Kansas game?

With the loss of Biggie, for next years team to have more success than this years team, they will need the newbies to have a big impact, which means big minutes. Cline is an absolute defensive liability. He looked lost against better teams and gave up more points than value he provided on the offensive end. If Wheeler and Eastern are able to step in and play well enough to earn big time minutes, which I am sure everybody is hoping for, that is the best chance for Purdue to have a very successful year. I think the post is also presuming that Biggie is gone. If Biggie comes back, I imagine Eastern has a shot at seeing big minutes, but there won't be enough minutes for Wheeler or Ewing.

 

[Boiler Buck]

With the loss of Biggie, for next years team to have more success than this years team, they will need the newbies to have a big impact, which means big minutes. Cline is an absolute defensive liability. He looked lost against better teams and gave up more points than value he provided on the offensive end. If Wheeler and Eastern are able to step in and play well enough to earn big time minutes, which I am sure everybody is hoping for, that is the best chance for Purdue to have a very successful year. I think the post is also presuming that Biggie is gone. If Biggie comes back, I imagine Eastern has a shot at seeing big minutes, but there won't be enough minutes for Wheeler or Ewing.

Exactly, you can't take a step forward without more weapons.....newbies have to play big or we take a step back without CS.

 

[tjreese]

With the loss of Biggie, for next years team to have more success than this years team, they will need the newbies to have a big impact, which means big minutes. Cline is an absolute defensive liability. He looked lost against better teams and gave up more points than value he provided on the offensive end. If Wheeler and Eastern are able to step in and play well enough to earn big time minutes, which I am sure everybody is hoping for, that is the best chance for Purdue to have a very successful year. I think the post is also presuming that Biggie is gone. If Biggie comes back, I imagine Eastern has a shot at seeing big minutes, but there won't be enough minutes for Wheeler or Ewing.

I think Eastern plays no matter what Biggie does. Eastern is too versatile to sit. He has size and can get the ball to the rim AND finish. I have no idea how his FT shootiing is, but hope it is sufficient to play at the end of games. IF not, he helps get Purdue into bonus by playing before bonus. Wheeler offers athleticism and a very soft stroke...where he falls...who knows? I just cannot see Shasha getting minutes next year. No reason Cline can't make improvements on D...Dakota did. I look forward to this summer scrimmage I assume takes place to see Haams...he really intrigues me and yet I don't have a feel for what he can do. Only Eastern I know will get major minutes. I fear there is not enough minutes to make everyone happy.