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Purdue Basketball: Review of 2020-21 depth chart and season outlook

By Drew Schmelzer

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - JANUARY 12: Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers dribbles the ball against the Michigan State Spartan at Mackey Arena on January 12, 2020 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - JANUARY 12: Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers dribbles the ball against the Michigan State Spartan at Mackey Arena on January 12, 2020 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 03: Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN – FEBRUARY 03: Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Bigs for Purdue Basketball

If Trevion Williams had not outplayed Haarms to the degree he did last season, the 7’3 Center (Haarms) would still be in West Lafayette. Williams led Purdue in scoring (11.5 ppg) and rebounding (7.6 rpg) while only playing 22 minutes per game in 2019-20, but also is a gifted passer off the elbow or out of the post (1.5 apg, 5th on the team). The incoming junior is the immediate future of Purdue basketball and despite Painter’s attempts, Haarms was unable to play next to him, prompting his departure to BYU.  Without having to split minutes next year I expect Williams to play 30 minutes per game and to be a member of one of the three All-Big Ten Teams.

The Boilermakers are not as developed in the frontcourt as they are in the backcourt. They lost Evan Boudreaux to graduation who was a perfect complement to Williams because he did not need the ball to be impactful and did a lot of the dirty work around the basket. Boudreaux’s exit due to graduation puts a microscope on the guy I feel is the X-Factor in the Purdue rotation, Aaron Wheeler. The athletic 6’9 forward plays way too much on the perimeter but proved in nine starts last season that he can be a solid contributor (3.6 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 0.9 Ast). Those 4.2 rebounds per game were accomplished in only 17 minutes played per game.

With an uptick in minutes coupled with the departure of Haarms and Boudreaux there will be a lot of rebounds to be had and Wheeler is going to have to be the guy as size is the place where Purdue is lacking. If he can improve his 21% shooting from beyond the arc the Purdue is going to be a tough guard in 2020-21 considering the shooting additions coming from its guards.

There is one newcomer coming into the fold at the Center position and it is VERY Purdue. Zach Edey, a 7’3 center out of IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL fits the Isaac Haas/Matt Haarms mold, a project with a ton of upside. You can’t teach size, and few coaches have had the success that Painter has with these types of under-recruited bigs. Edey probably won’t be a part of the rotation next season, but I expect to hear from him down the line.

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