2016-17 Schedule / 2016-17 Schedule (PDF) / Ticket Information
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- A home game with the defending national champions, the Jimmy V Classic, the Cancun Challenge and the Big Ten / ACC Challenge highlight the 2016-17 Purdue men's basketball non-Âconference schedule released today.
The Boilermakers will open its 119th season of basketball Nov. 1 with an exhibition game against Southern Indiana in Mackey Arena. The Screaming Eagles went 19-11 a year ago and are an NCAA Division II power, winning the 1995 national championship while placing runner-up in both 1994 and 2004.
Purdue will open the regular season on Friday, Nov. 11, when McNeese State visits Mackey Arena. The Cowboys were 9-20 a year ago and finished eighth in the Southland Conference. McNeese State will return its top three scorers from a year ago, led by senior guard Jamaya Burr (15.4 PPG). It will mark the first meeting between the two schools and Purdue owns a 9-0 record all-time mark against the Southland.
On Nov. 14, Purdue hosts defending national champion Villanova in the Boilermakers' first appearance in the Gavitt Games, the annual series between the Big Ten and Big East Conferences. The Wildcats are ranked in the nation's top five in almost all of the "way-too-early" top-25 polls, returning a majority of their key pieces from last year's title team. Villanova owns a 2-0 series advantage against the Boilermakers.
Purdue's first game in the Cancun Challenge will come Nov. 18, with a Mackey Arena contest against Georgia State. The Panthers were 16-14 a year ago, but are just one year removed from advancing to the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament. Senior Jeremy Hollowell, an Indiana transfer and Indianapolis native, led the Panthers in scoring last year at 14.8 points per game.
Purdue will then take to the road for the first time, traveling to Cancun, Mexico, for the Cancun Challenge. The Boilermakers will open the event against Utah State on Nov. 22, then will play either Auburn or Texas Tech on Nov. 23. The Aggies were 16-15 last year, finishing ninth in the Mountain West Conference. Jalen Moore, a 6-foot-9 senior forward, led the Aggies a year ago in scoring and rebounding at 15.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. It marks the first meeting with Utah State.
Purdue will return from Cancun by hosting NJIT in Mackey Arena on Nov. 26, in Mackey Arena for its final contest as part of the four-game Cancun Challenge. The Highlanders recorded their best Division I season in school history a year ago, posting a 20-15 record while netting victories over USF, Boston, St. Johns and Army and appearing in postseason play (Collegelnsider.com tournament) for the first time. Guard Tim Coleman (6-5, 210 pounds) is NJIT's top returning scorer at 13.8 points per game. It will be the first meeting between the two teams.
On Nov. 30, Purdue will head to the KFCYum! Center in Louisville to face the Cardinals in the ACC / Big Ten Challenge. The Boilermakers will put their seven-game Challenge win streak on the line against a Louisville team expected to be ranked in the nation's top 15 in October. Louisville went 23-8 a year ago and returns two starters from last year's squad. Purdue leads the series by an 11-5 margin.
Turning the calendar to December, Purdue will host Morehead State on Dec. 3, in Mackey Arena. The Eagles finished tied for second in the Ohio Valley Conference last year with an 11-5 record while going 23-14 overall, finishing as the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) runner-up. The Eagles lost five seniors that accounted for 52.8 percent of their scoring. Xavier Moon is the leading returning scorer at 10.2 points per game while shooting 41.2 percent from 3-point range. Purdue defeated Morehead State 81- 71 in the lone meeting between the two teams back in the 1985-86 season.
On Dec. 6, Purdue heads to the Big Apple and Madison Square Garden to face Arizona State in the Jimmy V Classic, the first game of a doubleheader with Florida vs. Duke being the second game. Arizona State is coming off a 15-17 record and a 5-13 mark in the Pac-12 Conference during its first year under head coach and former Duke standout Bobby Hurley. The Sun Devils return two starters and three of its top seven scorers, including their team leader in points (14.2 PPG) and assists (117), rising junior Tra Holder. Purdue owns a 3-2 record against the Sun Devils.
In its final tuneup before final exams, Purdue will host Cleveland State on Dec. 10, in Mackey Arena. The Vikings were 9-23 a year ago, posting a 4-14 record in the Horizon League. The Vikings return their top four scorers, including sophomore guard Rob Edwards at 12.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Edwards was a member of the Horizon League All-Freshman team. It will be the first meeting between the two squads.
On Dec. 17, Purdue and the three other major-conference teams in the state, will convene at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for the sixth annual Crossroads Classic. The Boilermakers will face a Notre Dame team that went 24-12 a year ago and reached the Elite Eight before falling to North Carolina. Senior forward V.J. Beachem and junior Bonzie Coleman will lead Notre Dame's attack in 2016-17 after averaging 12.0 and 11.8 points per game, respectively, a year ago. Notre Dame has won three straight games against Purdue and leads the all-time series 22-20.
Purdue will close out non-conference play with two games in three days (three games in five days if you include the Crossroads Classic) when it hosts Western Illinois at Mackey Arena on Dec. 19. The Leathernecks were 10-17 overall and 3-13 in the Summit League a year ago, returning three starters from last year's team. Garret Covington, a 6-5 senior, led WIU in scoring a year ago at 17.9 points per game while shooting 42.3 percent from long distance (77-of-182). Purdue is 5-0 all-time against the Leathernecks, the last meeting coming during the 2012-13 season.
Purdue wraps up non-conference play on Dec. 21, against Norfolk State in Mackey Arena. The Spartans were 17-17 overall last year but finished tied for second in the MEAC with a 12-4 record. NSU graduated its top three scorers from last year, but returns 6-foot-6 forward Jordan Butler, the Spartans' top returning scorer and rebounder at 7.5 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. Norfolk State recorded 175 blocked shots last year, ranking 23rd nationally at 5.1 blocks per game. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
Earlier this week, the Big Ten Conference announced Purdue's home-and-away conference games. The Boilermakers will host Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Penn State, Rutgers and Wisconsin at Mackey Arena.
Purdue is coming off a 26-9 season and was 1-of-10 teams nationally to be ranked in the nation's top 25 all season. The Boilermakers finished tied for third in the Big Ten Conference with a 12-6 record.
For information on season tickets, please contact the Purdue Athletics ticket office at 800.49SPORT.
