Welcome to Monday. While others were holding sparklers during the 4th of July celebrations, Matt Painter pulled out a Roman candle by securing a commitment from one of the top players in the 2027 recruiting class. Point guard Kevin Savage Jr., who attends Marietta Wheeler near Atlanta, committed as Painter continues to stockpile talented high school players. The traditional recruiting pipeline is alive and well. Savage joins Indianapolis Pike’s Isaiah Hill, one of the top post players in the nation, in the recruiting class. More from Brian Neubart at goldandblack.com on what Purdue is getting with the addition of Savage.

• Look for the women’s non-conference schedule to be announced, possibly as early as Monday. Plenty of games against non-Power 4 teams are expected. The matchups for the WBCA Orlando Showcase aren’t expected to be announced, but according to a Ticketmaster website promoting the event, the Boilermakers are scheduled to play Florida State on Nov. 19 (11 a.m.) and Texas Tech on Nov. 21 (2:30 p.m.).

The other known non-conference game: Central Michigan on Dec. 10 at Mackey Arena. Purdue is also expected to play Dayton, which features former Boilermakers Jordyn Poole and Sophie Swanson.

• Katie Gearlds will have 10 players available for summer workouts once the team returns from the holiday break.

Slovakia’s Katka Šedivá arrived last week and should join her new teammates on the court after undergoing a physical. The 6-foot-1 guard/forward was named the 2026 Slovak Basketball Talent of the Year.

The 18-year-old Šedivá finished a successful season playing for MBK Rusomberok, which won the Slovak Cup. General Manager Miroslav Futo posted a message about Šedivá on Instagram:

“A big thank you goes to Katka for her approach, hard work, and everything she has done for our club during the past season. Despite her young age, she has shown character, basketball quality, and the ability to compete at the highest level. We are glad she could be a part of the team that achieved extraordinary successes. Leaving for a university in the USA is a logical step in her further development and at the same time a great opportunity from both a sports and academic standpoint. We wish her a lot of success, new experiences, and we believe she will continue to represent Slovak basketball with dignity. The doors in Ružomberok will always be open to her.”

Incoming freshman Maya Zilbershlag during her visit last season (Chad Krockover)

• Incoming freshman Maya Zilbershlag is playing for Israel in the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championships in Lithuania.

Israel lost to Spain 68-66 on Saturday. Zilbershlag totaled five points, eight rebounds, and two steals. On Sunday, Zilbershlag collected 10 points and seven rebounds during an 87-85 victory over Croatia. Israel plays Lithuania on Tuesday.

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Zilbershlag isn’t scheduled to arrive in West Lafayette until August. She’ll play for Israel in the FIBA U18 Women’s European Championships in Romania from July 31 through Aug. 4.

Zilbershlag was recently featured in the Jerusalem Post ahead of the U20 Championships. Some highlights from the story, which should be available to read.

Her next challenge will come in the United States after committing to Purdue, a decision she said had been years in the making.

“Over the past few years, I realized that going to college was my goal and what I wanted to do. I visited Purdue and really connected with the atmosphere, the people, and the campus. I’m coming there to play and be the best player I can be, and that’s exactly what they expect from me as well. Hopefully everything goes well.”

The decision was made easier thanks to conversations with fellow Israelis Hila Karsh and Omer Mayer, who were both on campus this past season.

“Yes, I spoke with both of them. Each one shared a little about their experience. I talked more with Hila, I actually spent almost two days with her there. They both told me what it’s like to be there and how much they enjoyed it. I also saw the relationships Hila had with the players and the coaching staff, and that really helped me make my decision.”

Karsh has since left Purdue, transferring to Xavier after her freshman season.

The story says Gal Raviv, a teammate of Zilbershlag’s on the U20 team, spent last season at Purdue. Raviv played last season at Miami (Fla.) and is listed as a junior on the Hurricanes’ 2026-27 roster.

• Another incoming freshman, Keona Douwstra, helped Netherlands win the FIBA 3×3 Women’s Series in Amsterdam last month.

Netherlands defeated Rapid Bucharest in the championship after knocking off Italy in the semifinals.

• Still no word on when Slovenia’s Zoja Stirn will officially join the program.

Stirn, who committed to Gearlds in May, isn’t listed on the team’s roster for the 2026-27 season. Assuming Stirn is part of next year’s team, that gives the Boilermakers 14 players.

• Spoke with Emily Ben-Jumbo, one of Gearlds’ new assistants, and asked for her initial impressions of the players available to participate in summer workouts. This was when the Boilermakers had nine players.

“They’re competitive, they want to win, they want to be coached, they want to be coached hard,” Ben-Jumbo said. “The first practice is one of the best first practices I’ve seen in the sense of chemistry. The ability to talk and not give each other those little weird looks, like, ‘Oh, is she better than me? Is she not?’ Everyone seems to have a confidence about their level of play and what they bring to the table. And I love that.

“I think that’s important to know your role and to know what you’re good at, and how it fits into the bigger piece of the team aspect. They’re putting it in a pot to make Purdue women’s basketball proud. And the fans and everyone proud.”