How Fletcher Loyer Can Make Biggest Strides Defensively to Help Purdue Win Title

ROSEMONT, Ill. — Since the start of summer practice, Purdue senior Fletcher Loyer has talked about improving defensively. He wants to be able to play a full 40 minutes if necessary and give his team the best chance to win games on both ends of the court.

What does improvement on the defensive end look like for Loyer, who has been a three-year starter for the Boilermakers?

"He understands scouting reports, he understands strengths and weaknesses of opponents, he's very defensively schematically driven. We do some different things, even though we play man-to-man, we do a lot of different things trying to get them off of their strengths," coach Matt Painter said at Big Ten Basketball Media Days. "I think that's where it starts for him, is just his understanding and his knowledge of what we're doing and of the opponent."

Loyer has been an offensive weapon for the Boilers throughout his career. He's a 40% shooter from behind the three-point line in three seasons, which included a 44.4% mark last year. There's no question he's a dynamic player on that side of the floor.

But in tight games, Loyer has been subject to Painter's substitutions late in games. The senior guard doesn't want to be one of those "offense for defense" guys, he wants to be a complete player in order to help his team win a title.

"I'd like to be a better defender for this team," Loyer told reporters in June. "I've taken myself out of games whenever we go with defense late in games, or we just go with a different lineup for different matchups. So, being able to play 40 minutes if I have to to help this team win games and help take this team to a national championship."

Purdue's interior defense should help

Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) and head coach Matt Painter | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Any deficiencies Loyer and Purdue's other guards had last season were magnified. The Boilermakers lacked rim protection and didn't have a shot blocker on the floor when 7-foot-4 freshman Daniel Jacobsen suffered a season-ending injury in the second game of the year.

With Jacobsen returning and Purdue adding 6-foot-11 center Oscar Cluff to the roster, Painter feels better about its interior presence on the defensive end. Thought that doesn't necessarily mean Loyer gets to take more chances around the perimeter.

"No, he shouldn't take more chances," Painter said with a laugh. "We just didn't have any rim protection last year. Obviously, we were spoiled with Zach [Edey]. Can Oscar and Daniel have that kind of impact? I don't know, that's a big statement.

"We feel a lot better about our interior defense than we did last year, so that should help our guards. But our guards have to do a better job keeping the ball in front of them. Any time you can keep the ball out of the paint, you're going to improve your chances of stopping your opponent."

Loyer may have had some struggles defensively last year, but there is a silver lining. The senior guard and the Purdue coaching staff don't believe it's a lack of ability. Instead, he says those lapses come from a lack of focus.

Being more dialed in and understanding what opponents want to accomplish schematically should allow Loyer to flourish more as a defender this coming season.

"I'd say it's focus. It's something coach and I talk about when we watch film together," Loyer said. "It hasn't really been my inability to defend — there were times last year when I defended really good players. Then, there were times when I'd get back cut, or something stupid.

"Just being focused and focusing on defense as much as I do offense."

Purdue's interior defense should help

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