Freshman center Emmanuel Dowuona will redshirt this season, he said prior to Purdue's practice Monday, a day before the Boilermakers' season opener vs. Fairfield.

The rookie from Ghana, via high school in Florida, has been considered a prime redshirt candidate due to his limited background playing basketball.

Dowuona said he'll use the year to become bigger and stronger and come to "know the game better," having only played organized basketball for a matter of five years or so."

"It's an advantage for me to get better this year, in terms of practice and playing harder," Dowuona said Monday, "and next year, be ready for the games and not waste my time."

Matt Painter gave Dowuona the option to redshirt or not.

"I thought a lot about it," Dowuona said. "He didn't come to me and tell me this is what I had to do. He asked me what I thought about it and he was very reasonable about it. He made me think through it. He gave me the option, I made the decision and he thought it was a great decision for me."

Dowuona says he wants to use the year to add weight and strength, but those areas of need likely take a backseat simply to experience.

He's not played much organized basketball in his career to this point.

"He's got some great physical tools, but he's only played in structure now for five years," Painter said. "He'll be able to now really work on his game and learn college basketball, learn our system, and just get a lot of drillwork in to really help him develop as a player."

Painter was intent to redshirt one of his two young big men, the other being Trevion Williams while he's in the process of reshaping his body, from which he says he's lost 50 pounds since he arrived on campus.

Williams played meaningful minutes in the exhibition vs. Marian, though, before Matt Haarms and Evan Boudreaux, more or less, at center.