3 Things to Watch in Purdue's Home Opener vs. Valparaiso
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Purdue found itself in a tight battle down the stretch in Monday night's game against No. 15 Gonzaga, but was ultimately on the wrong side of a 78-72 decision in Las Vegas. On Friday, the Boilermakers return to Mackey Arena to play their first home game of the 2026-27 campaign.
Several things stood out from Purdue's opener against Gonzaga, both positively and negatively. It provides us with things to keep an eye on as the Boilers prepare for a five-game homestand before the competition ratchets up again later this month.
Let's talk about a few things I'll be watching throughout Purdue's opener against Valparaiso.
The backup five minutes
One of the biggest talking points following Purdue's loss to Gonzaga was the play behind Daniel Jacobsen. The 7-foot-4 center had a career night, scoring 22 points and grabbing seven rebounds. That was a major story from Monday night. So, too, was the play of Enzo Shahrvin.
Shahvrin was the first off the bench when Jacobsen was subbed out. He played eight minutes, but finished with just two points and a rebound. He was also responsible for four turnovers and a pair of turnovers in his time on the court.
In the second half, Matt Painter elected to give Raleigh Burgess some of the minutes at the five, and he played relatively well. He didn't fill up the stat sheet in his abbreviated appearance, but he scored a bucket, forced a steal and chased down an offensive rebound that gave the Boilers an extra possession.
Was Monday's performance just first-game jitters for Shahrvin? Will Burgess be the first off the bench against Valparaiso when Jacobsen needs a break? Several eyes are going to be on how this situation plays out.
Shooting on the home floor
Purdue's struggles from behind the three-point line against UConn carried over into Monday's game against Gonzaga. The Boilers connected on just 5-of-21 shots from long range. The 2-of-25 outing against the Huskies didn't count, but it was still a poor shooting night. In the last two games the Boilers have played, they've converted just 7-of-46 from distance, a paltry 15.2%.
A glaring concern from Monday was the number of airballs shot, ending the game with six from behind the arc.
The Boilers also haven't had a home game since the exhibition opener against Ball State on Oct. 18. How much of those shooting woes can be cured by simply getting into a rhythm in a familiar environment?
Shooting on the road is something Purdue must learn how to do, especially playing in the Big Ten. But maybe getting a few games in at Mackey Arena before another road trip will settle the nerves and get this team comfortable shooting from behind the arc again.
Defensive pressure and transition buckets
Monday's matchup against Gonzaga was a tough one for Purdue to pressure the ball too intensely. Gicarri Harris, C.J. Cox and Antione West Jr. did a solid job defending the perimeter, but the pressure can be increased a bit, especially on Friday night.
Forcing teams into turnovers and getting out into transition should be a strength for this team. It also gives the Boilermakers an opportunity to get quick, easy points when the three-point shots aren't falling.
Valparaiso averaged just 10.4 turnovers per game last season and had only nine in its season-opening win over Western Illinois. Can Purdue's defensive pressure from the guards force the Beacons into turnovers, and will the Boilers turn those into transition buckets?
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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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