I ask the staff to go out on a limb.
It’s the start of a brand new men’s basketball season, so it’s time to bust out your bold predictions. Last year I predicted Purdue to win the Big Ten and make the Final Four, right on both counts, but maybe not terribly bold? Let’s see what everyone thinks.
Ledman:
There will be three freshman in the top seven of minutes per game at the end of the season. I just think this freshman class is so talented that it’s going to be hard to keep them down. I think having two in there with Cox and Harris is almost a lock so that’s why me saying three out of seven is bold.
I also think TKR and Braden Smith both make first team All-Big Ten. I think TKR is gonna surprise a lot of people this year now that more of the focus will be on him. Plus, while the Big Ten isn’t necessarily down per se, I’d say that Purdue remains at or near the top of a conference that has seen better years and that will help both of these guys shine.
Jed:
1 | Three Different Players Will Start at the 5 – With Zach Edey gone to the NBA, Mason Gillis to Duke, and Lance Jones looking to establish himself in Europe, that’s a big chunk of minutes to make up for (81.7 to be exact) to fill. With Smith, Loyer, and TKR solidly taking hold of their spots, that leaves two starters roles to fill out. Harris appears to have grabbed one but the other appears to be in some amount of limbo. Berg started against Creighton but Jacobsen got the nod against GVSU while we shouldn’t forget about Caleb Furst’s experience having started 33 games either.
Matt Painter has said he needs to find the best players to pair with their most important pieces in Smith, TKR, and Loyer. Notably that means finding someone who can rebound, defend the interior post, defend on ball screens in multiple ways, and set good screens. All three of those guys fit the bill although I don’t think anyone is doubting that Jacobsen has the highest ceiling of the three. DJ and Berg are young and are bound to make mistakes and Furst seems to fit more into what this version of Purdue will look like offensively versus what they had been with Edey.
Look for all three of those guys to get a start at some point this season but really all three do different things really well. This comes after the last two seasons of largely sticking with the same starting lineup from start to finish.
2 | Braden Smith with Multiple Triple-Doubles – After flirting with this multiple times over his first two seasons, I think this is the one where Smith finally nabs that elusive stat line. So elusive, in fact, only Joe Barry-Carroll has attained it in Purdue Basketball history in 1977. To then call out that Smith will grab multiple this season may seem a bit out of pocket. Then again, there hasn’t been a player like Smith in program history.
Smith will be looked to be an even more important cog in the wheel for the Boilers and their focus on getting into transition more will lead to possibilities for assists and rebounds he didn’t have last season. .
3 | Purdue Makes Another Final Four Run – This team is not going to be the early dominant team that we have seen the last two seasons. It’s going to be hard to figure out who to go to and what to do when things get stale or go sideways when Edey isn’t there to control a game on both ends easily. The schedule is too difficult not to likely drop on in the non-conference and the B1G too strong overall with the addition of Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA to not incur more than a few losses. However, this is a team truly built for March with elite guard play, wings who can defend multiple positions, and a interior post presence who can score when needed
Kyle:
Im not sure if it is bold anymore with the culture Coach Painter has built, but i deep run into the March Tournament is my prediction.
Another year of people counting Purdue out because our Star Player is gone is in full swing, I fully believe that Braden Smith takes another step forward and pushes Purdue into the Elite 8 with his ultra athletic supporting cast.
Drew:
I think this teams trajectory will mirror the 2018-19 team. It’s going to take a minute for Painter to figure things out in terms of both playing style and rotation.
The start of the season will include a few frustrating performances before things start to take shape towards the tail end of the non-conference.
I don’t think this team wins the Big 10. there’s going to be significant variance from game to game for a team this reliant on 3-players and shooting. This team could also be absolute hell in the NCAA tournament with a veteran back court and a reliable post scorer.
I see a team that ends in the top 3 or 4 of the Big 10, gets somewhere between a 3-5 seed, and makes another run in the tournament.
Ryan:
Not really sure if any season predictions could be labeled as bold at this point. Matt Painter has built an awesome program that is churning out W’s and now that he has broken through to the Final Four, it wouldn’t be too bold to predict it again.
My bold prediction for this season is that Purdue will have 3 players on the all-conference teams (1st, 2nd, and 3rd) this season AND 1 on the all-freshman team. The take gets even zestier when you remember that 4 new rosters are coming in.