This season, Purdue changed profoundly and won big anyway, claiming a share of the Big Ten title, then coming within a split-second of the Final Four.
Now, it changes profoundly again, not just with Sunday's announcement that All-American Carsen Edwards is off to the NBA, but in the losses of important seniors Ryan Cline and Grady Eifert, too.
Matt Painter, the reigning Big Ten Coach-of-the-Year and NABC national coach-of-the-year, says he enjoys the process of putting teams together, making pieces fit, etc., as much as he does the actual coaching.
He'll have much to figure out this off-season, starting with the completion of both his coaching staff — he has one vacancy currently — and roster, for which he currently has two open scholarships that can be used (but don't have to be).
Below is a look at what Purdue returns and how it could play out, it all being subject to modest change as the Boilermaker staff completes its roster this spring.
FRONTCOURT
Post-Edwards and Cline, Purdue's balance of strength may be shifting back to the frontcourt, where center Matt Haarms played at a high-All-Big Ten level late in the regular season, Trevion Williams established himself as a budding standout and forward Aaron Wheeler played his most impactful sustained stretch of basketball in the NCAA Tournament.
The foundation from which Purdue builds may start at the center position, where the dynamics around Haarms and Williams may change — Purdue's guards drew so much attention this season — but not to the point their significant offensive contributions from this past season shouldn't translate to the season to come.
Haarms, Purdue's top returning scorer at 9.4 points per game and the Big Ten's leader in field goal percentage, may expand his perimeter shooting after the 7-foot-3 post player made 5-of-13 threes in Big Ten play this season.
Williams, it stands to reason to suggest, should benefit from experience and a full off-season working on his conditioning. What he accomplished for Purdue this season from a productivity perspective considering he really only played about two-thirds of the season, if that, was more than enough to suggest a very bright future.
Same for Wheeler, though he played meaningful minutes from Day 1. An outstanding athlete with an elite combination of height, length and athleticism, Wheeler made 37 percent of his threes for the season and 56 percent in four NCAA Tournament games. The threes may not come exactly the same next season after Purdue's 4 men got rich off open triples in the Boilermakers' Edward- and Cline-dependent screening action, but Wheeler will get his looks at a position where stretching the floor is critical. And when he was at his very best as a redshirt freshman, he impacted games with energy and in the open floor, so his value certainly will lie in far more than just being a 6-9 perimeter shooter.
Freshman Mason Gillis, about two months away from full clearance following knee surgery, is a skilled face-up sort of 4 man with a college body today and a basketball IQ that belies his age. Assuming he's healthy there should be a role for him, for certain.
At center, along with Haarms and Williams, it's a crowded fray.
Evan Boudreaux is Purdue's only senior at the moment and certainly shouldn't be forgotten about even though he finished the season outside the playing rotation. He's proven himself as a player Purdue can win with, a productive rebounder and offensive threat playing away from the basket as well as around it.
And Emmanuel Dowuona comes out of redshirt with time on his side. He's a big, powerful body type with outstanding athleticism and potential as a mid-range jump-shooter, but he's very inexperienced as a basketball player and has much left to learn, by every account. But he's physically capable now, with rebounding and rim-protection potential that could show themselves sooner rather than later should opportunities present themselves.
BACKCOURT
The backcourt is in flux, but Nojel Eastern is a solid starting point.
The defensive game-changer is an established player and winner, an uncommon sort of player due to his versatility and ability to impact games in non-traditional ways for his position: Point guard.
Now, something to consider: With more guards on the roster, next season could be one where Purdue puts Eastern to use in other roles, maybe even as more of a frontcourt player at times. Look for Purdue to find ways to set him up to score or facilitate, whether it be through post-ups or screening action to set up driving opportunities.
He came a long way as a foul shooter this season, and it's no coincidence then that he was very aggressive attacking the basket later in the year. That version of Eastern could be a key cog in Purdue's scoring mix next season.
Purdue is going to hope for a significant jump being made by sophomore Eric Hunter now that he's experienced. He logged mostly point guard minutes this season out of necessity and gave the Boilermakers the solid minutes they needed, for the most part, while improving considerably as a defender through the course of the season and showing some flashes of the scoring punch that made Purdue covet him out of high school. Matt Painter and staff recruited him to be part of the program's scoring future, and opportunities come now.
Likewise, fellow sophomore Sasha Stefanovic just very quietly shot 41 percent from three-point range as a debuting player and actually shot a higher percentage in Big Ten play than he did in non-conference, and now volume should increase. There's a lot of shots to go around now. It's an important off-season for Stefanovic, though, as it is for all the sophomores, a group that will have to loom large for this team to be successful next season.
Freshmen will play key roles right away.
Brandon Newman is known as one of the best shooters in his class nationally and is physically well developed enough to fit in now. You never know with freshmen, but he profiles at least as a player who may carry significant minutes right away, if not push for a starting role.
And Isaiah Thompson should very much be part of Purdue's mix at point guard, giving it quickness and burst where it otherwise lacks it as well as another shooter, at a position where this season it didn't necessarily have it.
FOUR QUESTIONS
• Does Purdue tinker with Matt Haarms playing alongside Trevion Williams as something it does? Matchups matter, and there are some that would be less than ideal defensively, but that could make for your best rebounding lineup and give you your best chance to get your best five on the floor. Additionally, the prospect of 7-foot-3 (who can shoot the three) feeding the post in high-low action might be intriguing. We'll see.
• Purdue's built its program the past few years on a lot of things, but skill might top the list. The three-point line has been very kind to the Boilermakers of late, and this becomes a season where continuity now comes to the forefront.
A while back, Purdue had an embarrassment of riches in the post with A.J. Hammons, Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan, but around the same time, a horde of big-time shooters converged in West Lafayette. All those guys are gone now.
Can this group maintain long-range shooting as a foundational piece? Purdue is going to have to reinvent itself offensively again this season, and strong perimeter shooting would be a much welcomed starting point.
• Again, how does Purdue use Eastern? He's going to be Purdue's point guard to start the season, but his game, his body and his strengths are compatible with multiple positions, including the 4. We'll see.
• How good can Purdue be defensively? It's going to miss Grady Eifert's experience and awareness at the 4, but Wheeler should benefit from experience — his development defensively is critical — and mark a significant athletic upgrade. Cline's experience and Edwards' physical gifts will be missed, too, but Cline got by on experience more than he did athleticism and Edwards wasn't exactly the most consistent, attentive defender.
Purdue will lose key experience, but should be athletic and long across the board, with two of the best in the league in Eastern and Haarms to build on.
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