Identifying Purdue's Biggest Concern Following Opening Loss to No. 15 Gonzaga
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Purdue's greatest strength in Monday's 78-72 loss to No. 15 Gonzaga may have also exposed its biggest weakness early in the season. The Boilermakers got 26 points and eight rebounds from the center position in their season opener. Daniel Jacobsen accounted for 22 of those points and seven boards.
Jacobsen was the brightest spot for the Boilers in Las Vegas on Monday, making 9-of-11 shots from the floor and giving Gonzaga's post problems all night. The issue came when he left the floor.
Behind Jacobsen, Purdue didn't get great production from its backups at the five spot. Enzo Shahrvin played eight minutes, mostly in the first half. He ended the game with just two points and one rebound, but also had four turnovers and two fouls.
In the second half, Painter decided to roll with Raleigh Burgess when Jacobsen picked up his fourth foul. The junior forward gave the Boilermakers better minutes, but ended his night with two points and no rebounds in five minutes of work.
Shahrvin was minus-10 in eight minutes, while Burgess finished even.
Jacobsen's performance was a pleasant surprise. Painter spoke highly of the progress the 7-foot-4 center made from last season to this year, and his development was on full display in Las Vegas. If he can play with that kind of efficiency consistently, Purdue will be a tough team to beat.
The concern is when he's not on the floor. The Boilermakers don't need Shahrvin and Burgess to be as dominant as Jacobsen was on Monday night, but those two must provide some stability when he's not on the floor.
Shahrvin struggled in his debut
Whether it was first-game jitters or something else, Shahrvin didn't provide Purdue with the stability it needed when Jacobsen was on the sidelines against Gonzaga. That's a bit concerning for a player with the type of international experience he brings to the team.
Shahrvin scored a bucket within the first 30 seconds of stepping on the floor, but things went downhill quickly after that. By the end of the first half, he was responsible for three turnovers.
In the second half, Shahrvin checked in after Jacobsen picked up his third foul. In less than two minutes on the floor, he was responsible for a turnover and a foul. Painter pulled the plug and brought his starting center back into the game.
Shahrvin was brought to West Lafayette to help Purdue with its physicality in the post. He didn't provide that punch for the Boilermakers on Monday night.
This is still new for Shahrvin. He's spent his entire basketball career playing a different style. He's developing chemistry with his teammates. It may take some time for him to get acclimated to this new environment.
Shahrvin still has the potential to be a difference-maker off the bench for Purdue this season. He just didn't provide that in his debut.
Burgess provided solid minutes
When Shahrvin was sidelined after those two minutes in the second half, Painter turned to Burgess after Jacobsen picked up his second foul. The junior struggled in his five minutes on the court, but his minutes were significantly better than when Shahrvin was on the floor.
Burgess ended his night with just two points, making one of his two shot attempts in the game. He wasn't much of a factor on the glass, although he did get Purdue an extra possession after trying to chase down an offensive rebound.
Burgess didn't make the same mental errors as Shahrvin. He ended the game without a turnover and didn't pick up a foul. Sometimes, just avoiding the mistakes is enough.
Plenty of time to improve
The knee-jerk reaction is to assume that Jacobsen must play between 32 and 35 minutes per game for Purdue to be successful. Based on the season opener, you can understand why someone might draw that conclusion.
The reality, though, is that both Shahrvin and Burgess have plenty of time to improve.
Monday night was Shahrvin's first game in a Purdue uniform and his debut as a college basketball player. Burgess hasn't stepped on the floor since his freshman season. There will be some growing pains.
Right now, though, the depth behind Jacobsen is one of Purdue's biggest concerns. The quicker Shahrvin and Burgess get caught up, the better it will be for the Boilers.
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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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