With Oscar Cluff no longer in the picture, Purdue's situation at the five spot is wide open. Right now, the successor appears to be Daniel Jacobsen, but redshirt sophomore Raleigh Burgess and incoming freshman Sinan Huan will both factor into the equation, as well. For Purdue's success to continue into the 2026-27 season, Matt Painter says Jacobsen needs to make some improvements during the offseason. The 7-foot-4 center is coming off a year in which he averaged 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per contest. "Daniel Jacobsen has got to make a big jump here for us," Painter told the For Pete's Sake podcast . Jacobsen was Purdue's starting center to open the 2024-25 campaign, but a leg injury in the second game of the year sidelined the big man for the remainder of the year. Last season, he played behind Cluff, providing the Boilermakers with a lob threat offensively and a rim protector on the defensive end. Purdue Boilermakers center Daniel Jacobsen (12) dunks the ball.…