Purdue's Success in the NCAA Tournament Under Matt Painter Far Outweighs Shortcomings
Narratives form in funny ways sometimes, don't they? So, maybe I shouldn't be totally shocked the ones that followed Purdue into this year's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament were blown out of proportion.
When the 68-team bracket was revealed on Selection Sunday, the Boilermakers had earned a No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region. Matt Painter's team was pitted against No. 13 seed High Point. It took college basketball analyst Seth Davis all of 11 seconds to begin spouting that the Panthers would upset the Boilers in the upset and ultimately punch a ticket to the Sweet 16.
Before the game had tipped off, High Point was one of the highest-picked underdogs of the tournament. The reason? Most believed Purdue's struggles against double-digit seeds would rear its ugly head in Providence, R.I.
So, you'd think, when Purdue defeated High Point 75-63, there might be some buyer's remorse on the upset selection.
Nope.
Instead, those same people dug their heels deep into the ground, convinced that No. 12 seed McNeese would eliminate Painter and Co. from the tournament. How did that one turn out?
For a majority of the game, Purdue outclassed McNeese, pummeling the Cowboys into oblivion until a late surge closed the gap. Nonetheless, the Boilermakers enjoyed a comfortable 76-62 victory to advance to the Sweet 16.
So much for the "Purdue always loses to a double-digit seed in March Madness" crowd.
Before diving too deep into it, I should at least acknowledge that I understand why that narrative exists. From 2021-23, the Boilers were bounced from the NCAA Tournament by a double-digit seed. No. 13 seed North Texas defeated Purdue in 2021 and No. 15 seed St. Peter's beat the Boilermakers in the Sweet 16 the following year.
We all know what happened in 2023, when Purdue became just the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed, falling to Fairleigh Dickinson in the opening round of March Madness.
I understand recent history is hard to ignore, but it's not as if this has been an issue for Painter since he took over in West Lafayette. Over the course of his 20 seasons at Purdue, his teams have generally performed well.
Under Painter, Purdue has been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by a double-digit seed a grand total of five times. The Boilermakers lost to No. 12 seed Arkansas Little Rock in 2016 and fell to No. 11 VCU in 2011 — a team that ultimately reached the Final Four.
Painter's teams have also made eight Sweet 16 appearances, six coming in the last eight years. Purdue has lost in the first round of March Madness only four times in the past 20 years.
The Boilers have played in a Final Four and competed in the National Championship Game.
So, can we finally put the narrative that Purdue "always loses" to a double-digit seed to bed? I know this might hurt the number of likes and reposts your X post receives moving forward. But that's really all it was ever about anyway — a few giggles on social media.
Over the last 20 years, the success Matt Painter and the Boilermakers have enjoyed in March far outweighh the shortcomings it has experienced.
Matt Painter's record at Purdue in the NCAA Tournament
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 16
- Overall record: 24-16
- First round record: 12-4
- Sweet 16 appearances: 8
- Sweet 16 record: 2-5*
- Final Fours: 1
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FORMER PLAYERS CELEBRATE: Multiple former Purdue players gave the Boilers a shoutout after beating McNeese 76-62 on Saturday to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. CLICK HERE
COX, HARRIS NOT SCARED OF MOMENT: The NCAA Tournament can be intimidating for any college basketball player. But Purdue freshmen CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris shed the jitters and made a big impact in the first two rounds of March Madness, punching a ticket to the Sweet 16. CLICK HERE
