Omer Mayer Describes Moment He Knew Purdue Was 'The Spot' For Him

Conversations with coach Matt Painter and assistant PJ Thompson helped Omer Mayer's interest in Purdue. But a text message he received from Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith may have been one of the most influential pieces of bringing the guard from Israel to West Lafayette.

Mayer, a 6-foot-4 guard and four-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, was one of Purdue's big gets during the offseason. The addition of another skilled point guard is a big reason why the Boilermakers are a favorite to win the national title at the end of the 2025-26 season.

In a video posted by Purdue's creative team on social media, Mayer talked about getting to know Painter and Thompson during the recruiting process. But a message from Smith really opened his eyes.

"I talked to Coach Painter, PJ, and all the staff. A couple of days after that, Braden texted me, as well," Mayer said. "I knew Braden, of course, and I knew how good a player he is. Him texting me on his own meant a lot to me ... that's when I realized that's the spot for me."

Mayer didn't dive into the specifics of the texts he received from Smith, but they must have been influential. But Smith wasn't alone in speaking with Mayer about his opportunities at Purdue.

Former Purdue star and current EuroLeague All-Star Carsen Edwards also reached out to Mayer to offer some guidance about the staff and atmosphere in West Lafayette. That's when the Israel star started to understand the type of culture Painter and his staff had built.

"When he reached out, I was really surprised," Mayer said. "For me, I was starting to realize how much Purdue is a family. They make you feel comfortable. Like, no ego, everybody is actually a family."

Mayer spent a large portion of the summer playing with the Israeli National Team in multiple FIBA events. He played in the FIBA U19 World Cup in June and the FIBA U20 EuroBasket in July. So, his arrival to West Lafayette was a bit delayed.

Since he's gotten to campus, though, he's learned a lot from the staff.

"I couldn't ask for a better coaching staff. Coach Painter is amazing, he's been teaching us all the little details, he explains the why and how, where, and when," he said. "It's really important to me, because he teaches us how to play basketball, not just be a robot."

He’s gonna do whatever it takes to win.

🎤 Go in-depth with Omer Mayer. pic.twitter.com/dqRGeB3u4v
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) August 21, 2025

Omer Mayer describes his playing style

Purdue fans really captured a glimpse of Mayer's skill set during those FIBA events over the summer. In the FIBA U19 World Cup, he averaged 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.0 steals per game in four games, which included a 33-point outing.

In the FIBA U20 EuroBasket, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 16.7 points and 5.1 assists per game across seven contests.

How would Mayer describe his game?

"I'm a team player. I don't really care about scoring, I just try to do whatever I need to do for the team to win," he said. "So, if I need to score the ball, I score. If I need to pass it, I will pass it. If I need to play without the ball, I'll play without the ball. I just try to do whatever I can for the team to win."

Omer Mayer describes his playing style

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