Matt Painter Talks Critical Role Daniel Jacobsen Plays in Purdue's Offense

Daniel Jacobsen may have only truly played in one game for Purdue last season, but on Wednesday night, he looked like a player who made the sophomore leap. Although the 7-foot-4 center didn't start for the Boilermakers, he was one of the most productive players in the game.

Jacobsen ended the game with 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds in a 92-49 win over UIndy on Wednesday at Mackey Arena. He was also responsible for two blocks and a steal.

He was a force on the offensive end, throwing down two alley-oop dunks and flushing down a missed free throw after an offensive rebound. On Wednesday night, Purdue saw just a flash of what Jacobsen can bring to the Boilermakers offensively, especially with Braden Smith on the floor.

"The rolls are so important, the lobs. And then, sometimes, when you have a passer like Braden and you have a lob threat like that, when they start taking those away, he's just setting up people for wide-open threes," coach Matt Painter said after the game. "That's what you want. You want people to say, 'Hey, we're going to take away Daniel Jacobsen's rolls.' If they're going to take away his rolls and play in a drop ... if you do that, you just give freedom to Braden Smith to maneuver.

"People love to be aggressive with Braden, and when they are, Daniel is on the move. Now you've got that lob threat, and then when they pull all the way in and you get those skips, now you have a three. So, it's more than just those dunks and his twos, because it leads to people worrying about it. When we can have the balance of dunks, layups, lobs, and wide-open threes, that's what usually wins the day."

Because of Jacobsen's injury in the second game last season, Purdue simply didn't have that lob threat on the floor. It didn't really limit the offense, but it does bring something new to the court for opponents to think about when defending the Boilermakers this year.

It makes an already-potent offense even more dynamic.

Jacobsen played well defensively, too

Kentucky Wildcats forward Andrija Jelavic (4) goes to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers center Daniel Jacobsen (12) | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Jacobsen's biggest highlights came on the offensive end of the floor, but he also made a tremendous impact defensively. The 7-foot-4 center ended the game with two blocks, but altered a lot of shots at the rim.

Rim protection and shot-blocking also hindered the Boilermakers last year. And as good as Jacobsen was on Wednesday night, Painter thought his sophomore could have been even more productive.

"Daniel had two blocks. I think he changed more things out there, but he has to get more blocks," he said. "I thought he had two or three opportunities to be more aggressive and block some shots, but it's also, you get a little passive when you get into foul trouble. You play a little cautious."

Jacobsen came in off the bench for Oscar Cluff, who is still adjusting to a new roster and different scheme. The 6-foot-11 transfer from South Dakota State has been the starter in each of Purdue's exhibition games, but Jacobsen has provided the Boilermakers with a tremendous spark off the bench.

When Jacobsen plays at that level, Painter said it doesn't matter whether he's the starter or not; he's going to see a lot of playing time.

"We said it last year, he plays better in games than in practices. It doesn't mean he struggles in practice, but he just does," Painter said. "He does some really good things. If it's a real game, he plays more than 16 minutes."

Jacobsen played well defensively, too

Related stories on Purdue basketball