What Purdue basketball needs to see in final exhibition game vs Grand Valley State

WEST LAFAYETTE − Last Saturday’s exhibition loss was a needed reminder of how far Purdue basketball has to go before next week’s season opener.

And that was before the Boilermakers and Bluejays even tipped off.

“Some of our guys didn’t know what to do at shootaround,” assistant coach Paul Lusk said. “Like, what’s the process?”

Minor things now in order, Purdue gets its next, and final, exhibition opportunity to iron things out Wednesday against Grand Valley State.

Some good came out of the 93-87 loss at Creighton, but there’s still questions lacking answers regarding this Purdue squad.

Where does Purdue basketball miss Zach Edey most?

Sure, Zach Edey is a big loss and that’s not a pun.

You don’t lose a top 10 pick in the NBA draft who proved to be college basketball’s most dominant player in decades and expect to seamlessly go about business.

But without Edey, Purdue seemed to hold its own with one of the best offensive teams in the country at Creighton.

However, the defense struggled and after the fact, nobody tried to shy away from it.

“Obviously guarding ball screens, just going basic actions and being more ready to go is what we need to focus on,” junior guard Fletcher Loyer said. “More of our communication, too, all five guys knowing what’s going on.”

Last season, defensive mistakes could be offset by Edey’s ability to protect the rim.

Purdue is implementing new players, or experienced players into new roles, which will take time to fully materialize.

More: Meet Purdue basketball roster: Breaking down the Boilers ahead of 2024-25 season

“Zach was the ultimate eraser,” Lusk said. “Mistakes are made, and a lot of mistakes were made, but he is such an elite defender, he’s always there to protect the rim and he was able to cover a lot of those mistakes up.

“Can we get to that point? We certainly hope so. But you have to go through that. You have to realize that four of those freshmen that played have never been in that environment. Will Berg has never been in that environment where he’s expected to play.”

How will Trey Kaufman-Renn be used?

The redshirt junior started all 39 games last season at the four.

Without Edey, Purdue has a need at five. Whether Trey Kaufman-Renn is a four or five could be circumstantial.

Depending on matchups, expect him to play both this season.

“I’ve spent equal time in both spots,” Kaufman-Renn said. “I think they’ve done a really good job getting me reps in those situations.”

With Caleb Furst, Will Berg, Raleigh Burgess and Daniel Jacobsen, Purdue has flexibility among bigs. How will Matt Painter and his staff utilize it?

Game one in books, now what for freshmen?

Four of Purdue’s five scholarship freshmen played at Creighton with varying results.

Given the opponent, the environment and the fact it was their first collegiate game, all experience gained can be chalked up as beneficial right now.

Gicarri Harris was in the starting lineup and Jacobsen was the most productive with 7 points and 5 rebounds in 18-plus minutes. Cox initially appears to be carving out his niche on defense.

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on X and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue exhibition vs Grand Valley State offers potential clarity