Purdue basketball's record is worse than this point one year ago, but team is much better

WEST LAFAYETTE — Take a journey back to this point last season.

Purdue basketball was ranked No. 1 in the country and pummeling a hapless Florida A&M team to go into the new year 13-0.

Friday night, the Boilermakers thumped Eastern Kentucky 80-53.

Just like a year ago, Purdue basketball is ranked No. 1. Unlike one year ago at this point, the Boilermakers have one loss.

Here's a little secret. The team with one loss is far better than the unbeaten one of a season ago.

"You just put that under our belt, that year, it's really helped," sophomore point guard Braden Smith said.

More: Purdue basketball finishes non-conference schedule with rout of Eastern Kentucky

More experienced. Better connected. Deeper.

There's a myriad of reasons Purdue entering 2024 is a more complete team than the one that entered 2023.

Last year always felt like the season before the season. And, yes, Purdue went 29-6 and ran away with the Big Ten.

Brandon Newman transferred. David Jenkins finally ran out of college eligibility.

Myles Colvin signed. Camden Heide used up his redshirt year. Lance Jones transferred in. Zach Edey is better, if that's possible.

Smith and sophomore Fletcher Loyer now have a year-plus of college basketball as full-time starters and coach Matt Painter has been mostly masterful at getting a 10-player rotation to buy into a role and pulling the right strings at the right moments this season.

"Whenever we have 10 guys, it's kind of less minutes for everybody playing, or most guys," said redshirt senior Mason Gillis, who had 10 points and nine rebounds off the bench Friday. "Some guys get to stay a little more fresh. And then I think our coaches have done a great job this year listening to our bodies, listening to us and our feedback between practice and games."

Friday night, Purdue completed its third straight regular season nonconference schedule without a loss.

No team in Big Ten history has done that. Only two teams have done it in the past 50 years: Syracuse from 2009-12 and Duke from 1991-94.

And, again, this year's collection of talent is ahead of the Purdue teams that accomplished the same feat the two years prior.

"I feel like we’ve made strides," Painter said. "We have experience. We have some guys that went through some things last year.

"Now our group kind of has some different guys off the bench that play more. It depends on the night how things kind of unfold. We have a lot of depth. But you have to have balance and I think we had balance."

Purdue almost surely will lose again, probably even a few more times.

Bad shooting night. Too many turnovers. An opposing player gets hot. Something will sneak up and clip the Boilermakers.

But this team is better equipped for it, evidenced by how Purdue handled its loss at Northwestern earlier this month.

"You know what you need to do to get yourself ready to go play 18 more games," Loyer said. "It's just another step forward."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Purdue primed and ready for run of Big Ten opponents