Both Omer Mayer, Purdue Finding Value in Freshman's Unique Role
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The clock sat at 9:25 in the first half when Braden Smith picked up his second foul of the first half. Less than 11 minutes into the game, Purdue's star guard headed to the bench and handed the keys over to freshman Omer Mayer. How would the newly licensed point man steer the Boilermakers' high-powered offense?
Sitting in the driver's seat, Mayer controlled the offense masterfully, helping Purdue take a 10-point lead and build it into a 17-point advantage before the end of the half. Smith looked on, smiling and celebrating at times, watching his protegee command the team like a seasoned veteran.
Perhaps one of the biggest moments of the night for Mayer came at the end of the first half. With just 18 seconds left, Matt Painter called his "use it or lose it" timeout to draw up a play. Washington threw Purdue off with a defensive switch, and Mayer recognized it immediately. He dribbled baseline, put up the shot, and watched it fall through the net from his backside, closing out the half to the roar of the Mackey Arena crowd.
"I know what I'm capable of, and with that being said, I know my role on the team," Mayer said. "I think being part of a winning team is to know exactly what your role is. Obviously, Braden had foul trouble, so I knew I needed to step in and organize the team while he's on the bench. Just making sure we are still playing at the same level. That's my job on the team, I know it, and I have confidence in my ability to do that."
Smith was hindered by two fouls less than 12 minutes into the game, but also picked up his third foul with 4:20 remaining in the first half. As a result, Mayer was called upon to run Purdue's offense in the "middle eight" of the game, which meant starting the second half while the All-American guard sat on the bench.
Most of Mayer's production came in that middle eight portion of the game. He finished with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, along with an assist and a rebound. The production from the freshman came at an important time for the Boilers, and helped them secure an 81-73 win over Washington to remain undefeated in Big Ten play.
"To have the last four minutes of the first half and then the first four minutes of the second half, that was a great spark," Painter said. "There aren't a lot of coaches in the country who have somebody coming off the bench [like him], and he kept us together."
Like any new driver, Mayer has hit some bumps in the road this season. A lot of that can be attributed to one of Painter's favorite sayings, "It's hard to be consistent with inconsistent minutes." Yet he's still averaging 6.1 points and 1.7 assists per game. He's shooting 40.7% from the floor, but just 31.3% from three.
There may still be a learning curve for the freshman guard, but when Purdue needed him most, he delivered in a pivotal moment.
Mayer adds to Purdue's quality depth
Convincing a player of Mayer's caliber to play a role at the college level can't be an easy sell. At many programs, he'd be an immediate starter. But his desire to win a championship outweighs any individual goals he has at this moment.
During the summer, Mayer was the star for Team Israel in the FIBA U19 World Cup and FIBA U20 EuroBasket. On the flip side, though, he also played spot minutes while suiting up for Israel's professional team in EuroLeague.
Because of that experience, it may have been easier to sell Mayer on the idea of playing a role in his freshman season before becoming a star in West Lafayette.
"He was their main guy in those divisions, but with the professional team, he was not. There were times he barely played," Painter said. "But you're learning a lot. You're learning from practice, learning from watching, you're learning from competing against grown men."
As talented as Smith is, there is a value in having a player of Mayer's caliber in a backup spot. The senior guard says he can play a little more aggressively on the defensive end, knowing Mayer is waiting on the bench if something goes wrong.
"That's kind of what I've been trying to do this year, bring more intensity to the defensive side because I have the understanding that we have a guy like Omer who can take my spot and do the same things that I do, because that's what he's capable of doing," Smith said. "It's nice having somebody who is capable of running the offense like he does at the level that he does. It makes my job easier."
Mayer had proven his value prior to Wednesday night, but the game against Washington was really the first time Purdue needed Mayer to perform at a high level for a long stretch. The moment didn't scare him.
Instead, he took a deep breath, walked onto the court, and handled Purdue's offense as if Smith were still on the court.
"It's a great luxury to have somebody who is that good," Painter said. "Our guys have a lot of confidence in him. He's going to be a fabulous player."
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3 THOUGHTS FROM PURDUE VS WASHINGTON: Purdue got a late scare from Washington, but the fifth-ranked Boilermakers eventually pulled out an 81-73 victory. Here are a few quick thoughts from the win. CLICK HERE
Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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