ROSEMONT, Illinois - Purdue keeps losing stars, and Big Ten coaches keep noticing that the Boilermakers somehow remain Purdue.
Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Oscar Cluff are gone from the conversation for now, but the program’s identity is still so strong that rival coaches are openly trying to copy the way it builds a roster. In an era shaped by the transfer portal and the money being poured into team construction, that kind of stability has become rare.
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said his staff has studied Purdue’s formula and tried to borrow from it.
"We've tried to model some of what we do as far as building a roster after what they've done," Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said. "We start with retention as well and try to add young players who can come in and be impactful, and then you complement the rest with the portal.
"I think Paint is one of the very best coaches in the country. And what he's done at Purdue has been tremendous in the consistency that they operate with. I think part of it is because of retention they've had, and we've very much tried to do the same thing here."
Purdue’s retention rate is the part that jumps off the page. Outside of players who exhausted their eligibility, the Boilermakers lost only walk-on guard Aaron Fine, who transferred to Ball State. They bring back five full-time rotation players from last season, and that continuity is a big reason other coaches view them as the model.
That hasn’t stopped the preseason projections from taking a hit after Purdue lost its top four scorers. The Boilermakers are picked to finish sixth in the Big Ten, which still says plenty about the respect they’ve earned in a league that was college basketball’s best last season.
This is familiar territory for Purdue. The talk is always about who left, not about who stayed. And yet the results keep following the same script: the Boilermakers have been a top four seed in nine straight NCAA Tournaments and a top five seed in 10 straight, including the 2019 run to the Elite Eight after Isaac Haas, Vince Edwards, Dakota Mathias and PJ Thompson graduated from a 30-win team.
"I expect Purdue to almost be the exact same team they were the last couple years," Washington coach Danny Sprinkle said. "When you have the tradition already built in and you have that culture and the former players, it's a hard place to leave.
I imagine they get treated great. They can achieve their dreams from there."
Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg grouped Purdue with Michigan State as the Big Ten’s standard for keeping a roster intact.
"That's what you're trying to live up to. He just does it the right way," Hoiberg said.
"You see the retention that Purdue has every year. That speaks to the culture that Matt has established, and that goes back a long time with Purdue."
Ben McCollum, who took Iowa to the Elite Eight last March in his first season, connected Purdue’s approach to the one that helped him win four NCAA Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State. He said the long game matters - finding players others overlook, then letting development do the rest.
Purdue’s current mix reflects that idea. Among 11 players expected to compete for minutes this season, two are freshmen, one is a one-year addition from France, one is a graduate transfer and the rest are in at least their second or third season since originally signing with Purdue.
Strip out two-year starter C.J. Cox, and the other six players in that group have started just nine games combined for the Boilermakers.
Three have redshirted. None of them left.
"Purdue is great at that. Michigan State is great at that," McCollum said. "I am not sure who else from our league."
That’s why opposing coaches are brushing aside the idea that Purdue is headed for a fall.
"It'll be the same," Sprinkle said. "Even before Zach Edey, they had Isaac Haas. It just falls in line.
"When you have an established tradition and you are able to retain those players year after year, they know the system. They know the expectation. Not only from the coaches, but as a player, they know the pressure they're under from the fan base and what they have to do to play well and compete in the Big Ten."
In Other News...
Josh Henson May Be The Biggest Reason Purdue Looks Different
Purdues offense has looked far more functional this season, and a big part of that turnaround has been second-year coordinator Josh Henson. The Boilermakers have been able to move the ball with more consistency, with quarterback Ryan Browne and running back Fame Ijeboi both giving the unit a steadier rhythm than it had in recent seasons.
Hensons value has shown up most clearly in how adaptable the attack has become from week to week. Purdue has found ways to change its approach based on the opponent, and that flexibility has helped the Boilermakers stay productive even when the game script shifts. The next question is whether that growing comfort can keep holding up as the schedule gets tougher. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue May Finally Be Turning A Corner After Dominant Big Ten Win
Purdues 41-13 win over Minnesota at Ross-Ade Stadium looked like more than just a one-off breakthrough. The Boilermakers put together a complete Big Ten performance, with the offense moving the ball, the defense controlling the game and the special teams and coaching both doing their part in a result that mattered well beyond one Saturday afternoon.
The running game, in particular, gave Purdue a different kind of edge and helped the Boilermakers stack back-to-back conference wins for the first time since the end of the 2022 season. Against the team he once backed up, Fame Ijeboi led the way in a performance that underscored how much this offense has started to settle in, and Purdue now has a chance to build on a stretch that at least hints the turnaround may be taking hold. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue's Washington Opportunity Just Got A Lot More Interesting
Purdues next home game already looked like a favorable spot on the schedule, with the Boilermakers set up against a Washington team that has dropped three straight and has had a hard time finding traction in Big Ten play. Purdue brings the stronger offensive profile into the matchup, even if its defense has been a softer point, which gives this one a little more intrigue than a typical conference cross-check on paper.
Washingtons quarterback situation now hangs over everything. Demond Williams Jr. is in concussion protocol and would have to clear it by Friday to be available, which raises the possibility that backup Elijah Brown could be thrust into the start in a tough road setting. For Purdue, it is the kind of opening that can turn a manageable home game into an even better opportunity if the Huskies are forced to adjust late. [Read more 🡒]