5 Things to Know About Purdue Basketball's First Opponent — Evansville Purple Aces
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For the first time in 20 years, Purdue and Evansville will meet on the hardwood. The regular season tips off for both teams on Tuesday night at Mackey Arena, with the Boilermakers and Purple Aces going head-to-head for the first time since the 2005-06 campaign.
It's also the first time Purdue has played an non-power in-state opponent since 2021, when it played Indiana State. So, what is there to know about Evansville ahead of Tuesday's matchup?
Several new faces
Evansville has a much different look than it had last season. Only six players return from the 2024-25 squad, but only three saw significant time on the court for the Aces last season: Connor Turnbull, Kaia Berridge, and Joshua Hughes.
There are nine new players to Evansville's roster; five transfers and four freshmen. Three of those transfer players have been on Power Five rosters, with Marlon Barnes Jr. transferring in from Pitt, AJ Casey playing at Miami, and Alex Hemenway playing at both Vanderbilt and Clemson. Keishon Porter might be the biggest addition, transferring in from North Carolina Central.
A (Turn)bull on the defensive end
Turnbull is an outstanding player, especially on the defensive end. Last year, the 6-foot-10 forward was named the Missouri Valley Conference's Defensive Player of the Year after averaging 1.9 blocks and 4.3 rebounds per contest. His blocks per game average ranked as the 27th-best total in college basketball.
The senior is known for his efforts defensively, but he can also score on the offensive end. He was Evansville's fourth-leading scorer last season, posting 9.2 points per contest while shooting 53.6% from the floor.
Porter can soar
At 6-foot-5, Porter has great size at the guard position, but he's also a high-flying player who has had some outstanding dunks in his career. He has tremendous athleticism and isn't afraid to use it to make a statement at the rim.
Porter might be the biggest addition to Evansville's roster from the offseason. He comes into the program after averaging 10.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game. The guard is a capable three-point shooter, but the best facet of his game is getting to the rim and either throwing down a dunk or scoring an easy layup.
Won only meeting vs. Painter's Boilers
Here's something you may not know: Purdue and Evansville have only played once since Matt Painter was named the head coach in West Lafayette. The Purple Aces own a 1-0 record, defeating the Boilermakers 75-69 in December 2005 in Evansville. It was Painter's first year on the job.
It's been 20 years since Purdue and Evansville have met on the hardwood. The head-to-head series between the two programs has actually been pretty even, with the Boilers owning a 9-5 advantage. All five Aces wins came in Evansville, so the Boilers should be happy to be playing Tuesday's game at Mackey Arena.
A coach with multiple stops in Indiana
David Ragland is entering his fourth season in Evansville, but he's had several stops with other Indiana programs before getting his opportunity with the Aces. His first coaching job was at a community college in Texas, but he quickly got an opportunity at Vincennes University, where he served as an assistant coach from 2005-08. He then got his first head coaching opportunity at Vincennes, where he led the program from 2008-10. Ragland led the team to a 44-19 record in two seasons.
Ragland then had several stops as an assistant coach, with in-state jobs at Indiana State (2010-14), Valparaiso (2016-18), and Butler (2021-22), before taking over at Evansville in 2022. He also had stops outside state borders with Bowling Green (2014-15), Northern Kentucky (2015-16), and Utah State (2018-21).
The Purple Aces are 33-66 under Ragland in his first three seasons.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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