WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Matt Painter tried to warn us. During the offseason, he praised the development of center Daniel Jacobsen, telling everyone that he expected a "big leap" from the 7-foot-4 junior.

We should have listened.

Jacobsen put on a show again on Monday night, scoring a game-high 20 points and guiding Purdue to a 76-59 win over Illinois State. It was the first victory of the season for the Boilermakers.

Jacobsen has reached the 20-point threshold in each of Purdue's first three games. He dropped 22 on Massamba Diop and Braden Huff in the opener against Gonzaga. The center followed that up with a 28-point, 10-rebound effort against Valparaiso.

Three games into the season, Jacobsen is averaging 23.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. It's leaps and bounds ahead of his production last season, coming off the bench to average 5.5 points and 3.0 rebounds across a 39-game season.

"Working in the offseason and just being confident," Jacobsen said of his growth after the game against Valparaiso. "I trust my ability and my teammates believe in me."

Jacobsen's growth isn't limited to the offensive end. He's improved as a defensive rebounder and has provided great rim protection for the Boilers through the first three games. It's not resulting in blocked shots, but his large frame and wingspan still makes life challenging for opponents down low.

Over the years, we've seen assistant coach Brandon Brantley develop several bigs into All-Big Ten caliber players. Jacobsen is certainly trending in that direction.

It's not just the numbers that Jacobsen is putting up on a nightly basis, it's how he's found success that stands out through three games.

Efficiency on the offensive end

Jacobsen has scored 70 points in Purdue's first three games. He's a top-20 scorer in the country and ranks second in the Big Ten currently. That may not be the most impressive statistic for the big man, though.

Those 70 points have come on just 32 shots, one of the most efficient percentages in college basketball. He was 9-of-11 in the opener against Gonzaga and finished 9-of-13 in the loss to Gonzaga. In Monday's victory over Illinois State, he scored 20 points on just eight shots, making six.

His only misses were a pair of three-point attempts.

Jacobsen has worked hard to get good post position and put defenders in tough situations. He's gotten better at drawing fouls, already attempting 25 free throws this season. That's become a major weapon for the Boilermakers, making 21 of those attempts, an 84% success rate from the charity stripe.

It's quite an improvement from last season, when he shot below 63% from the free-throw line. Jacobsen's ability to connect at a high rate from the foul line allows Painter to keep his 7-foot-4 center on the floor late in games, an advantage for Purdue.

More physical on the boards

Jacobsen's physicality on the glass was a question mark entering this season. Purdue needed him to be more aggressive on the boards, and so far, he has delivered.

In each of the first three games, Jacobsen has pulled down at least seven rebounds. He's battled for good position down low and has fought off box-outs to collect shots off the rim.

Last season, it was fair to say that Jacobsen was timid at times. It was understandable because of the leg injury he sustained as a true freshman, perhaps not trusting himself and wanting to avoid another injury.

There hasn't been any hesitation from Jacobsen this season. He's chased down rebounds and fights anytime the ball goes up.

Obviously, it's a small sample size. Purdue will play much bigger teams with stronger, more physical players at the four and five spots. So far, though, Jacobsen's activity on the glass has been promising.

Extended minutes

Before the season tipped off, Painter said one of the advantages Jacobsen would have this season was the opportunity to play through his mistakes. Because of Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn last year, the center didn't get those chances.

Now, Jacobsen is the one getting the opportunity to play through his mistakes. He's likely going to have a long leash all season because of how much better Purdue has played with him on the floor through three games.

Jacobsen played 27 minutes against Gonzaga, sitting 13 because of foul trouble early in the second half. He was on the floor for 42 minutes of a 50-minute double-overtime contest against Valpo. On Monday, he played another 32 minutes.

A drastic increase in minutes can sometimes hinder the way guys perform. Jacobsen doesn't seem to be having that issue, at least right now. He looks like a player who can give Purdue 30 minutes every night.

It's irresponsible to make definitive statements just three games into a college basketball season. Jacobsen may not be the most dominant center in the nation at the end of the season.

Right now, though? He's certainly playing like one.

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