Purdue Boilermakers
Big Ten (28-6, 15-3)
Purdue came into this season expected to finish third in the Big Ten behind a loaded Michigan State team and a Minnesota team that took huge strides last year. People focused on how the Boilermakers lost star Caleb Swanigan instead of how they returned a tested lineup consisting of stars Vincent Edwards, Carsen Edwards, and Isaac Haas. After dropping three early they rattled off twenty wins in a row and seemed likely to win the conference. Fast forward and they fell down the stretch and dropped three straight. Still, they sit as a top-10 team in the nation and the second best Big Ten team.
Big Wins: 11/24 vs Arizona (89-64), 11/28 Louisville (66-57), 1/9 at Michigan (70-69)
Bad Losses: 11/23 vs Western Kentucky (73-77), 2/7 Ohio State (63-64), 2/15 at Wisconsin (53-57)
Coach: Matt Painter
Why They Can Surprise:
Purdue can surprise in the tournament come March because of their consistency. They won a school record 19 games in a row, including back-to-back wins over Arizona and Louisville. A team with veteran leadership and experience like Purdue, along with a proven track record of consistent play against top teams, can go deep into March.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Purdue can disappoint because their offensive woes. In the last four games they have lost, they have failed to score more than 66 points, this includes only putting up 53 on Wisconsin. If the Boilermakers find themselves in a game where their shots aren’t hitting the question is what will they do? Will they try to shoot themselves out of a hole like before, or will they change their focus?
Probable Starters:
P.J. Thompson, Senior, Guard, 7.1 ppg, 1.7 apg
Carsen Edwards, Sophomore, Guard, 18.5 ppg, 3.0 apg, 3.9 rpg
Dakota Mathias, Senior, Guard, 12.4 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.1 rpg
Vincent Edwards, Senior, Forward, 14.5 ppg, 3.0 apg, 7.3 rpg
Isaac Haas, Senior, Center, 14.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Key Role Players:
Ryan Cline, Junior, Guard, 4.0 ppg, 1.8 apg
Nojel Eastern, Freshman, Guard, 3.0 ppg
Matt Haarms, Freshman, Forward, 4.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 81.1 (37th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 65.6 (29, 4)
Field-Goal Percentage: 49.7 (12, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.0 (35, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.6 (34, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 42.0 (2, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 74.3 (68, 4)
Rebound Margin: 2.6 (92, 7)
Assists Per Game: 16.7 (21, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.7 (16, 2)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2017 NCAA Round of 64 win over Vermont
2017 NCAA Round of 32 win over Iowa State
2017 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Kansas
2016 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Arkansas Little Rock
2015 NCAA Round of 64 loss to Cincinnati
2013 CBI First Round win over Western Illinois
2013 CBI Quarterfinal loss to Santa Clara
2012 NCAA Round of 64 win over St. Mary's
2012 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Kansas
2011 NCAA Round of 64 win over St. Peters
2011 NCAA Round of 32 loss to VCU
2010 NCAA Round of 64 win over Siena
2010 NCAA Round of 32 win over Texas A&M
2010 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Duke
2009 NCAA Round of 64 win over Northern Iowa
2009 NCAA Round of 32 win over Washington
2009 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Connecticut
*all team stats through 3/4
