Boiler Banter: Mackey Arena Already Looks Like Home for Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox

Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox had never played nor seen a game in Mackey Arena before Wednesday night. The Purdue freshmen already look comfortable in their new home.

Dustin Schutte | Oct 30, 2024

Purdue Boilermakers forward Gicarri Harris passes the ball during practice / Alex Martin / Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Mackey Arena is one of the most intimidating environments in college basketball. It's one of the cathederals in the sport. So it wouldn't have been too surprising if Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox — two Purdue freshmen who had never even watched a game in the historic venue — struggled in their first game in that atmosphere.

Instead, Cox and Harris played like veterans in Wednesday night's exhibition game against Grand Valley State. To use a tired, old sports catchphrase, both freshmen looked "calm, cool and collected."

Cox ended the night with 15 points, tied with juniors Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn for a team high. He was also responsible for three assists and two steals. Harris closed out the game with 12 points, four rebounds and two steals. The two combined to shoot eight-of-15 from the floor, helping Purdue to an easy 99-41 victory.

The most impressive numbers from Wednesday night's win? Zero turnovers in a combined 36 minutes of acton. It's difficult for anyone to get through a game without a turnover, regardless of competition.

The statistics were almost secondary, though. Just watching Cox and Harris on the floor, you could tell they felt comfortable — almost like they had called Mackey Arena home for years.

Maybe Wednesday's performance shouldn't seem so impressive. After all, this was an exhibition game against a Grand Valley State team that competes at the Division II level. Is it possible I'm putting too much stock into what I saw?

Purdue played a charity exhibition game against Creighton in Omaha on Saturday. Neither Cox nor Harris performed as well in that contest, finishing the night with four points and two points, respectively. To be honest, I was expecting more of the same on Wednesday.

Making the transition from high school to college can be tough. Playing in your first home game — in an environment like Mackey Arena — can be overwhelming. I expected to see those two freshmen endure more growing pains against Grand Valley State.

That wasn't the case. Instead, both Cox and Harris appear ready to make immediate contributions for the Boilermakers, and they're not going to be intimidated. It's exactly the mentality Purdue needs from its newcomers if it hopes to compete for a third straight Big Ten championship.

Surprising nights from Cox and Harris shouldn't overshadow the fact that both are still true freshmen. Nerves are going to set in. They're going to make mistakes. Bad nights are going to happen. It's part of the learning process.

Wednesday night's performances from the freshmen guards was a promising sign, though. Much like Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer during the 2022-23 season, Cox and Harris are ready to step in and help the Boilermakers win immediately.

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