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 Omer Mayer, a 6-foot-4 freshman out of Tel Aviv, Israel, who brings EuroLeague experience to West Lafayette.
Mayer was a huge addition to Purdue’s backcourt in the offseason. The 6-foot-4 guard has played in the second-best league in the world, suiting up in the EuroLeague for Maccabi Tel Aviv. This past season, he averaged 2.6 points and 2.0 assists per game, though he ended the year on a much higher note. Mayer closed out the season with an 11-point, three-assist performance against Bayern Munich.
Because of his success, Mayer was rated as a four-star prospect and a top-50 talent in the 2025 recruiting class.
In 2024, Mayer showed he could do everything on the basketball court at a high level. He put up big numbers for Israel in the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Championships, averaging 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
Joining a championship-caliber team in West Lafayette will present some challenges to Mayer, but he’s already played at one of the highest levels in the world. So, while it may not be at the college level, the freshman guard brings a wealth of experience to Purdue.
With a 6-foot-4, 215-pound frame, Mayer is capable of playing both guard positions for the Boilermakers. He’s an excellent ball-handler and decision-maker, providing Purdue with some stability when Braden Smith has to take a breather.
Mayer is also capable of moving off the ball and shooting in spot-up situations. He could fill that void for the Boilermakers when Fletcher Loyer takes a seat, and would then give Purdue two skilled ball-handlers when playing alongside Smith.
“We think he’s going to be a fantastic player for us,” coach Matt Painter told Andy Katz on The Sideline. “He can play either position, very good with the basketball, good decision-maker, plays at an elite level in the EuroLeague … so we’re very excited about him.”
Purdue has a handful of players on the roster capable of playing both guard positions — notably Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox — but Mayer might be the most efficient when it comes to scoring, passing, rebounding, and ball-handing.
Playing in the EuroLeague has provided Mayer with the unique opportunity to play alongside and against some former Purdue stars.
When playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv in the EuroLeague, he was teammates with former Boilermaker big man Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-10 Williams played at Purdue from 2018-22, averaging 12.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game across his career in West Lafayette.
In Mayer’s final EuroLeague game of the season in 2025, he scored 11 points and dished out three assists against Carsen Edwards’ Bayern Munich squad. Edwards is remembered for having one of the best NCAA Tournament runs in history in 2019, averaging 34.8 points per game in Purdue’s run to the Elite Eight.
Did playing with Williams and against Edwards influence Mayer’s decision to play at Purdue? Maybe. However, the bigger takeaway is that it reveals the level of competition Mayer played against in the EuroLeague. Both were All-Big Ten players while at Purdue and have enjoyed solid professional careers overseas.
If not for Smith and Loyer, there’d be an expectation that Mayer would come in and immediately start at Purdue. There’s still a chance that could happen, but it would likely require Loyer to shift over to the three position.
Mayer is also going to have to compete with Cox and Harris for playing time, as both made a significant impact for the Boilermakers during the 2024-25 season.
On paper and in highlights, it appears that Mayer has too much talent to be stapled to the bench as a freshman. He would provide Purdue with an additional ball-handler alongside Smith, or could serve as the primary guy when the senior guard needs a quick break.
Just like everyone else, Mayer will have to compete for minutes. With a 6-foot-4 frame and his ability to do everything on the court, it’s hard to imagine he won’t see at least 15 minutes per contest as a true freshman.
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