Purdue Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Boilermakers

Bench

One of Purdue’s strongest suits last season was the Boilermakers’ depth, where Matt Painter could afford to dedicate at least 14 minutes per game to nine different players – with all nine, at some point, either starting or coming off the bench over the course of 2020-21.

With Purdue expected to reuse its same starting lineup from last year, that leaves three remaining bench players from last season – with the fourth, Aaron Wheeler, having transferred to St. John’s after averaging 3.9 points in a little over 18 minutes per game for the Boilermakers.  In Wheeler’s place, Painter has added a pair of four-star recruits – both of whom should receive significant playing time immediately.

Among the returners are a tandem of backcourt contributors in Brandon Newman and Isaiah Thompson.  Newman, at just under 24 minutes a game, supplied spectacular flashes during his freshman season, logging double-digits on 12 occasions with an impressive 29-point showcase in a late January win over Minnesota, all the while recording a 37.9% clip from outside the arc.

Thompson was similar for his sophomore campaign, maintaining a 39.7% mark while notching double-figures three times, including a difference-making 14 points versus Valparaiso – where he also went 9-12 from the free-throw line.

The lone leftover is Zach Edey, who is a star in the making for the Boilermakers.  At 7-4, Edey made an impact inside from the opening tip of the season, scoring 19 points on a near-perfect 9-10 clip against Liberty.  After a lull halfway through the season, Edey picked up steam by the year’s end, tallying double-digits in six of Purdue’s final nine games – including a combined 41 points on 16-21 shooting – to go with 8.0 boards – in the Boilermakers’ final regular-season games against Wisconsin and Indiana.

While the Boilermakers had little depth at the power forward position last year, they will have many more able bodies, courtesy of the recruitment of Trey Kaufman-Renn and Caleb Furst – both of whom are top-75 recruits in the nation, per 247Sports.  Kaufman-Renn, at 6-9, was Indiana’s Player of the Year and is coming off a campaign where he led Silver Creek High School to a state title behind 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.9 blocks.

Kaufman-Renn finished as runner-up to Furst for Indiana Mr. Basketball in 2021, after Furst took Blackhawk Christian to a state title and a 28-3 record with a similar stat-line to Kaufman-Renn, racking up averages of 21.4 points, 14.1 boards, 3.0 assists, and 2.2 blocks.  In addition, Furst was a key contributor for Team USA’s run to the gold medal at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia over the summer, claiming marks of 7.1 points, 4.1 caroms, and 0.6 assists in just over 12 minutes per contest.

Considering that the three returners saw a multitude of playing time last season – and given the anticipation of the two newcomers – there should be little drop-off in talent once Painter reaches into his arsenal.  Newman, Thompson, and Edey have all shown that they have the offensive prowess necessary to make an immediate impact off the bench, whereas Kaufman-Renn and Furst could both compete for a spot in the starting lineup.  The Boilermakers’ depth is decidedly a heavy factor in why Purdue is a legitimate contender for – not only a Big Ten title – but a run to the Final Four and beyond.