Purdue's Starting 5 for Exhibition Game vs. Kentucky Revealed
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One of the biggest questions surrounding Purdue has been in regards to the starting lineup. Everyone knew the "Big Three" of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn would fill three of the five spots. Who will the other two starters be? Coach Matt Painter provided that answer on Thursday.
A day before the Boilermakers head to Lexington for an exhibition game against Kentucky, Painter revealed that Purdue's starting lineup will look like this:
- 1 — Braden Smith, G (senior)
- 2 — CJ Cox, G (sophomore)
- 3 — Fletcher Loyer, G (senior)
- 4 — Trey Kaufman-Renn, F (senior)
- 5 — Oscar Cluff, C (senior)
The positions in questions entering the season were the two and five. Painter said he likes what Cluff provides from a rebounding aspect, earning him the starting job at the five spot. Cox was the starting two guard for the Boilermakers in the final 23 games of the 2024-25 season.
That means that Daniel Jacobsen will be coming off the bench for Cluff, and Gicarri Harris will come off the bench for either Cox or Loyer.
Painter was also clear to say that Purdue's team "has more than five starters" this season. He also mentioned that there is going to be a lot of "sacrifice for the greater good" on this year's squad.
Purdue heads to Lexington for an exhibition clash with Kentucky on Friday, with tipoff set for 6 p.m. ET. The game will air on SEC Network.
Painter talks about depth
The decision to name a starting lineup for Friday's game against Kentucky wasn't necessarily easy. Painter says there are a lot of good players on this year's roster who could be starters.
"It's what we've really talked about, we have more than five starters," Painter said on Thursday. "Gicarri Harris has really improved, he's done some really good things for us. He's not going to start here, and that's hard, because I know that was one of his goals.
"But, on a great team, you have more than five starters and people are going to have to sacrifice for the greater good."
Purdue is one of the deepest teams in college basketball, which is why it's a preseason favorite to win the national championship. Just because a player doesn't make the starting lineup doesn't mean he can't still make major contributions throughout the season.
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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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