WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue's trip to Canada in July gave us a great first look of the 2026-27 Boilermakers, playing four games in five days. We learned a lot about this particular group during that week, but it's far from a finished product.
Fast forward to September, and Matt Painter's squad is still working to improve in certain areas. On Friday, the program opened up practice to the media, now that we're less than one month away from the first exhibition game (Oct. 18 vs. Ball State).
Here are a few observations from Friday's practice at Cardinal Court.
Enzo Shahrvin is more athletic than you think
Shahrvin is often talked about because of the physical presence he brings to Purdue's frontcourt, and rightfully so. The 6-foot-9 forward has a big frame, gets aggressive in the post and provides the Boilermakers with a fiesty rebounder. What gets overlooked, though, is his athleticism.
Multiple times during Friday's practice, Shahrvin was used as a lob threat in the pick-and-roll. He doesn't possess the same length as Daniel Jacobsen, but he does have the ability to find the ball in the air and throw it down.
Shahrvin isn't a player who will blow you away with his scoring ability down low, but the combination of strength and athleticism is something Purdue can use in the post. You can understand why Painter hopes he'll be cleared by the NCAA soon.
Antione West Jr. is still shooting the lights out
To the surprise of nobody, West is still knocking down shots from everywhere on the floor. Friday was no exception, knocking down several long three-pointers, but also using his dribble to get to the rim in certain 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 situations.
After practice, guard Omer Mayer had an interesting comment, saying he wishes "fans could have seen Antione practice last year." He spoke about how the Purdue guard lit up last year's team during practice. At times, he was making shots from so deep on the floor, there was no answer.
West isn't taking shots from Steph Curry range, but he's converting at a high clip. You can easily see how he could be Purdue's leading scorer this season.
Defensive rebounding was a struggle
Purdue's rebounding concerns haven't gone away. There were moments when it seemed like the defense couldn't grab a rebound until the offense had two or three shot attempts. Some of that can probably be contributed to the way the teams were divided, but it's still an issue at this point in the offseason.
Painter talked about rebounding after practice, mentioning how the defense struggled to end possessions. The Boilermakers need a stronger rebounding presence from their guards this season. They're going to need everyone attacking the glass.
The freshmen are still learning
Again, this observation shouldn't come as a surprise. All the freshmen have different skills, but they're all still learning how to compete at the college level. Luke Ertel is learning to play on two feet and not get caught in tough situations. Jacob Webber is an elite shooter, but is working to become a better defensive player.
Rivers Knight and Sinan Huan are two guys still working to build a physical presence in the post. You can see flashes of potential from both player, but they still have plenty of room to grow.
There has been a lot of discussion about whether Mayer or Ertel starts at point guard this year. At least right now, Mayer looks like the guy to beat for that job.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/purdue as Biggest Observations From Purdue Basketball's Open Media Practice .