Purdue basketball 2024-25 season prediction, schedule analysis: A rugged road to 3-peat

With one longstanding goal checked off, Purdue basketball can take aim at another historic opportunity.

Only twice previously in Big Ten history has a team won three consecuitve outright regular-season championships. Ohio State did it from 1960-62 with some guys you may have heard of: Jerry Lucas, John Havlicek and Bob Knight. I know you’ve heard of the last group to do it: Glenn Robinson, Brad Miller, Cuonzo Martin and others from the 1994-96 Boilermakers era.

The road toward that destination includes a nonconference schedule littered with nationally ranked opponents and a coast-to-coast Big Ten slate punctuated by a rugged five-game finish. If Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and the other veteran Boilermakers join that exclusive three-peat club, they’ll certainly have earned their membership.

Meet Purdue basketball roster: Breaking down the Boilers ahead of 2024-25 season

Here’s a breakdown by month, including a prediction of what we’ll look back on in March as the season’s inflection points:

October/November

Oct. 30: Grand Valley State (exhibition)

Nov. 4: Texas A&M Corpus Christi

Nov. 8: Northern Kentucky

Nov. 11: Yale

Nov. 15: Alabama

Nov. 19: at Marquette

A fantastic back-to-back nonconference test before people are finished with their leftover Halloween candy.

Alabama will challenge the defensive readiness of the less experience portions of this lineup. Nate Oats added an SEC All-Freshman guard (Aden Holloway), the AAC Co-Player of the Year (Chris Youngblood) and a former Big Ten big man (Cliff Omoruyi) to what returned from a Final Four run. This may end up being the most-talented opponent to visit Mackey Arena this season.

Marquette coach Shaka Smart has successfully flummoxed Purdue in the past, and in particular could help pressure-test the young backcourt depth’s ability to handle pressure.

Nov. 23: Marshall

Nov. 28: vs. NC State at Rady Children’s Invitational

Nov. 29: vs. BYU or Ole Miss at Rady Children’s Invitational

Every piece of this Thanksgiving event…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/purdue-basketball-2024-25-season-083047566.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2024-10-29 08:30:00

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.