Raleigh Burgess May Be the Most Important Piece to Purdue's Success
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Raleigh Burgess had every excuse to sit on the bench with his chin resting in the palm of his hand during every game last season. Nobody would have thought anything of it. After all, he was using his second season at Purdue to redshirt, knowing he couldn't contribute on the court.
That was never the case for the 6-foot-11 forward, though. Rather than mope and pout about the situation, Burgess remained engaged throughout a 30-9 season for the Boilermakers. He found ways to contribute from the sideline, mostly using his voice to help his teammates.
Vocal leadership has always been a strength for Burgess, and it's just one of the multiple reasons why he could be the most important player on Purdue's roster heading into the 2026-27 season.
"I've always tried to be vocal and have a say. Freshman year was kinda tough because I didn't really know what was going on half the time," Burgess told Boilers in the Stands following a team practice. "As I've settled down and gotten more comfortable, it's come easier."
Communication has been somewhat of a hot-button issue in West Lafayette over the last two seasons. As good as Purdue has been, talking on the court has been a concern.
It doesn't sound like that will be an issue for Burgess, who has no trouble being vocal on the floor. Even from the sidelines, sophomore guard Omer Mayer thought Burgess established himself as one of the team's best leaders.
"Last year, Raleigh redshirted and, in my opinion, was one of our leaders," Mayer told GoldandBlack.com. "He uses voice, he uses it all the time."
During last year's NCAA Tournament, Burgess told Purdue Boilermakers on SI that he wanted to continue helping his teammates, even if he couldn't do it in uniform.
"It's just part of who I am as a person," Burgess said. "A lot of us understand, if you're not playing, using your voice, when our guys are out there guarding and probably tired, you can speak for them and help them out. In timeouts, talking to guys, telling them what I see. If I see Daniel [Jacobsen] do something I think he can do better, I let him know about it."
Purdue enters a new year lacking senior leadership. The Boilermakers need people unafraid of speaking up to step forward into that role. Although this will only be his second year playing, Burgess may be the person everyone looks to for guidance.
Burgess made the most of his redshirt season
Going through practice without the opportunity to play in a game can make for a long, grueling basketball season. It wasn't always easy, but Burgess made the most of his redshirt season.
He provided different looks on the scout team, again finding ways to contribute without playing in games. Now, he's going to get the opportunity to carve out a significant role for himself as the Boilers plow ahead for the 2026-27 season.
"Raleigh had a good year last year," Painter said. "Sometimes, you get guys who sit out and they don't benefit from that year quite like they should, because it's hard. It's hard to stay motivated when there's not a game in front of you. He worked really hard defensively, got a lot of reps in on the defensive end. Offensively, when he was in the scout offense he'd be the biggest guy on the court, but he could stretch people out."
Burgess played as a true freshman, averaging 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game during the 2024-25 campaign. He could only play in brief stretches as his stamina hadn't translated to the college game.
Over the last year, though, Burgess has dedicated himself to becoming the best version of himself. He's a unique player at 6-foot-11, a guy who can play both the four and the five. Right now, he's the most versatile big man on Purdue's roster.
While he's comfortable stretching out defenses and providing floor spacing, he knows that his strength and stamina are important keys for him to produce at a high level this coming year. Those are areas he emphasized improving throughout his redshirt year.
"The main point of emphasis was getting stronger," Burgess said. "Being able to keep up with Big Ten bigs, it's a different animal out there when you're going up against huge guys. Being able to compete and hold your own is a big thing."
With Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn gone, Purdue loses its two most physical players and top rebounders. That's where some of Burgess's teammates believe he can have the biggest impact.
"Raleigh has been in the gym a lot," guard C.J. Cox said. "He's been physical and that's something we're going to need a lot this year with rebounding."
With so much of Purdue's production and leadership gone from last year's team, there's an opening in the doorway for someone to step up and have a breakout year in West Lafayette.
Don't be surprised if Burgess is the one kicking that door open.
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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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