Things Began to Change for Purdue in Fall of 2014
In the fall of 2014, no one outside of Mackey Arena realized that it was the eve of the most successful period in Purdue men’s basketball history.
The freshman class of Vincent Edwards, Isaac Haas, Dakota Mathias and P.J. Thompson were about to change the Boilermakers’ trajectory after a last place Big Ten finish in the 2013-14 season. But coach Matt Painter was searching for another point guard in case the underrecruited Thompson didn’t develop as he hoped.
Painter thought he found his point guard of the future in C.J. Walker of Indianapolis Tech, who committed on Oct. 28. That commitment lasted five months.
Walker announced March 29, 2015, on Twitter that he was reopening his commitment.
Walker said he changed his mind after visiting Purdue and attending games during the 2014-15 season. That season Purdue went 21-13 and tied for third in the Big Ten at 12-6. Jon Octeus was departing after his lone season in West Lafayette and Thompson remained unproven.
“I felt like I wouldn’t really fit in that well with Purdue, with the offense they played,” Walker told the Journal and Courier’s Nathan Baird. “After going on visits and stuff like that, I didn’t feel like that would be a place where I could reach maximum success for myself.”
Walker also said Purdue’s recent history with point guards gave him second thoughts. Two-year starter Ronnie Johnson transferred to Houston following the 2013-14 season. Johnson gleefully celebrated Walker’s decision to decommit on Twitter.
“CJ Walker has too much sauce to his game. Great decision,” Johnson wrote.
In basketball terminology, “sauce” describes a player with confidence, skills and a noticeable swagger.
Walker was coming off a junior season when he averaged 23.8 points, 3.7 assists and 2.5 assists. He also helped Tech win the Class 4A state championship as a sophomore. The decommitment was seen as a major loss among the fan base.
Instead, Walker did Purdue a favor. His decommitment opened the door for one of the Boilermakers’ greatest players of the 21st century.
The first public mention of Carsen Edwards as a potential recruit was tucked away on page 4D of the July 8, 2015 edition of the Journal and Courier. A recruiting update story by Kyle Neddenriep of the Indianapolis Star had a brief mention about the Boilermakers.
“Purdue is looking to build off the 2015 class with Caleb Swanigan and Ryan Cline. The Boilermakers are in the mix for Ohio guard Zavier Simpson (No. 88 by Rivals) and three-star Texas guard Carsen Edwards.”
Edwards, Simpson and Milwaukee’s Te’Jon Lucas were offered scholarships. The first one to say yes would lock out the other two. Simpson and Lucas had scheduled official visits when Edwards committed to Purdue on Aug. 11. Coincidentally, the morning Edwards committed to Purdue, Baird had written a detailed scouting report on Simpson, Edwards and Lucas.
“If I were to wait and let them get there, I may miss a good opportunity, so I went ahead and took it,” Edwards told Baird. “When you feel you’re needed, that’s always a good spot.”
Edwards said he was preparing himself to play as a freshman.
“It’s not like I like the attention, but I like the big stage,” he said. “To be able to perform and compete at the highest level, that’s always fun.”
Edwards, listed at 6-foot, 175 pounds, was the reigning Houston Chronicle Player of the Year after he averaged 23 points, 2.3 assists and two steals as a junior while leading Atascocita High School to a 35-2 season. A consensus three-star recruit, Edwards chose Purdue over Kansas State, Baylor, Houston, SMU and Vanderbilt.
At the time, Edwards was playing point guard exclusively for his summer Houston Hoops team. But at Atascocita, Edwards was a shooting guard.
“With his size, I think most high major coaches would be concerned with, No. 1, can he guard bigger guards?” Atascocita coach David Martinez told Baird. “No. 2, can he get shots off against bigger guards? He’s proven that. He has really big hands, gets great separation and makes tough shots at big times.
“He’s a competitor. He wants the ball in his hands. He’s not afraid to play against the best competition out there. He plays with a chip on his shoulder.”
Edwards was the only player to sign with Purdue on Nov. 11.
“He has the ability to score in bunches,” Painter said at the time. “He can really shoot the ball, can really score off the dribble. From a production and physical ability standpoint, there’s no doubt he can play at this level. He’s a hard worker, a good student and comes from a good family. I just felt it was a great fit for Purdue.
Senior guard Rapheal Davis told Baird he was impressed after two pickup games Edwards played with the Boilermakers during his official visit.
“He can shoot the ball, he can score the ball, he can guard, can jam – he can do everything Purdue looks for a point guard to do,” Davis said.
The scouting report from Martinez, Painter and Davis was accurate.
Edwards started 21 games as a freshman in the 2016-17 season and quickly earned Painter’s trust with his shooting skills. Edwards averaged 10.3 points, collected 36 steals and made 49 3-pointers. He meshed well with Swanigan, Edwards, Mathias and Thompson and helped the Boilermakers win the Big Ten championship.
Edwards won the Jerry West Award as the nation’s best shooting guard as a sophomore. Edwards led Purdue to a then-school record 30 wins while averaging 18.5 points a game on 40.6 percent shooting from 3-point range.
His scoring average surged to a Big Ten-leading 24.3 points a game as a junior. Edwards capped his career in a Boilermaker uniform with a record-setting NCAA Tournament performance. It began with 26 points against Old Dominion, followed by a career-high 42 points in the second round against defending champion Villanova. Edwards added 29 points in the Sweet 16 against Tennessee, sinking the free throws that allowed Purdue to win in overtime. A 10 of 19 shooting performance from 3-point range on his way to 42 points nearly carried the Boilermakers to victory against Virginia in the Elite Eight. His 28 3-pointers in the tournament broke Glen Rice’s record set over six games to Edwards’ four.
Had Edwards returned for his senior season, it would have been he and not Zach Edey a few years later who would have eclipsed Rick Mount’s career scoring record. As it is, Edwards’ 1,920 points rank ninth in Purdue history.
As for C.J. Walker? He chose Florida State on the rebound. After Walker’s sophomore season, which saw him start 34 games and average 8 points, he transferred to Ohio State and averaged 9.4 points as a senior while shooting 26.5 percent from 3-point range.
Zavier Simpson started 96 games during his four-year career at Michigan. He averaged 12.9 points and 7.9 assists as a senior. Simpson played 11 NBA games with Oklahoma City in 2021-22 and Memphis in 2023-24. He now plays for the Ningbo Rockets of the Chinese Basketball Association.
Lucas chose Illinois, where he started 34 games over two seasons and averaged just over 5 points a game. He returned home to play two seasons with Milwaukee and was outstanding. Lucas put up 14.6 points and 5.1 assists as a junior and 14.9 points and 5.8 assists in his senior season. Thanks to the NCAA granting an extra year of eligibility following the COVID-19 pandemic, Lucas finished at BYU. In 34 starts, he averaged 10.4 points and 4.7 assists.
Lucas now plays for the Bristol Flyers of the British Basketball League.
Next time: The roller-coaster recruitment of Caleb Swanigan