Purdue's Tough Scheduling Model Goes Beyond Brand Recognition and Ranked Opponents
The marquee matchups on Purdue's nonconference schedule are easy to spot, like playing the simplest game of Where's Waldo? ever drawn. The slate is highlighted by contests against No. 2 Alabama, No. 15 Marquette, No. 23 Texas A&M and No. 5 Auburn. It is, without question, one of the most challenging schedules in college basketball this season.
What's often overlooked, though, is the way Purdue tests itself against mid-major competition. It's not by chance, either. Following Monday's 92-84 win over Yale, Boilermakers coach Matt Painter confirmed that he evaluates past success and returning production when trying to assemble a schedule.
"Yes, without question we do," Painter said. "I think that's where people get off the grid a little bit because they don't understand what their NET (rankings) are going to be when you start a season, but you can gauge what their NETs have been in the past. That's the best predictor of the future."
To the common fan, there's probably not been a lot of interest in Purdue's first three games, especially on paper. Dig a little deeper, though, and you'll realize that all three of the Boilermakers' opponents rank in the top-185 of the NET: Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (No. 179), Northern Kentucky (No. 183) and Yale (No. 83).
All three have presented unique challenges early in the season. That's what Painter loves about bringing quality mid-major foes into Mackey Arena.
"Nobody's walking out of here thinking Yale's not having a good season, right? No one walked out of here thinking Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's not going to be at the top of their league. Northern Kentucky just hit a rut scoring the basketball, but they've got an unbelievable matchup zone," he said.
"So, we saw (Yale's) style, we saw Northern Kentucky's matchup zone and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi shot the passing lanes — they were aggressive, they turned us over. So, that's the thing you want, you want those challenges while still being able to win."
Purdue has done a lot of winning over the last three seasons, enjoying nonconference success unlike most college basketball programs. With Monday's victory over Yale, the Boilermakers have now racked up 38 consecutive wins over nonconference opponents in the regular season. They haven't lost a non-Big Ten contest since Dec. 8, 2020 (Miami).
It's not as if Painter has loaded up the schedule against cupcakes to reach that number, either. Included in those 38 straight wins are victories over:
- No. 18 North Carolina (Hall of Fame Tipoff, 2021)
- No. 5 Villanova (Hall of Fame Tipoff, 2021)
- No. 6 Gonzaga (Phil Knight Legacy, 2022)
- No. 8 Duke (Phil Knight Legacy, 2022)
- No. 11 Gonzaga (Maui Invitational, 2023)
- No. 7 Tennessee (Maui Invitational, 2023)
- No. 4 Marquette (Maui Invitational, 2023)
- No. 1 Arizona (Indy Classic, 2023)
Painter, now in his 20th season at Purdue, admitted that it took him some time to get comfortable with playing a challenging nonconference schedule. He also understands why other coaches might want to steer away from that method.
"It's hard to do. As a coach, it took me a long time to get to that point," Painter said. "What coaches get scared of is those losses, so they just dip about 100 points in the NET. Instead of playing (a team ranked) 184, they play 284. Then they complain about their seed or they complain about being on the bubble and not getting in when they made their mistake in June.
"When you sit there and say 'How have you been a top-five seed for eight straight years?' I think a part of it is that. Now, you've got to go out and beat them, too."
Creating a schedule isn't always "picking" your schedule. At times, it's hard to get mid-major teams to come to Mackey Arena. Over the last four seasons, Purdue has done a better job at bringing in skilled opponents from that level.
In 2021, the Boilers played three teams ranked in the top-200 of the NET: Bellarmine (No. 197), Wright State (No. 186) and Nicholls (No. 192). Purdue played a top-100 mid-major in 2022, hosting Hofstra (No. 86). Last season, the Boilers scheduled games against Samford (No. 74) and Morehead State (No. 106).
Yes, Purdue has played its fair share of mid-major teams ranked in the 200s and 300s of the NET over the last four seasons. That's the nature of building a nonconference schedule, though.
The Boilers only have two games against mid-majors left this season: Nov. 23 against Marshall and Dec. 29 against Toledo. The Thundering Herd sit at No. 245 in the NET and the Rockets are No. 130.
As for the rest of the season? Purdue has those premier matchups against No. 2 Alabama, No. 15 Marquette, No. 23 Texas A&M and No. 5 Auburn. The Boilermakers will also play in the Rady Children's Invitational against North Carolina State and either No. 25 Ole Miss or BYU.
It's a grind, but one that Painter believes will only help his program moving forward.
"The Mark Few (Gonzaga) and Tom Izzo (Michigan State) style of scheduling — they've had years where they just rolled. They've had some years where they've taken some hits," Painter said.
"But when it comes conference time and getting into the NCAA Tournament, I think proof is in the pudding they're really prepared."
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FLETCHER LOYER BEATS THE BUZZER: Purdue guard Fletcher Loyer beat the buzzer, knocking down a triple as time expired in the first half in Monday's game against Yale. He had 12 points at the break. CLICK HERE
