Purdue has been one of the most successful programs in college basketball over the last three years.
The Boilermakers have two-time Sporting News Player of the Year Zach Edey, a 7-4 center who averages 24.4 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.
Yet Purdue arguably faces more pressure in the 2024 NCAA Tournament under coach Matt Painter than the rest of the No. 1 seeds. A string of upset losses in the tournament the last three seasons to No. 13 North Texas (2021), No. 15 Saint Peter’s (2022) and No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson (2023) have led to increased scrutiny heading into this tournament.
No. 1 Purdue plays No. 16 Grambling State at 7:25 p.m. ET in the Midwest Region at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Will the Boilermakers exorcise those demons and break their Final Four drought?
Here’s a closer look at Purdue’s NCAA Tournament history under Painter.
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Matt Painter March Madness record at Purdue
Painter is in his 19th season as the head coach with the Boilermakers. Painter has led the Boilermakers to five Big Ten regular-season championships and two Big Ten conference tournament championships.
The Boilermakers are 87-18 the last three seasons – a .829 winning percentage, which is the third-best record in Division I behind Houston (95-14, .872) and Gonzaga (84-17, .832). That regular-season success, however, has not always translated in the NCAA Tournament.
This is Painter’s 15th NCAA Tournament appearance with the Boilermakers, and it’s best to divide his previous appearances into three acts.
Purdue made five straight appearances from 2006-07 to 2011-12. A look at those results:
YEAR
SEED
ROUND
LOSS
2006-07
No. 9
2nd Round
No. 1 Florida, 74-67
2007-08
No. 6
2nd Round
No. 3 Xavier, 85-78
2008-09
No. 5
Sweet 16
No. 1 UConn, 72-60
2009-10
No. 4
Sweet 16
No. 1 Duke, 70-57
2010-11
No. 3
2nd Round
No. 11 VCU, 94-76
2011-12
No. 10
2nd Round
No. 3 Kansas, 63-60
Aside from the loss to No. 11 VCU, every loss was to a higher seed. It did not affect the perception of Painter or the program.
The Boilermakers made five more appearances from 2014-15 to 2018-19.
YEAR
SEED
ROUND
LOSS
2014-15
No. 9
First Round
No. 8 Cincinnati, 66-65 (OT)
2015-16
No. 5
First Round
No. 12 Little Rock, 85-83 (2OT)
2016-17
No. 4
Sweet 16
No. 1 Kansas, 98-66
2017-18
No. 2
Sweet 16
No. 3 Texas Tech, 78-65
2018-19
No. 3
Elite Eight
No. 1 Virginia, 80-75 (OT)
Aside from the 5-12 loss to Little Rock, this was another solid run punctuated by the Elite Eight march in 2018-19. Virginia’s Mamadi Diakite forced overtime with a buzzer-beater, and that was a heartbreaking loss for Purdue.
The last three tournament appearances have been particularly painful for Purdue:
YEAR
SEED
ROUND
LOSS
2020-21
No. 4
First Round
No. 13 North Texas, 78-69
2021-22
No. 3
Sweet 16
No. 15 Saint Peter’s, 67-64
2022-23
No. 1
First Round
No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson, 63-58
Those losses have escalated with each season and mounted the pressure for Purdue to break through in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. That reached a tipping point last season with FDU, which became just the second No. 16 seed to beat a No. 1 seed in tournament history.
Did Matt Painter play at Purdue?
Painter played at Purdue from 1989-93. He was a guard and worked his way into a full-time starting position as a senior. The Boilermakers made the tournament three times during his playing career but did not advance past the second round.
When did Purdue last make the Final Four?
The Boilermakers have two Final Four appearances. Purdue was the national runner-up in 1969 and made the Final Four in 1980 before losing to UCLA 67-62. The Boilermakers have not made the Final Four since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1984-85.
Purdue made the Elite Eight in 1994 with a team led by Sporting News Sporting News Player of the Year Glenn Robinson and again in 2000. The 2019 Elite Eight run was the last time the Boilermakers came close to the Final Four.
Will Purdue make the Final Four in 2024?
Purdue finished 29-4 in 2023-24 and won the Big Ten regular-season championship. According to odds by BetMGM, Purdue is at +150 to make the Final Four, the third-best odds of any team in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The Boilermakers are in the Midwest Region and will play in Indianapolis the first weekend. The Midwest Region second-weekend games are in Detroit.
This is arguably Purdue’s best chance to break that Final Four drought. Then again, didn’t we say that last year?
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