WEST LAFAYETTE — You can call Purdue basketball’s 87-55 exhibition victory over Ball State on Sunday a soft opening.
Rehearsals for the regular season continue, and roles remain up for grabs on a remade roster. The vibe around the 11 Boilermakers who shared relatively equal minutes, though, remains one of anticipation for what lies ahead.
You may need to give this new cast some time to come together. Those players – some character actors vying to become stars, some understudies stepping into the spotlight for the first time – like where this is headed.
They cannot offer the assurance which comes with returning Final Four starters, roles chiseled in stone and championship expectations set as an afterthought. What was on display Sunday, though, was a new and different energy – one with unrealized upside.
“I feel that’s what makes this team good and makes this team different, is the balance we have between all our guards and our bigs,” redshirt freshman guard Antione West Jr. said. “Everybody brings something. There’s no weak points or anything we lack in our guards, so it just brings a sense of balance. I think that’s our identity.”
While the departure of four starters removed a considerable amount of scoring, rebounding and winning experience, that does not necessarily mean it left a void.
One could just as easily look at what they left behind as fertile ground in which something new can grow. This team looks, talks and plays differently than it did a year ago. Those uncomfortable with change may need to white-knuckle it for the first few weeks.
Or, look at it as a team crafting its identity in real time. Which scorers come into their own? Whose voice carries the loudest? Who redefines themselves thanks to a role either expanded or granted for the first time?
Purdue basketball has a glut of talent, a 'good problem' for Matt Painter
One person has some anxiety over how this will come together. Matt Painter gets paid to make decisions, but that doesn’t make the hard decisions easier. In a given year, he might need to tell a player or two they deserve to play more but the minutes simply are not available.
His rundown of the standouts from this summer’s competitive drills paints the picture.
In rebounding – maybe the single most crucial element in this team’s ceiling – Raleigh Burgess has the best numbers. On a team which must take care of the ball to underwrite its offensive efficiency, Jack Benter has a 14-to-1 assist-turnover ratio. After last season’s four leading scorers departed, freshman Luke Ertel put up the most points.
What do those three players have in common? They were all part of the line change at the under-16 timeout of the first half, coming off the bench.
Painter said again Sunday he believes he has nine players who deserve to play. This would not be the first players in the history of sport to extoll the virtues of a balanced roster until they are the ones on the short end of a minutes share. For now, though, the enthusiasm for what this mix might organically yield still seems genuine.
“We just mesh well,” West said. “The chemistry, you can just feel it being out there. Nobody’s selfish, and we just keep the ball moving. We all understand our strengths and we can all get it going at any time and we just trust that.”
First look: 3 things that stood out from Purdue basketball's exhibition win vs Ball State
Purdue basketball will push the tempo more on offense and defense
If the intrigue of limitless possibilities does not excite you enough, perhaps the playing style will.
With Benter and Caden Pierce sharing the 4 spot Sunday, Purdue almost always utilized a collective skill set which can credibly be called a four-guard lineup. Even while putting up 40 3-point attempts, it ran the floor and pushed the action. On one sequence, Pierce blocked a shot at one end and raced to the other to be in position for an eventual and-one layup.
Painter used several different lineup combinations throughout the game. All of them can push the tempo. They did so while committing only six turnovers in the first 37 minutes.
“I love the way we’re playing, getting a lot of open looks,” Gicarri Harris said. “I think we’re doing a good job in the half court as well, having good ball movement, cutting hard, and screening for guards and bigs.
“We’ve still got stuff to work on, but I believe we’re at a good spot right now.”
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There's a shift in the defensive intensity, too, applying pressure earlier rather than waiting for the ball to reach the 25-foot mark. Dribble containment remains a work in progress. The only downside of Daniel Jacobsen blocking six shots is he needed to block six shots in under 18 minutes. In general, though, Painter plans to lean into utilizing better on-ball defenders up and down the court.
Harris scored 16 points, making 4 of 7 from 3-point range in the process. The confidence he showed on offense in Canada carried over to the start of the season.
What’s the biggest difference the coach sees in his third-year player’s approach? A year ago, after he and C.J. Cox battled for the only unclaimed starting guard spot preseason, he settled into a reserve role for the second straight season?
Going into this season? The possibilities for Harris, and for the roster as a whole, are wide open.
“He’s just excited about playing,” Painter said.
Things are only getting started, but there's a lot of that going around.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Yes, Purdue basketball looks different. It's a 'good problem' for Matt Painter