Purdue basketball: 5 burning questions facing Boilermakers for 2017-18 season

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue basketball's fleeting offseason ends with Friday's first official practice.

The easy national storyline is the loss of Big Ten Player of the Year Caleb Swanigan to the NBA. But the defending Big Ten Conference champions return the rest of their top seven and will be among the league's most experienced and accomplished teams.

Here are five key questions that could determine whether Purdue defends that title and repeats as Big Ten champion for the first time since 1994-96.

1. Who fills the rebounding gap?

Swanigan's prolific sophomore season on the boards accounted for a third of Purdue's rebounds last season. His relentless, ravenous approach to rebounding created a built-in edge in possessions prior to tipoff against many opponents. 

It's hard to see where the second half of that equation can be replaced. Swanigan is a  generational talent. However, the Boilermakers must summon a way to reward themselves defensively with a rebounding advantage.

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Vincent Edwards and Isaac Haas combined to average 9.9 rebounds per game last season. Haas needs — and wants, per his public declarations — his share of the rebounding burden to climb. As Swanigan demonstrated, that doesn't hinge on size alone. The more mobile and aggressive Haas can be with his 7-2, 290 frame, the more balls he can get to.

Ultimately this falls to a team responsibility, not only the frontcourt. 

2. Can Jacquil Taylor stay healthy for an entire season?

The junior center was the biggest revelation of the summer for Purdue. The 6-10, 240 Taylor provides an athletic counter-punch to Haas' brute physicality inside. Yet the biggest impact came from Taylor's energy, especially on defense.

Purdue remained a solid defensive team last season despite the absence of a true rim protector. Taylor blocked eight shots in 31 minutes in two exhibition wins over Canada this summer. He was active all over the floor and, as the summer progressed, looked more comfortable offensively.

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Taylor came into the program as a somewhat raw talent who could develop behind Purdue's wealth of frontcourt talent. Now, he's an absolutely crucial piece to the program's depth there.

He's already missed two full seasons due to lower-leg or foot injuries. As Taylor prepares to play easily the most minutes of his career, how will his body hold up to the workload? It's a question he's understandably tired of answering, but an obvious one nonetheless.

3. Does Vincent Edwards have another level?

Speaking of unfair questions, Purdue keeps asking for more and more of a player whose consistent production ranks him among the most versatile players in the country. In part because Edwards finished each of his seasons so strong — ratcheting up his scoring in the process — one always wonders if he could sustain that throughout an entire season.

That murmur began to grow again after Edwards averaged 19.3 points and 6.9 rebounds and shot 54 percent from 3-point range in eight World University Games contests. Edwards clearly looked like the best player on the floor for long stretches.

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Despite a brief funk during preseason play last year, Edwards has progressed in each of his three seasons. He did admit, however, that Painter told him this summer to, essentially, do whatever he does late in the season to bring about his elevated level of March play.

After two tours through the NBA workout circuit, Edwards knows where he stands. He'll tell you on his own he's still chasing a higher standard. If he reaches it, we're likely talking about someone on the short list for Big Ten Player of the Year.

4. Where does Carsen Edwards' evolution take him this season?

He may already be Purdue's most confident offensive player. As a sophomore, Edwards must become a more efficient one. He shot 46 percent from the field and limited his turnovers in Taipei — both signs that he's rounding into a more consistent weapon.

Purdue also needs a stable point guard option behind P.J. Thompson. Freshman Nojel Eastern showed promise this summer. However, the Boilermakers would benefit from Edwards becoming a trusted option there. He performed well in that capacity for the Team USA's FIBA U19 World Cup team this summer.

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This offense will still run through the post. That means creating perimeter scoring from the interior. With Swanigan gone, Purdue will need to rely more on drive-and-kick, something for which Edwards should be well-suited for due to his quickness and the respect defenders must pay him.

Also keep an eye on Edwards defensively, where many believe he has a high ceiling. 

5. Does Purdue again belong among the best programs in the country?

Purdue's returning combination of talent and experience should be enough to compete for another top-three finish in the Big Ten Conference.

Will it be enough to beat the likes of Villanova, Louisville or Kansas — those nationally recognized elites that the Boilermakers couldn't topple last season?

Purdue will have plenty of chances. Arizona and Villanova are both at the Battle 4 Atlantis, where the Boilermakers will play over Thanksgiving. Louisville visits Mackey Arena. Big Ten rival Michigan State could join those three programs as preseason top 10 teams nationally.

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Purdue's senior class already helped create a culture change, reclaimed the status of perennial NCAA Tournament entrant, won an outright Big Ten Conference championship and reached the Sweet 16.

With Swanigan gone, however, national expectations have dipped. Having something to prove has served the Boilermakers well in the past. That appears to be the case again.