Gold and Black Radio: The latest on Purdue hoops recruiting and more
In our May 19, 2026, edition, GoldandBlack.com’s Brian Neubert and host Derek Schultz discuss a busy Purdue basketball recruiting weekend in Mishawaka, Indiana, and the exploits of guard prospect Kevin Savage.
Matt Painter checks out Mishawaka
(excerpt from Brian Neubert’s report
MISHAWAKA, Ind. — Purdue head coach Matt Painter’s evaluation weekend junket brought him to Mishawaka Saturday for Day 2 of adidas’ 3SSB event, there to see one player, really, and one player only: 2027 priority Kevin Savage Jr.
Painter attended both the Atlanta area’s point guard’s games on Saturday, seeing some really strong play from the four-star prospect from Wheeler High School in Marietta.
Savage’s Game Elite team has struggled — 0-3 this weekend — but shown flashes, driven by Savage, whose competitiveness and toughness have fit his surname. He has pestered the ball defensively in a way that belies the offensive-minded nature of spring and summer ball. He’s been physical, belying his 5-foot-11-ish stature. He seems to be playing through some modest bumps and bruises, and producing at a high level nonetheless.
In an afternoon loss to Midwest Basketball Club, Savage scored 29 points on 11-of-18 shooting, with only two turnovers. That was 55 percent of his team’s scoring, despite MWC really working to deny him.
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Going head to head most of the game with Cooper Zachary — maybe the best overall basketball player in Indiana’s 2027 high school class — Savage responded to the chippiness of the matchup, doing his part in Zachary going an atypical 1-for-8 from the floor, though Zachary did miss some looks no defense in their right mind would ever want to allow him.
In the morning in a loss to California’s Dream Vision, Game Elite surged to an early double-digit lead, behind Savage’s early scoring. But as soon as Game Elite went to its bench, things plateaued. Savage finished with a highly efficient 25 points.
Savage is at the center of a Purdue guard search that started with a robust list of targets, but seems to have thinned considerably lately.
He mentioned Purdue, Georgia, Georgia Tech and Oklahoma among those pursuing him hardest. Savage officially visited Purdue during the season.
