If Purdue will have a centerpiece sort of player this season, there's not much suspense as to who it would be, as returning big man Trevion Williams should have a considerable say in how the Boilermakers' season turns out.

Understanding his importance at both ends of the floor and as a veteran on a team with no seniors and as many first-year players as returning ones, Williams has worked to prepare himself.

"It's been very important to me," Williams said. "I had to kind of set myself aside and realize how much my role means to this team. I've been constantly working on my game, working on my body and it's paid off."

The junior big man has been a good player for Purdue the past two season, at times a very good player. Nevertheless, Matt Painter's often pointed out the obvious of how much more the uniquely skilled and powerful post player is capable of, conditioning and motor being the keys.

This year, it all comes to the forefront.

Williams has played big minutes at Purdue before, but he's always done so with the safety net of having another proven center waiting to spell him. Now, Matt Haarms' transfer and the graduation of versatile forward Evan Boudreaux has left Purdue with only players who've yet to play a meaningful minute at Purdue: Freshman Zach Edey, who has been a pleasant surprise throughout the offseason, and sophomore Emmanuel Dowuona, who played sparingly last season and is now sidelined to open preseason practice by what Painter terms "breathing issues."

Williams averaged 21.5 minutes for the season last year, 23.5 in Big Ten play. When Haarms was sidelined for two games in December, he played 20 minutes at Ohio and 28 vs. Butler, with Boudreaux claiming minutes at the 5.

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This season Williams didn't put a number on his specific goal for his workload, but suffice to say, Purdue is hoping he can play more minutes than ever before at a high level. (When Haarms was hurt in the first half at Michigan, Williams played 44 minutes and scored 36 points in an overtime loss.)

"His conditioning has definitely gone up a couple notches," classmate Eric Hunter said. "You can just kind of tell that detail when a guy wants it more and wants it more for a longer period of time. He's definitely improved in that aspect."

Much of the focus around Williams has been his weight, though weight and conditioning can be two distinctly different things. But to the weight part of it, Williams, who arrived at Purdue well north of 300 pounds and has played much of his career in the ballpark of 270ish, says he's about 10 pounds off his goal of 255 or so.

But again, weight and conditioning can be mutually exclusive, and to that end, Williams spent much of the summer running and working on his quickness.

"With quickness comes better defense and everything kind of comes together," he said.

Williams figures to be Purdue's top offensive option because of his potency as a low-post scorer and excellent passing ability for his position, as well as one of the Big Ten's pre-eminent rebounds. Defensive growth would be a welcomed sight, too, particularly on the perimeter, where his body type naturally is a challenge when guarding ball screens, putting the onus on his ability to move laterally.

That comes with conditioning, too, and while it was a focus for Williams, it was especially difficult this given year, this strange, strange year.

Williams and teammates have spent the past few months weaving in and out of quarantine.

"It's very challenging," Williams said. "You just kind of sit around in your room, no access to a gym or anything. It's tough. All you can really do is sit there and feed yourself."

Williams doesn't seem to have come out of it any worse off, but time will tell, not only for him, but every college basketball everywhere after the most disrupted off-season In the history of the game.

Regardless, conditioning will be one of the keys to the season for a player who's one of the key's to Purdue's season.

"He's got a good basketball mind. Being in shape and not having fatigue issues, I think those things will really jump out," Painter said, citing . "He's sharp. He's got a really good feel for what's going on, but you can't come in and out of that because of fatigue."

Experience, as with all of Purdue's returnees, should matter for Williams, as well.

"You kind of know what's coming. This is my third year and you know most of the guys in the league and they're tough guys," Williams said of a Big Ten that was loaded with outstanding big men last season and should be again this season. "Any given night, somebody could have a big game or win a game against a top team. They've raised the stakes. Everybody's good in our league. Just have to be ready and come to play.

" I know what to expect and I know how many minutes I have to be able to play in order for us to kind of get going. My role is big this year and we don't have any seniors. So as juniors have to kind of buckle down and take this team on our own, and kind of build the rest of the guys up and kind of get them going."

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