Purdue head coach Matt Painter has announced that three prospects have signed their national letters of intent and will join the Boilermakers for the 2019-20 season.
Guards Isaiah Thompson and Brandon Newman and wing Mason Gillis have submitted their paperwork and are officially members of the Purdue basketball program.
“The thing that all three guys have in common is their competitiveness and their skill level. As you continue to grow your program, you want to get the guys that fit at Purdue. All three guys are great fits here,” Dick L Buell head coach Matt Painter said. “All three are hard-working, competitive and skilled and are great pieces to match our program needs. They have many of the same qualities, but are three different types of players. They all shot over 40 percent from 3-point range last year and have been on successful teams in high school. They play the game with passion and really love the game.”
The class is currently ranked in the top 30 of all major recruiting services. The three in-state signees are the most for Purdue since the “Baby Boilers” signed in November 2007.
“No matter where you work, the value of the job you have is determined by if there are players in your area. It’s much easier when you have players in your area,” Painter continued. “You always start with your home and make sure players that are close enough are good fits for your program. We were fortunate this year to sign three guys that fit our culture from the state. We’ve had success within our state, but also nationally. If you can get that combination of someone that is serious about a great education, but also serious about helping Purdue win championships, it can really benefit your program. These guys have a lot of pride when playing for Purdue.”
MASON GILLIS / New Castle, Indiana / Forward / 6-7 / 220
n A four-star recruit, Gillis is ranked No. 122 in the 247Sports rankings and No. 132 by Rivals.
n Verbally committed to Purdue on June 24, 2018.
n Averaged 21.6 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a junior, helping New Castle to a Class 3A Regional title. Gillis shot 59.5 percent from the floor and made over 45.0 percent of his 71 3-point attempts.
n Was an Indiana Junior All-Star following his junior season.
n Turned down offers from Ohio State, Butler and Xavier.
n Extremely versatile player that will work very well in Purdue’s motion offense. Can play anywhere from the shooting guard to power forward position.
n Also one of the state’s top baseball players, Gillis has opted to give up baseball and focus on basketball.
WHAT PAINTER SAYS:
“Mason is a very versatile player who can play multiple positions. He can play the 2, 3 or 4 and can guard a lot of guys. He’s very skilled and really understands and studies the game. It’s rare in high school that you can score around 25 points a game but on not many shots. He’s very efficient, can block shots, can rebound, can defend and really knows the game. We were very ecstatic to get someone of his caliber. He’s going through an injury right now, but we are really excited to get him healthy and ready to go.”
BRANDON NEWMAN / Valparaiso, Indiana / Guard / 6-4 / 180
n A four-star recruit, Newman is ranked No. 75 by Rivals.com and No. 80 by ESPN.com
n Verbally committed to Purdue on Sept. 19, 2018.
n Averaged 25.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a junior at Valparaiso High School, helping Valpo to the Class 4A regional semifinals. Newman shot over 43 percent from behind the 3-point line on almost five attempts per game as a junior.
n Continues the trend of Painter recruiting one of the top shooters in the Midwest.
n Turned down offers from Indiana, Ohio State, Xavier and Florida State among others.
n Has the potential to be an outstanding defensive player and could round into a very versatile player with his size. Has worked diligently on other parts of his game.
WHAT PAINTER SAYS:
“Brandon is a very competitive shooting guard or small forward that can really score the ball. He can shoot the ball really well off the move with great range. It’s very important for a guy his size to be able to do that. He’s very athletic and has good size and will really develop into an outstanding two-way player. You’re going to have to know where he is on the floor offensively because of his skill level, but he’s going to become a shut-down defender and bring that competitive nature on that end.”
ISAIAH THOMPSON / Zionsville, Indiana / Guard / 6-1 / 160
n A three-star recruit, Thompson verbally committed to the Boilermakers on Jan. 7, 2018.
n One of the more underrated players in America, Thompson had a big summer performance for Indy Heat on the AAU scene. His long-standing commitment to Purdue likely scared off possible suitors.
n Averaged 23.1 points, 2.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game for Zionsville High School. Early on during his junior year, he scored 40 points in a win over Kokomo.
n Thompson led the team to a 22-4 record, a Hoosier Crossroads Conference championship and a sectional championship.
n Was named to the Peach Jam All-Breakout Team by D1Circuit.com.
n Broke out in a big way as a sophomore during the AAU season, scoring 44 points against CP3 in a 2016 Peach Jam game to start his interest.
n Can score from a variety of ways, excelling behind the arc and on floaters over the defense.
n Brother, P.J., excelled at point guard at Purdue from 2015-18, serving as a three-year starter and appearing in 138 career games.
WHAT PAINTER SAYS:
“Isaiah is obviously very familiar with our program. He gives us a quintessential point guard and a guy that really understands the game. He can really shoot the basketball with great range. You can never have enough great shooters in your backcourt and Isaiah fits that mold. We are really excited about what Isaiah will bring next year.”
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