Purdue Men’s Basketball Begins Season with Impressive Opener Against Evansville

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The No. 1-ranked Purdue Boilermakers opened their 2025-26 basketball season on Tuesday night, defeating the Evansville Purple Aces at Mackey Arena. This victory gives Purdue a 12-0 record in season openers, with an average win margin of 29.6 points.

Purdue’s latest season opener marked the first meeting between the two teams since December 2005. The Boilermakers have maintained a 9-5 lead against Evansville in their overall series, though the Purple Aces have won five of the last nine encounters.

Along with the season opener, this game also continued Purdue’s streak of winning 33 consecutive home games against in-state, non-conference teams, dating back to a loss against Butler in November 2001.

With the game, Purdue kicked off its 128th season of basketball. The Boilermakers are recognized for their strong performance overall, currently standing at 1,953 wins and 1,092 losses in NCAA history.

Braden Smith continued to make waves with 758 career assists, needing only eight more to surpass Bruce Douglas of Illinois for third place on the Big Ten career assists list. Meanwhile, Fletcher Loyer is on the verge of breaking a personal milestone, needing three more three-pointers to join the 200 club for career three-point shots made.

The Boilermakers marked this season with high expectations, returning 80% of their roster from last year and featuring potential All-Americans in Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Evansville, on the other hand, faced challenges as they welcomed nine new players to their roster.

Evansville’s squad includes three top contributors: Connor Turnbull, who was the Missouri Valley Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year, along with Joshua Hughes and Kaia Berridge. Purdue’s depth and returning talent placed them as favorites going into the season opener.

Purdue head coach Matt Painter, who is in his 21st year at the university, continued to lead the Boilermakers with a methodical approach. He has achieved five regular-season Big Ten championships during his tenure.

The excitement around this season was palpable as Purdue’s ticket allotment sold out in advance, continuing a streak of 106 sellouts at Mackey Arena.

Tuesday’s victory marks a strong start to Purdue’s aspirations for a national championship this year, as they prepare to face formidable challenges ahead.