Much of the offseason discussion surrounding Purdue centered around the guards. Heading into the 2026-27 season, that's where the Boilermakers have the most depth and experience. It makes sense that they have received the most attention.

With the start of the new season knocking on the door, let's sideline the guard discussion momentarily. Does Purdue's ceiling this year depend on its frontcourt? For the Boilermakers to compete in the Big Ten and make a deep NCAA Tournament run, how critical are the forwards and centers on the team?

Don't be mistaken: the play of Purdue's guards is critical to success this season. Just how good can the Boilers be, though? That depends on what Purdue gets out of its frontcourt.

Who can Purdue trust in the frontcourt?

Trying to draw any major conclusions from Purdue's preseason is like judging a brisket by tasting the BBQ sauce. You might have a preconceived thought, but until you dig into it, you really don't know what you're working with.

Daniel Jacobsen is the most polished player in Purdue's frontcourt right now. His play in the post has improved from last season and he's become a legitimate scoring option on the low block. The game against UConn exposed something, though; the guards struggled to get him the basketball when he got into good position. When he wins those battles, the Boilers have to get him touches in the post.

Jacobsen isn't going to dominate the low post the same way Zach Edey, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Caleb Swanigan and others have in the past. Having him as a scoring threat down low is something Purdue needs.

Princeton transfer Caden Pierce still looks like he's working off some of the rust after a year away from the game, but he was Purdue's best rebounder in Canada. He attacks the glass and can push the ball down the floor when he grabs a board. He provides Purdue with athleticism at the four spot.

Then there's Jack Benter, an undersized four-man, but a player who made all the little plays as a redshirt freshman last season. He helps Purdue's floor spacing because of his ability to make the three and has a knack for finding the ball.

Right now, those are the three guys Purdue trusts most.

That leaves Raleigh Burgess and Enzo Shahrvin, two guys expected to help Purdue this season. Neither popped off the floor during those preseason games, though.

Burgess is a versatile player who can slide in at the four or the five. He's been solid on the defensive end in the post and around the perimeter, but he has struggled with physicality in the post and needs to work on his touch around the basket. Shahrvin gives the Boilers a stronger, more athletic player down low, but he struggles on the offensive end.

This is a five-man group that has major potential, but there are still questions that need to be answered. How much they improve throughout the course of the season could dictate Purdue's season.

Painter draws comparison to 2018-19 Boilers

Matt Painter knows this team doesn't have a quintessential post player, a guy who can catch 30 passes in the post and dominate a game. Jacobsen may have opportunities in specific matchups, but that's not going to be Purdue's recipe for success over the course of a 30-game season.

This year's team reminds him of the 2018-19 Boilers, a team that started 6-5 before earning a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship and reaching the Elite Eight.

"I look at it like the team with Carsen Edwards that lost four starters," Painter said while joining Boilers in the Stands. "We had some struggles in the first 10, 11, 12 games, and then got some things figured out. When you get it figured out, it helps you. But that wasn't hard to figure out who should be playing."

Similar to what is expected of this year's squad, that team relied heavily on the play of its guards, led by Edwards. Purdue still got adequate production from its frontcourt, though.

Center Matt Haarms averaged 9.4 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. Glue guy Grady Eifert was the most efficient player on the team, averaging 5.5 points and 5.2 boards. Trevion Williams came off the bench and scored 5.2 points and collected 4.0 rebounds while logging just over 10 minutes per game.

When you look at the DNA of Purdue's frontcourt, it has a similar makeup to that 2018-19 team. It doesn't have to be the most dominant in college basketball, but it does need to be efficient. Collectively, if this group figures that out, why couldn't the Boilers be a top-four team in the Big Ten?

Live by the three, die by the three

The adage might be old and overused, but it's accurate when describing this year's Purdue team. As we saw in the preseason, when the Boilermakers are hitting their perimeter shots, they're going to be a tough team to beat. When the long-ball isn't falling, things can get ugly.

Purdue must find a balance with that. Much of that will fall on the guards, obviously. C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris, Omer Mayer and Antione West Jr. all have the ability to drive the basketball or get to a pull-up. They can't constantly settle for three-pointers when they aren't falling.

That group also needs to do a better job of locating Jacobsen and, to some degree, Pierce in the post. When Purdue has a more balanced offensive approach, it will allow more open shots for the guards.

If defenses don't have to account for Jacobsen in the post and can play him one-on-one constantly, it adds pressure to Purdue's guards to knock down shots.

Jacobsen can't do this alone. He needs Burgess and Shahrvin to be better down low. Those two don't have to score in double figures each night, but they do need to be scoring threats in the post.

It's a long season and Purdue's post may not be ready when the 2026-27 campaign tips off on Monday night. But Painter and the Boilers have four months to figure out how to make it work.

This frontcourt has the potential to look much better in March than it does in November.