Purdue Boilermakers: Are They A Tourney Team?

Are the Purdue Boilermakers a legitimate NCAA Tournament team this season?

The Purdue Boilermakers are currently sitting at 12-8 on the season, and are fifth in the Big Ten conference. They have come up with a couple big wins, and they are a borderline NCAA Tournament team a this point in the season.

Obviously the question has to be asked, whether or not they will end up making the NCAA Tournament and if they can compete in the tournament if they are selected.

There is no question that Matt Painter has the roster talent to make a run in the tournament, but they are young and haven’t had that type of experience in the past. At this point in the season, they certainly have a couple of big wins that will reflect nicely during the selection process.

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Purdue has come up with big wins over Michigan, #25 Iowa, N.C. State, and BYU. The last two wins aren’t too terribly huge, but they show that the Boilermakers can compete with good teams from other conferences. They also played Wisconsin very tough as well, and only ended up losing by seven points.

It’s hard to see how Purdue would miss the tournament if they continue playing and taking care of business like they have. They have two big games with Indiana down the stretch this year, as well as two big games against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Painter and the Boilermakers are certainly a March Madness caliber basketball team, but they have to keep their heads and play above their experience level. They cannot afford to be careless with the basketball, and will need to see their veterans come through in a big way.

A.J. Hammons is one of the players that will need to dominate down the stretch to help the young talent like Vince Edwards, Kendall Stephens, and Isaac Hass to continue their success.

All of that being said, it is going to be very interesting to see what the Boilermakers will be able to do down the stretch this season. They are a talented basketball team that has every chance to get into the tournament, but it is going to take some solid play the rest of the way. Purdue hasn’t had this type of talent in awhile, and the excitement is finally back in the Boilermakers’ fan base.