The Purdue Boilermakers made the Sweet 16 and achieved the foremost goal of their season. Coach Matt Painter didn’t have strong answers for Kansas in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but getting through the first weekend left a satisfied taste in the mouths of his coaching staff and players. Changes are ahead for the Boilermakers this season, and how they react to them will shape much of their journey, especially in the early stages.
Offseason Changes
Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan was the star that stirred the drink for the Boilermakers last season. Swanigan was able to do nearly everything on the court, coming up short only in ballhandling. Swanigan was a powerful and hard-to-move defender in the paint. He was agile on his feet and had the long arms to deter opponents near the rim.
On offense, he was a capable back-to-the-basket scorer near the rim, but he could also step out to the perimeter and shoot three-point shots. His versatility and his willingness to do whatever it took to help his team made him such a complete package as a player. He could find four or five different ways to win, and that’s why Purdue had so much success. Swanigan starred in the win over Iowa State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament which carried the Boilermakers to the Sweet 16. Not having Swanigan this season will be a huge adjustment for Purdue. The task of replacing him is enormous.
Will Succeed If…
Freshman Nojel Eastern provides a value-added performance for this team. With Swanigan out, an all-hands-on-deck mantra has to be preached and then practiced by Purdue players. It would not be ridiculous to think that Purdue could experience a big drop-off with Swanigan no longer in the mix. Various people chipping in will noticeably minimize the Boilermakers’ level of vulnerability. This is why Eastern has the potential to be one of the foremost impact freshmen in the Big Ten this upcoming season.
Won’t Succeed If…
The backcourt is a disaster. Two seasons ago, the backcourt cost Purdue an NCAA Tournament game against Arkansas-Little Rock. The backcourt was not great last season, but it was improved enough to the point that the Boilermakers did not collapse against tough pressure defense. The small steps forward – with a beast such as Swanigan on the team – stood out. Merely avoiding mistakes in the backcourt and having a stable flow in terms of getting into halfcourt sets really helped Purdue.
Now, with Swanigan no longer a part of the picture, the Boilermakers do not have as much of a luxury – their margin for error has been noticeably reduced. The backcourt has even more of a responsibility to not give anything away this season.
Roster
Aaron Wheeler
Carsen Edwards
Eden Ewing
P.J. Thompson
Vince Edwards
Ryan Cline
Tommy Luce
Nojel Eastern
Jacquil Taylor
Grady Eifert
Dakota Mathias
Matt Haarms
Isaac Haas
Sasha Stefanovic
Schedule & Outlook
The non-conference portion of the schedule features Marquette, Tennessee, Louisville and Butler. What is noticeable about that collection of four games is that Louisville and Butler will have new head coaches. Purdue hopes that such a detail will carry a negative influence on Purdue’s opponents and become a big positive for the Boilermakers. The Marquette game will be an early test for them as it is on the road. The Tennessee game is a week later (on November 22nd) but is a neutral-site game. There will be plenty of eyes on that one as it’s on ESPN2. And then then they’ll host Louisville on November 28th on ESPN, so it is going to be a busy start to the season for the Boilermakers. We’ll know about them very early on.
As for the Big Ten, the lack of a clear hierarchy after league favorite Michigan State gives the Boilermakers a good chance at a top-five finish. Defense is Purdue’s calling card with or without Swanigan. That should carry a lot of weight this season.
The 2018 March Madness futures are out. There has been plenty of news to keep up with in the offseason but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest college basketball betting lines right here.
