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HinsdaleBoilerMar 30, 4:28 PM

DeCourcy Purdue comment re: NBA talent

I know there's a thread somewhere discussing Purdue and its lack of first round NBA talent. I'd post this there but I can't readily find it. This morning on Chicago sports radio DeCourcy was discussing the Final Four and he got on the topic of winning college teams -- Final Four teams -- needing first round NBA talent to compete for the championship. Table stakes. He referenced Purdue in particular as a team some analysts had winning it all, but his questions was "what first round NBA talent does Purdue have? They don't have one or two first rounders." Maybe he's right -- I don't know. I love Painter and hope he continues to run his program as he sees fit. Yes of course I want to win a National Championship. But at what cost. It's a brave new world in today's game and the rich get richer, I suppose. Frankly, getting as far as we did this year was awesome. Great games and memorable W's. Good citizens playing for Painter.
238 Replies
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Purduefan4

Mar 30, 4:32 PM

Purdue has some NBA potential coming in with Webber and Huan. I have heard Ertel comparisons with Kyle Guy. Pierce, I think, has a better first step and is taller than Yaxel
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Tippco333

Mar 30, 4:33 PM

He’s not wrong and it’s a topic I just haven’t engaged with because it’s played out at Purdue. however, I do think the tide may be turning a bit. Painter has started to go after some more potential NBA types. Guys like Omer, Webber, and Huan all fit the “potential” profile with NBA talent. You don’t need a full nba roster but a mix of savy experienced players and some NBA potential is a pretty classic winning formula
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AFewGoodBoilers

Mar 30, 4:34 PM

Tippco333 said:
He’s not wrong and it’s a topic I just haven’t engaged with because it’s played out at Purdue. however, I do think the tide may be turning a bit. Painter has started to go after some more potential NBA types. Guys like Omer, Webber, and Huan all fit the “potential” profile with NBA talent. You don’t need a full nba roster but a mix of savy experienced players and some NBA potential is a pretty classic winning formula
Need to do the formula Jay Wright won with at Villanova.
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Purduefan4

Mar 30, 4:35 PM

Tippco333 said:
He’s not wrong and it’s a topic I just haven’t engaged with because it’s played out at Purdue. however, I do think the tide may be turning a bit. Painter has started to go after some more potential NBA types. Guys like Omer, Webber, and Huan all fit the “potential” profile with NBA talent. You don’t need a full nba roster but a mix of savy experienced players and some NBA potential is a pretty classic winning formula
Even Pierce being 6'10 athletic who can shoot could be an NBA guy if he has a good year
Avatar

jwboiler

Mar 30, 4:35 PM

HinsdaleBoiler said:
I know there's a thread somewhere discussing Purdue and its lack of first round NBA talent. I'd post this there but I can't readily find it. This morning on Chicago sports radio DeCourcy was discussing the Final Four and he got on the topic of winning college teams -- Final Four teams -- needing first round NBA talent to compete for the championship. Table stakes. He referenced Purdue in particular as a team some analysts had winning it all, but his questions was "what first round NBA talent does Purdue have? They don't have one or two first rounders." Maybe he's right -- I don't know. I love Painter and hope he continues to run his program as he sees fit. Yes of course I want to win a National Championship. But at what cost. It's a brave new world in today's game and the rich get richer, I suppose. Frankly, getting as far as we did this year was awesome. Great games and memorable W's. Good citizens playing for Painter.
This years’ team has maybe one fringe NBA player. Every other team in the FF have multiple players who will play in the NBA. Purdue has done incredible under Painter with the talent gap compared to the other top teams.
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CincyBoiler5

Mar 30, 4:35 PM

Purduefan4 said:
Purdue has some NBA potential coming in with Webber and Huan. I have heard Ertel comparisons with Kyle Guy. Pierce, I think, has a better first step and is taller than Yaxel
Pierce is conservatively like 2in shorter than Yaxel. But I agree on Webber and Huan. Antione and Mayer both have had names mentioned as future prospects too.
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Purduefan4

Mar 30, 4:38 PM

CincyBoiler5 said:
Pierce is conservatively like 2in shorter than Yaxel. But I agree on Webber and Huan. Antione and Mayer both have had names mentioned as future prospects too.
I thought he was closer to 6"10 than Yaxel or is he the new Gillis
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Toast.

Mar 30, 4:38 PM

Tippco333 said:
He’s not wrong and it’s a topic I just haven’t engaged with because it’s played out at Purdue. however, I do think the tide may be turning a bit. Painter has started to go after some more potential NBA types. Guys like Omer, Webber, and Huan all fit the “potential” profile with NBA talent. You don’t need a full nba roster but a mix of savy experienced players and some NBA potential is a pretty classic winning formula
Largely agree. Maybe a distinction without a difference, but he has been going for high end talent for years…he just hasn’t always landed it. I have always thought that with our skill infrastructure that a high end talent would really feast. Braden would’ve been scary with some nba finishers.
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DAG10

Mar 30, 4:40 PM

CincyBoiler5 said:
Pierce is conservatively like 2in shorter than Yaxel. But I agree on Webber and Huan. Antione and Mayer both have had names mentioned as future prospects too.
Who mentioned Antione...anywhere, and, based on what? Webber is a remarkable shooter...but, that is essentially his skill set. Like his size to go with it, but, needs to mature physically for certain. Crazy as it is, Jacobsen actually was/has been mentioned.
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PurdueSoCal

Mar 30, 4:43 PM

Purduefan4 said:
Even Pierce being 6'10 athletic who can shoot could be an NBA guy if he has a good year
Pearce is 6-7.
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Purduefan4

Mar 30, 4:43 PM

DAG10 said:
Who mentioned Antione...anywhere, and, based on what? Webber is a remarkable shooter...but, that is essentially his skill set. Like his size to go with it, but, needs to mature physically for certain. Crazy as it is, Jacobsen actually was/has been mentioned.
Duncan Robinson scores 11 ppg this year, so that is the NBA comp for Webber
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gpatty16

Mar 30, 4:44 PM

NBA talent equates to success. I think there is a stat that every National Champion has had a top 30 NBA draft pick.
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Tippco333

Mar 30, 4:46 PM

Toast. said:
Largely agree. Maybe a distinction without a difference, but he has been going for high end talent for years…he just hasn’t always landed it. I have always thought that with our skill infrastructure that a high end talent would really feast. Braden would’ve been scary with some nba finishers.
The maybe under the radar biggest weakness in this team was DJ not being what we needed. Braden with an arial lob threat would have opened the court up so much because the help side guy would have to dig down on the roll and you rarely saw that, because usually that guy opposite is fletch and they won’t dig off him. Saw it a bunch this year. We couldn’t threaten on that piece in the PnR
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joncoughlin

Mar 30, 4:47 PM

Purduefan4 said:
Even Pierce being 6'10 athletic who can shoot could be an NBA guy if he has a good year
Pierce is 6'7". He's not taller than Yaxel
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DAG10

Mar 30, 4:47 PM

DeCourcy loves to hear himself talk. Who picked Purdue to win it all? Clark Kellogg...that is about it. And, Purdue could have won it all, but, was not the favorite...not by a long shot. Purdue did not have as much talent as other teams, but, it had a better team in cases, and, it had experience that others did/do not. No doubt an elite talent would have been nice...and maybe that is what pushes them over the top. They had the best PG in the country...just because he is not a lottery pick (which Hurley actually was back in the day) does not mean that he was not an elite talent though. I am in agreement in general that it takes having a NBA-caliber guy (or guys), but, Duke is loaded with them and did not win...again. Houston had them...and it did not matter. Tennessee had at least a guy, and, it did not matter. Texas had 2 and could not even get by Purdue...
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winger

Mar 30, 4:48 PM

HinsdaleBoiler said:
I know there's a thread somewhere discussing Purdue and its lack of first round NBA talent. I'd post this there but I can't readily find it. This morning on Chicago sports radio DeCourcy was discussing the Final Four and he got on the topic of winning college teams -- Final Four teams -- needing first round NBA talent to compete for the championship. Table stakes. He referenced Purdue in particular as a team some analysts had winning it all, but his questions was "what first round NBA talent does Purdue have? They don't have one or two first rounders." Maybe he's right -- I don't know. I love Painter and hope he continues to run his program as he sees fit. Yes of course I want to win a National Championship. But at what cost. It's a brave new world in today's game and the rich get richer, I suppose. Frankly, getting as far as we did this year was awesome. Great games and memorable W's. Good citizens playing for Painter.
I agree with the thought that you need NBA talent. I Matt Painter has been slowly climbing the ladder. Overall the targets he's recruiting seem to be better. I'm not talking about finding diamonds in the rough. Renn, Ertel, Webber, maybe Huan are just slightly better than the guys he chased 7/9 yrs ago. His age and runway is getting shorter, maybe 10 years before he starts to get killed by the younger hotter, crazier, gunslinger coaches. Older guys don't see themselves as dinosaurs until well after they get to that stage.
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dstchlk

Mar 30, 4:49 PM

Purduefan4 said:
Purdue has some NBA potential coming in with Webber and Huan. I have heard Ertel comparisons with Kyle Guy. Pierce, I think, has a better first step and is taller than Yaxel
This isn’t going to cut it I don’t think. Guys that you can squint at and maybe see being an NBA player if things break correctly aren’t enough. I think we really have to start getting obvious NBA talent to come here if we’re truly going to compete. It doesn’t have to be a lot, but you gotta have one in the mix. We don’t need to stop recruiting the great non-NBA talent we’ve been bringing in, either. But a whole team of those types are never going to be able to get it done.
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OGBoiler

Mar 30, 4:49 PM

DAG10 said:
Who mentioned Antione...anywhere, and, based on what? Webber is a remarkable shooter...but, that is essentially his skill set. Like his size to go with it, but, needs to mature physically for certain. Crazy as it is, Jacobsen actually was/has been mentioned.
Sam Vecenie mentioned West in a preseason pod that he heard rumblings about as someone performing well in practice and could see as a prospect in a couple years if everything goes as planned.
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Tippco333

Mar 30, 4:50 PM

DAG10 said:
Who mentioned Antione...anywhere, and, based on what? Webber is a remarkable shooter...but, that is essentially his skill set. Like his size to go with it, but, needs to mature physically for certain. Crazy as it is, Jacobsen actually was/has been mentioned.
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a physically mature 6’6” guard coming out of high school. It’s near impossible given the dexterity required to play guard at that height. It doesn’t intersect with bulk. If you do have that at that age, you have LeBron. point is, yes Webber will have to be able to bulk and maintain skill but he’s still a definite NBA potential guy.
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EGET

Mar 30, 4:51 PM

The last time we had unquestioned 1st Rd talent (lottery even), let's see...we... lost to North Texas in the 1st Rd.
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Brad Ebann

Mar 30, 4:53 PM

HinsdaleBoiler said:
I know there's a thread somewhere discussing Purdue and its lack of first round NBA talent. I'd post this there but I can't readily find it. This morning on Chicago sports radio DeCourcy was discussing the Final Four and he got on the topic of winning college teams -- Final Four teams -- needing first round NBA talent to compete for the championship. Table stakes. He referenced Purdue in particular as a team some analysts had winning it all, but his questions was "what first round NBA talent does Purdue have? They don't have one or two first rounders." Maybe he's right -- I don't know. I love Painter and hope he continues to run his program as he sees fit. Yes of course I want to win a National Championship. But at what cost. It's a brave new world in today's game and the rich get richer, I suppose. Frankly, getting as far as we did this year was awesome. Great games and memorable W's. Good citizens playing for Painter.
I believe since the NBA draft began, or last 50 years, no one has ever won a title without having a player drafted in the top 30. Ant Wright threw that out there before the season and was openly wondering if anyone on Purdue fit that. Now it could be a self fulfilling thing where IF Purdue won the title then that boosts up everyone’s stock and maybe Braden is a first round pick. Could also be something where if someone stepped up like Jacobsen or Mayer and became a top 30 type talent that could’ve propelled Purdue to a title too.
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SydneyBoiler

Mar 30, 4:53 PM

It’s pro sports now. You need pros no matter how you get them. DJ and Mayer both underperformed to preseason expectations. Underwood got lucky with Wagler. Like Paint did with Carsen, Ivey and Zach.
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GS Thomas

Mar 30, 4:53 PM

HinsdaleBoiler said:
I know there's a thread somewhere discussing Purdue and its lack of first round NBA talent. I'd post this there but I can't readily find it. This morning on Chicago sports radio DeCourcy was discussing the Final Four and he got on the topic of winning college teams -- Final Four teams -- needing first round NBA talent to compete for the championship. Table stakes. He referenced Purdue in particular as a team some analysts had winning it all, but his questions was "what first round NBA talent does Purdue have? They don't have one or two first rounders." Maybe he's right -- I don't know. I love Painter and hope he continues to run his program as he sees fit. Yes of course I want to win a National Championship. But at what cost. It's a brave new world in today's game and the rich get richer, I suppose. Frankly, getting as far as we did this year was awesome. Great games and memorable W's. Good citizens playing for Painter.
He isn’t wrong and it is a fair criticism and a decent analysis.

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