Purdue now has the fourth-longest regular season, non-conference win streak in history. It may also have the most impressive, with all due respect to Syracuse’s 52-win streak of the same kind.
That’s because, with Friday’s 87-78 upset of then-No. 2 Alabama, the Boilers achieved the ninth win of their 39-game streak over a ranked opponent, tying Syracuse.
Of the nine, seven opponents have been ranked in the Top 10 of the AP Poll. That’s where Purdue really separates itself. The three teams with longer streaks in their history – Illinois, North Carolina and Syracuse – only have six Top 10 wins combined.
The odds of Purdue’s success are staggering. According to historical betting data from Odds Shark, the Boilers’ chance of winning all seven of those Top 10 matchups was half a percentage point – there have been No. 16 seeds with much better shots (Purdue should know).
How has Purdue done it? What’s its secret? It may have to do with the program’s defining trait of the last half-decade: Purdue has been a national leader in continuity, taking only two transfers the last four seasons in veteran guards David Jenkins and Lance Jones.
“I think our older players, since I've been here, have always done a great job of preparing the younger guys from the get-go,” junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn said Monday. “I think a lot of times, especially with the transfer portal, you've got teams that are gelling and trying to mesh together.”
The flip side of the impressive wins in giving Purdue its streak is, to this point, an avoidance of the upsets that have ended other schools’ runs. Kaufman-Renn said that’s owed to coach Matt Painter and his staff’s insistence that their players “respect everybody.”
“I've never seen a program that stresses that as much as Purdue does,” he said.
As Purdue keeps making history for its non-conference play, Purdue’s lone senior, Caleb Furst, can’t help but notice. He’s thought about it, “A little bit, for sure,” he said. “Obviously that’s a streak I hope to continue.”
But impressive as it is, teams don’t hang banners for fall success. And that’s where Painter comes from when he talks about his team’s run the last four years.
“The streak’s cool,” he said. “But it's more of a streak of this year, is what we’re trying to work on.”
If Purdue is to continue its streak, the one in the record books and the one four games old this season, it would need yet another impressive win: the Boilers play at No. 14 Marquette Tuesday.
“We got to play better than we did against Alabama if we expect to beat Marquette on the road,” Painter said. That starts with his veterans.
“You’ve got to get the guys that have been there before not to just talk about winning on the road,” Painter said. “Like, show them how you win on the road. Show that physical and mental toughness.”
