Purdue men’s basketball, a team expected to make solid runs in both the Big Ten and NCAA March Madness tournament, has high expectations to meet this season. The Boilermakers are on a quest for not only a third conference title in four seasons, but also to redeem themselves after last year’s 2-point Sweet Sixteen loss to Houston.
Fortunately, the team is in good hands — Matt Painter was ranked No. 1 among Big Ten Conference coaches Monday, by On3’s James Fletcher III. Painter is entering his 21st year with Purdue this season and needs just 42 wins to become the program’s all-time winningest coach.
Here’s what Fletcher had to say:
“At Purdue, Matt Painter has proven himself as one of the best and most consistent coaches in college basketball. Coming off a big season which proved he could replace top-end players with a combination of options taking on a bigger role, his stock should be as high as ever before. Painter is one of the best development coaches in college basketball, continuing to operate in an old model which few others coaches can achieve with players working their way slowly from the bench to a star role,” Fletcher wrote.
Painter made key offseason additions to his roster with transfer seniors center Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State) and forward Liam Murphy (North Florida). Cluff is expected to partner well with returning Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and be an immediate starter.
The team is returning a solid amount of offensive strength from last season: senior guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer, plus sophomore guards Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox and center Daniel Jacobsen. Jacobsen, who stands at 7-foot-4, fractured his tibia in the second game of the season last year.
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Purdue is anticipated to have a strong showing this season, with ESPN’s Early Top 25 slating the Boilermakers at No. 1 last month.
However, all of these predictions don’t mean Purdue has an easy year ahead. College basketball analyst Jon Rothstein suspects the Boilermakers’ biggest challenge will come from Dusty May’s Michigan Wolverines. May was third in On3’s rankings, with Michigan State’s Tom Izzo claiming the runner-up slot behind Painter.