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Purdue Basketball: Are the Boilermakers built for a title run?

By Blaine Lewallen

WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - JANUARY 25: Isaac Haas
WEST LAFAYETTE, IN - JANUARY 25: Isaac Haas /
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Purdue basketball is among the elite teams in the country right now. Can Matt Painter lead them to an NCAA tournament title?

The Boilermakers have it all. They have size in the form of two 7-footers in Isaac Haas and Matt Haarms. They have experience, as four out of their five starters are seniors who have been main contributors for much of their college careers. They have athleticism, elite scoring, shooting, depth, you name it.

With all of these pieces combined, Matt Painter has his team looking like a national title contender. The Boilermakers are currently ranked No. 3 in the latest AP top-25 poll and many people think they look like the best team in college basketball right now.

This certainly wasn’t always the case this season. After they had high expectations coming into this year, a couple of early losses in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament to Tennessee and Western Kentucky made people question whether this team was legit.

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March Madness championship odds following Purdue's shocking upset loss to Fairleigh Dickinson
March Madness championship odds following Purdue's shocking upset loss to Fairleigh Dickinson /

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    • Since that tournament, the Boilers have proved any doubters wrong. They have racked up 16 straight wins since the Western Kentucky game.

    In the process, they have started out Big Ten play with a perfect 9-0 record and are clearly the team to beat in the conference. Purdue’s impressive resume includes wins over Arizona, Louisville, Butler, and Michigan (twice).

    The Boilermakers have done it on both sides of the ball as well. They are currently ranked first in the Big Ten in scoring offense at 85.1 points per game, and second in scoring defense, yielding just 63.4 points per game. They are also towards the top in team field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense, so they play at a very efficient level.

    Leading the offensive attack for the Boilermakers is the lone underclassman in the starting lineup, Carsen Edwards. The 6-1 sophomore averages 17.0 points per game on 48% shooting.

    Outside of Edwards, the Boilermakers have numerous other playmakers, making them a very well-balanced group. Vince Edwards contributes 15.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Haas provides 14.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game (and of course, size). Dakota Mathias adds 12.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Point guard P.J. Thompson gives them toughness and also scores 8.8 points per game.

    Next: Most recent Big Ten rankings

    As one can see, these guys are a well-oiled machine. They have all of the tools to make a title run, but they will need to continue to bring the toughness and togetherness that they have shown throughout the season. The experience of their team overall gives them the ability to do some damage in March. These guys have been there before, and know what it will take to get some wins. It will be exciting to watch the Boilers play during the NCAA tournament.

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