- Purdue opened the 2023-24 season with a 98-45 win over defending SoCon regular-season champ Samford in the season opener for both teams.
- The Boilermakers are now 18-1 under Matt Painter in season openers and have won 11 straight season openers by an average of 30.7 points per game.
- Purdue's 53-point victory was its largest since a 57-point win over Omaha (Nov. 26, 2021). The margin was the largest in a season opener since a 62-point win over Northern Illinois on Nov. 11, 2011. The 53-point margin was the 11th-largest margin in school history.
- Purdue has won 25 straight regular-season, non-conference games, now tied for the longest streak in school history and the longest streak in the country (New Mexico entered night with 15 straight wins).
- The win was Purdue's 15th straight in the month of November – the second-longest streak in the country (Arizona entered night with 22).
- Purdue's 16, 3-pointers are the most in a season opener in school history and tied for the seventh most in a game in school history.
- Seven different players made a 3-pointer in the victory.
- The Boilermakers have won 29 straight games when making 10 or more 3-pointers.
- Thirteen of Purdue's 17 players scored in the win.
- Purdue recorded 29 assists on 34 made field goals. The 29 assists were the most since having 30 against Nicholls on Dec. 29, 2021.
- Purdue has won 50 straight games when scoring 80 or more points, dating to a Dec. 15, 2018, loss to Notre Dame.
- Purdue's 34-point halftime lead (51-17) tied for the ninth-largest halftime lead in school history.
- Purdue's bench outscored Samford's team by a 47-45 margin.
- Purdue's 10 blocked shots were its most since last year's season opener (11 vs. Milwaukee).
- Zach Edey recorded a double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and two assists. He joins Joe Barry Carroll and the late Caleb Swanigan as the only players since 1972 to record double-doubles in two season openers.
- The double-double was Edey's 40th of his career and he has scored 10 or more points in 52 straight games – the longest streak in the country.
- Edey moved into eighth on Purdue's career rebounds list (858).
- Playing in his first career game, Camden Heide had 13 points, three rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 16:31 of action.
- Braden Smith had 12 points, seven assists, four rebounds and a steal, making 4-of-5 from long distance.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- No. 3 Purdue spent eight long months trying to flush the bitter taste from last year's shocking first-round NCAA Tournament exit.
When their chance finally arrived Monday, the Boilermakers sent a quick, strong message: They're back and they might be even better than last year's Big Ten regular season and tourney champs.
Zach Edey opened the season with 16 points and 11 rebounds, Camden Heide added 13 points and Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined for half of the 16 3-pointers Monday night, helping No. 3 Purdue rout Samford 98-45.
"I think we came out in the first half really well. Defensively, I think we gave up four points in the first 10 minutes," Edey said after posting his 40th career double-double. "I think we played with great energy and we played with an edge."
The Boilermakers tied a school record with their 25th consecutive regular season win over a non-conference foe as Smith and Loyer each finished with 12 points.
Edey, last season's reigning national player of the year, also had four of the team's 10 blocks on college basketball's opening night and didn't attempt a shot for the first 11 1/2 minutes.
Jaden Campbell scored 11 points and Rylan Jones added eight to lead Samford. But in Purdue's first game since last season's embarrassing first-round NCAA Tournament exit against 16th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson, it was no contest.
"That's a great team and I'm going to be pulling for them," Samford coach Bucky McMillan said. "It's something we don't see in our league. There's a lot of 3-point shooting in our league and not a lot of size. That was a clinic on shooting and passing the basketball."
Purdue scored the first 11 points and took a 21-2 lead before the Bulldogs even made a shot, a drought that finally ended with a layup with 13:22 left in the first half. Edey's first basket made it 31-9 and then it was off to the races.
Purdue led 51-17 at halftime and opened the second half on a 14-2 run to make it 65-19.
BIG PICTURE
Samford: After recording back-to-back 20-win seasons for the first time in program history and winning a share of last year's Southern Conference regular-season crown, the Bulldogs have bigger aspirations this season. But they stood no chance Monday.
Purdue: The Boilermakers' last non-conference loss in regular season play came Dec. 8, 2020, at Miami, and they'll have a chance to break school record later this week.
STRANGE SIGHT
It didn't take Purdue or Samford long to produce one of this season's strangest sights. Edey, the 7-foor-4 center, and 5-8 guard Dallas Graziani squared off on the opening tip. Graziani didn't even jump.
"We're in Alabama and it's football season, so we had to do something to let people know basketball season is here," McMillan said. "Basketball is supposed to be fun."
BANNER NIGHT
The Boilermakers didn't just drop another banner inside Mackey Arena on Monday. They added two — one for winning last season's Big Ten regular season championship, the other for winning the conference tournament title. But they'd like to hang an even bigger banner next November — for their first NCAA Tourney title.