Will Berg/Brian Waddell

[The Boiler Special]

What are the general thoughts on them currently? Seems like they're definitely not going to get any meaningful minutes this year. Berg is intriguing because hes 7'1 and seems to have nice touch all the way out to the 3 point line. He also seems to have a solid lower half to be able to bang down low. But something tells me he's not really close to being someone to look forward to playing in the coming years in his current development. Especially since Coach got 2 bigs coming in next year. Really same goes for Waddell...

Cam Heide on the other hand looks good, but at times you can see gears turning in his head rather than just playing basketball. Seems like he's still getting used to the speed of college ball. I'm very excited to see him progress and believe he will be someone who can lead or be a leader in scoring for this team in the future.

Trey Kaufman is interesting as well since he starts but is in a strange place since his game is old school back to the basket and you already have that in Edey right next to him. So it cramps his game a bit... I'm rambling now but thoughts on the future of these guys?

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

my thoughts—

Berg- From the scrimmage and seeing other highlights, Berg has a very nice touch for a big and good footwork. However, he seems a bit slower, maybe hasn’t caught up to the speed of the game yet. Would like to see more of him and see what he’s like vs the big in the B1G before really forming an opinion. ** putting on my tinfoil hat ** maybe he leaves to go back to Sweden next year to free up the scholarship situation (nothing to base this on, just a wild crazy theory).

Waddell— looked good in scrimmage and eurotrip but hasn’t transpired to more mins. I’m a broken record here, but it looks a bit off when he runs, or at least last time I saw when he played and thought maybe his knee was swelling from the acl tear he was coming back from. As of now, it doesn’t seem like many mins are there for him.
** tinfoil hat time ** maybe he leaves to go elsewhere to play to free up the scholarship situation. This is tough to imagine as he’s a legacy and painter played with his dad. Would have been best to see him prior to the knee Injury.

Heide—will be fine, just needs more mins to get comfortable in the system and in himself. The shot making is there, along with the athleticism that we desperately needed last year. Still getting up to game speed (as we saw in the UT and Marquette games). Hope painter continues to increase his mins as the season goes on and lives with mistakes so that he can learn and be better in March.

TKR— seems to be better as the 5 and without edey. But was confident to shoot and hit a 3 to open the Marquette game. He had great mins vs UT and Gonzaga when Zach was out. The score didn’t change and we held the lead. He isn’t just all back to basket like Zach, as he has faced up and dribbled and made moves to get to the hoop. He still seems to be getting up to speed too, but his body is starting to catch up to what his mind wants him to do. He does seem to be a black hole whenever he gets the ball and is determined to score it seems and doesn’t kick it back out. He also needs to work on those FTs cuz if he’s a liability at the end of games he won’t play. I’m guessing though, that there may be a game or two where we will need to depend on him and I think he will come through. He will be the starter next year and I’d assume he’d be back to play within Furst in the front court.

 

[The Boiler Special]

my thoughts—

Berg- From the scrimmage and seeing other highlights, Berg has a very nice touch for a big and good footwork. However, he seems a bit slower, maybe hasn’t caught up to the speed of the game yet. Would like to see more of him and see what he’s like vs the big in the B1G before really forming an opinion. ** putting on my tinfoil hat ** maybe he leaves to go back to Sweden next year to free up the scholarship situation (nothing to base this on, just a wild crazy theory).

Waddell— looked good in scrimmage and eurotrip but hasn’t transpired to more mins. I’m a broken record here, but it looks a bit off when he runs, or at least last time I saw when he played and thought maybe his knee was swelling from the acl tear he was coming back from. As of now, it doesn’t seem like many mins are there for him.
** tinfoil hat time ** maybe he leaves to go elsewhere to play to free up the scholarship situation. This is tough to imagine as he’s a legacy and painter played with his dad. Would have been best to see him prior to the knee Injury.

Heide—will be fine, just needs more mins to get comfortable in the system and in himself. The shot making is there, along with the athleticism that we desperately needed last year. Still getting up to game speed (as we saw in the UT and Marquette games). Hope painter continues to increase his mins as the season goes on and lives with mistakes so that he can learn and be better in March.

TKR— seems to be better as the 5 and without edey. But was confident to shoot and hit a 3 to open the Marquette game. He had great mins vs UT and Gonzaga when Zach was out. The score didn’t change and we held the lead. He isn’t just all back to basket like Zach, as he has faced up and dribbled and made moves to get to the hoop. He still seems to be getting up to speed too, but his body is starting to catch up to what his mind wants him to do. He does seem to be a black hole whenever he gets the ball and is determined to score it seems and doesn’t kick it back out. He also needs to work on those FTs cuz if he’s a liability at the end of games he won’t play. I’m guessing though, that there may be a game or two where we will need to depend on him and I think he will come through. He will be the starter next year and I’d assume he’d be back to play within Furst in the front court.

Yea the questions on Waddell and Berg were kind of aimed at the thought that they may be heading elsewhere after this season.

 

[purduedavie]

Yea the questions on Waddell and Berg were kind of aimed at the thought that they may be heading elsewhere after this season.

Enjoy this season, things will work themselves out, Berg when Edey returned had to know there was no shot at minutes this year, as a Redshirt Frosh he has plenty of time, I would be surprised if he left.

 

[Roeder]

my thoughts—

Berg- From the scrimmage and seeing other highlights, Berg has a very nice touch for a big and good footwork. However, he seems a bit slower, maybe hasn’t caught up to the speed of the game yet. Would like to see more of him and see what he’s like vs the big in the B1G before really forming an opinion. ** putting on my tinfoil hat ** maybe he leaves to go back to Sweden next year to free up the scholarship situation (nothing to base this on, just a wild crazy theory).

Waddell— looked good in scrimmage and eurotrip but hasn’t transpired to more mins. I’m a broken record here, but it looks a bit off when he runs, or at least last time I saw when he played and thought maybe his knee was swelling from the acl tear he was coming back from. As of now, it doesn’t seem like many mins are there for him.
** tinfoil hat time ** maybe he leaves to go elsewhere to play to free up the scholarship situation. This is tough to imagine as he’s a legacy and painter played with his dad. Would have been best to see him prior to the knee Injury.

Heide—will be fine, just needs more mins to get comfortable in the system and in himself. The shot making is there, along with the athleticism that we desperately needed last year. Still getting up to game speed (as we saw in the UT and Marquette games). Hope painter continues to increase his mins as the season goes on and lives with mistakes so that he can learn and be better in March.

TKR— seems to be better as the 5 and without edey. But was confident to shoot and hit a 3 to open the Marquette game. He had great mins vs UT and Gonzaga when Zach was out. The score didn’t change and we held the lead. He isn’t just all back to basket like Zach, as he has faced up and dribbled and made moves to get to the hoop. He still seems to be getting up to speed too, but his body is starting to catch up to what his mind wants him to do. He does seem to be a black hole whenever he gets the ball and is determined to score it seems and doesn’t kick it back out. He also needs to work on those FTs cuz if he’s a liability at the end of games he won’t play. I’m guessing though, that there may be a game or two where we will need to depend on him and I think he will come through. He will be the starter next year and I’d assume he’d be back to play within Furst in the front court.

Does anyone think TKR should back up a few inches on his FTs? He seems to bang them off the back of the rim pretty consistently on misses.

To give him credit he hit them when pressure was high in 2nd half against Marquette when others were struggling.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

Does anyone think TKR should back up a few inches on his FTs? He seems to bang them off the back of the rim pretty consistently on misses.

To give him credit he hit them when pressure was high in 2nd half against Marquette when others were struggling.

Whatever would help him hit at a higher %, I’m all for 😂

 

[BoilerAndy]

Yea the questions on Waddell and Berg were kind of aimed at the thought that they may be heading elsewhere after this season.

They are freshmen playing behind veterans. I doubt either came in thinking they were going to be impact players on the #1 ranked team at this stage of their development.

 

[tjreese]

Does anyone think TKR should back up a few inches on his FTs? He seems to bang them off the back of the rim pretty consistently on misses.

To give him credit he hit them when pressure was high in 2nd half against Marquette when others were struggling.

This has been a bit frustrating for me knowing he has been doing this for some time. I want to believe that someone on staff is helping him. You can watch him and not the goal and determine if he makes it or not a lot of the time. If you see him lift the ball upward above his head leaving just a slight elbow bend he typically gets enough arch on the ball...but if not it does clang off the rim. If he moves back and doesn't change his lift I suspect it still is flat and long. It needs addressed and perhaps is...

 

[02BoilerUp]

They are freshmen playing behind veterans. I doubt either came in thinking they were going to be impact players on the #1 ranked team at this stage of their development.

Exactly. Both, I would consider to be projects coming in. Edey was as well, so some develope quicker than others, but Berg wasn't going to come in and get a lot of time early on especially with Edey still here. Same with Waddell. A lot of talent ahead of him and I don't see him ever getting significant mins. Of course with 13 scholarships, you're always going to have a few that don't get any mins. With the quality recruits that we are bringing in year after year, you have some that maybe will eventually have a role and some that may never be in the rotation.

 

[boomfizzle79]

I don't think Waddell is gonna cut it. Would not be at all surprised to see him depart

I think Berg will stick around until next year to at least see what he's able to do as backup 5 to TKR

 

[BoilerAndy]

I don't think Waddell is gonna cut it. Would not be at all surprised to see him depart

I think Berg will stick around until next year to at least see what he's able to do as backup 5 to TKR

Anything is possible. But Waddell's dad played for Purdue, and junior did not have any other major offers. He came to Purdue with his eyes wide open, knowing where he was in the pecking order. I can easily imagine that Waddell's goals are to enter the coaching ranks after graduation. He is in the right place.

Likewise, Berg came in with his eyes wide open. His dad publicly stated that he wanted his son to come to Purdue to learn to play in the post. He had no other major offers, and it was implied that his dad thought he had a future playing professionally in Europe, but needed to round out his game first.

Not every player comes in thinking they will be major contributors their first or even second year in the program. It's hard to imagine that they feel their expectations have not been met.

 

[northside100]

Anything is possible. But Waddell's dad played for Purdue, and junior did not have any other major offers. He came to Purdue with his eyes wide open, knowing where he was in the pecking order. I can easily imagine that Waddell's goals are to enter the coaching ranks after graduation. He is in the right place.

Likewise, Berg came in with his eyes wide open. His dad publicly stated that he wanted his son to come to Purdue to learn to play in the post. He had no other major offers, and it was implied that his dad thought he had a future playing professionally in Europe, but needed to round out his game first.

Not every player comes in thinking they will be major contributors their first or even second year in the program. It's hard to imagine that they feel their expectations have not been met.

Good post. We’re nine months away from anyone having to make a decision and four or five months away from the earliest that anyone is likely to decide to transfer, so a lot can change.

I have no idea why Berg would consider transferring prior to next year, which will be his first real shot at playing time. The staff pulled a scholarship offer from another Big based on his development this summer, so they’ve shown some confidence there. Brian could decide to transfer and Purdue may ultimately need him to, but hopefully he is continuing to work each day to improve his body and his game. He has made significant gains, but is still physically underdeveloped. If he continues to improve, he could carve out a role at Purdue or MP can help him find a spot somewhere else

 

[tjreese]

Anything is possible. But Waddell's dad played for Purdue, and junior did not have any other major offers. He came to Purdue with his eyes wide open, knowing where he was in the pecking order. I can easily imagine that Waddell's goals are to enter the coaching ranks after graduation. He is in the right place.

Likewise, Berg came in with his eyes wide open. His dad publicly stated that he wanted his son to come to Purdue to learn to play in the post. He had no other major offers, and it was implied that his dad thought he had a future playing professionally in Europe, but needed to round out his game first.

Not every player comes in thinking they will be major contributors their first or even second year in the program. It's hard to imagine that they feel their expectations have not been met.

Matt is fully aware that Brian's minutes may be tough this year.

 

[RFSNES]

You all send the wrong message, they are both young and are playing on a veteran #1 team.
They know that when major game are on the line, their role will be minimized. They will have games to play in to develop. They both want a good education and are smart enough to know they are in a good position for the future...let them grow up..it is a part of life.

 

[jdbrees922]

Perfect , exactly what I’m thinking . Funny how the 10th and 11th man on the roster gets scrutinized. Both will be fine in whatever they decide and both are fine representatives of Purdue. Knew going in there is only 200 minutes a game and have a veteran team returning

 

[mathboy]

Anything is possible. But Waddell's dad played for Purdue, and junior did not have any other major offers. He came to Purdue with his eyes wide open, knowing where he was in the pecking order. I can easily imagine that Waddell's goals are to enter the coaching ranks after graduation. He is in the right place.

Likewise, Berg came in with his eyes wide open. His dad publicly stated that he wanted his son to come to Purdue to learn to play in the post. He had no other major offers, and it was implied that his dad thought he had a future playing professionally in Europe, but needed to round out his game first.

Not every player comes in thinking they will be major contributors their first or even second year in the program. It's hard to imagine that they feel their expectations have not been met.

Well said Andy! This speculation about who is going to leave seems mean spirited to some. Degree. As you pointed out, not everyone on the team is there to a starter, or even a rotation player. Some are there to learn the coaching game, some just to be part of a winning program.

 

[*4purdue*]

Good post. We’re nine months away from anyone having to make a decision and four or five months away from the earliest that anyone is likely to decide to transfer, so a lot can change.

I have no idea why Berg would consider transferring prior to next year, which will be his first real shot at playing time. The staff pulled a scholarship offer from another Big based on his development this summer, so they’ve shown some confidence there. Brian could decide to transfer and Purdue may ultimately need him to, but hopefully he is continuing to work each day to improve his body and his game. He has made significant gains, but is still physically underdeveloped. If he continues to improve, he could carve out a role at Purdue or MP can help him find a spot somewhere else

The thing that concerns me most about this team is that there doesn't appear to be anywhere near the strength & conditioning done over the summer like there use to be under Keady. All players look the same as they did last year. The only player on this team that looks like a Keady type player is Gillis. All players that went through GK's system had a body transformation from Freshman to Sophomore season. This team hit a wall last year midway though the B1G season & looked out of gas. That carried through into the tourney. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again.

 

[jdbrees922]

Isn’t it up to the players to want to change their body and diet. Trainers and strength coaches can only help

 

[New Pal Boiler]

The thing that concerns me most about this team is that there doesn't appear to be anywhere near the strength & conditioning done over the summer like there use to be under Keady. All players look the same as they did last year. The only player on this team that looks like a Keady type player is Gillis. All players that went through GK's system had a body transformation from Freshman to Sophomore season. This team hit a wall last year midway though the B1G season & looked out of gas. That carried through into the tourney. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again.

Hard to bulk up much when you are playing all day every day.

 

[Schmedly_Whiplash]

Anything is possible. But Waddell's dad played for Purdue, and junior did not have any other major offers. He came to Purdue with his eyes wide open, knowing where he was in the pecking order. I can easily imagine that Waddell's goals are to enter the coaching ranks after graduation. He is in the right place.

Likewise, Berg came in with his eyes wide open. His dad publicly stated that he wanted his son to come to Purdue to learn to play in the post. He had no other major offers, and it was implied that his dad thought he had a future playing professionally in Europe, but needed to round out his game first.

Not every player comes in thinking they will be major contributors their first or even second year in the program. It's hard to imagine that they feel their expectations have not been met.

To be fair to OP, Matt's oversigning makes this discussion inevitable. However distasteful.

 

[Schmedly_Whiplash]

The thing that concerns me most about this team is that there doesn't appear to be anywhere near the strength & conditioning done over the summer like there use to be under Keady. All players look the same as they did last year. The only player on this team that looks like a Keady type player is Gillis. All players that went through GK's system had a body transformation from Freshman to Sophomore season. This team hit a wall last year midway though the B1G season & looked out of gas. That carried through into the tourney. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again.

I gotta call you on this one. You might need new glasses if you can't see the body changes in our guys.
Even Fletcher is now at least "solid".
You can tell fitness and strength changes without even seeing their body.
Face (and neck) shows the work (or not). Look at pics of the same guy last year to this year. Facial pic will tell you if they've been working hard or not, 90% of the time.
We don't need or want Rowinski's across the front line. Name of the game now is SPEED and movement.
Zach, TKR and Caleb all look more fit while not being any bigger. TKR went down in weight if info was correct. All of them wanting to MOVE better.
Fletcher is noticeably more solid, Braden visibly more chiseled. same with TRK. Gillis is a ROCK, always was. NO doubt he's still stronger, but not much room to get bulkier. Heide's not the twig he was and Waddell was much discussed after showing up 'ripped' for a still thin guy. (MUCH more muscle than a year ago).
Zach is the Zachen and they just keep getting stronger the more cities they eat.
Ethan is the only one I see not bigger and that was by plan as he's going to play more guard and needs to be able to chase smaller guys around.
Other than that is there anyone that doesn't look bigger than last year to anyone else?

 

[Hausta01]

I gotta call you on this one. I think you need new glasses if you can't see the body changes in our guys.
Even Fletcher is now at lease "solid".
You can tell fitness and strength changes without even seeing their body.
Face (and neck) shows the work (or not). Look at pics of the same guy last year to this year. Facial pic will tell you if they've been working hard or not, 90% of the time.
We don't need or want Rowinski's across the front line. Name of the game now is SPEED and movement.
Zach, TKR and Caleb all look more fit while not being any bigger. TKR went down in weight if info was correct. All of them wanting to MOVE better.
Fletcher is noticeably more solid, Braden visibly more chiseled. same with TRK. Gillis is a ROCK, always was. NO doubt he's still stronger. Heide's not the twig he was and Waddell was much discussed after showing up 'ripped' for a still thin guy. (MUCH more muscle than a year ago).
Honestly, is there anyone that doesn't look bigger to anyone else?

Agree with you here, we don't need TEs and RBs playing basketball. Loyer for sure looks sturdy compared to last year. Waddell is yoked this year and TKR looks less... soft. Trevion went from pushing 300 to about 240 by his senior year and is now slimmed down some more.

I think the S/C staff at Purdue are doing a good job. I don't know what great is for basketball S/C so I'll just say good.

 

[Lee3370]

Well said Andy! This speculation about who is going to leave seems mean spirited to some. Degree. As you pointed out, not everyone on the team is there to a starter, or even a rotation player. Some are there to learn the coaching game, some just to be part of a winning program.

Agreed, we cant know what is in these kids heads. For example i didnt play a minute of game time for both the football teams or basketball teams and i didnt leave Purdue until after I graduated.

 

[Chi-Boiler]

Anything is possible. But Waddell's dad played for Purdue, and junior did not have any other major offers. He came to Purdue with his eyes wide open, knowing where he was in the pecking order. I can easily imagine that Waddell's goals are to enter the coaching ranks after graduation. He is in the right place.

Likewise, Berg came in with his eyes wide open. His dad publicly stated that he wanted his son to come to Purdue to learn to play in the post. He had no other major offers, and it was implied that his dad thought he had a future playing professionally in Europe, but needed to round out his game first.

Not every player comes in thinking they will be major contributors their first or even second year in the program. It's hard to imagine that they feel their expectations have not been met.

Took most of my words out of my mouth. We kind of have this debate every year. A college basketball roster has 13 scholarships. One could argue that it's 1 too many, but that's beside the point. All 13 can't possibly play regular minutes. But there is room on the team for that many, and if they help in practice and the occasional spot minutes, then that's their role. We have yet to see either one of them in extended play, so it's not best to judge what they MIGHT bring to the table before they graduate.

Edit: They're also getting a world-class education.

 

[Chi-Boiler]

All of them wanting to MOVE better.

MOVE!!!!!!!!!

 

[Hausta01]

MOVE!!!!!!!!!

I haven't paid enough attention, but with PJ running the offense does he get to yell that??

 

[tjreese]

The thing that concerns me most about this team is that there doesn't appear to be anywhere near the strength & conditioning done over the summer like there use to be under Keady. All players look the same as they did last year. The only player on this team that looks like a Keady type player is Gillis. All players that went through GK's system had a body transformation from Freshman to Sophomore season. This team hit a wall last year midway though the B1G season & looked out of gas. That carried through into the tourney. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again.

right or wrong I believe there is a different approach to weight training and think it took place a few years ago for many teams. I don't think getting big or bulking up is a goal anymore that it was for the inside players "mostly" years ago. With the shot clock and the "freedom of movement" that is suppose to take place as well the cylinder rule and no ripping through with the ball there was a goal of reducing contact and creating a condition for more parity between teams so that fans get to see baskets made. We all know that the reduction in contact that is supposed to take place certainly doesn't inside on Zach. If a goal of reducing contact is desired...why does a player need bulk. Now, you and I can see some ball games and think that guy is getting bounced around too much. It appears the goal in weight training may be more explosive or athletic movements, but I'll let this topic rest with whoever is current in weight training.

 

[Wolegib]

I was surprised when we had gave Wadell a scholarship. He seemed like a nice player, but not at the same level as our other players. He had to know. His role would be much like the younger Furst. And Kings son.

Why do we talk about Wadell and Berg? For two reasons. The first is Painter did something he’s never done before. He over recruited. That by itself is worthy of discussion!

The other reason is that it appears that Painter has already over recruited them with the players of his incoming class. In other words, before they even had a chance to display their talents, there will be somebody younger who hasn’t even arrived yet who is higher on the totem pole and depth chart.

We sing praises for Catchings and Myles. And all the other players who will arrive next year. The sad reality is they took their spot on the roster and depth chart

 

[BoilerAndy]

To be fair to OP, Matt's oversigning makes this discussion inevitable. However distasteful.

Understood. My comments were counterpoints, not criticism.

Regarding Waddell and Berg and oversigning: It is very unlikely that MP is going to ask a player to leave after making a commitment to the kid's family. Especially a kid who is a legacy player. If either of those players leave, it won't be because MP ejected them to open up a scholarship.

 

[DwaynePurvis00]

I was surprised when we had gave Wadell a scholarship. He seemed like a nice player, but not at the same level as our other players. He had to know. His role would be much like the younger Furst. And Kings son.

Why do we talk about Wadell and Berg? For two reasons. The first is Painter did something he’s never done before. He over recruited. That by itself is worthy of discussion!

The other reason is that it appears that Painter has already over recruited them with the players of his incoming class. In other words, before they even had a chance to display their talents, there will be somebody younger who hasn’t even arrived yet who is higher on the totem pole and depth chart.

We sing praises for Catchings and Myles. And all the other players who will arrive next year. The sad reality is they took their spot on the roster and depth chart

Yeah life be like that and that’s how sports are….

 

[purduedavie]

Purdue overrecruit by 1, these days there’s always going to be a player or two that likely leaves, if I was a betting man I would guess 2 probably leave before next season, might not be who everyone thinks, nature of the beast.

 

[BoilerDaddy]

I gotta call you on this one. You might need new glasses if you can't see the body changes in our guys.
Even Fletcher is now at least "solid".
You can tell fitness and strength changes without even seeing their body.
Face (and neck) shows the work (or not). Look at pics of the same guy last year to this year. Facial pic will tell you if they've been working hard or not, 90% of the time.
We don't need or want Rowinski's across the front line. Name of the game now is SPEED and movement.
Zach, TKR and Caleb all look more fit while not being any bigger. TKR went down in weight if info was correct. All of them wanting to MOVE better.
Fletcher is noticeably more solid, Braden visibly more chiseled. same with TRK. Gillis is a ROCK, always was. NO doubt he's still stronger, but not much room to get bulkier. Heide's not the twig he was and Waddell was much discussed after showing up 'ripped' for a still thin guy. (MUCH more muscle than a year ago).
Zach is the Zachen and they just keep getting stronger the more cities they eat.
Ethan is the only one I see not bigger and that was by plan as he's going to play more guard and needs to be able to chase smaller guys around.
Other than that is there anyone that doesn't look bigger that last year to anyone else?

Edey is ridiculously strong. The way he can power through players hanging all over him is very impressive. He’s like a man among boys.

 

[The Boiler Special]

As some have already stated, this is by no means a dig at either player. I was more wanting to know if anyone had an insights or heard anything CMP has said about these players in their development. That's really all. Berg is super intriguing to me because he is a legit big who has a nice touch. I'd love to see him get to a point that he can impact a game. He has real big size he's not awkward and skinny like some 7' plus guys are. I also want both in question to succeed. Brian being a legacy player makes me root for him even more.

But yes this was mostly about too many signed and not enough spots. We are bringing in 2 more centers next year. Does that mean CMP doesn't thin Berg is ready? or were they just the best guys he could get and was kind of surprised they both signed? Who knows, I definitely would assume the latter...

 

[BoilerAndy]

As some have already stated, this is by no means a dig at either player. I was more wanting to know if anyone had an insights or heard anything CMP has said about these players in their development. That's really all. Berg is super intriguing to me because he is a legit big who has a nice touch. I'd love to see him get to a point that he can impact a game. He has real big size he's not awkward and skinny like some 7' plus guys are. I also want both in question to succeed. Brian being a legacy player makes me root for him even more.

But yes this was mostly about too many signed and not enough spots. We are bringing in 2 more centers next year. Does that mean CMP doesn't thin Berg is ready? or were they just the best guys he could get and was kind of surprised they both signed? Who knows, I definitely would assume the latter...

According to the scouting services, his high school coach, and Purdue coaches, Burgess is a forward, not a center. If we assume that TKR will continue to develop as a 4, where he has been starting this year, then Purdue will have a sophomore (Berg) and a freshman (Jacobson) at the true center position next year.

 

[SCBoiler1]

I'm not sure if the casual Purdue fan is aware that Steve Lutz is the Head Coach at Western Kentucky. Lutz left Purdue after the 2021 season, so the Newman transfer to Western Kentucky makes a lot of sense. He knows Lutz and ended up transferring to a school within the Painter "coaching tree".

I could see something similar happening with one of our veteran guys.

 

[Schmedly_Whiplash]

As some have already stated, this is by no means a dig at either player. I was more wanting to know if anyone had an insights or heard anything CMP has said about these players in their development. That's really all. Berg is super intriguing to me because he is a legit big who has a nice touch. I'd love to see him get to a point that he can impact a game. He has real big size he's not awkward and skinny like some 7' plus guys are. I also want both in question to succeed. Brian being a legacy player makes me root for him even more.

But yes this was mostly about too many signed and not enough spots. We are bringing in 2 more centers next year. Does that mean CMP doesn't thin Berg is ready? or were they just the best guys he could get and was kind of surprised they both signed? Who knows, I definitely would assume the latter...

Berg is intriguing because of his apparent touch for a big guy. I don't think he's very strong overall and especially not in his legs. He gets pushed around easily, kinda like Matt Haarms at first. I have hopes for him but i think he's on a jr/sr kind of development time frame.

 

[Dryfly88]

I was surprised when we had gave Wadell a scholarship. He seemed like a nice player, but not at the same level as our other players. He had to know. His role would be much like the younger Furst. And Kings son.

Why do we talk about Wadell and Berg? For two reasons. The first is Painter did something he’s never done before. He over recruited. That by itself is worthy of discussion!

The other reason is that it appears that Painter has already over recruited them with the players of his incoming class. In other words, before they even had a chance to display their talents, there will be somebody younger who hasn’t even arrived yet who is higher on the totem pole and depth chart.

We sing praises for Catchings and Myles. And all the other players who will arrive next year. The sad reality is they took their spot on the roster and depth chart

It's not sad at all. They are number 12 and 13 on the depth chart. CMP's job is to continue to bring in as much talent as he can. If you're 10-13 on the depth chart it isn't sad if you get recruited over by better players. In fact, if we want to stay at the top of college basketball, that is exactly what needs to continue to happen.

 

[New Pal Boiler]

It's not sad at all. They are number 12 and 13 on the depth chart. CMP's job is to continue to bring in as much talent as he can. If you're 10-13 on the depth chart it isn't sad if you get recruited over by better players. In fact, if we want to stay at the top of college basketball, that is exactly what needs to continue to happen.

And all have had plenty of opportunities to “display their talents.” It’s called practice…

 

[purduedavie]

According to the scouting services, his high school coach, and Purdue coaches, Burgess is a forward, not a center. If we assume that TKR will continue to develop as a 4, where he has been starting this year, then Purdue will have a sophomore (Berg) and a freshman (Jacobson) at the true center position next year.

They have Furst as well, he’ll likely be the starter.

 

[PaBoiler78]

I'm not sure if the casual Purdue fan is aware that Steve Lutz is the Head Coach at Western Kentucky. Lutz left Purdue after the 2021 season, so the Newman transfer to Western Kentucky makes a lot of sense. He knows Lutz and ended up transferring to a school within the Painter "coaching tree".

I could see something similar happening with one of our veteran guys.

or maybe w/ Shrews?