Purdue Preseason Primer: Senior center Oscar Cluff

As the Sept. 23 beginning of preseason practice nears, GoldandBlack.com takes an in-depth look at each of the Boilermakers’ scholarship players and what may lie ahead.

Proceeding alphabetically, today: Senior center Oscar Cluff.

Full series: Jack Benter | Raleigh Burgess | Oscar Cluff | CJ Cox | Daniel Jacobsen | Trey Kaufman-Renn | Fletcher Loyer | Omer Mayer | Liam Murphy | Braden Smith | Antione West

More: Breaking down Oscar Cluff

OVERVIEW: PURDUE CENTER OSCAR CLUFF

The former South Dakota State and Washington State center comes to Purdue as one of the premiere returning rebounders in college basketball, having just been No. 2 nationally with an average of 12.3 per game and No. 1 in defensive rebounding percentage at 32.4 percent. Thanks in part to Cluff, the Jackrabbits were tops nationally in opponents offensive rebounding percentage, just 21.6 percent, 10 whole percentage points below what Purdue allowed.

He also averaged 17.6 points, shooting 62 percent on two-point shots and 78 percent at the line.

The 6-foot-11, 255-pound Aussie is a physical, high-motor sort who has shown a distinct nose for the ball. Translation: Exactly what Purdue needs exactly when Purdue needs it.

CLUFF’S POTENTIAL VALUE

Rebounding alone is going to transform Purdue this season in ways that might not be easily apparent to casual observers. The need for size was a four-alarm fire that may not only have been extinguished, but turned into a strength, with Cluff plus Daniel Jacobsen‘s return from injury.

Purdue’s gone from rebounding being an open, bleeding wound that required a tourniquet every game (against quality opponents at least) to an honest-to-goodness strength. You probably could not have scripted a better portal addition for Purdue.

Cluff (and Jacobsen) should take an immense burden off star Trey Kaufman-Renn; improve Purdue immeasurably on the defensive glass and by extension, on defense in general; generate more transition-offense opportunities for Braden Smith; and create more second-chance possessions and pile up more scrum fouls on opponents.

Watch that possessions column for Purdue this season. It could flip entirely. That’s about taking care of the ball, yes, but offensive and defensive rebounding are pillars, too.

Offensively, the possessions column and as a screener — he’s formidable — is where Cluff may matter most. Purdue doesn’t need him necessarily to score, but he and Jacobsen do give Purdue something it didn’t have last season: A post or pick-and-roll destination when Kaufman-Renn is out of the game. Last year, when Kaufman-Renn was out, Purdue either stagnated or Smith had to go into Russell Westbrook mode.

ASSESSING NEED

It’s urgent, desperate actually.

Defensive rebounding and rim protection lowered Purdue’s ceiling to the point both Cluff and Jacobsen could hit their head on it. Now, these could be strengths. The ripple effects could be immense.

There are parallels to be drawn here with Lance Jones two seasons ago. The perfect addition at the perfect team for an elite team. Don’t forget Jacobsen. It’s not just Cluff, but the combination of the two.

OVERALL OUTLOOK

The final-piece-of-the-puzzle vibes here are real. This is a player uniquely suited to flip the very specific areas in which Purdue struggled last season, well equipped to complement great players around him and ideally wired for Boilermaker basketball’s traditional identity and stated values, an egoless grinder who came up through the some of the most desolate outposts in U.S. college basketball and will make the most of this opportunity at all costs, most likely.

He’ll be a fan favorite, a critical contributor, and he’ll make Jacobsen better.