We are less than 24 hours away from our first look at this iteration of Purdue's squad.

It might be a fitting anecdote at the end of the season that who Matt Painter had on the floor for the first practice was about those that stayed around. In this world of transfers and early exits, and everything else sweeping up college basketball, when Purdue's season starts, as Matt Painter joked after practice, nothing is guaranteed but when you have three returning seniors it's about as guaranteed as it gets.

So when Purdue's season starts, its starting lineup will feature three seniors: Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn who have polished and defined what current Purdue basketball means in West Lafayette and in the wider landscape of college basketball.

The two players who might be vying for the other two starting spots, Oscar Cluff and Omer Mayer, were both absent and will join the team later in the summer.

There will be time this summer to see how those two fit in with Purdue's roster. There will be all season to write about how Loyer, Smith, and Kaufman-Renn finish their final seasons at Purdue.

What Mayer and Cluff's absence allowed us to get a peak at during practice, is how some of Purdue's future might fit on this year's team.

Here's some first thoughts and observations from Purdue's practice about three players who might be X-factors for Purdue.

Liam Murphy, the second Purdue transfer, is tall, sharp shooting forward brought to Purdue from North Florida because of his ability to shoot. He's perhaps Purdue's most one way player, but he also might be the best pure shooting four in the Big Ten.

But his injury and recovery probably has him as a limited participant for most of the summer.

Painter said after practice, that Jack Benter, a 6-5 wing from Brownstown Central that redshirted last season, will also be worked in at the four.

Undersized at the four against some matchups certainly, Benter is an intriguing option for Purdue to provide mega spacing to its offense. Benter isn't just a shooter though he'll still have work to do to adjust to the length and speed of Big Ten basketball.

Benter's scouting report will say shooters, but Benter might be able to his most damage with his passing. Benter is comfortable with the ball in his hand, comfortable staying under control, and has a great feel for quick skip passes and kick outs off drives. Benter saw heavy double, triple, and sometimes all five guys teams in high school. Navigating that kind of pressure and attention while assuming more and more ball handling duties throughout his high school career allowed him to naturally develop a feel for the entirety of the court.

Benter wouldn't just provide spacing and shooting. He turns the corner into a deadly proposition of open threes or open lanes that compromise defenses even more. He didn't knock down a ton of shots in scrimmages but his quick decision making, size to get passes accross the court, and ability to get into the heart of the defense on close outs spoke to Benter's abillity to spark even more juice into an offense that already looks unstoppable.

It's not easy coming into a school without a pedigree or star ranking. It's not easy to be a freshman, period. It's definitely not easy to take over the starting role halfway through your first season, but Cox did all those things and flourished as the guard next to Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer.

Cox didn't appear to be comfortable taking a step back in production, even if Mayer's addition might mean moving back to the bench.

Cox might have been Purdue's most impressive, consistent guard on Monday that doesn't have a chance to set the all-time assist record next season.

Cox continues to be a mid-range merchant. He was the single-handed offense on multiple scenarios where he got to his pull up jumper and flushed it. Cox, who provided efficient three-point shooting and great perimeter defense, also flashed at times an ability to be a shot creator and maker for himself. Something that Purdue really needed last year.

But Cox's advancement will be more than his ability to make jumpers as he steadies into his second season at Purdue.

Early in one of Purdue's half court scrimmage situations, Cox drove right off a screen. The defense, already burnt by his mid range, flashed towards him including off the corner. Cox diagnosed it immediately, skipping the ball out to a wide open corner three.

This play making isn't the most natural thing to Cox. Last year, asisstant coach PJ Thompson joked that they would tell Cox, 'You're a better shot maker than decision maker."

But throughout practice, Cox took that word play to task. He looks more comfortable and more comfortable where his space is around him and could offer added play making for Purdue this season.

But make sure to watch this next highlight as Trey Kaufman-Renn makes Daniel Jacobsen disappear and then euro around help on his way to a way too easy lay up.

The same way Cox made an impression on me with a drive and kick, Gicarri Harris turned some heads in a scrimmage set up.

It was a pretty routine pick and roll that Harris got around and then found a lane to the rim on. Then it became not quite as routine when what looked like a good look at a lay up turned into a one hand throw down dunk.

Harris's jump shot failed him last year, he had to play off ball for the first time in his career, and the offense was never built or meant for him leading to Harris struggling on the offensive end for the first half of the season.

Harris jump shot got hot late in the year, but the offense still revolved away from him. Harris flashed in transition, but never got much in the way of chances to be really aggressive or controlling of the action.

That will still mostly be the case this season with Braden Smith still around and Omer Mayer offering another high level play maker at the guard spot.

But Harris is Purdue's athletic wing now off the bench. He's capable of guarding and backing up all three positions and the minutes should be more consistent. That means so will the opportunity and there was an aggressiveness and knowing of when the lane was his at practice that was encouring for a Purdue team that still could use some more action to the rim from its guards.

Daniel Jacobsen looks all the way back and then some. Forty pounds heavier, he still has to get back in the rhythm of playing, but the combination of Jacobsen and Trey Kaufman-Renn looked absolutely unstoppable on the offensive end.

Braden Smith is gonna have a lot of fun with all his dance partners in the pick and roll this season.