Notes from Purdue basketball’s first practice

Time continues to work its magic and that means we’re back again, Purdue basketball is here.

Just a month away from Purdue’s exhibition opener at Kentucky, media was invited to Purdue’s first practice of the 2025/26 season.

I got to talk with PJ Thompson in depth about the offseason, Omer Mayer’s addition to the roster, new weapons at the big man spot, how to make it all work, and how underappreciated both Fletcher Loyer and Matt Painter are.

But we’ll get to that interview later this week.

For tonight, let’s take a look at some of the biggest observations and takeaways from the third practice media has been invited to since the start of summer.

The Starting Five remains murky

There’s still no indications, in quotes or on the court about who will occupy the starting lineup.

Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn are absolute locks in the starting five. Braden Smith was the best point guard in the country last season and is possibly the best player in all of college basketball. Smith is an All-American and reigning Big Ten Player of the Year.

Kaufman-Renn was also an All-American and first team all All-Big Ten big man, but he will be moving from the starting five to the four, the position he played his first two seasons at Purdue.

Fletcher Loyer, like Braden Smith, has started from day one at Purdue. Despite some online talking points, Loyer will remain a starter in his fourth and final season at Purdue.

Those three spots are settled in stone, and the center spot appears to be Oscar Cluff’s to take. Cluff, an Australian native and South Dakota State transfer playing in his final season, was one of the best rebounders in the country last season. He also brings one of the most versatile skillsets on the defensive end as one of the nation’s best big man defending in a hedge on pick and rolls. He’ll battle returning sophomore Daniel Jacobsen, who suffered a season ending just a game and a minute into the season during his freshman campaign.

But the fifth spot is a complete mystery.

Last year, CJ Cox took over the starting role next to Loyer and Smith halfway through the season and never looked back. The sharp shooting, defensive minded guard was a perfect blend of steady and occasionally spectacular shot making next to the veteran guards. Cox has done nothing this summer to give up the job. Cox has continued to grow more nuanced with his game, adding a better feel in the pick and roll and making quick reads on the perimeter. He is still Purdue’s most reliable perimeter defender, and he has been lights out from the perimeter shooting this summer.

But Purdue made a splash this summer, grabbing Omer Mayer, a freshman from Israel who projects to be a potential NBA pick as soon as a couple years from now. Mayer set the international stage on fire this summer playing for two national Israel teams. Mayer has the highest upside of anyone on the team and is a savant level play maker with the ball in his hands. There’s probably not a best version of this Purdue team that doesn’t feature Mayer in the starting lineup by season’s end. It’s possible though that Mayer works the back up unit when Smith is off the floor, gets more antiquated with the rules and demands of Purdue on both sides of the ball after missing most of the summer work outs, and gets more and more minutes as the season progresses, eventually ending up in the starting lineup.

There’s been some discussion about Gicarri Harris being a breakout candidates, and while he was praised for thinking less and being more comfortable by Matt Painter after practice, Harris still doesn’t offer the play making chops of Mayer or the shooting of Cox. His versatility makes him a dynamic option off the bench at multiple positions, but is probably on the outside looking in for a starting spot to start the season.

Daniel Jacobsen is back

Jacobsen went overseas and played for Team USA this summer for FIBA U19. He’s participated in Purdue summer practices, and has had a clean bill of health after his leg surgery last year since spring.

Still, Jacobsen hasn’t looked like this, maybe ever. His season long injury allowed him to fully commit his time to working on his body. He added nearly 40 pounds of muscle to his frame. Still, he looked like a player recovering from an injury at the start of the season. His movement wasn’t quite crisp or explosive. He was still acclimating back to the college game.
Jacobsen isn’t working his way back anymore. He’s back. Jacobsen looked explosive, quick, and aggressive at practice. Jacobsen’s length makes him one of the most dynamic big men in the country. His hands and arm span make him impossible to help off of inside, and he’s creating himself into an elite lob threat both off the short roll from TKR rolls and at pretty much any time a Purdue player is getting into the paint. If Jacobsen’s defender even looks the wrong way, Jacobsen is capable of getting up and throwing it down, with authority.

He looked all the way back physically, moving laterally and vertically without restraint. He looks improved from the scrawnier freshman version of Jacobsen and has spent the summer battling with Kaufman-Renn, Cluff, and fellow injury returning big Raleigh Burgess.

Jack Benter continues to impress

Benter redshirted last season and spent the season working on his body, recovering from an illness, and biding his time.

Is that time now? It might be after a summer that saw Benter take advantage of an incomplete roster. With Jacobsen off playing overseas, Liam Murphy recovering from a torn labrum, and Cluff dealing with VISA issues, Benter became a de facto four during Purdue practices and scrimmages. Benter played point guard in high school. He’s a 6-5, 6-6 guard/wing masquerading as a stretch four in his redshirt freshman season.

You know what? It’s kinda working.

Benter might not play big minutes this season, but he’s impressed at practice. Benter is a shooter. There’s thousands of Indiana high school points to prove that, but he’s also a surprising athlete, someone capable of getting to the hoop and finishing above the rim. He’s also one of the best passers in recent Purdue history – he joins a strong contigent of great passing wings under Painter.

He’s also strong, so despite his smaller than power forward frame, he’s been able to survive and bang with the big boys down low while being a matchup nightmare on the other side of the floor.
Benter has flashed at every practice this summer. It’s almost never his shooting either. It’s his elite sense and feel for the game. He’s been great at attacking close outs, getting into the paint, and finding shooters on the perimeter. He makes elite point guard passes with ease in a wing’s body.
Benter has made the most of opportunities to showcase himself so far. It’s not going to be a surprise if he does the same when games start.

Purdue’s shooting shines, but defense is most improved

Purdue will not have an offense problem next season. It has shooting everywhere. Elite shooters like Fletcher Loyer, CJ Cox, Braden Smith, Liam Murphy, and Jack Benter will ensure that Purdue’s spacing remains uncorrupted.

But it was Purdue’s defense that got the upper hand to start scrimmages today. Purdue looks like a more physical, determined defensive team this season. The obvious improvement will come with the added size to the roster. Jacobsen and Cluff should pay immediate dividends with rim protection and rebounding. Purdue failed to have a top-50 defense last season without any real rim protection and a team that struggled on the boards on both sides of the floor.

Leading the charge was Braden Smith, known for his assists and offense, the senior guard challenged Omer Mayer with physicality and quickness, pestering and getting to dribble whenever he got a chance. The effort and focus was something Smith needs to show ahead of his potential NBA career, and is something that he should be able to exert more energy on this season as Smith is unlikely to carry quite the same load on the offensive end this season with added play making to the roster.

With expanded roles from Cox and Harris, Jacobsen’s rim protection, Cluff’s rebounding and hedging, Purdue’s defense will be one of the most improved units in the country.

We’ll be back tomorrow to cover what was said after practice.