Purdue's Okayest Blog
There is often times a fine line between panic and concern. Purdue players were all concerned for CJ Cox as he lay on the floor, uncharacteristically expressive as he cursed and yelled in pain after going down with a leg injury on a fast break lay up attempt. “It brought us together,” Jack Benter said […]
Poise. That is the biggest takeaway from this game. Purdue just looked so comfortable and was never rattled throughout. Yes, the Hurricanes got all kinds of second chances, but Purdue was steady at the line going 21 of 22. Braden Smith had a rough game with 8 turnovers, but still had some big assists and […]
Purdue and Miami came into the second round of the NCAA Tournament both playing some of their best basketball of the season. A trip to the Sweet 16 was on the line in St. Louis and the (don’t rent from) Enterprise Center. John Wooden Memorial Player of the Game (JWMPOTG): I can’t say enough about […]
The assists record is done. Purdue won by 33 points in their first round matchup. They’ve apparently flipped the switch. This is the Purdue team we wanted. This is the Purdue team we believed in. This is the Purdue team that was promised. Now, unfortunately for them, they’ve got to prove it game after game. […]
As I pack up my hotel room and prepare to head for the Arena for today’s matchup, I wanted to share the staff predictions for this one. So no preamble, let’s just get into it. Ledman: This Miami team has two Big Ten retreads with Malik Reneau and Tre Donaldson. I think that should give […]
Purdue just had one of the most dominant offensive performances in NCAA Tournament history in its first round win against #15 seed Queens on Friday night. Now it sets its sights on #7 Miami after Miami took care of business against a Missouri team playing against in front of a home-centric crowd in St. Louis. […]
SB Nation and Hammer and Rails are partnering with Fan Duel for the NCAA Tournament. The folks at Fan Duel had the Boilermakers as a prohibitive favorite in the round of 64, and Purdue didn’t disappoint. After dispatching of Queens, Matt Painter and company turn their attention to the seventh-seeded Miami Hurricanes, out of the […]
2025-2026 Season Overall Record: 26-8 ACC Record: 13-5 (3rd) KenPom Ranking: 30 Previous 3 Games 3/20: W – 80-66 vs Missouri @ NCAA Round of 64 3/13: L – 84 – 62 vs Virginia @ ACC Tournament Semifinal 3/6: W – 78 – 73 vs Louisville @ ACC Tournament Quarterfinal Record vs KenPom Top 50: 4-6 11/16/25: L – 68 – 82 vs […]
Today is a no stress day if you’re ready to watch some basketball. Purdue handled their business easily yesterday and was able to sit back and watch Miami and Missouri battle it out later into the night. Purdue now knows that they will face Miami tomorrow at 12:10 ET. Meanwhile, we are looping back around […]
Purdue is now 13-3 in first round NCAA Tournament games under Matt Painter, an this one was a rout pretty much from the word go. The game was at least somewhat in doubt for all of 19 seconds tied 2-2 very early on. The Fletcher Loyer hit a three to make it 5-2 and it […]
During this four hour trek between West Lafayette and St. Louis today I was thinking about how lucky I am to do this. How lucky all of us are to be Purdue fans. If you were on the internet at all last night or this morning you might’ve seen the long time (41 years) Nebraska […]
Purdue and Queens both won their conference tournaments so in that way they are on hot streaks. Purdue took down Michigan in Chicago to improve to a #2 seed and head to St. Louis. Queens finished their tournament taking down Central Arkansas and earned a #15 seed. Now, the two will meet for the right […]
Yesterday saw a fair amount of Madness with Duke nearly losing and Wisconsin actually losing. It was a fun first day. But now it’s day 2 and while I know the vast majority of our energy today will be focused on the game against Queens I wanted to give you all a place to talk […]
Purdue will start the defining moment of their season in less than 12 hours and so I wanted to have a staff roundtable to talk about the Madness we are about to get into. Here’s what I asked: Given that March has always been the goal for this team, how far do they have to […]
Today is the day. Purdue starts their 2026 NCAA Tournament journey. After seeing Duke struggle with Siena and Wisconsin lose to High Point in the early games on Thursday it should be more clear than ever that Purdue cannot take anyone for granted. It was fascinating to see a Duke player actually say that they […]
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It’s NCAA Tournament time folks. Perhaps the greatest time of the year ever since that whole Christmas awakening happened in elementary school. The staff was asked to make their predictions on the game against Queens that is on Friday, you’ll see those tomorrow. So now, I wanted to ask you all about if Purdue would […]
It was media day in St. Louis today as Purdue took the court for its open practice at the Enterprise Center in advance of facing the Queens Royals. Our crew was also in the house to cover the opening round as Purdue prepares for (hopefully) another deep tournament run. As expected from a 2/15 matchup, […]
There is nothing normal about this trip to the NCAA Tournament from the Purdue Boilermakers. In some ways, it is the norm though. Purdue and the NCAA Tournament are as tied together as any program in the sport. Purdue has been a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament for the last nine seasons. It was […]
Continuing something that we’ve done in the past and posting this fan discussion for everyone who is able to watch the games during the afternoon slate. I know that a lot of you will be working, but I also know that a lot of you will be “working”. I took the day off so I’ve […]
Ryan and I are back with just one day to spare before Purdue starts their NCAA Tournament run as the #2 seed in the West region. Ryan and I give you our final fours, how far we have Purdue going, and who we have Purdue facing on the way. We disagree on how far Purdue […]
Purdue’s Round of 64 (that’s what it’s called these days…Correct?) opponent, Queens University of Charlotte, out of the A-SUN, led by coach Grant Leonard, will make its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in only its fourth season in Division 1 basketball. I covered their roster, broke down the schedule, and reviewed their results earlier […]
16 teams. That’s how many teams sit in each region. One team will emerge from each region to represent their side of the bracket in the Final Four. Just two years ago Purdue was one of those teams and with the Final Four in Indianapolis this year, just about 60 miles away from the Purdue […]
As a blogger associated with one of the biggest sports blogging networks there are a lot of times when I can rely on the network around me to interview an upcoming Purdue opponent. That’s especially helpful come March. But, as you probably expected, there is no Queens Royals affiliate on the SB Nation team. So, […]
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NCAA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Purdue fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Welcome back to another week here at Hammer and Rails. We are Big Ten Tournament Champions […]