Purdue-bound guard receives top ranking among Big Ten’s incoming international freshmen originally appeared on The Sporting News
Fresh from an impressive summer performance at the FIBA U20 Men’s World Cup, Israel’s Omer Mayer is gearing up to join Matt Painter’s Purdue men’s basketball squad.
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The incoming freshman got a boost Wednesday when Hoops HQ released its Top 10 Big Ten Incoming Internationals list, and ranked the Israeli guard No. 1.
“The breakaway star of the summer, Mayer flashed his top-notch dribbling, shooting touch and playmaking in consecutive FIBA tournaments,” Oliver Fell wrote.
The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 16.7 points, 5.1 assists and 2.6 rebounds per contest at the U20 tournament in July. He was the tournament’s leading scorer and is the current all-time youth scoring leader in Israeli basketball history.
Mayer also impressed at the U19 World Cup a week prior, recording 33 points, seven assists and five rebounds over Cameroon in Israel’s first elimination-game win. The guard was an early candidate for tournament MVP before suffering a minor finger injury that sat him out for two games.
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The Boilermakers are facing steep expectations this season, a year Field of 68 analyst Rob Dauster said is “national title or bust” for the program. It’s unlikely Mayer will see immediate playing time in West Lafayette, though he chose the Boilermakers over offers from Duke, Florida, Auburn and Ohio State.
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“At Purdue, Mayer will be blocked by All-American Braden Smith at point guard, so fans will have to wait and see how Matt Painter chooses to employ Mayer in the rotation,” Fell wrote.
