“WHAT PAINTER SAID ABOUT BOILERS’ SIX RECRUITS

Purdue will have a Zach Edey-sized void to fill on its 2024-25 roster, but Matt Painter already restocked the cupboard before the Boilermakers made their Final Four breakthrough last month. While most programs are scurrying in the transfer portal, true to form, Painter is bucking the national trend, instead loading up on high school stars with six incoming freshmen in the 2024 recruiting class. The group is ranked No. 10 in the nation by 247Sports. It is Painter’s highestranked recruiting class since the 2007 Baby Boilers class was ranked fifth. That group included future Purdue stars Robbie Hummel, E’Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson. It’s worth noting Purdue remains one over the scholarship limit for next season, so either someone becomes a walk-on or one of these recruits heads to prep school for a year. The deadline for players to enter the portal was midnight May 1.

Here’s what the Boilermakers coach said about all six signees, who put pen to paper earlier this fall.

Raleigh Burgess (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore HS)

“Raleigh has the ability to play two positions at the four and the five and his athleticism, mobility and the ability to play both in and out is something that we really looked for in this class. He has the ability to stretch the defense, but also play down low. His versatility and size makes him interchangeable and he plays really hard and has a lot of fun playing the game.”

C.J. Cox (Lexington, Mass./Milton Academy)

“C.J. was an absolute steal for us. We are very fortunate to get somebody with a lot of substance who has such a competitive spirit to him. He’s very skilled and developed into a very good shot-maker, whether it be catch-and-shoot 3’s or on pull-ups. He can hurt you in a lot of ways and has a unique ability to take good shots. His shot selection and discipline on offense is something that really helps a team. C.J. has really good ball skills and is going to be a very good player at our level.”

Jack Benter (Brownstown, Ind./Brownstown Central HS)

“Jack really gives us the type of player that has thrived here at Purdue in terms of skill level and understanding of his game, in the mold of Dakota Mathias and Sasha Stefanovic. He has really good size at the two or three position even though he handles the ball a lot and plays point at Brownstown Central. He is a great decision maker and can really stretch the defense with his ability to shoot the three.”

Kanon Catchings (Brownsburg, Ind./Overtime Elite)

“Kanon has morphed into a big guard role at 6-9, 205 pounds, and can really play a lot of positions because of his versatility. His athleticism and skillset is really impressive and he is an elite shotmaker whether it’s catch-and-shoot or getting to his pull-up. He is still growing and expanding his game, but he’s just scratching the surface in terms of what he can do. He is outstanding in structure and is a very good player at all three levels. He has a chance to be a very productive player here at Purdue.”

Gicarri Harris (Atlanta, Ga./Grayson HS)

“Gicarri gives us a lot of versatility in the backcourt. He can play both positions and can guard a lot of people. You want guys that can play multiple positions, that can handle the ball and facilitate and then play off the ball, and Gicarri can do that. What really gives him the total package is his ability to defend. He takes a lot of pride in his defense. We recruited him for a long time and every time we watched him, he just did whatever it took to win at both the AAU and high school levels. He’s very competitive and has been a winner at all levels.”

Daniel Jacobsen (Chicago, Ill./Brewster Academy, N.H.)

“Daniel is a great shot-blocker, who is very versatile on both ends. He has a level of fluidity to him, and is very long and moves well. He can also pick-and-pop and really shoot the ball at a high level. He has the ability to really stretch the defense and has a lot of untapped potential. Daniel is a very talented player who is just scratching the surface of the player he can become and we are excited to watch his progress.”