Purdue Boilermakers Kick Off Season Tuesday Against Evansville

The Purdue Boilermakers are set to launch their 128th basketball season with a highly anticipated opener against Evansville this Tuesday. This event not only marks the beginning of a new season, but it also underlines Purdue’s rich basketball tradition and its standing in NCAA history.

Purdue Basketball Record and Achievements

Purdue boasts an impressive all-time record of 1,953 wins against 1,092 losses, giving them a .641 winning percentage. This places them 10th on the NCAA all-time victory list. In season openers, the Boilermakers hold a remarkable 106-21 record, translating to an .835 winning percentage.

Home Court Advantage

• Purdue has played 10 games as the nation’s No. 1-ranked team at Mackey Arena, winning 9 and losing 1.
• The Boilermakers’ average victory margin at home in these ranked games stands at 25.3 points.
• Purdue has an overall record of 16-6 when nationally ranked No. 1.

The team enters this season after a dominant exhibition period, recently winning four home exhibition games by a cumulative 193 points, averaging 48.3 points per game. A notable milestone in their last exhibition was setting a school record with 15 three-pointers made against UIndy, with contributions from eight players.

Star Players to Watch

• Fletcher Loyer has averaged 16.7 points across three season openers, shooting 52.2% from three-point range.
• Braden Smith holds the record for the most assists in a season opener at Purdue with 15 assists last year.
• Smith needs just eight assists to surpass Bruce Douglas on the Big Ten’s career assists list.

Smith has also been recognized as the preseason Big Ten Player of the Year, alongside teammate Trey Kaufman-Renn, who earned a spot on the first team. Notably, Smith is the first player in Big Ten history to achieve over 1,350 points, 750 assists, 500 rebounds, and 175 steals.

Coaching and Historical Trends

Under Coach Matt Painter, Purdue has seen great success, holding a record of 31-4 against in-state teams at Mackey Arena. The team maintains a streak of 33 consecutive wins against non-conference Indiana teams since 2001. Additionally, they have won 32 straight non-conference home games since November 2019, marking the longest streak in school history.

Painter is currently fourth on the Big Ten’s career wins list with 471 victories and is just four wins away from achieving 500 career wins. With a consistent record of producing All-Americans, Purdue has seen at least one consensus first- or second-team All-American in seven out of the last nine seasons without ever enrolling a top-30 recruiting class.

Ticket Sales and Attendance

Purdue’s dedicated fanbase has already sold out its ticket allotment for the upcoming season, extending the sellout streak in Mackey Arena to 106 games. They enter this season with 89 consecutive sellouts, showcasing strong support for the Boilermakers as they kick off their season against Evansville.