Record 25-7
Purdue is back among the elite teams in the Big Ten but missed on the chance to win the conference tournament after 8 years from their last trophy. The loss to Michigan lowered expectations for the Boilermakers despite the team’s incredible season. Coach Matt Painter was lucky enough to have Caleb Swaning coming back for his sophomore year and have the chance to pair him with Isaac Haas to form one of the best frontcourt duo in Division I. Undersized PG Carsen Edwards also had a good impact on the team and helped Purdue’s offense to average 80 points per game and to be third in assists in the nation.
Key Players
Everything goes through “Biggie Swanigan”. If Mr Double-Double (18.6 points, 12.6 rebounds) is not at his best the Boilermakers will not lose only in points and rebounds, but in assists as well (2.8 per game) and outside shooting (46.2% on 2.2 attempts per game). And if he had to take better care of the ball, Purdue would reach a whole new level.
Prediction
Big Ten teams never looked good enough to have real chances in the tournament this year, and Purdue is no exception. Anything beyond the Sweet 16 would be stunning.
