BOILING OVER: Hoops recruiting, scheduling, as well as football dish

Welcome to “BOILING OVER,” GoldandBlack.com’s weekly information clearinghouse, a spot for assorted bits of Purdue news, analysis and so on and so forth, intended for GoldandBlack.com members and GoldandBlack.com members only.

Please welcome new BOILING OVER sponsor T&W Design and Build, an Indianapolis construction management company since 1968 with proud Purdue graduates that specialize in changing the way customers think about construction.

Find out more at TWDesignBuild.com

PURDUE BASKETBALL

So, Purdue’s schedule is almost complete and will be a beast, highlighted by the absolutely stacked field in Maui, which includes (likely No. 1) Kansas, (likely top-five) Marquette, UCLA, (sure to be ranked) Gonzaga, (sure to be ranked) Tennessee and Syracuse. Oh, and (likely unranked) Chaminade. The bracket’s not out yet.

As you know, Purdue gets Xavier at home in the Gavitt Games and sure-to-be-ranked Alabama in Toronto, with or without Zach Edey. The Crimson Tide’s Canadian, Charles Bediako, has opted to stay in the draft.

Additionally, Purdue’s hopes to turn the Indy Classic into something big could start this year. Nothing is set yet, but N.C. State and likely ranked St. Mary’s are both on the line as potential opponents, GoldandBlack.com has learned.

Big-time schedule that ought to buoy Purdue’s résumé come March. (BN)

PURDUE BASKETBALL RECRUITING

Don’t have much to add here, but as June approaches, the Gicarri Harris watch is on. As we’ve told you, Purdue’s way out front on that one and a commitment could be imminent. There’s no hurry but if he makes a visit in June, that should set off some alarms.

Beyond that, we do have some indications that Purdue may be No. 1 on Travis Perry, though there’s no reason to think he’s on the verge of a decision at this point. Purdue would/could take both in an over-sign situation. Whether it could get both once one commits, we don’t know, but the Caleb Furst-Trey Kaufman coup a few years back has forever changed the way we view one-or-the-other sort of situations. Both Harris and Perry have multi-positional capabilities. Whether Purdue has recruited them that way, we are not sure. (BN)

PURDUE FOOTBALL

• Had a fun visit with Devin Mockobee earlier this week. I asked him if he considered changing from No. 45 to a more “running back friendly” number. Mockobee’s response was pure Mockohee. He said he didn’t want to switch because so many people already had bought his jersey No. 45 and he didn’t want them to have to buy new ones.

• Talking to people around Mockobee, it sounds like he’s doing well on NIL. His image appears on a big billboard in Boonville. Mockobee has a deal coming with Topps, the trading card manufacturer that has started a line of Bowman University cards that includes autographs from a lot of top college players before they get to the NFL.

• Purdue has little scholarship room left, but I do expect at least one more portal addition. However, the player must graduate before he can transfer. Expect to likely hear something in July.

• If for some reason the renovation work on Ross-Ade Stadium won’t be finished in time for the season-opener on Sept. 2, the plan would be still to play in a compromised Ross-Ade Stadium. To move home games to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis would pose myriad logistical issues.

• Design work is underway on a patch for the 100th anniversary of Ross-Ade Stadium. It will be interesting to see what it looks like.

• Coaches will come off the road at the end of May. Camp season begins in June, when many 2024 prospects will come to West Lafayette for official visits. A new name popped up this week for an OV: S Desman Stephens, who hails from Clarkston, Mich. He will visit June 23-25. With the Memorial Day holiday weekend coming up, there are no visitors this weekend.

It was a bit of a surprise to LB Jacob Wahlberg enter the portal. Don’t think the staff was expecting it. The Michigan native quickly landed at Western Michigan, where he’ll be a perfect fit as a MIKE linebacker in a 4-3 scheme. Wahlberg has a good relationship and trust with WMU defensive coordinator Lou Esposito.

• D2 CB Shon Stephens continues to wait for word on if his appeal for an extra of eligibility will be approved. It may be an uphill battle. If Stephens gets it, Purdue will take him.

The post BOILING OVER: Hoops recruiting, scheduling, as well as football dish appeared first on On3.