The offseason is finally over. On Sunday, we’ll get our first glimpse of a new-look Purdue team, which hits Keady Court inside Mackey Arena to host Ball State in the first of three exhibition games. There are plenty of questions entering the 2026-27 campaign.
Not all of those questions will have answers after one exhibition contest, but Sunday’s game may provide us with at least an idea of what to expect this season. So, what are we watching when the Boilers are back in action this weekend?
The starting lineup and rotations
Because Purdue loses four starters from last year’s team, there were plenty of spots open during the offseason. Curiosity is running rampant over which players earned a starting job during the offseason. Sunday’s game may not indicate a final decision on Matt Painter’s part, but it could give us an idea of who the Boilers are favoring at the beginning of the 2026-27 season.
Plenty of people will monitor which guys step on the floor first on Sunday against Ball State. What will also be of interest are the rotations that Painter uses throughout the game. Who plays well together? Are there specific lineups Purdue will use for specific defensive situations? How small are the Boilers comfortable playing at times?
Sunday is just the first of three exhibition games, so expect there to be plenty of adjustments, rotations and lineups used throughout the day.
Changes in the offense
Associate head coach P.J. Thompson does an excellent job scheming Purdue’s offense to play to its strengths. This won’t be a team that plays through the post as it did with Zach Edey and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Painter has indicated that this group can space the floor and the bigs are capable of hitting shots from around the perimeter.
Daniel Jacobsen and Enzo Shahrvin will still get some post touches, but they won’t be anchored down low. In other words, there’s a good chance that this year’s offense operates similar to the way the Boilermakers did during the 2018-19 season, when Matt Haarms was the primary five man.
Purdue’s roster is also filled with players who can knock down shots from the perimeter. Gicarri Harris, C.J. Cox, Omer Mayer, Luke Ertel, Jacob Webber, Jack Benter and Antione West Jr. can all make shots consistently from behind the three-point line. Will that be an even greater strength for this year’s team?
Using Enzo Shahrvin
Shahrvin hadn’t been cleared by the NCAA when Purdue took its trip to Canada, so Sunday’s game against Ball State will be the first time we’ve seen him in a competitive environment. Painter indicated that he’ll likely play primarily the five this season, but how much of an impact will he have?
Purdue likes what Shahrvin brings from a physical perspective. He can help the Boilermakers on the glass and he’s also incredibly athletic for a player of his size and stature. How many minutes does he get? Will we see him at all alongside Jacobsen during the game?
We haven’t seen Shahrvin play yet, so he might be the biggest mystery on Purdue’s roster heading into Sunday’s exhibition game.
How much time do the freshmen get?
Purdue brought in a four-man recruiting class, one of the best in program history. If I’m making a prediction, I’d guess that Luke Ertel and Jacob Webber are the two who see the most time on the floor this season.
Ertel can play both point guard and off the ball, which adds to his value on this roster. Webber is a flame-thrower, capable of hitting shots in bunches from behind the three-point line. Based on what we’ve seen in practice and through the Canada trip, Sinan Huan and Rivers Knight still have some work to do.
It will be interesting to see how much time each of the freshmen get on Sunday and how they’re used throughout the game. It might give us an early indication of how much they are trusted based on their work in the offseason.
The role of Raleigh Burgess
A question that hasn’t been asked much, but one we might figure out — at least to some degree — on Sunday. Burgess was expected to play the four, but with Caden Pierce and Benter in that role, will he have to shift over to the five? If he’s playing that position, how much time will he get with Jacobsen and Shahrvin expected to get the lion’s share of the minutes?
Burgess had some highs and lows during the team’s trip to Canada. He made some nice plays on the defensive end, but struggled when he was in the post and on the glass. What will his role be this season?
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