WEST LAFAYETTE — Which of these Purdue men’s basketball teams would you pick to win head-to-head?
One features, among others, an All-American point guard, an all-conference big man and a returning part-time starter. The other includes a lead guard with extensive international experience, another all-conference big man and four other players who started Division I games last season.
That’s how coach Matt Painter split the “black” and “gold” teams for Wednesday’s first practice of the season. Last season, he put Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer on one team and asked the rest of the roster to raise its level. This summer, the Boilermakers’ depth of talent and balance ramped up the competition.
“I’d rather have two,” Painter said, “but you only get judged on having one during games.”
Painter recently said he believes his second string would be an NCAA tournament team. That will be an important factor in whether his actual team completes its championship aspirations this season.
Some first impressions of what we saw on Cardinal Court on Wednesday:
How Omer Mayer, Oscar Cluff looked in first Purdue basketball practice
We saw Omer Mayer go head-to-head with Smith during those competitive periods. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound freshman from Israel provides a good physical challenge for the 6-0, 170-pound Smith. He also looks very comfortable taking the lead role and allowing Smith to play more off the ball, something the Boilers hope will allow the reigning Big Ten Player of the Year to keep more in the tank.
(Smith was the one running sprints with the black team after Mayer’s gold team won, 12-10.)
The rebounding boost Oscar Cluff will provide becomes quickly apparent. The South Dakota State transfer did it at a rate better than just about anyone in the country last season. Things get crowded quick in the lane during some of those competitive periods, with 7-1, 255-pound Cluff tangling with 7-4 Daniel Jacobsen and Kaufman-Renn providing physicality at the 4.
Thanks to the addition of Mayer, freshman guard Antione West Jr. comes into a different situation than the one he (literally) signed up for. He showed up ready to play, though, and his perimeter scoring skills showed up multiple times Wednesday.
Jack Benter finding a role with Purdue basketball?
Jack Benter played a lot of point guard for Brownstown Central, leading the school to its first state championship as a senior. He is, for all intents and purposes, a big guard.
Yet while Cluff was stuck in Australia awaiting his visa and Jacobsen was overseas playing in the FIBA Under-19 World Cup and Raleigh Burgess was coming back from surgery, Kaufman-Renn had to play more center over the summer.
That meant someone had to play more 4 in addition to North Florida transfer Liam Murphy. A lot of those reps went to Benter, and it might be the 6-6 redshirt freshman’s best path to game minutes this season.
Benter has changed his body, though it’s been more a case of converting to lean muscle as opposed to bulking up. His shooting will be an asset when he plays up at the 4, as it was the past two seasons for Camden Heide.
Is Purdue basketball’s backcourt too crowded?
C.J. Cox and Gicarri Harris both spent time as starters and closers as freshmen. Painter had no choice but to trust them with significant roles, and both stepped up.
Mayer’s addition gives Purdue five candidates for two spots, including potential four-year starter Loyer and West. Smith will still likely hold down his 40 minutes per night, even when Mayer’s presence allows him to play off the ball.
For 2025-26, the situation will require sacrifice and understanding. It’s also a competitive mix which should make Purdue practices as competitive as any in the country. It’s a mix which sets the program up for a smooth handoff when Smith and Loyer depart next year.
How Painter negotiates those minutes on a given night seems less important than how strong those minutes could be regardless of the distribution.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: How good is Purdue basketball without its stars? First impressions show how competitive Boilers are
Reporting by Nathan Baird, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
