Purdue basketball finds themselves back in a familiar place for the 2023-4 season. The Boilermakers are among the hunted, not the hunters, due to their ranking and success. Despite a no. 1 ranking this season, the Boilermakers are still fallible, like everyone else in college basketball. The Boilermakers lost a Jan. 9 game to Nebraska 88-72, and it is a cause for concern, for a big reason.

ROAD WOES FOR PAINTER

Photo: Matt Painter in Purdue gear with Nebraska logo behind him

For the past few seasons, Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter has had one of the best teams in America. The Boilermakers have won 29 games in each of the last two seasons. But the team hasn't been able to make it to the NCAA Final Four in that period, or in Painter's tenure at the school. Last season, Purdue basketball lost as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament to a 16 seed, which had only happened one other time in NCAA Tournament history. When the Boilermakers play away from home, they just seem to struggle.

Purdue's loss to Nebraska exposed some problems for the Boilermakers. Nebraska shot 61 percent from three-point range in the game. That's a stunning stat, and certainly a cause for concern. Very few teams win college basketball championships while giving up 61 percent shooting from the perimeter. Purdue basketball must simply do better with their three-point defense, especially in road games.

The Boilermakers have now lost a total of only 16 games going back to the 2021-22 season. That's impressive, no doubt. Only two of those losses have come at home for Purdue, while 14 have come on the road or on a neutral floor. Both of the team's losses this season have come on the road, and the schedule ahead contains several road games. The Boilermakers must make adjustments on defense to do better in those games. Purdue basketball is currently 4-2 in the Big Ten, and the team's next five games will go a long way in showing how well this team can defend, and if they have the strength to go far in the NCAA tournament. The team's next five games including road trips to Indiana, Iowa, and Rutgers, along with home games against Michigan and Northwestern. The team also has a road game against a ranked Wisconsin team not too far away on the schedule.

Purdue bounced back well after the Nebraska loss, beating Penn State by a score of 95-78. Purdue big man Zach Edey put up big numbers for the team in that game getting 30 points, per the Lafayette Journal and Courier. That's certainly a good sign for the Boilermakers. They have won 15 games this season, and certainly look on paper like a team that can once again grab a no.1 seed in the NCAA tournament. But the historical evidence shows that Purdue basketball has fallen on their sword before, and if they aren't careful, it could very well happen again.