Which Players Outside Purdue's 'Big 3' are Most Important to a March Madness Run?
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ST. LOUIS — Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn get most of the attention when Purdue's name pops up, and rightfully so. Those are the program's veteran leaders and their production is critical to postseason success.
But Purdue will need more than just those three seniors to step up if it hopes to make a return trip to the Final Four and compete for a national championship. Yes, the Boilermakers will need everyone, but there are a few others who are critically important to an NCAA Tournament run, all for different reasons.
Purdue begins its NCAA Tournament journey on Friday, playing Queens in the first round. Tipoff is set for 7:35 p.m. ET and the game will air on truTV.
Oscar Cluff (5th-year senior)
Cluff may not qualify as an "under-the-radar" guy, but he's also not discussed as heavily as Purdue's "Big 3." The center was the primary reason behind Purdue's success in the Big Ten Tournament last week. The fifth-year senior averaged 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per contest across four games. He was often the most physical player on the floor and was difficult for opponents to defend when he got the ball in the low post.
What's been more impressive about Cluff's recent stretch is his stamina. He's logging 29.1 minutes per game over the last six contests, a five-minute increase from his season average. His ability to stay on the floor has provided Purdue with more consistency down low and on the glass throughout the course of the game.
Getting Cluff established offensively early was a major key to Purdue's Big Ten Tournament championship in Chicago. The Boilermakers don't need a double-double from him in every game, but they do need him to be effective when he's on the floor.
Jack Benter (redshirt freshman)
There may not be a player on Purdue's roster who can impact the game without scoring quite like Benter. Yes, having the ability to shoot from the perimeter at the four spot helps in terms of floor spacing, but the Boilermakers get a lot from the redshirt freshman's relentless effort.
Benter doesn't always play a lot of minutes, but he seems to make the most of his opportunities. He chases down rebounds, defends well, knocks down shots from behind the three-point line and has become an expert at taking charges.
Benter comes in to relieve Kaufman-Renn and Cluff for spells throughout the game. His production comes in the form of maximum effort and is the glue that holds the Boilermakers together when one of the bigs is on the bench.
C.J. Cox (sophomore)
For Purdue to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, it's going to have to rely on its defense from time to time. Cox is the best perimeter defender for the Boilermakers, often charged with guarding the opposing team's best offensive weapon.
Cox's impact goes beyond the defensive end, though. He's another player capable of going off at any time — just look at the Northwestern game in Evanston when he dropped 21 points on the Wildcats.
Cox doesn't always get a lot of shots, but he needs to take advantage of the opportunities that come his way. Because of the way Purdue's offense runs, there could be some games when he's open with the ball in his hands. If he can knock down some of those looks, it'll be even tougher on opponents to defend the Boilers.
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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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