Purdue’s Matt Painter only coach at Big Ten Media Day not talking transfers, for now

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Purdue men’s basketball coach Matt Painter stood out as the exception among his peers at Big Ten Media Days.

Almost to a man, the conference’s other coaches spoke enthusiastically about their program’s transfer portal success in the offseason. Some added one crucial piece. Some rebuilt their roster out of necessity.

The Boilermakers, though, assembled a roster exclusively of players recruited out of high school. That unique makeup could benefit Purdue’s championship hopes in a league populated by teams still building chemistry and cohesion.

Painter, though, knows he will need to use that market again, eventually.

Purdue men’s basketball news: What Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter said at Big Ten media days

“I’ll go into the portal when I have to,” Painter said. “I don’t think it’ll be my decision.

“We’ve taken two guys out of the portal in four years. I do not think we can continue at that clip. From a numbers standpoint, trying to keep 13 guys happy is really hard.”

Actually, that scholarship limit has increased to 15. That equates to more spots for long-term projects to develop, as well as more players seeking to move on after a couple of years out of the rotation.

Purdue is unique in another way – Painter’s extensive use of redshirts — which helps explain the lack of departures to the portal. Painter said “a couple guys” from the incoming freshman class could potentially use redshirts this season.

If that means two players redshirting, that would mean nearly half the roster of scholarship players used that option at some point in their careers.

“That piece of it allows us to soften the blow sometimes, because guys normally aren’t going to redshirt and then leave,” Painter said. “They’re going to be like, ‘OK, I sat out. I worked on my game. This is going to give me a better chance to play the next year.’

“Then if they don’t play after that year, you’re probably in a predicament at that point with individuals.”

The lineup

Painter said scrimmages still typically include Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn playing together. Then he mixes and matches the other two spots looking for the best combinations.

One look he confirmed is 6-7 Camden Heide playing the 4 when Kaufman-Renn plays the five. Kaufman-Renn said he had been lobbying for that combination based on Heide proving he can play with the necessary physicality.

“Offensively, it definitely gives an advantage, because Cam can space the floor with Braden, and then it allows Trey to really use his quickness and scoring ability against a bigger opponent.”

New competition

The four new west coast programs coming into the Big Ten are not necessarily unfamiliar.

“I actually watched the Pac-12 schools more, just because that’s the last game at night before you go to bed,” Painter said.

He also knows the coaches and has prepared to face them before. In the case of Oregon’s Dana Altman, it came when the latter coached Creighton during Painter’s Southern Illinois stint. Purdue faced UCLA coach Mick Cronin’s Cincinnati team in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.

The Boilermakers beat Utah State and now-Washington coach Danny Sprinkle in the Round of 32 last season. They also played a preseason exhibition game against Arkansas, at the time led by now-USC coach Eric Musselman.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball’s Matt Painter realistic about transfer needs