Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball
The Purdue Boilermakers basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in NCAA Division I and is a member of the Big Ten Conference. Purdue basketball has the most Big Ten Championships with 24. The Boilermakers have reached two NCAA Tournament Final Fours, but have not won an NCAA Championship. The 1931–32 team was retroactively named a national champion by the Helms Athletic Foundation and the Premo-Porretta Power Poll. Purdue has sent more than 30 players to the NBA, including two overall No. 1 picks in the NBA draft. Purdue has one main  rivalry against the Indiana Hoosiers (see Indiana–Purdue Rivalry). History. 1896–1916: The early years. The history of Purdue basketball dates back to 1896 with their first game against the Lafayette YMCA. In the 1902–03 season, head coach C.I. Freeman, in his only season, led them to an undefeated 8–0 record. Upon conclusion of the season, the university recognized the popularity of the sport and made it part of the Purdue University Athletic Association. The Boilermakers began play in the Big Ten Conference three years later, with its first championship coming in 1911 under the direction of Ralph Jones. 1917–1946: Ward  Lambert era. In 1917, Ward "Piggy" Lambert, a former basketball player at Wabash College, was named head coach of the Boilermakers. What followed was one of the most dominant eras of Purdue Basketball on the conference and national level. Under Lambert, Purdue became a front-runner in the development of the fast-paced game as it is today. In 28 seasons, Lambert mentored 16 All-Americans and 31 First Team All-Big Ten selections, which included the 1932 National Player of the Year John Wooden. Wooden was the first college player to be named a Consensus All-American three times . Lambert compiled a career record of 371–152, a .709 winning percentage. His 228 wins in Big Ten play have been bested by only Indiana's Bob Knight and former Purdue head coach Gene Keady. Lambert won an unprecedented 11 Big Ten Championships, which Bobby Knight later tied for most in conference history. In 1943, the Helms Athletic Foundation retroactively recognized Purdue as its national champion for 1932. The Premo-Porretta Power Poll later recognized the Boilermakers as the 1932 national champion as well. 1950–1965: Ray Eddy era. Ward Lambert announced his resignation on January 23, 1946. That same year and  the year following, under new head coach Mel Taube, Purdue would win both meetings against coach John Wooden's Indiana State team. On February 24, 1947, three students were killed (one of whom died the next day) and 166 people were taken to hospitals after the 3,400-student section of the Purdue Fieldhouse collapsed during a game against Wisconsin. Center Paul Hoffman became the only Boiler to be named a First Team-All Big Ten selection four times in 1947. With third overall-picked teammate Ed "Bulbs" Ehlers (who played for John Wooden at South Bend Central High School), the  two were the first players in the program's history to be selected in the NBA draft, while Paul Hoffman became the BAA's (original title of the NBA) first player named Rookie of the Year in 1948. After Mel Taube's four-and-a-half seasons, Ray Eddy, a former player and teammate of Wooden's under Lambert, took over as head coach. During his 15-year tenure, he coached Terry Dischinger and Dave Schellhase, both Consensus All-Americans, and Ernie Hall, the first Purdue junior college transfer and African-American player to wear a Boilermaker uniform. In 1955 , his team played one of the longest games in college basketball history, lasting six overtimes in a loss to Minnesota. 1966–1979: George King era. Over the next few decades the Boilermakers would enjoy moderate success, culminating in 1969 when they won their first conference title in 29 years and advanced to the 1969 NCAA Finals game under head coach George King and led by All-American Rick Mount, where they would fall to former Purdue great, John Wooden, and his UCLA Bruins squad. Former Los Angeles Lakers coach/general manager, Fred Schaus, who also spent time as West Virginia's  head coach, took over the program after George King stepped down to become solely the school's athletic director. Schaus led the Boilermakers to the 1974 NIT Championship, becoming the first Big Ten team to capture the NIT title. In the 1978–79 season, new head coach Lee Rose introduced Purdue basketball to a new approach with a slowed-down, controlled style of play. With All-American center Joe Barry Carroll, he led them to the 1979 NIT Finals and to a 1980 NCAA Final Four appearance. 1980–2005: Gene Keady era. In 1980, Gene Keady, the head coach of Western Kentucky  and former assistant to Eddie Sutton with the Arkansas Razorbacks, was named the new head coach of the Boilermakers. Over the next 25 years, Keady led the Boilermakers to six Big Ten Championships, 17 NCAA Tournament appearances with two Elite Eights and no Final Fours. Purdue received their highest Associated Press and Coaches Poll ranking in its program's history during the 1987–88 season, where they were ranked as high as 2nd in the nation. They would become ranked 1st in the nation during the 2021-2022 season. In 1991, Keady and assistant coach Frank Kendrick recruited Glenn Robinson, who  ultimately became an All-American and Purdue's second-named National Player of the Year. A few years later, Purdue managed to recruit the program's first of several foreign players when they picked up Matt ten Dam from the Netherlands. In December 1997, Keady became Purdue's all-time winningest head coach, surpassing Lambert with his 372nd win. He also became the second-winningest coach in Big Ten history behind Indiana's Bobby Knight, against whom Keady went 21–20 in head-to-head meetings. Soon afterward, the playing surface at Mackey Arena was named Keady Court in his honor . Many of Keady's former assistant coaches and players throughout the years have gone on to enjoy success as head coaches. Included in the Gene Keady coaching tree is current Purdue head coach Matt Painter, former St. John's head coach Steve Lavin, Pittsburgh head coach Kevin Stallings, Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber, Wisconsin-Green Bay head coach Linc Darner, UNC Charlotte head coach Alan Major, Missouri head coach Cuonzo Martin, Missouri State head coach Paul Lusk and Illinois State head coach Dan Muller. Following the 1998–99 season, the NCAA placed Purdue on two years' probation due to minor  violations over recruiting, benefits, and ethics. Purdue also lost one scholarship per season for the 2000–01 and 2001–02 seasons. Most severely, Purdue assistant Frank Kendrick was found to have provided an illegal benefit to Purdue player Luther Clay, who transferred to Rhode Island after his freshman year, namely a $4,000 bank loan. Clay was found to be ineligible due to his extra benefit, so Purdue forfeited all 19 victories in which Clay played, including one win in the 1996 NCAA Tournament. 2005–present: Matt Painter era. As the Keady era came to a close in 2005, the Matt Painter  era began. Painter played for Keady during the early 1990s, with Keady naming him captain in his senior year in 1993. After one season at Southern Illinois as the head coach after Bruce Weber left north for Illinois, Painter was hired as a planned replacement for Coach Keady for the 2004–05 season as Keady's associate head coach. After a disappointing first season marred with injuries and suspensions from off-court altercations, Painter re-energized Purdue basketball in the summer of 2006 by signing the top recruiting class in the conference and made one of the biggest turnarounds in the  program's history. His "Baby Boilers" developed into three eventual All-Americans, including 2011 consensus selection JaJuan Johnson, that led Purdue to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments and back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances, a Big Ten title, and a conference tournament championship. During the 2010 season, Matt Painter led the Boilermakers to a school record-tying 14–0 start, as well with the most wins in a season with a 29–6 record and a Big Ten title. The season ended in relative disappointment, however, as Junior Robbie Hummel was sidelined with an ACL injury in February of that season. The following  year, and with the anticipated return of Hummel, E'Twaun Moore, and Johnson, Purdue looked poised to have one of its program's finest seasons. This excitement was quickly tempered when Hummel re-tore his ACL on the first practice of the season, sidelining him for its duration once again. Despite Hummel's absence, Purdue remained in the top ten most of the season, being ranked as high as 6th and finished the regular season with a 26–8 record. At the conclusion of the 2010–2011 season, Johnson and Moore declared for the NBA Draft. On June 23, 2011, both Johnson and  Moore were drafted to the Boston Celtics in the first and second rounds, respectively. Purdue began the 2012 season with a 12–3 record, holding the fifth best home winning streak in the nation with 27, before leading the nation with the fewest turnover average per game. The home winning streak was lost during the 2012 season to Alabama. They finished with a 10–8 conference record, giving Purdue its sixth consecutive 22+ win season, the best in the program's history. In the 2012 NBA draft, Robbie Hummel was the 58th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves. The following two  seasons brought slim success, missing out on both the NCAA Tournament and the NIT. They accepted a bid in the 2013 CBI, where they lost in the second round to Santa Clara. After a moderate 8–5 preseason campaign during the 2015 season, Purdue got back on track, finishing 3rd in the conference after finishing last the season prior. The 2015 season ended after losing to Cincinnati in overtime. It was the first time the program lost its opener in the NCAA Tournament since 1993, breaking a 14-game win streak. After making it back to the NCAA tourny, the program  landed its biggest recruit in nearly a quarter century when Fort Wayne native Caleb Swanigan, a top ten recruit, de-committed from Michigan State. They opened the 2016 season with an 11–0 record, while setting a program record with consecutive double-digit victories and were ranked as high as 9th in the nation. That season ended with an NCAA First Round loss to Little Rock with a 26–9 record. In May 2016, it was announced that the 2017–18 Purdue team would represent the U.S. at the 2017 World University Games in Taipei. The team would go on to win the  Silver Medal at the Games, winning every game until losing to Lithuania in the Gold Medal game. Purdue won the outright 2017 Big Ten Conference title, along with Caleb Swanigan being named unanimous B1G Player of the Year. In the 2017 NCAA Tournament, Purdue reached the Sweet Sixteen, losing to #1 seed Kansas. In the 2017–2018 season, Purdue, led by seniors Vince Edwards, Isaac Haas, PJ Thompson, Dakota Mathias and sophomore Carsen Edwards, spent several weeks at #3 while being on a program record and nation-leading 19-game winning streak. During that time, the Boilers led the nation  in scoring margin, points per game, three-point shooting, and was one of only two teams with a top 3 ranking in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Purdue missed out on a consecutive B1G title after losing to Wisconsin, finishing 2nd in the conference at 15–3. The Boilers were seeded 4th in the Big Ten Tournament, where they beat Rutgers and Penn State to reach the Big Ten Tournament Championship for the second time in three years. They faced a familiar opponent in Michigan, whom they had already faced two other times throughout that season, Purdue winning both meetings . However, Michigan beat Purdue 75–66 to become Big Ten Tournament Champions for the second straight season. Purdue was seeded 2nd in the East Region of the 2018 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, their highest seed in recent history. In the first round, they faced Cal State Fullerton Titans, winning 74–48. However, many Purdue fan's hearts broke in the second half of the game, as senior Center Isaac Haas fell on his elbow as he fought for a rebound, and broke his elbow as he hit the ground, ending his Purdue Basketball career. Purdue's second round game  was against Butler Bulldogs, whom Purdue had already played earlier in the season. The Boilers would win the game on a last second shot by Dakota Mathias, winning 76–73 to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the second straight season. In the Sweet Sixteen, Purdue faced the third seeded Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Boilers would go on to lose in disappointing fashion 65–78, ending their season with 30 wins, the most wins in program history. In 2019, Purdue was seeded 3rd in the South Region of the 2019 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, after another strong season . In the first round, they destroyed a 26–8 Old Dominion team that was coming off a Conference USA championship, winning 61–48. In the second round, they handily defeated #6 seed Villanova, sending the defending champs home early after an 87–61 victory, and advancing to their third straight Sweet Sixteen under Matt Painter. The Boilermakers ran into their first real test with the #2 Tennessee Volunteers. After a back and forth contest that included 17 lead changes and needed overtime to be decided, Purdue came out victorious, beating the Vols 99–94 to reach their first Elite Eight in nearly 20 years . In the Elite Eight, Purdue faced the #1 seeded Virginia Cavaliers in what would be another back and forth thriller. After several lead changes throughout the game, Purdue led 70–67 with 5.9 seconds left and looked to be headed to their first Final Four since 1980 when Virginia's Ty Jerome missed the second free throw of two. Virginia was able to come up with the offensive rebound however, and after chasing down the loose ball, Mamadi Diakite nailed a Hail Mary - type jumpshot at the buzzer to send the game to overtime. The Boilers were once again looking towards  the big dance, leading 75–74 with 43 seconds to go, but Virginia was able to hold Purdue scoreless over the final minute and prevailed 80–75, ending the Boilermakers season with 26 wins and their first Elite Eight appearance since 2000. Purdue is still seeking their first Final Four under Matt Painter. Postseason. NCAA tournament results. The Boilermakers have appeared in the NCAA Tournament 33 times. Their combined record is 44–33; due to use of an ineligible player, Purdue vacated one win and one loss from the 1996 NCAA Tournament, resulting in an adjusted official NCAA Tournament record of 43–32. NIT  results. The Boilermakers have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) eight times. Their combined record is 20–7. They were NIT champions in 1974. CBI results. The Boilermakers have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) one time. Their record is 1–1. NCIT results. The Boilermakers appeared in one of the only two ever National Commissioners Invitational Tournaments. Their record is 1–1. State Farm* Awards and honors. All-Americans. Second Team All-Americans (8). USA Today^ NABC# Fox Sports* Third Team All-Americans (8). Yahoo.com** The Sporting News^ Second Team* Big Ten Conference awards. Sixth Man of the Year (1 ). All data taken from Records. Record vs. Big Ten opponents. The Purdue Boilermakers lead the all-time series with every Big Ten opponent except Ohio State. (While Ohio State has vacated games from 1999 to 2002, Purdue still recognizes those games and keeps records accordingly.) As of 03/06/2022. 1,000+ point scorers (53). All data taken from played in the ABA* NBL** Boilermakers in the NBA, ABA, NBL, NBA G League. First round draft picks (10). Purdue is one of just fourteen schools in the nation that has produced more than one No. 1 NBA Draft pick. transferred after freshman  season* Head coaches (5). CBA * Boilermakers in international basketball. transferred after Junior year* Boilermakers on USA Basketball rosters. U.S. Olympic Team. ^ – replaced due to injury Pan-Am Games. Traditional 3x3 Tournament World University Games. ^ - During the 2017 World University Games, Purdue was selected to represent Team USA.