Has Purdue ever won March Madness? Exploring the Boilermakers' NCAA Tournament history
Purdue is one of the favorites to win the 2024 March Madness as they have run past their opponents this season, thanks to the stellar play of 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey.
Edey is the defending Naismith Men's College Player of the Year and is on his way to a rare back-to-back, averaging 24.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.3 blocks and 2.1 assists per game. He has dominated the paint all season, with 62.1% field goal accuracy.
The Canadian big man is again at the forefront of Purdue's March Madness run, spearheading the Boilermakers victories en route to an Elite Eight stint. This is the first time Purdue has made it deep into the NCAA Tournament since 2019 and is determined to move further and secure their first-ever title in history.
Purdue's March Madness appearances
Purdue has made 34 NCAA Tournament appearances with a record of 45-33. Technically, the Boilermakers are 46-34 but they were forced to vacate one win and one loss in their tournament record after they fielded an ineligible player in 1996.
Purdue has never won a national title and the closest they've got to the NCAA trophy was in 1969. The Boilermakers have had two Final Four appearances in history. One was in 1969 and the other was in 1980. Both of these runs were stopped by UCLA.
Purdue's memorable NCAA Tournament performances
Purdue has its share of top performances in NCAA Tournament history. Let's take a look at their most memorable runs in March Madness.
#1 1969 NCAA Tournament - runner-up
This is the only time Purdue has made it to the national championship. The Boilermakers had a stellar regular season, going 20-4.
Seeded sixth in the tournament, Purdue resumed its March Madness, winning over Miami (Ohio) in the regional semifinal, Marquette in the regional final and North Carolina in the national semifinal. However, the Boilermakers stumbled in the final, losing to the Lew Alcindor-led UCLA, 92-72.
#2 1980 NCAA Tournament - Final Four
Purdue finished third in the Big Ten Conference that season behind Ohio State and Indiana. In the 1980 NCAA Tournament, the No. 6 seed Boilermakers started their run with a 90-82 win over La Salle.
They continued their ascent with an 87-72 victory over St. John's New York and surprised conference foes Indiana, 76-69, in the Sweet 16. Purdue punched a Final Four slot after it outplayed Duke in the Elite Eight, 68-60.
Unfortunately, the Boilermakers were beaten again by UCLA, but this time in the Final Four, 67-62. They claimed third place after winning 75-58 over Iowa in the consolation game.
#3 1994 NCAA Tournament - Elite Eight
With Glenn Robinson leading the charge, Purdue won its first 14 games and went on to top the regular season with a 26-4 record.
In the NCAA Tournament, the Boilermakers were ranked first in the Southeast Region and kicked off their run with a 98-67 win over Central Florida. Purdue continued its run in the second round and Sweet 16 as it outclassed Alabama (83-73) and Kansas (83-78).
They lost to Duke, 60-69, in the Elite Eight as Robinson, who claimed almost all of the individual awards that season, including the Naismith College Player of the Year, was limited to a season-low 13 points. Before the game against the Blue Devils, Robinson sustained a back strain in Purdue's Sweet 16 game against Kansas.
This season, Purdue is three wins away from winning their first-ever national title and with Edey dominating the paint, there is a good chance that the Matt Painter-coached squad will be hailed as champions come April 8.
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