During a freshman season that went sideways on him from the outset thanks to illness, Ethan Morton learned a lot of hard lessons, but one in particular.

"It's not about you at all, really," Morton said. "It's about the team and what you can do to help the team. You have to not care what shows up in the stat sheet because there might be a lot of stuff that doesn't show up there that'll help the team win at the end of the day."

Now, Purdue's collective ability to embrace that very view will be one of the clear keys to its success, during this season that tips off Tuesday night amidst considerable fanfare. The Boilermakers are ranked seventh nationally and considered a Big Ten championship contender, if not the favorite.

They're viewed so favorably in part because of their high-end and newfound experience, but also depth that appears unprecedented under Matt Painter.

The list of eligible players Painter sees as winning Big Ten players exceeds double-digits, too many to reasonably expect to play expansive roles or starter-caliber minutes. Being proactive, Painter's talked to his team about "sacrifice" and "value."