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Purdue Basketball: Purdue Boilermakers 2015-16 Season Preview

By Hashim R. Hathaway

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Purdue Boilermakers

2014-2015 Record: 21-13 (12-6, Big Ten)
Postseason: NCAA Tournament – Second Round

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A 12-6 fifth place Big Ten season was the highlight of the Purdue Boilermakers’ 2014-15 season that showed progression and growth for a team not expected to do very much. Finishing the season 21-13 overall, Purdue survived the bubble, squeaking their way into the NCAA Tournament where they lost to Cincinnati in the second round.

Building on the strong finish last season, head coach Matt Painter opens up his 10th season with the Boilers full of promise as they return an experienced class, including seniors A.J. Hammons and Raphael Davis.

With the meat of their starting lineup still intact, the Boilers also add five-star recruit Caleb Swanigan from Fort Wayne Homestead, giving Purdue an added weapon to help improve upon last season’s fortunes. This season could be pivotal for the Boilers as the impending retirement of Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan opens up a power vacuum, presenting an opportunity for Purdue to compete for supremacy in the rough and tumble Big Ten.

Newcomers

F – Caleb Swanigan (#9 ESPN100)
G – Ryan Cline (#157 247Sports Composite)
G – Grant Weatherford (#380 247Sports Composite)
F – Grady Eifert (walk-on)

Key Non-Conference Games

Nov. 22 vs Winner of Florida/St. Joseph’s – As non-conference schedules go, Purdue managed to pull a pretty toothless one. After near-guaranteed wins vs North Carolina A&T, Vermont, Incarnate Word and Old Dominion, Painter and the Boilers could get a look at Florida under first year head coach Mike White. While the Gators were pretty bad last season, finishing eighth in the SEC and missing the NCAA Tournament, the Gators have a trio of highly ranked recruits that could make things interesting for the Boilers.

Dec. 1 vs Pittsburgh – The Boilers’ first legitimate non-conference challenge comes in the form of ACC/Big Ten Challenge opponent Pittsburgh. Panthers head coach Jaime Dixon has a full shelf of upperclassmen transfers coming in to patch up some holes on defense, and that could spell trouble for the Boilers as Pitt manages to play a solid non-conference game before diving into ACC league play.

Dec. 19 vs Butler – The Boilers and Bulldogs square off in the fifth annual Crossroads Classic in Indianapolis. Led by second-year head coach Chris Holtmann, the Bulldogs are coming in with big expectations this season after their surprise 23-11 season, finishing third in the Big East. Butler beat Purdue 76-70 in their previous Crossroads Classic matchup, so look for the Boilers to seek revenge and an all-important non-conference win that could help greatly come NCAA tournament selection time.

Key Players

A.J. Hammons – Last season, Hammons led the Big Ten in blocked shots for the third consecutive year. As a center, Hammons is an offensive threat of its own, becoming the first Big Ten player in three decades to get 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 250 blocks by the close of his junior year. So goes Hammons’ performance, so go the Boilers.

Raphael Davis – Davis begins his senior campaign fresh from last season’s Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors where he averaged 10.4 points and 4.4 rebounds. Along with Hammons, Davis will be looked to by Painter to provide the type of leadership necessary to keep everyone in line and most importantly lock down the perimeter, keeping Mackey Arena a tough place to play.

Caleb Swanigan – Swanigan is just a beast. Coming in at 6-9, 260 lbs, his size will compliment Hammons as both become twin towers of defense. Swanigan’s physicality will help him snag rebounds in the post and compensate for the Boilers’ need for a more consistent long distance threat. This is the guy you want to infiltrate the post and also work with the centers to keep the other end of the court secure.

Season Outlook

The 2015-16 campaign could honestly go any way for Purdue. With a soft non-conference schedule, the Boilers have an opportunity to sell a narrative come NCAA tournament time that will help them should they need it come Selection Sunday. In the meantime, this Boiler squad could shine in tough matchups later in Big Ten season, such as at Illinois, at Iowa and in Bloomington, against blood rival Indiana.

Even though Caleb Swanigan is a huge pickup for the Boilers, losing Jon Octeus to graduation took away an essential scoring threat. While graduate transfer Johnny Hill adds depth, Purdue still doesn’t have that guaranteed answer from the perimeter.

Although things change, the 2015-16 Purdue Boilermakers look like a team how wants to win, even though they may not be ready for all of those wins. A conservative estimate would place Purdue with 19-20 wins and a fifth place finish in the Big Ten. For a team that’s still growing, the Boilers are in that middle ground between being a solid team, and serving as a conference punching bag. We’ll know soon enough which is Purdue in that equation.

Next: Big Ten Season Preview

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