5 Things to Watch When Purdue Plays Creighton in Saturday's Exhibition
Purdue will face an actual opponent on Saturday. The Boilermakers will travel to Omaha, Neb. for a charity exhibition game against Creighton, giving Matt Painter his first chance to see how his team performs against another squad.
There are plenty of questions about the Boilers as we enter the 2024-25 college basketball season. Here are a few things to watch during Saturday's charity exhibition against Creighton.
Who gets the bulk of the minutes at center?
Purdue has an interesting situation on its hands when it comes to the center position. There are potentially five guys that could fill that role — Will Berg, Daniel Jacobsen, Caleb Furst, Raleigh Burgess and Trey Kaufman-Renn.
Painter has talked about the versatility of Furst, the physicality of Berg and the shot-blocking ability of Jacobsen. He's also raved about the growth of Burgess in his short time on campus.
We already know Kaufman-Renn will start and s going to be a key cog for Purdue this season? Will that be more at the center spot? Or will he be in that power forward position more often?
A lot of the decisions depend on matchups, but what happens on Saturday should give us some idea of what to expect during the upcoming season.
How well does the "small ball" lineup defend?
Without a dominant traditional post presence like Purdue had with Zach Edey, the Boilermakers are going to implement a brand of "small ball," opening up the floor and playing at a quicker pace. This new style has created some excitement, especially from an offensive standpoint.
But how well can that lineup defend? That's a concern Painter has entering Saturday's exhibition game against Creighton.
"Yeah, I'm definitely going to play it. I don't know how much," he said. "I've put Cam (Heide) with (Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Kaufman-Renn) in practice ... I like it offensively, I don't know how much I like it defensively."
Will Fletcher Loyer be more aggressive?
Loyer sometimes gets mislabeled as only a catch-and-shoot guard. Certainly, that's his strength. But he's also demonstrated the ability to drive to the basket and get points at the rim. How much more of that will we see out of the junior guard?
Defenses are going to likely focus more on Smith and Loyer defensively without Edey in the post. That could take away some of his open looks, forcing him to create his shot more frequently than we have seen in the past.
Loyer has put on some muscle in the offseason, which should help him absorb contact on his drives to the basket throughout the year.
Which freshmen make the biggest impact?
This is probably the one question everyone is dying to know. Purdue brought in a five-man class that ranked in the top-20 nationally. At least some of those guys are expected to make an immediate impact.
Guard Gicarri Harris gives Purdue a third ball-handler on the court and might be the most prepared to handle the Big Ten from a physicality standpoint. He's also a shot-maker and cause problems when the Boilers do utilize that small-ball lineup.
Jacobsen is a 7-foot-3 center who has excellent shot-blocking ability. CJ Cox has surprised some with his ability to knock down jump shots. Painter has also spoken highly of Burgess and Jack Benter.
Painter said he likely won't play 13 players this weekend at Creighton. So, which freshmen are ready to contribute in 2024-25? We'll probably find out Saturday.
What aspect of Trey Kaufman-Renn's game improved the most?
There are high expectations for Kaufman-Renn as enters his junior season in West Lafayette. With Edey out of the picture, it opens the door for the 6-foot-10 forward to become one of Purdue's most reliable offensive weapons.
We've seen flashes of his brilliance at times throughout his career, but he's never really been tasked with being a top-two scorer for the Boilermakers. Now that he's going to get more touches, he'll carry a heavy weight on the offensive end.
So, where will his growth be most evident? Is it in his jump shot? His efficiency around the rim? Is he going to be able to knock down the 3-point shot consistently?
We may not get an answer in a one-game sample size on Saturday, but it's certainly something to keep an eye on.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
HOW TO WATCH PURDUE-CREIGHTON: Purdue has revealed how to watch its charity exhibition basketball game against Creighton on Saturday, Oct. 26. CLICK HERE
PAINTER TALKS LINEUPS AT CREIGHTON: Purdue coach Matt Painter talked about lineups, playing "small ball" and what all he expects to get out of Saturday's exhibition game vs. Creighton. CLICK HERE
PURDUE WON BEFORE EDEY: Yes, Zach Edey played a major role in Purdue's success over the last four years. But the Boilermakers had a tradition of winning before his arrival. CLICK HERE
