After two strong seasons with the Purdue basketball team, Fletcher Loyer is ready to take on a much larger role as a junior this upcoming season.
Loyer and his Purdue teammates have started summer practices with a goal of getting back to and winning a national championship, while the makeup of the team will look vastly different.
“Obviously it’s a new group, we lost some key pieces but we’ve got a lot to improve on. We still have the same goals in mind. There’s no step back, only forward. Just getting our older guys to teach young guys the ropes and show them how we roll around here,” Loyer told the media recently after the first summer practice for Purdue basketball.
Last season, Loyer averaged 10.3 points and shot 44 percent from behind the arc for the Boilermakers. While Purdue big man Zach Edey is gone, as well as Mason Gillis, the Boilermakers do bring back some key pieces, along with Loyer. Point guard Braden Smith returns and Loyer said it Purdue basketball will still have a good offense with Smith running things.
“Obviously, when you have a point guard like Braden, your offense moves. And it’s gonna be a good offense. Playing around him, (Trey Kaufman-Renn) is a great force to have down low and just figuring out pieces to put around those two and figuring out how I can develop, as well. How I can get my looks, how I can move throughout the offense and score, as well,” Loyer said.
One thing Loyer would like to see this upcoming season is the ball in his hands more so he can facilitate for the Boilermakers.
“Yeah, I think I’m a pretty good passer, as well. Whether it’s coming off screens or out in transition, just being able to playmake for others. Also looking to score more, looking to attack in gaps, attack in close-outs. Just being more aggressive and being stronger with the ball,” he said.
In addition, Loyer said he looks to become more aggressive this season.
“My mentality is to win. Going out there and whether it’s getting 20 or 15 or 10 or two, it’s going out there to win. I gotta be more aggressive, I gotta look to attack gaps more and find my way to get into close-outs more. Ultimately it’s just playing my game and being a little more aggressive with it,” Loyer said.
Purdue basketball success fuels Loyer
While last season was a magical one for Purdue basketball, Loyer said it only fuels him this offseason as he is reminded of the fact that UConn defeated the Boilermakers for a national title.
“Yeah, it’s obviously something special we did for this school, for coach, for this town. It’s a lot, but we didn’t win. So, I think we are all hungry to go back and win another Big Ten championship and make another run in March and get back to the Final Four. We all know those goals, we all see it, we all see those banners that are gonna get put up. That means something to us, and we’re gonna push these guys just as hard as we pushed each other last year,” Loyer said of last year’s success.
With that result fresh in his mind, Loyer has spent the offseason working on both his body and his game to get ready for the upcoming rigors of a new Big Ten Conference that features the additions of Southern California and Oregon, as well as another championship caliber run.
“It’s go time now. I can’t be the fifth option sometimes, I’ve got to move up, I’ve got to get better. Whether it’s still finding the open guy or finding my own more, I’ve got to get stronger, I’ve got to put on some good weight and I’ve got to get better,” Loyer said.
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