After Embracing Reduced Role, Caleb Furst Looking to Make an Impact at Purdue
ROSEMONT, Ill. — Caleb Furst stands tall and speaks comfortably and confidently when he talks about the role he played last season. It can't be a particularly fun conversation for him, but the Purdue senior forward answers every question about his reduction in playing time last season. The tone in his voice could almost be defined as "chipper."
After starting in 33 games across his first two seasons at Purdue, Furst was asked to take on a reserve role during the 2023-24 season. He didn't start a single game and averaged just nine minutes per contest — less than half of the time he spent on the court the previous year.
"I think it was hard because you want to play, you want to feel like you're a major contributor to the team," Furst said at Big Ten Men's Basketball Media Days. "The thing I tried to focus on was realizing and understanding that the team is greater than any individual. Just focus on, whatever my role is, do that role with joy. That's what I strive to do."
Furst's decrease in playing time wasn't a result of anything he did wrong — a point coach Matt Painter wants to make clear. Instead, it was Zach Edey's decision to return West Lafayette that clogged up the minutes in the game log.
Plus, after Purdue's loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Painter was determined to surround his 7-foot-4 center and National Player of the Year with perimeter talent.
"That's Zach Edey," Painter said of Furst's diminished role last season. "(Caleb) is a good enough player. It really got me to a hard line because the year before, I was making mistakes. We just weren't skilled enough around Zach Edey. Now, the next year, a couple guys didn't play as much and a couple guys played more because they could shoot the basketball."
The result was a 34-5 record, a second straight Big Ten regular season title and a trip to the National Championship Game, the program's first since 1969. Furst appeared in three NCAA Tournament games, logging a total of 10 minutes during Purdue's memorable run.
A lot of college basketball players in Furst's shoes probably would have entered the transfer portal. After all, he was an Indiana Mr. Basketball at Blackhawk Christian (Fort Wayne, Ind.) and was a consistent starter on a Purdue team that won both the Big Ten regular season and Big Ten Tournament titles in 2022-23 season.
Rather than run away from the competition, Furst embraced it — part of the culture Painter has established in West Lafayette. With more opportunities available this season, the senior forward is putting in the work to make a bigger impact for the Boilers.
"A big thing is just confidence. Just trying to play with confidence, play aggressive, continue to work on my shot, work on finishing around the rim, finishing with my left hand, my right hand" Furst said. "One thing I always take pride in is my defense, so trying to get quicker laterally."
Furst has averaged 3.9 points and 3.4 rebounds per game during his three seasons at Purdue. He's played in 105 games. He's eager to get back on the floor and play a major role in the Boilers' quest for a third consecutive Big Ten title.
But what's he looking forward to most in his final season in West Lafayette?
"Being a senior, I'll have more opportunities for leadership. I've really tried to step into that, especially with the younger guys," Furst said, using that chipper tone.
"Whether it's with plays they don't know, leading them off the court, just things like that."
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