5 Questions For Purdue's Exhibition Game vs. Kentucky
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Friday night's game against No. 9 Kentucky may not count in the record book, but it's an excellent first test for top-ranked Purdue as it heads into the 2025-26 college basketball season. It provides coach Matt Painter to tinker with some lineups and see how his team responds to playing a quality basketball team in an electric atmosphere.
There are several questions heading into Friday's exhibition game between Purdue and Kentucky, but I've narrowed it down to five. Here are just a few things I'm curious about as the Boilermakers head to Lexington.
Will we see any small-ball lineups?
With Oscar Cluff and Daniel Jacobsen on the roster, Purdue doesn't ever have to resort to a small-ball lineup if Painter doesn't believe it is productive. Last season, the Boilermakers thrived offensively with that approach, but suffered on the glass and on the defensive end. It's unlikely that we'd see this often throughout the year.
But Friday night may provide Painter with a perfect opportunity to tinker with the lineup and see how things work against an elite opponent. That could mean sliding Trey Kaufman-Renn over to the five spot and putting either Jack Benter or Liam Murphy into the four position. The Boilers have plenty of options at position Nos. 1-3, with Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, Omer Mayer, and Antione West Jr.
Who defends Otega Oweh?
Honestly, this could be an easy answer, with Cox or Harris taking on the brunt of the work defensively to try and stop the 6-foot-4, 220-pound guard. However, Kentucky is expected to be without point guard Jaland Lowe on Friday, which means Oweh could spend some time at the lead spot.
Could we see Smith on Oweh? How much switching will the Boilers do? Would Painter throw fresh bodies on him throughout the game? Again, this could be a simple answer, but Lowe's injury makes it a little more interesting.
How much has the defense and rebounding improved?
Two questions wrapped into one. Yes, everyone expects the defense and rebounding to be better than a year ago, primarily with the addition of Cluff and the return of Jacobsen. Cluff averaged 12.3 rebounds per game last season at South Dakota State, and Jacobsen's 7-foot-4 frame provides the Boilermakers with some much-needed rim protection.
It's one thing to assume Purdue has improved in those areas; it's another thing to see it. One of the biggest issues for the Boilermakers last season came from a lack of communication. Improvement in that area could help this team on that end of the floor.
What is Jack Benter's role?
Benter took advantage of his redshirt season and seems to have carved out a role for himself in Purdue's rotation. How? That is yet to be seen. The 6-foot-6 forward has improved as a shooter, can crash the glass, and is capable of defending multiple positions.
Painter has talked about Benter's ability to play the four spot, especially when Kaufman-Renn is not on the floor. Or, if the Boilers want to play small-ball, they can insert the redshirt freshman into the lineup. So, maybe it's not so much Benter's "role," but how many minutes he's on the floor. Will Friday's game against Kentucky give us any indication of what to expect this season?
How much will we see Antione West Jr. and Omer Mayer?
West and Mayer are the two freshmen on the roster, trying to carve out minutes on a roster full of veteran players. How much time will they spend on the floor on Friday night?
There's an expectation that Mayer will see a good amount of action, playing off the ball alongside Smith. If the star point guard gets a breather, Mayer is the candidate likely to take over point guard responsibilities.
As for West, he fits into Purdue's rotation in the two or three spots. He's an aggressive defender and a fearless shooter. It may be more difficult for him to carve out time, but we'll probably get at least a dose of the true freshman against Kentucky.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- HOW TO WATCH PURDUE-KENTUCKY: Top-ranked Purdue takes on No. 9 Kentucky on Friday. Here's everything you need to know about the exhibition game between two elite teams. CLICK HERE
- KAUFMAN-RENN NOT PRESEASON ALL-AMERICAN: Was Trey Kaufman-Renn snubbed of preseason All-America honors by the Associated Press? It's been a long time since a player of his caliber didn't make the list. CLICK HERE
- PAINTER NOT CHANGING RECRUITING PHILOSOPHY: Purdue's recent success opens the program up to landing better recruits. But Matt Painter says he doesn't want "better players," he wants the "same people." 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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