Looking ahead to Purdue basketball's offseason
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As Purdue basketball sets it sights toward the future after a disappointing end to a 26-win season, here are some things to make note of heading into the spring and summer.
• The Boilermakers will play four exhibition games in Spain in August in preparation for the season, as NCAA teams are allowed to do every four years. Purdue played an exhibition tour in Italy in 2012.
With the tour will come 10 days of practice in advance of it.
Freshmen and newcomers can participate, meaning the Boilermakers should have their full team available to play those games in Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona from Aug. 7-17.
• While it would have to be considered a surprise for Purdue to lose anyone early to the NBA, the system has been changed this year to make it significantly more prospect-friendly. The deadline for players to decide whether they will leave or not has been pushed back two weeks and those players are now allowed to attend the NBA draft combine, if invited, and limited team workouts, and still return to school.
There's really very little downside then for players to dip their toe in the water, go through workouts, then return to school, simply for the experience, though obviously not every player will get invites to the combine or personal team workouts.
That in mind, there wouldn't be a lot of downside to freshman Caleb Swanigan, for example, declaring and going through the process to see what happens, nor would there much much downside to future draft hopefuls like Isaac Haas and Vince Edwards doing the same in hopes of getting their names out there or just benefiting from the competition.
• On next season's schedule, not much is known at this point, except for the fact that Purdue will play Notre Dame in the Crossroads Classic and participate in the Cancun Challenge, where it will be games against two of the following three opponents: Auburn, Texas Tech and Utah State.
Purdue was on the road for the Big Ten/ACC Challenge this year, winning at Pittsburgh, though that doesn't automatically guarantee a home game.
Purdue has been looking for a major-conference opponent to schedule, along the lines of past series against West Virginia, Xavier and Vanderbilt.
The Boilermakers are not expected to be part of the Gavitt Games series between the Big Ten and Big East, but will have to play at least four games as part of it over the six years that follow, per the Big Ten's stake in the eight-year event.
• Purdue will add players in the spring again.
It has long been looking for a big man and a wing to add to its 2016 signing class - which stands right now with just guard Carsen Edwards - but could also add point guard to that list.
New Mexico two-year graduate transfer (i.e. immediately eligible) guard Cullen Neal is highly interested in Purdue, GoldandBlack.com has learned, and there is expected to be mutual interest.
As of this moment, prior to any potential attrition occurring, Purdue has two open scholarships this spring and four for the 2017 class to follow. But as of now, any multi-year scholarship used this spring cuts into that robust 2017 class.
Scholarship numbers are always a moving target, though.
Additionally, this spring Purdue assistant coaches could factor into the hiring processes for some head coaching positions elsewhere.