Why Purdue's Omer Mayer Calls Antione West Jr. a 'Certified Hooper'

There is a lot of early hype surrounding Antione West Jr.'s game. Even his teammate, Omer Mayer, is excited to see what the redshirt freshman can do.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Antione West (1) shoots the basketball. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Omer Mayer played with several talented players as a true freshman at Purdue last season. Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn were all great, but the point guard is eager to get the chance to play with a guy who redshirted last season: Antione West Jr.

After deciding to use last season as a redshirt year, West is the primary conversation starter at Purdue. His performances on the team's five-day trip in Canada only added to the hype and expectation that fans have for the Toledo native this year.

The rest of the country has only seen glimpses of West, who spent last season helping Purdue win games as a member of the scout team. Mayer and others saw his potential every day in practice, making life hell for his Boilermaker teammates.

"Antione, man ... I wish that people could have seen what he did in practices last year," Mayer said. "He's really, really good. Personally, I'm really excited to play with him. I always say that he's a certified hooper. Just getting buckets, plays defense, plays hard, wants to win."

This isn't the first time that one of West's teammates has expressed confidence in what he can accomplish when he steps on the floor. Last year, Braden Smith said on his podcast that he believed West would lead the team in scoring for the 2026-27 season.

Mayer validated those statements following Purdue's practice on Friday, saying that West would regularly light up the defense during practices as a member of the scout team. At times, the Boilers had to just tip their cap to the flamethrower wearing a black practice jersey.

"We had practices where he was on the scout team, and he just made shot after shot," Mayer said. "The coaches were looking at us, and we're like, 'Hey, man, he's shooting from really deep and contended, and he was making them.'"

West is a great two-way player

Purdue Boilermakers guard Antione West (1) dribbles the basketball. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When West's name pops up in conversation, it usually relates to how he can help Purdue on the offensive end of the floor. Certainly, his ability to score from all three levels is something that the Boilermakers will need this coming season.

He doesn't get enough credit for what he does on the defensive end, though.

"He knows what he's doing. He's been through it," head coach Matt Painter said following Friday's practice. "I think when you first start, a lot of guys who are really talented have tough freshmen years. For him, he redshirted, he put a lot of time in, he competed in practice. He's just a really good two-way player. He can score, he can break you down, he's a very good on-ball defender. He's going to play a lot."

In those four games in Canada, West put pressure on opposing ball-handlers, forcing turnovers and getting the Boilermakers into transition. Considering the rebounding issues this team could encounter, having a player who can create extra possessions would be an asset for Purdue.

When West takes the floor for the first time this season, Purdue isn't just getting a dynamic offensive player, but it's also getting an elite defender.

Or, as Mayer would say, a "certified hooper."

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