Breakdown: Micah Shrewsberry on Purdue's offense
Defensively this season, Purdue retools without its two erasers, as premier on-ball defender Nojel Eastern and proficient shot-blocker Matt Haarms have departed, leaving the Boilermakers with a young roster that includes numerous unproven defenders.
The hope, then, will be that individual absences can be overcome through collective efforts.
"Our biggest thing is that we're going to have to be able to keep people out of the paint, because we're not gifted with the rim protector, per se, and we're not gifted with just great lateral movers," said assistant coach Steve Lutz, who coordinates a Purdue defense that finished 11th nationally in efficiency per KenPom last season, prior to the start of preseason practice. "These dudes are just gonna have to really lock in as a team and help one another. ... This team's going to have to be five people working together at all times, building walls and making people take contested, low-percentage shots."