Purdue’s non-conference is a gauntlet again

Matt Painter and Purdue did something last non-conference it hadn’t done in four seasons: lose.

After three straight seasons of sweeping its non-conference schedule, Purdue finally succumbed to a daunting non-conference scheduled when it went into Milwaukee and lost to Marquette on the road. It would add two more losses last non-conference, dropping to one of the best teams in the country, Auburn, in a semi-road environment and to Texas A&M in the Indy Classic.

The Boilers have not happened upon challenging non-conference schedules by accident. Matt Painter has grown more and more aggressive with scheduling, piling on top of MTE tournament invites with home and aways with some of college basketball’s best coaches and programs.

Purdue’s gotten more and more creative including playing out of the country in Toronto two seasons ago against Alabama to help with foreign born NIL opportunities for both teams – as well as a home trip for two time Player of the Year, Zach Edey.

Painter wants his team to be playing its best basketball by the end of the season, and he’s used his non-conference scheduling as a chance to set his team up by the time it gets to Tournament time.

In that vein, Painter has also started the learning even before the regular season. Purdue will head to Kentucky this season to play an exhibition game, something its done in the prior two seasons. Purdue went to Creighton last season and Arkansas the season before, both away games where the ticket purches were used for fundraising for different local causes.

It’s also provided Painter’s players early experience in hostile environment including true freshmen’s first taste of a road venue and fans.

In the last four seasons Purdue has played these teams in the non-conference: Alabama (2x), Marquette (3x), Texas A&M, Auburn, Xavier, Arizona, North Carolina, Villanova, West Virginia, Gonzaga (2x), Duke, Tennessee, and Ole Miss.

Purdue will enter this season as the preseason #1 or #2 of the year, with a roster full of seniors and talented underclassmen.

Some familiar powerhouses will show up in this season’s non-conference again, but Purdue has added another home and away series with one of the best programs in college currently.

And before the season, Purdue will travel a few hours south to take on one of college basketball’s truest blue bloods.

Let’s take an early look at Purdue’s non-conference schedule.

Purdue has gotten the best of Alabama in its two games in the last two seasons. The first game was set in a true neutral environment when the two teams made a December trip to Toronto where Purdue won 92-86 in one of the best offensive displays of college basketball in the last two seasons.

Last season, Alabama had to make the trip to Mackey Arena where Purdue won 87-78.

Both of those Nate Oates’ Alabama teams were headlined by Mark Sears, who is no longer around for Alabama who will be looking to rebuild and recharge after another deep run in the NCAA Tournament this season.

Now Purdue will have to return the favor and head down to Alabama to take on a Crimson Tide team that will want to prove itself against one of the favorites to win the national title early in the season.

Oh yeah, this could very easily be an early top-10 showdown with the talented and young Crimson Tide ranked #11 in the way too early rankings by ESPN.

Marquette finally got the best of Purdue after losing to the Boilers in Mackey Arena and then the Maui Invitational the last few seasons.

Marquette gave Purdue its first non-conference loss in four seasons last year when Purdue went up to Marquette and got jumped by Shaka Smart’s Golden Eagles.

Purdue will get to play host to Marquette this time and Mackey Arena should be at an all-time level this season as it gets a final season with seniors Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer.

Purdue and Auburn traded semi-away games and after handling the Boilers in convincing fashion last season in Alabama’s state capital, Purdue will host the Indy Classic in Indiana’s capital.

This is another game that might be a top-10 show down as Bruce Pearl continues to make the War Eagles one of college basketball’s best programs. Auburn will have a lot of production to replace as well, but fresh off a Final Four appearance, it’ll have a lot of confidence against a Purdue team that was overmatched by Auburn’s size, athleticism, and skill last season.

It’s an exhibition game, but once again, Purdue will get a chance to take on road hostilities before the games count.

Mark Pope’s first season was a pretty roaring success and his second season looks to be even better. Kentucky is the #6 team in the country in way too early rankings at ESPN and it’ll be a loaded, talented group of Wildcats behind a furious home crowd.

Pope had his Kentucky team playing fast last season and it will be an early contrast in style as Purdue’s efficient but meticulous offense at the hands of Braden Smith.

Kentucky will probably be a team that gets better throughout the season, but a strong early showing for Purdue will be a good sign that its new pieces, Oscar Cluff and Omer Mayer, are fitting in from day one.

The newest addition to Painter’s collection of home and aways, TJ Otzelberger’s Iowa State Cyclones.

Otzelberger’s teams always defend, force turnovers, and grind down other teams. The Cyclones faded towards the end of last season, but this could be another top-10 showdown in Mackey Arena this year. Cyclones had the 13th best defense last season, and that was a down year for Otzelberger’s group. His team was the best defense in the country the season before and has been top-10 every season at Iowa State before that at Iowa State.

It might be the best showdown of offense and defense in all of college basketball as Purdue looks to have the nation’s most efficient scoring offense behind the nation’s best point guard.

Throughout last season, Painter reached back to Purdue’s losses and challenges in the non-conference as points of reference for his team. Purdue’s late season surge, strong conference play, and resiliency throughout the season was built on the tough competition it played early in the season.

Purdue wasn’t good enough to be at Auburn’s level early in the season and that was a harsh truth the team needed.

At the end of the season, Purdue took #1 seed Houston to the very brink and came up just a shot short.

This season’s Purdue team has even more experience, more talent, and will once again be fully tested before Big Ten play starts.