Purdue’s men’s basketball program is slated to travel to Fort Myers, Florida, for the annual Tip‑Off tournament that caps the Thanksgiving holiday, where the Boilermakers will meet DePaul and Oklahoma in back‑to‑back contests.
The first matchup is scheduled for November 24, followed by a showdown with the Oklahoma Sooners on Thanksgiving Day, giving the team a compact but demanding stretch of games.
Big Ten teams have captured the last two editions of the event, and Purdue hopes to add its name to the list after a run that includes five straight multi‑team tournament victories and a 12‑game winning streak in such settings.
Coach Matt Painter, who has guided the squad through that stretch, has highlighted the value of testing his roster against power‑conference opponents as the team prepares for the rigors of Big Ten play.
Adding intrigue, DePaul’s bench includes former Butler and Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann, while Purdue’s longtime associate head coach Jack Owens will be on the opposing staff.
On the court, senior guard C.J. Cox will be the only returning starter, while a quartet of newcomers — Gicarri Harris, Omer Mayer, Jack Benter and Daniel Jacobsen — saw limited minutes last season, each averaging between 12.9 and 15.7 minutes per game.
Redshirt freshman Antione West Jr. and four fresh faces are expected to factor into the rotation, giving Painter a blend of experience and youthful energy as the schedule unfolds.
A loaded Thanksgiving week
Beyond the tournament, Purdue will test itself with exhibition games in Canada in late July and a later matchup against Connecticut on the East Coast, while the NCAA’s recent decision to raise the maximum regular‑season games to 32 opens the door for an even more ambitious slate that includes Iowa State, Gonzaga, Tennessee and other marquee programs.
The upcoming stretch not only serves as a crucible for lineup experimentation but also underscores the Boilermakers’ commitment to a challenging non‑conference schedule that can shape their national standing before conference play begins.