The Untold Story Behind David Jenkins Jr.’s Legendary Jump Shot Journey

But Jenkins story stretches just as far forward as it did backwards. He helped stabilize and guide a locker room and court ran by a bunch of freshmen. His impact helped lay the foundation that would have Purdue playing in the national title game just a year later. Caleb Furst moved to set the screen at the top of the key. Jenkins Jr. took one dribble left into it and rose up immediately. It splashed through the net. For a college player that’s done this for so long, it’s surprising to find that he still has new tricks in the bag.When March comes along Purdue will hope to make an endearing home for one of college basketballs most travelled players.David Jenkins Jr. can and has shot a lot in his career. He’s taken 782 threes and made 323. That’s a 41% clip.In Purdue’s 102-57 exhibition victory over Truman St., coach Matt Painter started two true freshman in his backcourt. For those of you doing the math at home, that’s a combined 0 minutes of collegiate experience from Purdue’s starting guards.Here’s a story from the first time Jenkins played in Mackey Arena.

Thankfully for Purdue, experience travels, and if the exhibition game was any indication, so does Jenkins Jr.’s jump shot. Painter would turn to a group of freshmen guards, unproven big men, and a locker room still carrying scars from Purdue team’s past. “I love guys that can shoot. I do the same thing with Braden Smith. Those pull up threes they have. They can make them. A lot of people don’t like it because you just dribble up the court and just let it rip. They can make them. David’s made a lot of threes in his career. I like getting guys aggressive and feeling good about themselves the way they can shoot.”Advertisement

Jenkins Jr.’s first three came on a high pick and roll, something Purdue didn’t run before the senior came into the game instead relying on the more orchestrated motion sets heavy in Coach Painter’s play books. “Not really. He’s really trying – he’s coming in playing more point than he has in the past – he’s really been a combo [guard]. I think he’s trying to do the right things all the time. To impress. To play the position more. But when I’ve got guys that can cork it like that – I want them to shoot.”When I asked Coach Painter about David Jenkins Jr.’s performance running the pick and roll in the game against Truman State, and if that’s something he saw in the summer, Coach Painter’s answer was a bit of a surprise.”Honestly, I’m just happy to be here, man. This is a great group of guys. We’ve built such early chemistry already as a team and that’s so important moving forward in the post season.”

That’s the amount of collegiate game time minutes for David Jenkins Jr. before he ever put a Purdue jersey on and walks into Mackey Arena for the first time. That spans four years and three schools. He’s gone from South Dakota State to UNLV to Utah to now West Lafayette, Indiana and a Purdue Boilermaker team that can use all the experience it can get its hands on.Jenkins never got the storybook ending he deserved. He had flashes, moments, but ultimately his career and Purdue’s season ended to a #16 seed in Columbus, Ohio.
There was also the matter of losing Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams.Looking back on the winding journey of David Jenkins Jr., one can’t help but marvel at the sheer resilience and seasoned savvy this guard brought to Purdue’s hardwood. It wasn’t just another player joining the Boilermakers; it was a narrative rich with stops from South Dakota State to UNLV, then Utah, and finally landing in West Lafayette, Indiana — a tapestry of experience rare in college hoops. Faced with a locker room scarred by past setbacks and the void left by stars like Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams, Coach Matt Painter needed more than just fresh legs; he needed a steady hand. Jenkins Jr., with his ambition of 2,000 career points and a national championship dream, stepped in to steady the ship — even if his storybook ending didn’t quite pan out. His 3,471 collegiate minutes weren’t just a stat; they were the heartbeat of leadership amidst youth, the guiding force behind a team that would rise to a national title game appearance the very next season. This isn’t just a reflection on a player’s time at Purdue; it’s a testament to the power of experience, adaptability, and shooting touch that travels far beyond the first game in Mackey Arena. LEARN MORE

Later, Jenkins Jr. used the fear of this exact scenario to catch his man with an in and out dribble to get into a wide open lane. Pulling an extra defender, his missed lay up was cleaned up by Trey Kaufman-Renn. Coach Painter’s Purdue program carried over a reputation from Gene Keady as a tough man to man defensive program, and while Coach Painter still believes in those principles, he’s also something of an offensive liberal. When asked about Jenkins Jr.’s performance, Painter lit up as he explained what he wanted from his guards on offense.What seems like a lifetime ago, Matt Painter’s Purdue Boilermakers were trying to move on from another NCAA Tournament disappointment. This one hurt a little extra because of how much the path and bracket had broken in Purdue’s favor.”I’ve never been part of a game like that – especially just for an exhibition. I was telling – Caleb [Furst] asked me how it was at my previous school. Man we probably did that just at a rivalry game. I can only imagine how it is when we get in Big Ten play,” Jenkins Jr. said shortly after the game.Mackey Arena was a reported sell out, but there were more than a few empty seats in the rafters. Still, it will be hard to get much louder in Mackey than when Jenkins Jr. deflected a pass, dribbled behind his back to avoid a defender, and rifled an off-hand pass to Mason Gillis streaking in transition. While Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer learn to play the position, Jenkins Jr. will be behind them providing a steady touch and a whole lot of experience. But this team still has things to offer Jenkins Jr. as new experiences, too.

He would also lean on one guard with a lot of experience and a whole bunch of schools in his past. David Jenkins Jr. came to Purdue with a lot of personal accolades, a goal of 2,000 points in his career, but most importantly, to win a national championship. 3,471He might be new to Mackey Arena, but he’s a college basketball old head in the locker room.