Takeaways: Purdue basketball recruiting during the July evaluation period--the first 10 days

Through the first week or so of the July evaluation period, Purdue’s coaches have busy scurrying between various locations to be seen by priority targets but also trying to find new ones, not only in the Class of 2026, but 2027 as well.

After spending a week in South Carolina covering games at both adidas’ 3SSB Palmetto Road championship event and Nike’s fourth EYBL session in North Augusta, S.C., GoldandBlack.com brings you the following takes.

PURDUE HAS A FEW 2026 OFFER DECISIONS TO MAKE

Purdue’s senior-to-be recruiting board is going to expand.

Two potential offers: forward Noah Smith and shooter Jacob Webber.

Boilermaker coaches have been watching Smith closely for some tIme now but have yet to pull the trigger on an offer. Painter did watch two of his games this weekend in Richmond for a Grand Park Premier team that finished unbeaten in Puma Pro16 circuit play. Purdue’s recruiting board at the 4 position has shifted in recent weeks, with Smith being a real possibility for an offer. Should one come, it would be a game-changer for the Plainfield forward, but in such cases, diligence is a must.

Webber blew up in front of Painter in Rock Hill over the weekend and showed himself to be the sort of dynamic move-and-shoot three-point shooter that has went so much to Purdue’s offensive mixes for years now. To this point, Purdue has seemed content with its shooting outlook for future classes — undoubtedly a compliment of sorts to redshirt freshman Jack Benter, for one — but Webber might have compelled Purdue to shoot its shot with the 6-foot-7 LaLumiere-bound Webber, a native of Nebraska who unofficially visit Purdue during the season.

In the 2027 class watch out Texas’ Chase Richardson and Missouri’s Chase Branham.

More: Jacob Webber update

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MATT PAINTER HAS REALLY MADE QUINN COSTELLO PERSONAL

Quinn Costello has very quickly emerged as one of the hottest prospects in the 2026 class and a high enough priority for Purdue that Painter himself has seemed to dedicate a ton of attention to him in his recruiting travels.

Painter spent time during the June evaluation periods out east, seemingly solely for Costello, then opened the July evaluation period in Atlanta for the Under Armour event, again for Costello.

In a national recruitment — Costello is a priority for Michigan State, Michigan, North Carolina and many others — Purdue may need to set itself apart some. Perhaps Painter’s personal attention can help do that.

THE 2027 POINT GUARD HUNT

Purdue priority Jaxson Davis erupted at EYBL this past week, which will undoubtedly thicken the field for him. But he’s seemed pretty high on the Boilermakers early on in his recruitment and is expected to visit again after July. It won’t be easy, but the need at point guard in 2027 may be more acute than it would seem and Davis profiles as a Purdue type and seems to get that. Plus, he’s relatively local being in Chicagoland.

Kevin Savage Jr. from the Atlanta area is a big-time defender in addition to being a penetrator, facilitator and shot-maker. He’s another priority for Purdue who seems to have interest.

Lastly, Purdue is going to make its case with elite Texan Reese Alston, who Painter would have seen in Richmond over the weekend.

Jason Gardner Jr. from Fishers has a Purdue offer and was good enough at Palmetto Road to perhaps really go national if he hadn’t already. He is more of a slashing scoring guard, but would be categorized as and recruited as a point guard. He is stronger physically at this stage, but think Jaden Ivey.

Long story short: Purdue is swinging for the fences at PG in 2027 and with Braden Smith‘s success at its back, it has more street cred with guards today than ever before. Ivey, too.

LUKE ERTEL KEEPS PROVING IT

Purdue 2026 commitment Luke Ertel has shown everyone this spring and summer that he can shoot, that he can create, that he can use ball screens, that he can lead a team, that he can be ultra-productive against high-end competition and that he can win. All of it.

This week in Rock Hill, it was about mettle.

Coming back from an ankle injury that idled him for a few weeks at the end of June, Ertel played excellent at Palmetto Road, played extraordinarily hard and did so with inordinate weight to bear. With teammate Terrence Hayes out with an injury, Ertel was really Indiana Elite’s only ball-handler. In the semifinals against pro-loaded Game Elite, Ertel took the floor with four forwards at times. (We’re classifying wing-ish Dikembe Shaw as a forward.)

Ertel played every minute of Indiana Elite’s two games Sunday before sitting out Sunday’s consolation finale to rest for games in California this weekend.

More: On Luke Ertel in Rock Hill