Omer Mayer Credits Teammates, Coaches After Breakout Performance vs. Akron
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Sometimes, it can take freshmen a few games to get accustomed to playing college basketball, regardless of their talent level. For Omer Mayer, that number may only be four. The rookie guard looked comfortable on the floor in No. 2 Purdue's 97-79 victory over Akron at Mackey Arena on Sunday night.
Mayer finished the contest with 14 points, six assists, four rebounds, and two steals, his most productive game of the 2025-26 season. He did all that in 23 minutes, the most he's had thus far.
After his breakout performance Sunday night, Mayer said he has his teammates and the coaching staff to thank.
"I'm just getting more and more comfortable each day," Mayer said. "I know I have the best group of guys and coaches that I could have asked for. From Day 1 here, everybody has been so helpful."
It wasn't just the production total that had everyone talking about Mayer's performance. He had a quick trigger on open three-point attempts, was able to get to his pull-up jumper, and threaded the needle on a handful of passes.
Sunday night, it looked like Purdue had a second Braden Smith on the floor. How lethal can that be for the Boilermakers?
When Mayer committed to Purdue, assistant coach PJ Thompson told veteran members of the team that his playing style was similar to Smith's. That took senior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn by surprise, but he was eager to see what the freshman would bring to the program.
"PJ said he's kind of like Braden (Smith), but a little bit taller," Kaufman-Renn said in June. "If that's the description that you give a player, I don't think there's anybody that can beat us if that's the case."
Mayer didn't play poorly through Purdue's first three games. He gave the Boilers a nice jolt off the bench in the 87-80 victory over No. 8 Alabama last Thursday, scoring seven points and dishing out two assists in 17 minutes off the bench. The freshman guard made some critical plays throughout the night.
Sunday felt different, though. Maybe the "eye test" doesn't mean much in college basketball, but Mayer appeared to me the most comfortable he's been on the floor this season. He showed glimpses of that comparison to Smith that Thompson made in the offseason.
That's a pretty good weapon to bring in off the bench.
How Mayer views his role at Purdue
Mayer has plenty of experience playing at a high level. He was the star player for Israel in both FIBA U19 World Cup and FIBA U20 EuroBasket over the summer. How would someone with that kind of skill handle a backup role for one of the nation's top college basketball programs?
Incredibly well, actually. The freshman guard says his only concern is helping Purdue win basketball games any way he can.
"I'm just trying to play basketball, play my game," Mayer said. "I think we have a great group of guys. Every single player can draw attention. I'm just trying to get my open shots and trying to make everybody's job [easier], if it means shooting one shot in 20 minutes, five shots — I'm just trying to play winning basketball for this team."
Mayer has certainly done that already. Through four games, he's averaging 7.0 points and 2.8 assists per game, while shooting at a 44% clip. Sunday, we saw what he can do when he's given more minutes and is playing with more confidence.
It may have been the moment that Mayer's true potential was unlocked.
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WHAT DOES 500 WINS MEAN TO PAINTER? Purdue coach Matt Painter hit 500 career wins following the Boilermakers' 97-79 victory over Akron on Sunday. What does it mean to the longtime leader? CLICK HERE
PURDUE VS AKRON GAME BLOG: No. 2 Purdue (3-0) hosts Akron (3-0) on Sunday night in Mackey Arena. Follow along with the live game blog as the Boilermakers look to remain undefeated. 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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