WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men's basketball team held its first official practice on Thursday afternoon on Cardinal Court as preparations are now underway for the start of the 2020-21 season.
The first possible start date for practice was Wednesday and teams are allowed 30 practices in the 42 days leading to the season opener on Nov. 25. The Boilermakers will held to Melbourne, Florida, to open its season as part of the Cancun Challenge.
Coach Painter returns for his 16th season, welcoming back a young, but experienced lineup. The Boilermakers will have no seniors on its roster, but will be led by four juniors that played in every game last season. In addition, five freshmen will likely see significant action as Purdue looks to return to the top of the Big Ten standings.
Noting the Boilermakers • For just the third time in 16 seasons, head coach Matt Painter will return his top three scorers from the previous season (2009-10, 2013-14). Trevion Williams (11.5), Eric Hunter Jr., (10.6) and Sasha Stefanovic (9.1) all return for their junior seasons.
• Purdue will have no seniors on its roster for the first time in recorded history.
• Seven of Purdue's 15 players will be playing its first season of college basketball.
• Purdue is 15506 when under Painter when holding foes to 59 or fewer points. Three of the five losses came during the 2012-13 season.
• Purdue hasn't lost when scoring 90 points since Nov. 24, 1987, having win 101 straight games when doing so (39-0 under Painter).
• Purdue is 34-5 since the start of the 2017-18 season when making 10+ 3-pointers.
Coach Painter Highlights • Has averaged almost 23 wins a season in his 15 years at Purdue. If you don't include the first transitional year, the average balloons to 24.0 wins per year over the last 14 seasons.
• Has won at least 25 games in nine of his 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
• Painter's four Big Ten Coach of the Year honors are tied for the third most in league history (Gene Keady - 7; Bobby Knight - 5; Bo Ryan - 4).
• Painter's 337 overall wins are the eighth most by an individual in Big Ten history. His 167 Big Ten wins are also eighth.
• Painter has averaged 11.1 wins per year in conference play, the fifth-best average in Big Ten Conference history.
• Is one of just four active coaches to have won a Big Ten championship.
• Painter's 11 NCAA Tournaments in the last 14 years are the eighth most in the country.
• Purdue's five Sweet 16 appearances in the last 12 years are the ninth most nationally.
• Purdue is one of four schools to reach at least three straight Sweet 16s, joining Kentucky, Gonzaga and Michigan.
• Purdue's seven NCAA Tournament wins over the last three years are the eighth most nationally.
• Purdue's is one of four schools to rank in the KenPom top 25 in each of the last five years (Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga).
• Painter's 362 wins are the seventh-most nationally for an active coach aged 55 or younger. They are the third most for a coach under age of 50.
• Coach Painter's 12 NCAA Tourmaments are the most for a coach nationally under the age of 55 (As of April 1, 2020 -- Painter is 50 years old).
• Purdue has finished first or second in Big Ten play in seven of Painter's last 13 years.
• Lastly, the six-winningest classes in school history have come during the Painter era (2020, 2019, 2018, 2012, 2011, 2010).
The first possible start date for practice was Wednesday and teams are allowed 30 practices in the 42 days leading to the season opener on Nov. 25. The Boilermakers will held to Melbourne, Florida, to open its season as part of the Cancun Challenge.
Coach Painter returns for his 16th season, welcoming back a young, but experienced lineup. The Boilermakers will have no seniors on its roster, but will be led by four juniors that played in every game last season. In addition, five freshmen will likely see significant action as Purdue looks to return to the top of the Big Ten standings.
Noting the Boilermakers • For just the third time in 16 seasons, head coach Matt Painter will return his top three scorers from the previous season (2009-10, 2013-14). Trevion Williams (11.5), Eric Hunter Jr., (10.6) and Sasha Stefanovic (9.1) all return for their junior seasons.
• Purdue will have no seniors on its roster for the first time in recorded history.
• Seven of Purdue's 15 players will be playing its first season of college basketball.
• Purdue is 15506 when under Painter when holding foes to 59 or fewer points. Three of the five losses came during the 2012-13 season.
• Purdue hasn't lost when scoring 90 points since Nov. 24, 1987, having win 101 straight games when doing so (39-0 under Painter).
• Purdue is 34-5 since the start of the 2017-18 season when making 10+ 3-pointers.
Coach Painter Highlights • Has averaged almost 23 wins a season in his 15 years at Purdue. If you don't include the first transitional year, the average balloons to 24.0 wins per year over the last 14 seasons.
• Has won at least 25 games in nine of his 16 seasons as a collegiate head coach.
• Painter's four Big Ten Coach of the Year honors are tied for the third most in league history (Gene Keady - 7; Bobby Knight - 5; Bo Ryan - 4).
• Painter's 337 overall wins are the eighth most by an individual in Big Ten history. His 167 Big Ten wins are also eighth.
• Painter has averaged 11.1 wins per year in conference play, the fifth-best average in Big Ten Conference history.
• Is one of just four active coaches to have won a Big Ten championship.
• Painter's 11 NCAA Tournaments in the last 14 years are the eighth most in the country.
• Purdue's five Sweet 16 appearances in the last 12 years are the ninth most nationally.
• Purdue is one of four schools to reach at least three straight Sweet 16s, joining Kentucky, Gonzaga and Michigan.
• Purdue's seven NCAA Tournament wins over the last three years are the eighth most nationally.
• Purdue's is one of four schools to rank in the KenPom top 25 in each of the last five years (Duke, Kansas, Gonzaga).
• Painter's 362 wins are the seventh-most nationally for an active coach aged 55 or younger. They are the third most for a coach under age of 50.
• Coach Painter's 12 NCAA Tourmaments are the most for a coach nationally under the age of 55 (As of April 1, 2020 -- Painter is 50 years old).
• Purdue has finished first or second in Big Ten play in seven of Painter's last 13 years.
• Lastly, the six-winningest classes in school history have come during the Painter era (2020, 2019, 2018, 2012, 2011, 2010).