Purdue Basketball: Welcome Back, Sophomore Forward Raleigh Burgess

Throughout the offseason, Purdue Boilermakers on SI will highlight members of the 2025-26 Purdue men's basketball roster as part of a "Welcome Back/Welcome Aboard" series. This series will focus on recaps from the 2024-25 campaign and look ahead to the upcoming season.

Today's featured player is sophomore forward Raleigh Burgess, who opted against a redshirt year in 2024-25 and provided some quality minutes for the Boilermakers off the bench throughout the season.

Raleigh Burgess' 2024-25 season

Before last season started, Raleigh Burgess was a redshirt candidate as a true freshman. However, he and coach Matt Painter ultimately decided to suit up for the Boilermakers during the 2024-25 campaign, providing Purdue with some depth in the frontcourt.

That decision paid off, as Purdue needed bodies to help its post presence after an injury kept Daniel Jacobsen sidelined for most of the season. Burgess' time on the court ranged from less than 60 seconds to more than 15 minutes, depending on the situation.

Although he was not a featured post player for Purdue last season, he did provide some quality minutes off the bench at times. During an 87-78 victory over Alabama, he came into the game and scored five points at a pivotal juncture, helping the Boilermakers upset the second-ranked Crimson Tide.

In a blowout win over Michigan at Mackey Arena, the freshman showed off his range by knocking down a pair of triples.

Burgess didn't play with great consistency throughout the year, but he did provide flashes of his capabilities. Not only was he able to score in the post, but he also showed the ability to knock down open shots from three-point range, stretching out the defense.

Burgess battled injury as the season progressed, really limiting his time on the court. He played just three minutes in Purdue's two Big Ten Tournament games and did not see any action in the NCAA Tournament. At the end of the season, Purdue announced that Burgess successfully underwent surgery on his lower right leg and should be at full strength for the 2025-26 season.

Burgess good in short spurts

Perhaps the greatest adjustment Burgess had to make from the prep level to the college game was the conditioning. At times during the season, Painter would say the freshman forward was playing "with his tank on 'E' ... and 'E' doesn't stand for 'Elephant.'"

When Burgess played with a "full tank," he provided Purdue with some help on the front lines. He gave the Boilers another big body on the floor, with a 6-foot-11, 240-pound frame. He played with great effort on both ends of the court, but usually was limited to two- or three-minute spurts. After that, it was easy to see that conditioning became a factor.

Painter talked often about Burgess doing a better job on the glass, but the freshman did some good things during his time in the game. His inability to play with consistency, especially wearing down so quickly, probably cost him some minutes when Trey Kaufman-Renn and Caleb Furst needed some rest.

Injury limits time on the floor

The 91-64 win over Michigan on Jan. 24 was the last time Burgess saw more than eight minutes on the basketball court for the Boilermakers. In the final 10 games of the regular season and Purdue's two Big Ten Tournament games, Burgess logged 4.1 minutes per game. He played just three minutes in games against Michigan and USC in the Big Ten Tournament and did not appear in the three NCAA Tournament games.

That may have been a result of Painter tightening the lineup, but it was also true that Burgess battled a lower right leg injury that required surgery. Shortly after Purdue's 2024-25 campaign ended, the program announced that the operation went well and the rising sophomore should be ready for the start of the upcoming season.

How much would Burgess have played if he were at full strength? Would he have provided an extra spark in the postseason if he could have logged six or seven minutes per game — his average for the season? Those are questions we'll never have answered.

Looking ahead to 2025-26

Burgess has already proven to be a commodity on the floor. His presence on the lineup gives the Boilermakers quality depth at the center and forward positions. Plus, his ability to step out behind the three-point line and knock down shots is an asset in this era of college basketball.

Will Burgess play this season, though? Remember, this is a rising sophomore who still has a redshirt year available, and this might be the best year to utilize it.

Purdue returns Trey Kaufman-Renn and Daniel Jacobsen, while also bringing in 6-foot-11 center Oscar Cluff and 6-foot-7 wing Liam Murphy from the transfer portal. That creates quite a crowd in the frontcourt.

Yes, Burgess could still carve out a role for himself this coming season. But Kaufman-Renn, Cluff, and Jacobsen will probably account for the lion's share of the minutes at the four and five positions. That would leave Burgess and Murphy to account for the rest. There may not be a lot remaining.

If Burgess wants to have a bigger role, he'll need to improve his conditioning and rebounding skills. Those are two key areas that could instantly increase his number of minutes for the 2025-26 campaign.

Don't rule out the possibility of a redshirt year, though, especially with Purdue's roster clearing up in 2026-27 and carving out a path for Burgess to make a greater impact in his final three years in West Lafayette.

Raleigh Burgess 2024-25 stats & highlights

Stats

• 1.9 points per game
• 1.3 rebounds per game
• 0.3 steals per game
• 53.5% FG
• 41.2% FT

Highlights