Matt Painter said he wanted to get more physical heading into the off season.

Elijah Saunders might be step two towards that goal, a physical, long wing/forward that's already played at two schools that are known for its strong, defensive play. Saunders career started at San Diego State before he transferred to Virginia for his third year last season.

Saunders is capable of playing the four or three, defending at the perimeter and against bigger bodies. He's a good rebounder with long arms and has shown an ability to knock down shots on the perimeter.

Jon Rothstein posted on Twitter today that Saunders was down to five schools: Texas Tech, Kansas State, Purdue, Grand Canyon, and Virginia.

Saunders is a curious player for Painter. He's not a traditional wing or big which makes him more likely a Camden Heide replacement at the four where he can stretch the floor.

But Saunders could also play at the three in a pinch, providing great size without sacrificing spacing at the other end. That said, he's not an added ball handler around the perimeter and Painter has shown he prefers to play with at least three ball handlers on the floor.

Let's take a deep look at Saunder's fit with Purdue:

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