Boilermakers Country

The 15 Best Moments in Purdue Sports in 2024

There were a lot of unforgettable, fun and exciting moments for Purdue sports in 2024. We've come up with a list of the top-15 moments.

Dustin Schutte

Purdue head coach Matt Painter lifts up the Midwest Regional championship trophy to celebrate
Purdue head coach Matt Painter lifts up the Midwest Regional championship trophy to celebrate / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
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2024 was a memorable year for Purdue sports. We saw incredible individual accomplishments, tremendous fan turnout and great team achievements.

With the year winding down, let's revisit some of the biggest Boilermakers highlights from 2024.

Purdue finally returns to the Final Four

After four long decades, Purdue finally punched its ticket to the Final Four in 2024. It was the program's first trip to college basketball's pinnacle event since 1980.

The Boilermakers got to the Final Four in thrilling fashion, posting a 72-66 win over Tennessee in the Elite Eight. Zach Edey had a performance to remember, scoring 40 points, grabbing 16 rebounds and blocking one shot in the win.

Dave Shondell becomes Purdue volleyball's winningest coach

With a 3-0 win over Michigan State on Oct. 6, Dave Shondell became the all-time winningest coach in Purdue volleyball history. He notched his 470th victory with the Boilermakers, passing previous record holder Carol Dewey, an AVCA Hall of Famer.

At the end of the 2024 season, Purdue finished with a 27-7 record, giving Shondell 485 career wins at Purdue.

Zach Edey makes first career 3-pointer vs. Indiana

What better time to knock down the first 3-point shot of your career than on your home court against your biggest rival? Edey had a laundry list of accomplishments while at Purdue, but this has to be one of the most fun memories.

It helps that the Boilermakers defeated Indiana 79-59, sweeping the season series against the Hoosiers.

Katie Gearlds earns Purdue Sports Hall of Fame induction

A former Boilermaker now coaching at her alma mater, Gearlds secured her spot in Purdue history, earning an induction into the Purdue Sports Hall of Fame this year. She averaged 14.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3,0 assists and 1.4 steals per game across her career in West Lafayette.

It was a unique opportunity to see a former player and current coach earn a spot in the Purdue Sports Hall of Fame this year.

Gene Keady Gets a Piece of Final Four Net

Everyone's heart filled with joy in the minutes after Purdue punched its ticket to the Final Four. After cutting down the net, Edey walked over and handed a piece to legendary Boilermaker basketball coach Gene Keady.

Despite all the success Keady had at Purdue, he was never able to reach a Final Four in his 25 years as head coach. This was a moment Boilermaker Nation wanted Keady to experience.

Devin Mockobee cracks Purdue's top-10 rushing leaders

Mockobee proved to be one of the bright spots for Purdue's 2024 football season. The junior running back ended the year with 687 yards and four touchdowns on 138 carries. In three seasons, Mockobee now has 2,466 career rushing yards, ranking ninth all-time in Purdue history.

Although he's not yet hit the 1,000-yard mark in a season, Mockobee is within reach of Mike Alstott's all-time record of 3,635 yards.

Ali Hornung makes SportsCenter's top play

It's not every day you see a volleyball player earn the No. 1 spot on SportsCenter's Top 10. During Purdue's second-round match of the NCAA Tournament against Loyola Chicago, Hornung made an incredible save to help the Boilers win an important point.

While on her back, Hornung was able to make an incredible save just before the ball hit the ground. The Boilermakers went on to win the point, the set and match, advancing to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.

Braden Smith's dagger 3-pointer vs. Illinois

With the outright regular season Big Ten championship on the line, Smith knocked down one of the most impressive shots of the regular season. With time expiring on the shot clock, the sophomore guard drilled a 3-pointer to give Purdue a 77-71 advantage on the road against Illinois.

That shot secured an outright Big Ten title for the Boilermakers in back-to-back seasons.

Purdue volleyball makes Big Ten history ... twice

History was made in multiple ways on the volleyball court in West Lafayette in 2024. During the season, Purdue set a new Big Ten match record ... twice! The Boilermakers hosted two matches at Mackey Arena this season, selling out both.

With crowds of 14,876 for matches against Indiana (Oct. 19) and Wisconsin (Oct. 26), Purdue set an attendance record for a Big Ten conference match, breaking a record that had lasted two decades.

Purdue baseball sets new attendance record

Interest in Purdue baseball continued growing in 2024, with a new program attendance record for the season. A total of 38,023 fans attended 26 Boilermaker baseball games in the spring. It broke an attendance record at Alexander Field for a second straight.

Purdue's attendance also ranked third in the Big Ten for the season.

Zach Edey carves name in college basketball history books

Edey left no doubt in 2024, he will forever be known as one of the greatest college basketball players of all-time. He became the first player since Ralph Sampson (Virginia, 1981-83) to be named the National Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons.

The 7-foot-4 center also left Purdue as the program's all-time leading scorer and leading rebounder. It won't take long for him to earn a spot in the Purdue Sports Hall of Fame.

The "Lance Dance"

There may not be a more beloved one-year player in Purdue basketball history than Lance Jones. Not only was he an incredibly talented player, he embraced the Boilermaker culture and quickly became a fan favorite.

Part of Jones' charm came from him doing the dance to Sandstorm after halftime while taking the court for the second half. Yes, it had been a Paint Crew tradition for years, but Jones helped it grow in popularity.

Raven Colvin notches 600 career blocks

Colvin was one of the best middle blockers in college volleyball during her time in West Lafayette, and the stats backed it up. In 2024, Colvin became just the second player in program history to record 600 career blocks.

The senior middle blocker hit the impressive milestone in a 3-0 sweep over Rutgers in November. She finished her career with 642 blocks, ranking second in Purdue's history.

Purdue takes down No. 2 Alabama at Mackey Arena

One of the highlights of the 2024-25 season came in November, when Purdue hosted then-No. 2 Alabama. Despite the Boilermakers losing a lot of talent and production from last year's team, Purdue took down the second-ranked Crimson Tide 87-78.

Freshman CJ Cox delivered in a big way, finishing the game with 11 points, which included nine straight points during a pivotal moment in the contest.

Robbie Hummel, Matt Painter emotional interview after winning Elite Eight

One of the highlights of Purdue reaching its first Final Four in 44 years came in the moments after the Boilers defeated Tennessee in the Elite Eight. Former Purdue star Robbie Hummel was on the radio call and had the opportunity to talk with coach Matt Painter after the win.

Words can't even describe the moment that the coach and former player had on air, but it was special. It's always worth another listen.

Honorable Mention

Barry Odom hired as next Purdue football coach

There's new excitement surrounding the football program as 2024 comes to an end. Although a coaching change isn't necessarily a "highlight," new coach Barry Odom has generated a lot of optimism about the future of Boilermaker football.

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

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