College basketball fans look forward to upsets this time of year. The drama, the unexpected, the Cinderella story – all are hallmarks of March Madness, making the NCAA Tournament three of the most exhilarating weeks of the year in sports.
College basketball fans look forward to upsets this time of year. The drama, the unexpected, the Cinderella story – all are hallmarks of March Madness, making the NCAA Tournament three of the most exhilarating weeks of the year in sports. For Purdue, last year’s first-round loss to Fairleigh Dickinson fell into the latter category – a No. 1 seed falling to a 16, just the second time it’s happened in the history of the men’s tournament, following UMBC’s win over Virginia in 2018.
It wasn’t the first time a promising season had gone up in flames. In 2021, Purdue earned a fourth seed at the tournament, then lost in the first round to North Texas. A year later, the Boilermakers raced to the Sweet 16, only to lose to Saint Peter’s, which became the first No. 15 seed in history to reach the Elite Eight.
It’s not necessarily fair, but it’s a reality: Losses are measured differently this time of year for Purdue. Also working in the Boilermakers’ favour this time around is a deeper, more balanced supporting cast, beginning with Braden Smith, a Big Ten All-Freshman last season who went from being a steady contributor to one of the most complete point guards in college basketball. They also added Lance Jones, a fifth-year graduate transfer from Southern Illinois, who’s started all 33 games for head coach Matt Painter.
“ feels different because we have better shooters,” Painter said. “We made more shots. The ball goes in more…that’s what feels different about it.
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