After playing the last two seasons but now finding himself as part of a crowded frontcourt fray, the Boilermaker junior forward will now lay out this season and return in 2016-17 with two remaining seasons of eligibility.

Because he's redshirting, Smotherman cannot play in Sunday's private scrimmage against Dayton.

Smotherman has started 20 games in his career and played more than a thousand minutes in his 66 appearances, but faced an uncertain role this season as Purdue figures to rely heavily on sophomore Vince Edwards , freshman Caleb Swanigan and senior Rapheal Davis at its forward positions.

Smotherman averaged just 2.7 points per game last season, largely in reserve of Edwards, but also went extended stretches seeing only limited minutes.

But Smotherman, the team's best overall athlete, had his moments, also.

In Purdue's win over Iowa in West Lafayette, he scored 13 points on 5-of-6 shooting, with six rebounds. The following game, in a win over Indiana, he made all four of his field goal attempts and scored eight points, bringing a distinct energy to Purdue's lineups during those back-to-back home victories.

A month later, Smotherman scored a career-high 17 points against Rutgers.

This is an uncommon situation, the first healthy redshirt of a scholarship veteran that Matt Painter's undertaken at Purdue, but one Smotherman would seem very much on board with.

In fact, it was Smotherman who brought the idea to Painter during the off-season, though the possibility was already a consideration.

"Long story short, I think it's just best for me and the team if that were to happen, that that would be the best choice for me," Smotherman said of the redshirt possibility after Purdue's first scrimmage Oct. 17.

Smotherman said earlier this month that even though he's been drawn to the idea of redshirting, it hasn't changed his effort in practice.

"I'm approaching practice like I'm going to play this year," Smotherman said Oct. 17. "I come every day with a positive mindset, helping guys out, going full-tilt with it. I'm going 110 percent and not really thinking about it. It's not really on my mind."

Painter said he's comfortable with the thought of Smotherman being eager to redshirt.

"As long as it's a big-picture thing," Painter said, "where you're working to ultimately be a really good player at this level."

Click Here to view this Link.