3 things that stood out from Purdue basketball's exhibition win vs Ball State

Purdue basketball identity not reliant on rigid lineups

Matt Painter went with a starting lineup of Omer Mayer running the point, third-year veterans Cox and Harris at shooting guard, Caden Pierce at the 4 and Jacobsen at center. Cox stayed on the floor at the under-16 when Luke Ertel, Antione West Jr., Jack Benter and Raleigh Burgess subbed in.

Freshman Jacob Webber was the last to sub in, at the 14 minute mark, but immediately played the sort of depth-related management Painter faces this season. He hit a 3 and a long 2 on his first two touches and added another 3 before the end of the half.

Mayer and Ertel played together for a few minutes early in the second half. While Painter has more liberty to experiment during the exhibitions, that’s a pairing he’ll likely use a times when the games count, too.

Painter talked recently about how this team’s offensive identity won’t be based around a single, gravity-demanding player such as Zach Edey or Braden Smith. Instead, it needs to be a team which takes care of and shares the ball. As of the under-16 timeout of the second half, Purdue had committed only four turnovers but had assists from 11 players and seven who had made 3-pointers.

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Boilermakers rebound well, but bigger tests of potential weakness remain

Ball State is a poor stand-in for the Big Ten standard against which Purdue’s rebounding will be judged. Still, it counts as a good early sign that the Boilermakers won the boards so emphatically. They grabbed 11 on offense in the first 13-plus minutes.

Benter and other players also did a good job crashing on offense and knocking loose balls out to teammates, keeping multiple possessions alive which led to points. Neither Oscar Cluff nor Trey Kaufman-Renn are walking through that door, as they say. As much as it may sound like coach speak, this roster must be scrappy and aggressive to compete on the boards.

Those second chances are a bonus − a huge one, potentially − but the crucial development will be how well Purdue prevents them.

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Enzo Shahrvin gives Purdue basketball different look, but an effective one

Purdue fans received their first glimpse of Enzo Shahrvin, as the French freshman was not eligible yet during the Canada summer games. He came in third in the post rotation and blocked a shot about a minute after entering for the first time.

While he does not have the height of Jacobsen or Burgess, he injects a different physicality and athleticism. He played only five first-half minutes but collected four rebounds (two offensive), one assist and that block.

Jacobsen blocked six shots and altered a handful of others to remind of his rim-protection importance. Burgess had a strong preseason by many accounts, and his vocal, energetic leadership obviously makes a bigger impact when on the court. But this team needs Shahrvin's grown-man presence, too.

Nathan Baird and Sam King have the best Purdue sports coverage, and sign up for IndyStar's Boilermakers newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 3 things that stood out from Purdue basketball's exhibition win vs Ball State

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