Purdue Boilermakers basketball — program history
Purdue played its first basketball game in 1896, a 34-19 win over the Lafayette YMCA, and has been a Big Ten powerhouse ever since. The 'Boilermakers' nickname originated in 1891 when a reporter described Purdue's 44-0 football rout of Wabash College. Purdue holds the most Big Ten regular season championships with 26 and was the first Big Ten program ranked No. 1 for three consecutive seasons. Despite producing legends like John Wooden and reaching multiple title games, the program is still chasing its first NCAA Championship.
The name
A Crawfordsville reporter dubbed the team 'Boiler Makers' after Purdue's 44-0 football trouncing of Wabash College on October 26, 1891
Signature moment
Zach Edey leading Purdue to the 2024 NCAA Championship game, the program's first Final Four in 44 years
Purdue's official mascot is a full-size replica Victorian-era locomotive called the Boilermaker Special, claimed to be the world's largest, fastest, heaviest, and loudest collegiate mascot
The Purdue Boilermakers compete in the Big Ten and hold an all-time record of 1980–1084 (.646 winning percentage) across 128 recorded seasons dating back to 1896-97. The program has reached 3 Final Fours.
Season-by-season results
| Season | Record | Conference | Coach | AP peak |
|---|
| 2025-26 | 30-9 | 13-7 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #1 |
| 2024-25 | 24-12 | 13-7 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #6 |
| 2023-24 | 34-5 | 17-3 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #1 |
| 2022-23 | 29-6 | 15-5 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #1 |
| 2021-22 | 29-8 | 14-6 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #1 |
| 2020-21 | 18-10 | 13-6 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #20 |
| 2019-20 | 16-15 | 9-11 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #23 |
| 2018-19 | 26-10 | 16-4 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #11 |
| 2017-18 | 30-7 | 15-3 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #3 |
| 2016-17 | 27-8 | 14-4 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #13 |
| 2015-16 | 26-9 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #9 |
| 2014-15 | 21-13 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | |
| 2013-14 | 15-17 | 5-13 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | |
| 2012-13 | 16-18 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | |
| 2011-12 | 22-13 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | |
| 2010-11 | 26-8 | 14-4 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #6 |
| 2009-10 | 29-6 | 14-4 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #3 |
| 2008-09 | 27-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #9 |
| 2007-08 | 25-9 | 15-3 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | AP #14 |
| 2006-07 | 22-12 | 9-7 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | |
| 2005-06 | 9-19 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Matt Painter | |
| 2004-05 | 7-21 | 3-13 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 2003-04 | 17-14 | 7-9 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #16 |
| 2002-03 | 19-11 | 10-6 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #24 |
| 2001-02 | 13-18 | 5-11 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 2000-01 | 17-15 | 6-10 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1999-00 | 24-10 | 12-4 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #19 |
| 1998-99 | 21-13 | 7-9 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #8 |
| 1997-98 | 28-8 | 12-4 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #5 |
| 1996-97 | 18-12 | 12-6 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1995-96 | 26-6 * | 15-3 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #4 |
| 1994-95 | 25-7 | 15-3 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #12 |
| 1993-94 | 29-5 | 14-4 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #3 |
| 1992-93 | 18-10 | 9-9 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #9 |
| 1991-92 | 18-15 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1990-91 | 17-12 | 9-9 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1989-90 | 22-8 | 13-5 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #8 |
| 1988-89 | 15-16 | 8-10 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1987-88 | 29-4 | 16-2 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #2 |
| 1986-87 | 25-5 | 15-3 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #2 |
| 1985-86 | 22-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #15 |
| 1984-85 | 20-9 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1983-84 | 22-7 | 15-3 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #7 |
| 1982-83 | 21-9 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | AP #18 |
| 1981-82 | 18-14 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1980-81 | 21-11 | 10-8 (Big Ten) | Gene Keady | |
| 1979-80 | 23-10 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Lee Rose | AP #8 |
| 1978-79 | 27-8 | 13-5 (Big Ten) | Lee Rose | AP #13 |
| 1977-78 | 16-11 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Fred Schaus | AP #11 |
| 1976-77 | 19-9 * | Big Ten | | |
| 1975-76 | 16-11 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Fred Schaus | |
| 1974-75 | 17-11 | 11-7 (Big Ten) | Fred Schaus | AP #12 |
| 1973-74 | 19-9 * | Big Ten | | |
| 1972-73 | 15-9 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Fred Schaus | AP #17 |
| 1971-72 | 12-12 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | George King | |
| 1970-71 | 18-7 | 11-3 (Big Ten) | George King | AP #16 |
| 1969-70 | 18-6 | 11-3 (Big Ten) | George King | AP #3 |
| 1968-69 | 23-5 | 13-1 (Big Ten) | George King | AP #6 |
| 1967-68 | 15-9 | 9-5 (Big Ten) | George King | AP #7 |
| 1966-67 | 15-9 | 7-7 (Big Ten) | George King | |
| 1965-66 | 8-16 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | George King | |
| 1964-65 | 12-12 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1963-64 | 12-12 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1962-63 | 7-17 | 2-12 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1961-62 | 17-7 | 9-5 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | AP #6 |
| 1960-61 | 16-7 | 10-4 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | AP #10 |
| 1959-60 | 11-12 | 6-8 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1958-59 | 15-7 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | AP #18 |
| 1957-58 | 14-8 | 9-5 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1956-57 | 15-7 | 8-6 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | AP #17 |
| 1955-56 | 16-6 | 9-5 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1954-55 | 12-10 | 5-9 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | AP #17 |
| 1953-54 | 9-13 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1952-53 | 4-18 | 3-15 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1951-52 | 8-14 | 3-11 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1950-51 | 8-14 | 4-10 (Big Ten) | Ray Eddy | |
| 1949-50 | 9-13 | 3-9 (Big Ten) | Melvin Taube | |
| 1948-49 | 13-9 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Melvin Taube | |
| 1947-48 | 11-9 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Melvin Taube | |
| 1946-47 | 9-11 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Melvin Taube | |
| 1945-46 | 10-11 | 4-8 (Big Ten) | Melvin Taube,Piggy Lambert | |
| 1944-45 | 9-11 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1943-44 | 11-10 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1942-43 | 9-11 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1941-42 | 14-7 | 9-6 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1940-41 | 13-7 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1939-40 | 16-4 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1938-39 | 12-7 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1937-38 | 18-2 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1936-37 | 15-5 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1935-36 | 16-4 | 11-1 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1934-35 | 17-3 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1933-34 | 17-3 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1932-33 | 11-7 | 6-6 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1931-32 | 17-1 | 11-1 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1930-31 | 12-5 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1929-30 | 13-2 | 10-0 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1928-29 | 13-4 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1927-28 | 15-2 | 10-2 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1926-27 | 12-5 | 9-3 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1925-26 | 13-4 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1924-25 | 9-5 | 7-4 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1923-24 | 12-5 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1922-23 | 9-6 | 7-5 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1921-22 | 15-3 | 8-1 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1920-21 | 13-7 | 8-4 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1919-20 | 16-4 | 8-2 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1918-19 | 6-8 | 4-7 (Big Ten) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1917-18 | 11-5 | 5-5 (Big Ten) | Jock Maloney | |
| 1916-17 | 11-3 | 7-2 (Western) | Piggy Lambert | |
| 1915-16 | 4-10 | 2-10 (Western) | R.E. Vaughn | |
| 1914-15 | 5-8 | 4-8 (Western) | R.E. Vaughn | |
| 1913-14 | 5-9 | 3-9 (Western) | R.E. Vaughn | |
| 1912-13 | 7-5 | 6-5 (Western) | R.E. Vaughn | |
| 1911-12 | 12-0 | 10-0 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1910-11 | 12-4 | 8-4 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1909-10 | 8-5 | 5-5 (Western) | Ralph Jones | |
| 1908-09 | 8-4 | 6-4 (Western) | Doc Stewart | |
| 1907-08 | 5-9 | 0-8 (Western) | Clarence Jamison | |
| 1906-07 | 7-8 | 2-6 (Western) | Clarence Jamison | |
| 1905-06 | 4-7 | 3-6 (Western) | Clarence Jamison | |
| 1904-05 | 3-6 | Western | James Nufer | |
| 1903-04 | 11-2 | Western | | |
| 1902-03 | 8-0 | Western | C.I. Freeman | |
| 1901-02 | 10-3 | Western | C.M. Besy | |
| 1900-01 | 12-0 | Western | Alpha Jamison | |
| 1899-00 | 0-1 | Western | Alpha Jamison | |
| 1896-97 | 1-1 | Ind | Homer Curtis | |
* Season vacated by the NCAA — absent from the official season table; record computed from the game log and not counted in official totals or rankings.
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