Purdue basketball is focusing on both the present and the future with a graduate transfer and a 2020 prospect each committing this week. What’s next?
Purdue basketball has been one of the best programs in the nation over the past several years. Of course, a Final Four appearance has been eluding head coach Matt Painter but that should come in only a matter of time. He is an elite leader on the sidelines and his recruiting prowess is reaching new levels. That much was evident during this past week as the Boilermakers hit on two major needs. In addition to simply adding a key piece for this coming season, the program was also able to secure an underrated commitment from the 2020 class to lead in the future.
Starting with this coming season, it was clear that Purdue entered this offseason in need of a scoring guard. Carsen Edwards was clearly the best and most important player on the roster during this past season due to his ability to fill it up from anywhere at anytime. And while finding a replacement for Edwards was going to be impossible, the coaching staff needed to find a player with a similar playing style. They did just that by securing a commitment from Jahaad Proctor. A graduate transfer from High Point, Proctor was one of the best scorers on the market this offseason and he is a huge snag for the Boilermakers.
As already alluded to, Proctor will not be able to replace Edwards but he will join the roster as a score-first guard that can play a similar role. During this past season, the 6-foot-3 guard averaged 19.5 points per game on shooting splits of .464/.331/.771. Of course, it will be difficult to maintain a similar stat line on a better team with tougher competition in the Big Ten, but Proctor can flat-out fill it up and that much is evident. The expectation should be that he can be a double-digit scorer for the Boilermakers next season.
To put it simply: Purdue has a need for the present. Proctor fills that need.
But that is not the extent of Purdue’s week. Just prior to landing Proctor, the program also landed a major piece for the future. This came in the form of 2020 wing Jaden Ivey. Although not ranked extremely high by recruiting services (No. 215 by 247Sports Composite), Ivey has a strong all-around game and he should be an impact player within the program. In addition, it would be a mistake to overlook the tremendous ability of Purdue’s coaching staff to develop players.
Ivey is a strong scorer from just about anywhere on the court, but is especially dangerous from distance. He can definitely let if fly from three and he brings enough size at 6-foot-3 as well. While he can be a secondary playmaker at times, he is better-suited in a scoring role and I think that will be reflected at the college level. I would expect Coach Painter to have a few plays drawn up that run Ivey off some screens to get open.
Ivey had this to say about his commitment to Purdue:
"“I just loved the coaching staff. I think it’s honestly the best coaching staff in the country, and they saw something in me. I just love Coach Painter and what they did for me. From the start, Purdue stood out from everyone who recruited me….It was the coaches, and I just love Coach Painter, love how he’s enthusiastic about me coming to Purdue.”"
In the end, this was a superb week for Purdue basketball. In addition to landing a major piece for this coming season in Jahaad Proctor, they also shored up some of the future. Jaden Ivey has the potential to be a big-time player in few years in West Lafayette. If you thought the Boilermakers were going to take a step back anytime soon…you would be wrong. Coach Painter is only just finding his rhythm with regards to recruiting.