Purdue will travel to Fort Wayne for the second of their three exhibitions before starting their season with a bang against Gonzaga in Las Vegas on November 2nd. The Mastodons have enjoyed some well regarded success as they have beaten the Indiana Hoosiers twice over the last decade, notably a victory over the then #3 ranked Hoosiers at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum 71-68 in overtime back in 2016. In the following season, they traveled to Bloomington and again beat the Hoosiers in dominating fashion 92-72 behind former Boilermaker Bryson Scott’s 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals.
Purdue currently holds a 6-0 advantage over the Mastodons but the exhibition game inside Allen County War Memorial Coliseum will mark the first time the Boilers have made the trip to Fort Wayne. This is on par for what Matt Painter has wanted to do for his teams over the last several seasons. A trip to a mid-major, especially an in-state one, to get the players used to travel and playing on the road, is important for a team that is looking to replace one of the most experienced rosters it has enjoyed last season.
The trip will also be another opportunity for players to separate themselves into the roles that Head Coach Matt Painter needs for this season’s roster. In the first exhibition against Ball State, Purdue went with the veterans on the roster in CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, Omar Mayer, Cayden Pierce, and Daniel Jacobsen. Could we see a different lineup? If this past summer trip to Canada is any indication, we very well could see some changes in the hopes that those decisions are made by the players and not by Painter himself.
PFW enters this season with a nearly all new roster that welcomed five transfers and four incoming freshman, notably Anthony Isaac Jr. (Manhattan) who averaged 9.5 points and 7.2 rebounds in 23.2 minutes and Edir Ortiz (Seton Hall) who shot 44.8% from behind the arc and started 21 games at Seton Hall. However, one of the best players in the Horizon League last season in Corey Hadnot II, left the Mastodons and is now playing with the Houston Cougars. Hadnot averaged 20.4 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists last season while playing in all 100 games in his career in Fort Wayne.
Fort Wayne does not have the overall size to match up with the front court that Purdue features this season. The tallest player on the roster for PFW is 6’11 true freshman Adam Walker followed by 6’9 forwards Edir Ortiz Quentin Morgan. For a Purdue team that shot 40 three pointers in their first exhibition and will likely be closer to that most of the season, a distinct advantage inside doesn’t mean we will see a return to what Purdue looked like with Edey, TKR, or Haas. Purdue will play to their advantages of having shooters and using that length the extend offensive possessions and negate shots at the rim for the Mastodons.
One constant in Fort Wayne has been Head Coach Jon Coffman who is in his 13th season. The program leader in victories as a head coach, Coffman has won the Horizon League Coach of the Year in 21-22 & the Summit League Coach of the Year in 15-16. Coffman has also led the Mastodons to two regular season conference titles but the piece missing from his resume is an NCAA Tournament berth. In fact, PFW has only reached one NCAA Tourney back in 1993.
Purdue’s constant this season comes in the form of guards CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris. Cox, who has started 62 games in his first two seasons at Purdue, will likely become to focal point of an offense that will look distinctly different this season. A career 38.2% 3pt shooter, Cox saw his role expand last season to average 8.5 points per game. Harris, a junior, has started just 5 games but played a key role off the bench in his first two seasons while averaging 33.5% behind the arc and 4.6 points per games last season. In the first exhibition against Ball State, the two guards combined for 31 points on 9-13 shooting from behind the arc, 8 assists, and 0 turnovers.
Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00 PM on B1G+. You can follow the call on the radio with Rob Blackmon and Bobby Riddell on your local Purdue Sports Radio affiliate while stat watching HERE.