Purdue basketball - New leaders emerge

For the last four years, Mason Gillis, Ethan Morton, and Zach Edey have combined to set the standard at Purdue, on the court and off it.

Each of last year's seniors had their own way of setting an example for younger classmen that culminated in Matt Painter's first rip to the Final Four and his first win, ending in a National Title game against the back to back champion UConn Huskies.

It's the old golden age for Purdue and those three seniors have all left for different circumstance: Gillis to Duke, Morton to Colorado State, and Edey to the NBA.

But their legacies at Purdue will remain as their work on and off the court helped prove that what Painter was building at Purdue wasn't just sustainable, but successful, even when it matter the most.

Mason Gillis is a straight line worker, someone who had to constantly work on his body just to stay healthy enough to remain on the court. But he was also a protector, a natural older brother that looked out for his fellow players.

His emotional address on senior night was about the future when in ten, fifteen, twenty years, he wanted each of his teammates know that if they called him, he'd always pick up the phone. It was that being there for them when needed that explained what Gillis meant to a locker room that was often undersized and young.

When Northwestern fans stormed the court two seasons ago against Purdue, it was Gillis that went into the students' swarm to grab his freshman point guard and make sure he got out of there safe.

Some anecdotes are the entire story.

Ethan Morton was the emotional and mental stability for a Purdue team that put a lot on young guards in a system with thousands of plays and sets. If a player had a question, they could ask a coach or they could just ask Morton.

Morton transformed his body throughout his time at Purdue and became one of Purdue's best defensive options, but there's no glossing over that at the end of his time at Purdue, the minutes had gone elsewhere.

Morton never ducked away from the questions. It's not how he wanted his career to go, but he knew he was a part of something special. He told me during the tournament run that his time would come, and after taking advantage of his COVID year, he'll be getting that extra time at Colorado State with another roster of young players. That's not a coincidence.

Zach Edey's accolades stretch further than his wingspan. There's not been many seasons where there was an undisputed best player. Edey had two of them. He redefined both the potential at Purdue and the legacy of the program in modern basketball.

But whenever Painter was asked about Edey and his impact on his team and program, it was who Edey was that left the largest impression. Edey never treated himself like a superstar. He never had the ego of a top-five pick or a five-star recruit.

He was a hard worker, humble, a bit goofy at times, and when someone that was the best player in college basketball kept his nose down, worked hard, and got better each day, the team behind him was going to follow in line.

Purdue ended up in the National Championship game, and that credit belongs to its best player on the court and the example he put off the court.

But Purdue's not going to have to create an entire roster of new leaders. Two guards will be entering their third season as Painter's starting guards in the backcourt.

Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are on pace to blow past even Edey's class for wins, but it will be without the benefit of last year's seniors to lead on.

"It's obviously a new group," Loyer said Tuesday after Purdue's first summer practice. "Lost some key pieces, but we got a lot to improve on but we've still got the same goals in mind. There's no step back."

That no step back mentality is what Purdue will embrace going forward, but the lessons Loyer and Smith gathered the last two seasons and the examples before them will help guide the way for how to take on the elder statesmen roles on the team.

"Doing things that Ethan Morton, Mason Gillis did for us," Loyer would go on to say. "Doing things that Zach did for us. Whether it's showing up at seven a.m. or whether it's diving on loose balls or whether it's talking to them after drills. It's just showing them what to do and how to act because getting to the National Championships is tough and we want to do it again."

Loyer also knows that it isn't just about what those returning players can do. Part of being a leader, part of moving forward as a a program, is embracing what the younger players bring to the team. Purdue has a lot being brought to the team with five incoming freshmen this season.

"Them showing us their talent as well," Loyer said about what will be a key component for this summer.

For Myles Colvin, he steps into an expanded role, but also exists between generations. Colvin was Purdue's lone true freshman last year. He struggled at times, losing his spot in the rotation, and then came on during Purdue's biggest games, finding the court in the NCAA Tournament. After earning his way back in the rotation through hard work and undeniable talent, he looks to step into a more prominent role on the court.

But he's also already showing a maturity and natural leadership with the freshmen.

"One thing I told them yesterday when we had runs," Colvin said about the freshmen. "We're not going to let you struggle. You know, they didn't let me struggle last year. They helped me along the way. They knew as long as I was doing better, then the coaching would do good. I think that's something I wanted to harp on to make sure they didn't feel alone, and we're there for them and we're trying to make them as good as everybody else."

But the final say for most this season is likely to come down to Braden Smith. The point guard steps into his junior year as Purdue's leader. The offense has been his for the last two seasons, but now it's really his. He'll be the main focus for defenses, and as the premiere play maker in college basketball, Purdue's success around him will have a lot to do with how he sets up his teammates.

But before Purdue can get to that, it has a more simple look to the off season.

"I think our main focus is just lead them through summer," Smith said.

Purdue will get two practices a week through summer to get them where they need to go. The pieces are in place.