The Boilermakers are set to open their preseason slate with a home clash against Purdue Fort Wayne on October 22, a game that marks the third exhibition of the year for the program.
Earlier in the month, Purdue will travel to face Ball State on October 18 before returning to the East Coast for a showdown with Connecticut on October 27, giving the team a varied slate of opponents as it prepares for the regular season.
A Recruiting Hotbed Revisited
Fort Wayne has long served as a fertile recruiting ground for Purdue, producing standouts such as Fletcher Loyer, Caleb Furst, Grady Eifert, Caleb Swanigan and Rapheal Davis. Each of those players helped shape the program’s recent identity and contributed to its on‑court success.
Last season the Mastodons posted a 17‑15 record, but their momentum was interrupted when top returning player Corey Hadnot opted to transfer to Houston, leaving a noticeable gap in the lineup.
For Purdue, the exhibition schedule offers more than just a warm‑up; it provides a chance to evaluate a roster that returns ten players but loses four starters from an Elite Eight team. The games will serve as an early laboratory for new combinations and tactical adjustments.
Coaches and analysts alike see the matchups as a barometer for how quickly the Boilermakers can gel, especially given the infusion of talent from the Fort Wayne pipeline and the need to replace departed veterans.
The upcoming contests will be played on Purdue’s home court in West Lafayette, Indiana, while the Fort Wayne contest will take place in the namesake city, also in Indiana, before the team heads to Connecticut for its final preseason test.