Purdue Basketball: 2017-18 grades for the Boilermakers
By Shane Skeary
Now that the dance is over, it’s time to look back on how Purdue basketball fared in 2017-18. How did each player do this past season?
It was another year and another Sweet Sixteen finish, but alas it was a disappointing end to a campaign that held championship aspirations.
The Boilermakers showed signs of dominance throughout the year that featured insurmountable chemistry from the senior class and a sophomore in Carsen Edwards who broke through, receiving national accolades.
But 2017-18 did deliver heartbreak in the form of injury down the stretch of the NCAA Tournament. Isaac Haas’ awkward fall against Cal State Fullerton in the first round resulted in a broken elbow and without him in the lineup, the Boilermakers struggled to adapt offensively without their star center as their season ended at the hands of Texas Tech in the Sweet Sixteen.
With the conclusion of the college basketball season last week, it’s time to grade the players on the 2017-18 roster. Please note that grades are given to rotation players, so we’ll start with the best of the rest:
Tommy Luce – Who else would we start with? Scott Van Pelt’s favorite Boiler appeared in 13 games for Purdue, but the Paint Crew would tell you that is not even close to enough. The “King of Mackey” had his best game of the season with a career-high four points last December vs. Lipscomb.
Jacquil Taylor – Taylor saw some time in the rotation once Haas went down in the tournament and he did a serviceable job chipping in eight points in 27 minutes of action. Honestly, it was just good to see Taylor healthy for an entire season after injuries hampered his first two years in West Lafayette. He could be a potential transfer candidate given the influx of talent coming in next year.
Grady Eifert – Before this season, he was known as Tyler’s walk-on brother, but Eifert quickly earned a reputation of a hard-nosed, hustle player. If Coach Painter felt his team on the floor needed a boost of energy and effort, Eifert was the first guy off the bench and he consistently delivered in that regard.