Matt Painter Talks About Purdue's 'Young Group,' Provides Outlook for Next Season

Purdue is losing a lot of major contributors from last season, inclduing Zach Edey, Mason Gillis and Lance Jones. But there's still a lot of optimism around the program. Matt Painter talked about his six-man recruiting class and the outlook for next year.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter speaks at a press conference during practice before the / Patrick Breen/Arizona Republic / USA

Purdue coach Matt Painter is not resting on the success of the 2023-24 season. With six newcomers added to program for next season, the Boilermakers will have the task of getting the youngsters prepared for their first year of college basketball.

In an interview with Big Ten Network's Andy Katz, Painter talked about the next steps after his team's run to the Final Four last season. The Boilermakers lose a lot from last year's squad, creating quite a void.

Two-time National Player of the Year Zach Edey is off to the NBA Draft. Mason Gillis and Ethan Morton entered the NCAA transfer portal to utilize their additional year of eligibility due to the Covid-19 waiver. Lance Jones' eligibility is up.

To say Purdue's roster is getting younger is an understatement.

"We have a young group. We signed six freshmen, so getting those guys up to speed and having a great summer and a great fall before practice officially starts is gonna be real important," Painter said.

"When you take six guys, you gotta get them up to speed with everything. Will all six play for us? No way," Painter said. "But, we've used redshirts and we've really tried to help guys' careers along the way."

Purdue's 2024 recruiting class is one of the best of the Painter era. The Boilermakers are bringing a six-man class, highlighted by four-star guard Kanon Catchings (No. 34 overall prospect), four-star guard Gicarri Harris (No. 90 overall prospect) and three-star center Raleigh Burgess (No. 141 overall). Plus, they're adding 7-foot-3 center Daniel Jacobsen, guard CJ Cox and guard Jack Benter, all three-star recruits.

So, yes, Purdue has some work to do to get those newcomers up to speed. But Painter also talked about the team's experience.

The Boilermakers do return star guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, as well as post player Trey Kaufman-Renn, all of which started last season. Caleb Furst, Myles Colvin and Cam Heide are also likely to see more minutes.

"You know, we've started Caleb Furst and Trey Kaufman in those positions. Even though Trey played more this year, Caleb played more before that. Obviously Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer are All-Conference level guys," Painter said.

"So, we have experience. You can make a big deal about what we lose, and rightfully so. But we have a lot of experience there. Cam Heide and Myles Colvin played for us last year. Brian Waddell and Will Berg have been with us, even though they didn't play."

Purdue loses a lot of production from its Final Four squad last season. But with the talent returning and the recruits coming in, there's still a lot of optimism surrounding Painter's team heading into next year.

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