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Purdue Basketball: Preview of Men of Mackey in “The Basketball Tournament”

By Drew Schmelzer

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Matt Painter talks with Isaac Haas #44 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mackey Arena on February 7, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - FEBRUARY 07: Head coach Matt Painter talks with Isaac Haas #44 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Mackey Arena on February 7, 2018 in West Lafayette, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 13: Purdue Boilermakers mascot (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – MARCH 13: Purdue Boilermakers mascot (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Men of Mackey Roster

Most of these Purdue guys you will remember, as most made a real mark on the program.

Evan Boudreaux– Fresh off his senior campaign he should be ready to go immediately. He came on strong at the end of last season (5.4 pts, 4.6 reb) and was a major bright spot in a so-so 2019-20 campaign.

Rapheal Davis– There weren’t many players in a Purdue uniform in the last decade that defended better than Davis. In fact, he was the Big Ten Defensive POY in 2016. Davis has had no pro success to speak of but is credited by Matt Painter as one of the biggest impactors in making Purdue a relevant basketball program again after some tough seasons in the mid-2010s.

Isaac Haas– The big fella’s injury in the 2017 NCAA Tournament’s first round was a disastrous blow to the Boilermaker’s legit National Title hopes. He is currently playing for the Utah Jazz G league affiliate and will be a force in the paint during TBT at 7’2.

Johnny Hill– Hill was a grad transfer from UT Arlington in a 2015-16 season that was disappointingly ended in a first-round upset at the hands of Arkansas Little Rock. To fans, he is known for his defense after leading the Boilers in steals in his lone season in black and gold. He is currently on the staff at Grand Canyon University.

Jonathan Octeus– Octeus was a Purdue fan favorite and one of the most productive players to ever transfer into the program for a single season (formerly of Colorado St). Also, a guy known for the ability to defend any guard position, he currently averages 13 points per game for the Phoenix Hagen in Germany. Expect Octeus to be a key player for the Men of Mackey.

Jacquil Taylor– Taylor left Purdue prior to his senior season after playing behind Haas, Matt Haarms, and Trevion Williams for three seasons. The decision was a good one as he made a nice name for himself at Hofstra in his senior campaign (8.5 Pts, 8.8 Reb, 0.7 Ast) and won a Colonial Athletic Association Championship.

Justin Dentmon– That’s a wrap on the Purdue alumni. After the announcement that a number of Boilermakers were no longer going to make the event, General Manager Ryan Kay went out and signed some new talent. Dentmon is signing number one and he is a great snag for this team. He played his college ball at Washington and has had multiple stints in the NBA. He is currently playing in France and averages 13.4 points, 3.0 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. Dentmon is a nice get for this squad.

Frank Gaines– The IPFW product is another solid addition to this team. He’s been in and out of the G league and played for multiple Euro teams, currently in Italy. He will be a big asset to the Purdue Alumni as he has TBT experience, making the second round with Team 23, a squad with year over year success in the event.

Ethan Stair– Stair (14.6 Pts, 9.3 Reb, 2.2 Ast) is fresh off a tremendous senior season at Mercer, playing for former Purdue assistant Greg Gary.

Lamonte West– The Men of Mackey did a great job adding replacement players in the form of brand-new college graduates. West’s graduate transfer year at Missouri State (9.5 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 0.6 Ast) wasn’t exactly what he wanted but he was a major contributor in 20 starts for West Virginia in 2018-19.

The Men of Mackey look good on paper, but how do they match up with round 1 opponent, Heartfire?

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