2025-2026 B1G Basketball Thread

[betarhoalphadelta]

I should mention that I think this is shaping up to be a very complete basketball team. 

2024-25 we had a problem at the 5 spot. And that was a "ceiling" problem because we were forcing TKR into playing that role. He could *do* it, but he couldn't excel at it. And forcing him to do it took him away from his natural role at the 4.

What we're seeing with 7'5" Daniel Jacobsen (soph, but missed essentially his entire frosh year due to a broken leg) and 6'11" bruiser Oscar Cluff (transfer senior) is that things are looking like we're going to have a center-by-committee that can be out there for 40 minutes and actually compete with other front courts. They're very different, but Jacobsen knocked down a 3 last night that wasn't some late-shot-clock desperation heave, so he's seemingly got the green light from Painter to do that, which stretches the defense. And Cluff is a bully on the boards. 

Which means TKR can move to the 4, his natural spot. And just takes pressure off everyone else. 

Loyer is Loyer. ELITE shooter. If you leave him for an instant to help on defense, he lights you up from the perimeter. If you guard him close, he may have a quiet game, but then it opens things up for Smith and TKR. Pick your poison. 

The other significant addition to Jacobsen being healthy and Cluff as a transfer is Omer Mayer, who is a really good point guard who can take some minutes to keep Braden Smith from getting run down, and seems to be talented as hell in his own right. Think "Chris Kramer body/toughness with actual offensive skills". 

And yes... If you're reading closely...

"My Boilermaker has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R... My Boilermaker has a second name, it's M-A-Y-E-R..." 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I thought Purdue had tons of regular season success, the issue is that they weren't recognized because lots of people don't pay attention until the tournament, where Purdue had underachieved

I think Purdue has had the historical "identity" of being a "lunchpail" team. Guys who weren't always the most heavily recruited. Who weren't the most athletic or the most dynamic. Who didn't have all the STARZ. But guys who bought into the program, and the team, played hard and smart, and thus they won a LOT of games... But in March fell because "lunchpail" doesn't beat STARZ, because STARZ wins in March.

I think Paint has somewhat changed the narrative with guys like Carsen Edwards, Jaden Ivey, and 2x NPOY Zach Edey. You can say Zach's a human unicorn, and he sorta is, but the screen graphic that they tossed up in last night's game is that it's the 14th straight year Purdue has had a 7-footer on the roster. And as we pointed out upthread, he just got another big [pun intended] HS commit. 

I don't think Purdue was recognized because Purdue-style basketball wasn't sexy enough. It was "drag you into the mud and strangle you" basketball. But I think now it's still strangle you in the mud basketball, but more along the lines of bikini mud wrestling 

[ELA]

I drafted Jacobsen on my college fantasy team, which with my luck, will make him the first Purdue giant to not turn into a problem for everyone

[ELA]

I think Purdue has had the historical "identity" of being a "lunchpail" team. Guys who weren't always the most heavily recruited. Who weren't the most athletic or the most dynamic. Who didn't have all the STARZ. But guys who bought into the program, and the team, played hard and smart, and thus they won a LOT of games... But in March fell because "lunchpail" doesn't beat STARZ, because STARZ wins in March.

I think Paint has somewhat changed the narrative with guys like Carsen Edwards, Jaden Ivey, and 2x NPOY Zach Edey. You can say Zach's a human unicorn, and he sorta is, but the screen graphic that they tossed up in last night's game is that it's the 14th straight year Purdue has had a 7-footer on the roster. And as we pointed out upthread, he just got another big [pun intended] HS commit.

I don't think Purdue was recognized because Purdue-style basketball wasn't sexy enough. It was "drag you into the mud and strangle you" basketball. But I think now it's still strangle you in the mud basketball, but more along the lines of bikini mud wrestling

Putting the image of Brian Cardinal in a bikini out of my mind, perhaps the fact that the identity of Purdue when I first started following was Glenn Robinson slightly changes that for me

[betarhoalphadelta]

I drafted Jacobsen on my college fantasy team, which with my luck, will make him the first Purdue giant to not turn into a problem for everyone

The problem you'll have with Jacobsen is twofold:

• With the other players around him, he's not going to be a centerpiece like Edey. I don't think he's as physically dominant despite his size, and he's still raw as a sophomore that missed last year due to early injury. The big three of Purdue are still Smith/TKR/Loyer, and everyone else is supporting cast. 
• Much like fantasy football where you don't want a "committee back", i.e. someone who is in a running back by committee, that might be what you have between Jacobsen and Cluff this year. You've got big-by-committee. You'd be better off with a worse big who has no competition than a potentially better big who's splitting the workload. 

I think as a senior transfer, Cluff may be out of eligibility after this year (not 100% tho). Which would put Jacobsen in the lead role next year. So drafting Jacobsen might have just been a year too early. 

[betarhoalphadelta]

Putting the image of Brian Cardinal in a bikini out of my mind, perhaps the fact that the identity of Purdue when I first started following was Glenn Robinson slightly changes that for me

Cardinal's nickname was "The Custodian"... So he wasn't in the bikini, he cleaned up the arena after the wrestling was over 

Big Dog was before my time, so I get that aspect. But I would sense that Purdue would still have that stigma that if you don't put the right guards around a dude like that, you don't win in March. 

[ELA]

Cardinal's nickname was "The Custodian"... So he wasn't in the bikini, he cleaned up the arena after the wrestling was over

Big Dog was before my time, so I get that aspect. But I would sense that Purdue would still have that stigma that if you don't put the right guards around a dude like that, you don't win in March.

He's still the best college player I've ever seen.  I go back to like 1991.  We are used to one dude carrying a team now.  And that's been a thing for like 20+ years, since the one and done.

In that era, no way.  The best teams had 2-3 legit NBA players on them.  Purdue had Big Dog, and maybe Cuonzo Martin?  It was also an era where there were maybe 2 college games on per night on ESPN, 3 on Saturday, but Raycom picked up all of the Big Ten Saturday games, so you knew every Big Ten player.  Robinson's game wasn't the type to translate to a YouTube highlight reel, but it felt like you could pencil him in for 30 every game, because he was so versatile.

Also helps that those early 2000s Bucks teams with him, Ray Allen and Sam Cassell were my favorite team at the time