Purdue Has Another Giant — 7-Foot-4 Center Stands Out vs. Gonzaga

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 14: Daniel Jacobsen #12 of the Purdue Boilermakers dunks the ball against Eric Dailey Jr. #3 of the UCLA Bruins in the second half during the semifinals of the 2026 Big Ten Men's Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 14, 2026 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

The Purdue Boilermakers recruit giants like no one else in college basketball.

The likes of Zach Edey and Isaac Haas stand out in recent memory, but pretty much every season, Matt Painter’s team takes the court with a player taller than anyone else on the other side.

This season, that massive center for Purdue stands 7-foot-4.

Purdue’s 7-Foot-4 Center

GettyHARTFORD, CONNECTICUT – OCTOBER 27: Braylon Mullins #24 of the Connecticut Huskies goes to the rim against Daniel Jacobsen #12 of the Purdue Boilermakers during the second half of the NCAA men’s exhibition basketball game at PeoplesBank Arena on October 27, 2026 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

Purdue already had Daniel Jacobsen on its roster, but this is the season in which Jacobsen can be a breakout star.

Standing 7-foot-4, Jacobsen was dominant in the season opener against Gonzaga, even though the Boilermakers lost.

This is how The Athletic’s Brendan Marks and CJ Moore described his first outing of the season:

“Junior Daniel Jacobsen, who is 7-foot-4, could be one of the most improved bigs in the country. Big Ten teams could push Jacobsen around in the past, but he looks stronger and way more confident, throwing in jump hooks and making a big impact on both ends. He finished with 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting, seven rebounds and two assists. The Boilermakers are going to need to shoot it better — 5-of-21 from 3 in the loss — but that’ll come. They have the shooters, and Jacobsen’s presence will open up more shots.”

Not every tall guy is good at basketball, but the giants like Jacobsen who also have some basketball skill open up so many options at both ends of the floor.

Painter has become the master at utilizing them. That’s why they keep coming to Purdue. And after waiting his turn, Jacobsen looks ready to be a star this season.

Braden Smith Question

Of course, Purdue’s biggest question mark this season is replacing Braden Smith, who finished his college career with more assists than anyone in the history of Division I hoops.

The reality is that no one can replace Smith directly. Purdue has to put together a whole rotation of players who can run sets efficiently and create good looks on offense.

And the Boilermakers shouldn’t forget about one of the oldest plays in basketball — throw the ball to the tall guy. Almost always, the tall guy, if you will, is wearing a Purdue jersey. This year, his name is Daniel Jacobsen.