Breakdown ($): 2020 recruiting for Purdue | Five Questions

Purdue's long-standing pursuit of blue-chip guard Ethan Morton has forged a relationship that's made the Boilermakers very much a player is his recruitment, he says.

"This hasn't been a relationship where I've known them for a couple months and we haven't really talked much," Morton said. "They've probably been recruiting me a year-and-a-half now and we've been a really good, strong relationship and that (matters) in where I'm going to go, having that sort of relationship when you get to campus."

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"Not to say other schools can't come in later and build that sort of relationship, but it would be a little behind, and knowing me, I'm a big relationships guy."

Months after hosting Morton for a junior-year official visit in the fall and a pair of unofficial visits prior, Matt Painter and staff members made an in-home visit with the Pittsburgh area native last Wednesday.

"It was really good to be able to connect with them again, after they went on a big run and get to see them and catch up and sort of share their vision for me and what they think," Morton said. "Obviously I think the world of Coach Painter and his staff and the way they go about things and the success they've had. They're some of the most trustworthy guys I've come across in this process, so I enjoyed getting to spend time with them."

Purdue's message: "They know it and I've known it since they've started recruiting me, that I'd be one of the best fits in terms of fitting in with the other players and in the way I play. He's emphasized their teams playing as a whole over the individual, and for me, coming in being the player I am, being a playmaker for other guys and an extension of the coaching staff on the floor."

There remains a long way to go for Morton, likely with more official visits to take and a whole summer to play out, but he says Purdue is at the "forefront" of his recruiting picture, along with three other schools that came to see him last week in Pennsylvania: Ohio State, Michigan and Indiana, all of which have also been long involved with Rivals.com's No. 43 player nationally.

He also officially visited Indiana and Stanford during his junior year.

Rivals.com's Jon Sauber contributed to this report

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