At the start of the season, many Purdue fans were expecting Myles Colvin to assume the starting role as a true freshman, but as Purdue fans have seen time and time again, that doesn't happen quickly for true freshmen.
There are exceptions, such as Baby Boilers' Caleb Swanigan and freshman Carsen Edwards, but Miles had older players immediately in front of him and had to beat them.
Miles' playing time increased as the season went on, and when Purdue needed a burst of energy on offense, Painter would throw the exciting freshman into the mix, knocking down three-pointers and thrilling the crowd with rim-raising dunks.
Myles Colvin will also see a significant increase in playing time, as will Cam Hyde, as Purdue will graduate a number of upperclassmen.
There's no denying that Colvin has been one of the best offensive players under coach Matt Painter, but now he's putting it all together on both ends of the court. He wasn't on the court much early in the season as the defense struggled, but after a long, drawn-out season, Purdue fans all saw his big improvement from November through April.
By the end of the year, he was controlling the ball, making ball-handlers nervous, reading the play and creating turnovers.
Colvin's only goal this offseason is to be in the starting two or three when the season begins this winter, which should be easy to accomplish. What will be the deciding factor for him to get in on the defensive end of the court? If the end of the season has shown us anything, it's that he's already there. He's just a few months away from proving himself as a full-time starter with All-Big Ten potential this winter.
With increased playing time, a year of college experience and the added responsibility of leading the team alongside TKR and Braden Smith, the true sophomore is expected to make a breakthrough this winter.
