Preseason Prospectus: Will Berg
Purdue Preseason Prospectus is GoldandBlack.com’s fall series analyzing each of the Boilermakers’ anticipated rotation players, their roles, expectations and more. Today, center Will Berg.
Previous; Trey Kaufman-Renn
Will Berg, just a sophomore now, finally gets a chance to play meaty minutes now that Zach Edey is gone, moving another 7-plus-footer into Purdue’s playing rotation.
How much, we’ll see. Berg has been wildly productive at times in low-stakes, garbage-time minutes, but the stakes are now very different as he will have every opportunity to play a substantive role this season.
THE OUTLOOK AND ROLE
Purdue is going to play a variety of frontcourt configurations, one “small” grouping with Trey Kaufman-Renn as an inside-outside offensive 5 man and others with either Berg or fellow skyscraper Daniel Jacobsen playing center, with Kaufman-Renn at forward.
Berg would seem to have a bit of a leg up this preseason and has seemingly been seeing starting-type opportunities in practice of late as Purdue keeps tinkering with combinations.
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Both centers will play and take their piece of whatever minutes are there for those lineups, and their job description will revolve around rebounding and rim-protection, two real concerns that would come with the smaller lineups. When Purdue plays bigger centers, its 7-footers will be called upon more as post defenders.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
• Rebounding, rebounding, rebounding. This is Berg’s ticket.
• Screening. Berg is said to be the Boilermakers’ best screen-setter. That’s more important than many realize.
• Simplicity. Rebound, block out, screen legally and effectively, defend, make your dunks and Purdue will be quite happy. It’s not going to need its 7-footers to be focal points offensively at this stage.
• Hit the offensive glass. This has been an enduring strength for Purdue for years, and perhaps Berg’senergy can set a tone for that continuing post-Edey.
• Chemistry with Braden Smith. Purdue is a ball-screen-heavy offense these days and that puts an onus on the center as the screener and dive man. Purdue needs effective finishers with its bigs in order to really unlock Smith.
BURNING QUESTIONS
• Know-how: For all intents and purposes, Berg redshirted again last season, as Purdue didn’t need him to play. He was Zach Edey’s sparring partner, not a player being fast-tracked to the floor. So is his knowledge of what will be asked of him now where it needs to be? Only one way to find out.
• Fouls: Berg is energetic and eager and when your job description centers around being physical, there are fine lines to walk.
• Efficiency around the basket: Purdue probably isn’t going to ask a great deal systematically from Berg on offense, but he will be a catch-and-dunk guy, an offensive rebounding presence and a big-to-big passing target when Trey Kaufman-Renn is doubled. Those are high-percentage scoring opportunities players need to catch cleanly and finish smoothly at a very high rate, sometimes through contact.
