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p r e s e n t s m e n ' s b a s k e t b a l l r e c r u i t i n g Looking Ahead Purdue looking to add to young talent already in program BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com P urdue will be dominated from sophomores and freshmen, seven of them likely to play big minutes this season to come. That certainly bodes well for the future, it would seem, but in recruiting, such situations do present some challenges, hurdles Purdue has likely faced as it's rounded out its 2014 signing class. "I've found that the guys who've been successful (at Purdue) really didn't talk all that much about the other guys at their positions (during recruiting)," Coach Matt Painter said, speaking generally about recruiting. "I think it's an epidemic in college recruiting with some parents and some kids. The kids who say, 'You have too many guys there,' or 'You have this guy or that guy,' I don't think they're too confident in themselves. "When we recruited Bryson Scott or Chris Kramer or Rapheal Davis or Keaton Grant, guys of that nature, I didn't hear anybody talking about this guy or that guy. They just want to come and compete and play. Those guys have been successful at our place or will be successful at our place. We need those guys, and when we're going forward in recruiting, about half of them are that way. The other half are saying, 'What about this guy or that guy?' Well, what about an opportuni44 IllustrateD volume 24, issue 2 ty to come in and compete and play? I think we've proven ourselves at Purdue, that if you're tough and you're hard-nosed and you work hard and you care about your team winning, you're going to be successful and play. We don't have any guys in our program who've been like that who didn't play. "It's a problem, but it's good in a way, too, as a coach, because it sends up a red flag when they just keep talking about it. It tells you they're scared of competition." Purdue has missed on a Tom Campbell number of players it's targeted Class of 2016 prospect Barret Benson (above) and for 2014. Guard isn't necessarily an 2015 target Glynn Watson both took part in Purdue's urgent need for Painter in the Elite Camp in late August. '14 class, but after last year's depth-related concerns in the backcourt, Painter went all in on recruiting for luxury, as opposed to need. But targets J.P. Macura (Xavier), Ronnie Harrell (Creighton) and Bryant McIntosh (Northwestern) committed elsewhere, with McIntosh, who decommitted from Indiana State hoping for the Purdue offer he soon after received, admitting the Boilermakers' numbers in the backcourt were a deterrent, at least to some degree. Additionally, Purdue targeted big men, looking for a post player physically capable of stepping in immediately in 2014, especially important in the event sophomore A.J. Hammons turns pro after this season. But centers Isaac Haas (Wake Forest) and Jabari Craig (USC) and Dayton-bound Steve McElvene, whose academic situation remains to be seen, committed elsewhere. Purdue's search for post help continues, even after it added 6-foot-10 forward/center Jacquil Taylor of Massachusetts this fall. f