Tuesday, Purdue formally opens preseason basketball practice. It'll do so with a full roster, as has been the case since the start of the fall semester following a summer spent largely with a skeleton crew, for a variety of reasons.

This is a very different Boilermaker team from last season's, and Purdue will hope that in some ways, it's a good sort of different, even though this roster doesn't possess the same raw talent as a year ago.

Purdue has much to figure out this preseason.

Here are a few of those questions, beyond just the most obvious.

One thing is abundantly clear: This team will be constructed from the inside out, with junior center Zach Edey being the Boilermakers' centerpiece and the figure that Purdue's offense and defense are crafted around.

That reality should be the undercurrent to personnel decisions, as well, as Matt Painter and his staff will want the best groupings possible to maximize Edey's value. You'll recall a few seasons back how Grady Eifert, Matt Haarms and Nojel Eastern coalesced around Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline and really formed an outstanding unit.