5 Thoughts From Purdue Basketball's Practice Ahead of Canada Trip
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This week, Purdue is preparing for a trip to Canada to play four games in a span of five days. It's going to be the first competitive test for the 2026-27 Boilermakers, a team that is going through plenty of changes.
On Tuesday, the program opened its practice doors to media as it prepares for that trip north of the border. Here are a few takeaways from the afternoon at Cardinal Court.
The communication seems to have improved
One of the consistent issues for Purdue in the last two seasons was its communication on the defensive end. That didn't seem to be much of an issue during Tuesday's practice. We'll find out this weekend when the Boilers travel to Canada if they're as vocal in competition as they've been in practice.
A handful of guys stood out on the floor in terms of their communication. Raleigh Burgess and Omer Mayer were among the loudest on the floor and Princeton transfer Caden Pierce could also be heard throughout the afternoon. The same goes for Gicarri Harris.
Redshirt senior Sam King was also consistently chatting with freshmen throughout practice, helping them understand their assignments defensively and working through Purdue's offense. He may not see a ton of playing time, but having that sort of veteran leadership is important.
Communication still isn't an area where Purdue is perfect and a handful of guys still need to get out of their comfort zones and talk more frequently on the floor. But this group appears to be much more vocal, at least on the practice floor, than in previous years.
Raleigh Burgess looks like a three-point shooter
When Burgress played as a true freshman, he was a guy who could knock down a shot from the perimeter, but you probably wouldn't label him a "three-point shooter." That's changed.
Burgess had a smooth stroke from distance, knocking down shots from behind the arc throughout the afternoon. At one point during open three-point shooting, he converted on six consecutive triples. He also knocked down a few during Purdue's live situations and scrimmages.
At 6-foot-11, Burgess is going to be a player who can slot in at both the four and the five and will be a weapon underneath the basket and behind the three-point line. Other big men are going to have difficulty defending him because of his versatility and shooting ability.
Antione West Jr. is more than just a scorer
We didn't see West past the two exhibition games last year, but he was expected to be a major scoring threat for this year's team. It's too early to know if he'll fill that role, but he's going to have a much bigger impact than simply scoring.
West understands his role on the defensive end. He's an excellent on-ball defender and isn't afraid to get into his opponents. He also did a nice job in ball screen defense and playing his man away from the basketball.
Perhaps what stood out most, though, was West's passing ability. He frequently found open teammates for easy buckets near the hoop. It's arguably the aspect of his game that has improved the most from last season.
Freshmen are still learning
It's probably unfair to expect freshmen to come in and be superstars at Purdue, though we've seen it happen before. Right now, you can tell that the four rookies — Luke Ertel, Sinan Huan, Jacob Webber and Rivers Knight — still have a lot to learn before that first game rolls around in November.
Things were a little sloppy from all four players at times, which is to be expected. These guys are just getting through their first two months of practice at the college level against seasoned veterans.
All four players have shown glimpses of promise. They're all going to have significant roles at Purdue at some point down the road, but there's still a lot of room for growth. It will be interesting to see how they look when they're in Canada playing against someone other than their teammates.
Enzo Shahrvin provides post physicality
Shahrvin made his debut at Cardinal Court on Tuesday afternoon after arriving in West Lafayette over the weekend. The 6-foot-7 forward from France looked exactly like what Purdue needed to add to this year's roster.
The 2026-27 roster lacked a bruiser in the post, someone who could bully opponents in the paint and outmuscle guys for rebounds. Shahrvin is going to provide that type of physicality down low.
With Tuesday being his first practice, Shahrvin was in learning mode, trying to dissect a lot of information in a short amount of time. What he did understand, though, was how to fight for rebounds and attack the basket aggressively.
Shahrvin still hasn't been cleared by the NCAA, so he's unlikely to participate in Purdue's Canada trip. If he is cleared, though, he can be that bully in the post the Boilers need.
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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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