3 Thoughts From Sinan Huan's Appearance in 2026 Nike Hoop Summit

Incoming Purdue center Sinan Huan participated in the Nike Hoop Summit on Saturday night in Portland, suiting up for Team World in the high-level event. Although he didn't see a lot of time on the floor, there are still a few takeaways from his effort at the Moda Center.

With big man Arafan Diane out because of injury, Huan earned the starting job for Team World. He played just seven minutes and ended the game with two rebounds and a steal. Team USA won the game 102-100 in overtime.

Because Huan played fewer than 10 minutes, it's difficult to properly assess what he might bring to Purude, but here are a few thoughts about the 7-foot-1 center following Saturday night's Nike Hoop Summit.

Sinan Huan, Purdue's incoming center. | Sinan Huan (Sinan_Huan) and Purdue Men's Basketball (BoilerBall) on Instagram.

Moves well for his size

What stands out most about Huan is his movement on the court. Even at 7-foot-1, Huan can move without the basketball on the offensive end, while still getting into the paint and posting up defenders. He changes direction well and has good foot speed for a big man in transition.

Huan's movement is similar to that of former Purdue center Matt Haarms. He is most comfortable around the basket, but isn't bashful about catching the basketball at the free-throw line and driving to the hoop.

There's no question that Huan will spend the majority of his time playing the five spot while at Purdue. But he could also play alongside Jacobsen or another big man and potentially fill the four. That's probably not going to be something that happens often — it may not happen at all — but it could be an option because of his mobility and versatility.

Needs to improve his strength

Much like when Daniel Jacobsen arrived on campus in West Lafayette, it is evident that Huan is going to have to get stronger to handle the grind of a college basketball season. The 7-footer did a good job rebounding the basketball at Georgetown Prep, but he's struggled in this area against high-level competition in both the FIBA U19 World Cup and the Nike Hoop Summit.

Huan puts himself in a good position and often locates an opponent to box out when shots go up. He still had some trouble keeping those guys off the boards, as others can use their physicality to fight off his blockout.

Part of the battle with rebounding is putting a body on someone. Huan didn't really have an issue with that, at least on Saturday night. He did, however, struggle to keep guys behind him and pull down boards. It's going to require him to spend a lot of extra time in the weight room during the offseason.

Tries to erase everything at the rim

In Saturday night's Nike Hoop Summit, you could tell that Huan is accustomed to erasing shots at the rim. When he was on the floor and Team USA attacked the rim, the 7-footer was trying to swipe the ball out of the air.

Huan averaged 5.0 blocks per game in the FIBA U19 World Cup last summer. It's probably the greatest strength of his game right now. He must learn, though, that he doesn't have to leave his feet on every drive to the basket. Most of the time, standing straight up and getting into a good position on the floor is enough to alter shots.

Purdue loves a player who can alter shots and protect the rim. That's going to be something Huan brings to West Lafayette from Day 1. He just needs to be a little more selective on his shot-blocking attempts.

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