GLENDALE, Ariz. – Caleb Furst has played just 9 minutes total during Purdue’s four NCAA tournament games.

Yes, the former IndyStar Mr. Basketball would like to play more. Who wouldn’t?

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“It’s not easy by any means at some points obviously,” Furst said Thursday from the locker room at the State Farm Stadium, where Purdue will play North Carolina State on Saturday in the first national semifinal game. “We’re all competitive, so we all want to play. But I think at the end of the day, you know, it’s recognizing that it’s something bigger than myself.”

The 6-10 Furst, who won Mr. Basketball in 2021 at Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian, did play more his first two seasons, starting 33 games as a freshman and sophomore. He averaged 5.5 points and 4.6 rebounds last season, starting 21 times and playing a shade over 18 minutes per game.

Furst was playing a similar role through the nonconference season, averaging 14 minutes. But with back-to-back national player of the year Zach Edey playing a starring role and 6-9 redshirt sophomore Trey Kaufman-Renn emerging into a bigger role in the frontcourt, there are only so many minutes to go around.

“When you’re on a team, to a certain degree, everybody has to show some humility and sense of selflessness, knowing that it is about more than yourself,” said Furst, who did not play at all last weekend in Detroit against Gonzaga and Tennessee. “I’d say that’s just kind of been my focus and just trying to have joy through it all. Whatever I do, whether it’s on the court, on the bench cheering my teammates or in practice, just doing that role to the best of my ability and doing it with joy. Because at the end of the day, this is something pretty special. If you asked me as a kid if this is something I’d want to do, I’d say absolutely.”

Furst is averaging 2.2 points and 2.5 rebounds this season in about 9 minutes per game. The former Blackhawk Christian star, who edged Silver Creek’s Kaufman-Renn for Mr. Basketball in 2021, said he has reflected often this season on perspective he learned from his former high school coach, Marc Davidson, who died in May of 2022 after a long cancer battle.

“I wish he was still around so I could reach out to him, text him, call him all of those things,” Furst said. “But having a great coach like that and, more importantly, a great person that he is off the court is just something I’m so grateful and thankful that I had him in my life.”

Furst said he is most pleased that his current coach, Matt Painter, has been able to break through and get to a Final Four. “We’ve always believed in him,” Furst said. “I don’t think anyone deserves it more.”

No matter what his role is on Saturday, or potentially in the national championship game on Monday, Furst said he will be ready. His big man coach, Brandon Brantley, expects Furst to play a key role in the program moving forward,

“Caleb is going to respond,” Brantley said. “We don’t have bad kid in this locker room and sometimes that’s a part of it. When you’re playing a team sport, you could be out there one minute and the next minute you’re not. Caleb’s a very intelligent kid and knows what he has to do. You never when your name is going to be called, especially in a game like North Carolina State and a guy like (DJ) Burns who accumulates fouls. He’ll be ready for that game.”

Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball reserve Caleb Furst adjusts to limited role