Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/744300
VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 49 VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 49 Carsen Edwards 3 6-0 • G • Fr. Breakdown: The exciting rookie guard was recruited by Purdue to play point guard, but the plan has changed. To better put him in positions to use his prolific scoring potential, and to alleviate some decision-making pressure on the young player, Purdue will use him primarily at the 2. His speed, quickness and scoring ability make him one of a kind on Purdue's roster. There's much to learn and adjust to, but he has made a great early impression. Projected Role: Matt Painter thinks Edwards can be "instant offense" as a reserve and his presence could give Purdue the ability to play differently and play faster and have almost a two- point guard dynamic in its backcourt at times. It will be interesting to see how things change when he's on the floor, as in whether Purdue runs more designed ball screens for Edwards or some such thing. Basil Smotherman 5 6-6 • F • Jr. Breakdown: Smotherman redshirted last year because Purdue had Caleb Swanigan and Vincent Edwards as its forwards. It still has those players, so Smotherman may serve as a valuable utility player up front and on the wing. But so much of his role is up to him. Purdue could use an impact defender and athlete and Smotherman has always had the tools to be just that. Projected Role: Again, it remains to be seen and might be determined by the upperclassman's approach, but like Carsen Edwards, Smotherman is one of a kind on Purdue's roster. Rapheal Davis leaves a defensive void. Smotherman says he wants to fill it. Ryan Cline 14 6-5 • G • So. Breakdown: The sophomore aims to be more aggressive and more confident than he was during a freshman season that was more about him fitting in than standing out, he says. He will get more opportunities to do just that this season. Expect Cline's minutes to go up as Rapheal Davis' playing time from last season gets rationed out to very different styles of player this season. Cline might be the face of a Purdue team that figures to put more offensive skill on the floor this season, but will have to figure some things out defensively. Projected Role: Cline should log bigger minutes than he did a year ago as Purdue inevitably employs more true three-guard types of lineups. But for all those guards, nothing is guaranteed. Carsen Edwards' emergence makes for an interesting entry to that derby. Still, Cline and Dakota Mathias have proven themselves and their shooting, passing and decision-making capabilities figure to be foundational elements for this team. Jacquil Taylor 23 6-10 • F/C • So. Breakdown: Now in his third year in the program and second on the floor, the versatile big man remains at the mercy of a stifling depth chart around him, but not as stifling as it was a season ago. Maybe there's a place in the rotation for his height and length. He's Purdue's most athletic and longest post player and probably its best-equipped natural shot-blocker, a stark contrast physically and athletically to fellow bigs Isaac Haas and Caleb Swanigan. There's improvement remaining to be made for certain, but Taylor seems to be on track. Projected Role: This isn't the year Purdue needs Taylor to be a player. Next year might be, considering the toll the NBA draft could take on the Boilermaker roster. Taylor is closer to being ready to contribute than he's ever been. He'll get an opportunity, at least. Spike Albrecht 55 6-0 • G • Sr. (5) Breakdown: Purdue coveted the fifth-year transfer from Michigan this spring because of his experience and track record of success in big moments. Having won Big Ten titles and starred in national title games with the Wolverines, Albrecht brings an unparalleled body of work to the Boilermakers, for one thing. And he's a good player, as he showed at Michigan. But there are asterisks: He has to remain healthy in the aftermath of the hip surgeries he underwent while at Michigan and he has to acclimate himself quickly to entirely different styles of basketball at Purdue. He's 24 and profoundly experienced, but as a Boilermaker, he's more or less a freshman. Projected Role: So much depends on his health and his adjustment to Purdue, but he's slotted to begin with to be the Boilermakers' No. 2 point guard with upside. Thompson is a proven player now and stands to improve with experience, but Purdue needs two reliable players at the positions, and Albrecht certainly has the résumé to be just that. Purdue's Walk-Ons No. Name Year Pos. Height 24 Grady Eifert So. F 6-6 2 Jon McKeeman Sr. (5) G 6-1 15 Tommy Luce Fr. G 5-10 Note: McKeeman and Eifert will be on scholarship this season. Eifert McKeeman Luce