Purdue Basketball: 2021-22 season preview and outlook for Boilermakers

EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN - JANUARY 08: Trevion Williams #50 and Mason Gillis #0 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates after defeating the Michigan State Spartans 55 - 54 at Breslin Center on January 08, 2021 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /

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Jaden Ivey Purdue Basketball (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

One of college basketball’s most shocking dark horses in 2020-21, Purdue Basketball will enter the upcoming campaign featuring one of the most experienced groups in the country – and as a team that could vie for a Big Ten title.

The Boilermakers were given little to no exposure prior to last season, having been slotted ninth in the preseason Big Ten poll while no Purdue players received preseason all-conference team honors. And, for the opening weeks of the season, it appeared as if those expectations were not in vain – with the exception of beating down Liberty in their season-opener, the Boilermakers struggled against marquee competition, falling to Clemson by double-digits while falling at Miami on the road in early December.

Despite eventual losses to Iowa, Rutgers, and Illinois, Purdue’s mid-December win over Ohio State showed a glimpse of promise – and a revitalized Boilermaker squad rushed out of the gates in 2021 with newfound purpose, claiming four wins in a row – including a road win against the Buckeyes to complete the sweep.

After another tumultuous stretch, Purdue repeated its hot streak again, ending the regular season on a five-game winning streak, with decisive wins over a pair of NCAA Tournament teams in Michigan State and Wisconsin, as well as potentially driving the final nail in Indiana’s March Madness hopes.

Back-to-back heartbreaking overtime losses to Ohio State and North Texas ceased Purdue’s shocking season in an untimely fashion, but the Boilermakers’ statement was made after finishing the year with an 18-10 overall record and a 13-6 mark in Big Ten play; those tallies earned Purdue a 4-seed in the NCAA Tournament and a spot at 20th in the season’s final AP Poll.

https://twitter.com/TheAthletic/status/1373081093792878594

Matt Painter’s crew posted top 40 ranks in offensive and defensive efficiency, per KenPom, while three players earned postseason honors, with big man Trevion Williams earning All-Big Ten First Team honors, whereas Zach Edey and Jaden Ivey were tabbed to the conference’s All-Freshman Team.

Now, Purdue will enter the 2021-22 campaign with its highest preseason expectations since the Caleb Swanigan and Carsen Edwards era five years ago – and with a ceiling that includes Big Ten title and National Championship aspirations. Picked sixth in our own preseason top 25 poll and nearly universally agreed upon to be one of the two top programs in the Big Ten entering next season, alongside Michigan, the Boilermakers have the pieces necessary to crack into the Final Four for the first time in over 40 years.

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