Why Matt Painter added to Purdue basketball frontcourt with forward from France
· Yahoo Sports
WEST LAFAYETTE — Enzo Shahrvin wore No. 18 for his first Purdue men's basketball practice on Tuesday, but the important numbers are the others next to his name on the roster.
The native of France, who joined the Boilermakers over the weekend, stands a solid 6-foot-7, 235 pounds. He looked a lot like a guy who just joined a group who has been playing together for weeks. A bit tentative, trying to get up to speed both mentally and physically, but filling out his practice jersey as advertised.
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The NCAA has not yet cleared Shahrvin's eligibility, and Purdue does not expect that to happen before leaving Friday for an exhibition trip to Canada. What he brings to practice, though, still fills a void.
"Just the physicality — that's why we took him," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "We took him to bring a physicality on the frontcourt — defending the basketball, running the court, just adding that energy."
Even if cleared, Shahrvin will be only a one-year addition. The NCAA's new age-based eligibility model starts the five-year clock with the start of the academic year following the athlete's 19th birthday.
However, Purdue also sought Shahrvin specifically for what it needs this season — a physical presence inside. That applies as much to practices as to how many game minutes he will play. The departures of Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff left a void inside. Third-years Daniel Jacobsen and Raleigh Burgess and freshman Sinan Huan are now carrying that load.
Assistant coach Sasha Stefanovich, who helped bring Shahrvin over from France, pulled him aside occasionally for instructions and tips. So did Brandon Brantley, who coaches the big men. Shahrvin is doing the opposite of what his new teammates will do in Canada — adjusting to NCAA floor dimensions and rules compared to FIBA — in addition to learning a new system from scratch.
He won't help Purdue much as a shooter, but he showed a couple of flashes of his strength and athleticism in drills. His value there may equal or even exceed his game contributions in the season ahead.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Why Matt Painter added to Purdue basketball frontcourt with forward from France