5 Favorite Moments From Purdue's Elite Eight Run

What were the best moments from Purdue's NCAA Tournament run to the Elite Eight? Here are a list of five that stand out from the four March Madness games.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts after shooting a three-point shot. | Jeff Le-Imagn Images

Purdue's run in the NCAA Tournament came to an unfortunate end in the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, falling 79-64 to Arizona in San Jose. Although the Boilermakers would love to still be playing, they provided us plenty of fun moments in this year's March Madness run.

What made this run even more fun? Each of Purdue's three core seniors had a great performance or big moment at some point in the tournament. Here's a look at some of the best moments from the Boilers' run to the Elite Eight.

Braden Smith breaking the assist record (first round)

BRADEN SMITH BREAKS NCAA RECORD FOR MOST CAREER ASSISTS WITH 1,077 👏

Smith passes Bobby Hurley's record. pic.twitter.com/3l1nNM3Xer

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 21, 2026

After chasing Bobby Hurley's assist record all season, Smith finally accomplished the unbelievable feat in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He entered the opening-round game against Queens needing just two assists to break the record.

Smith reached the mark less than eight minutes into the game, getting the ball to Trey Kaufman-Renn, who scored and drew contact on the play. That was assist No. 1,077 for Smith, who has been dubbed college basketball's "Assist King."

It was a fitting way for Smith to break the record, as Kaufman-Renn was responsible for the first assist of the point guard's career at Purdue back in 2022.

The end-of-half moments from C.J. Cox (first & second rounds)

Purdue Boilermakers guard C.J. Cox (0) drives against Miami Hurricanes guard Dante Allen (35). | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Cox had brilliant stretches at the end of the first halves in games against Queens and Miami in the first two rounds. Without his effort, the Boilermakers may not have advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, especially in that second-round matchup against Miami.

In the first-round game against Queens, Purdue held a 35-30 advantage with just over three minutes to play. The Boilermakers then put together a 10-0 run, with Cox accounting for eight of those points. He also hit a three-pointer on the first possession of the second half, giving Purdue a 48-33 advantage and really stretching out the lead.

Cox struck again in the second round. Trailing Miami 36-29, Cox hit three consecutive three-pointers in a span of 1:37, making the score 40-38 in favor of the Hurricanes at halftime. Without that spurt from the sophomore guard, the Boilers may have been in serious trouble in that second-round game.

Trey Kaufman-Renn's game-winning tip-in (Sweet 16)

TREY KAUFMAN-RENN GAME-WINNER 🚨

PURDUE ADVANCES TO THE ELITE 8 🤯 pic.twitter.com/CYj7ltsGXT

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 27, 2026

The senior forward had his "One Shining Moment" in Purdue's Sweet 16 win over Texas. With the game tied at 77-77, Kaufman-Renn got himself in position to make a game-winning play.

Texas tied the game thanks to an old-fashioned three-point play from Dailyn Swain. With 11.9 seconds left, the Boilers got the ball into the hands of Smith and allowed him to operate. The guard missed his shot attempt, but Kaufman-Renn muscled his way into position for the rebound, tipped it in, and sent Purdue to the Elite Eight.

In its NCAA Tournament, only three players have scored a game-winning bucket with under 10 seconds to play: Rick Mount (1969), Chris Kramer (2010) and Kaufman-Renn (2026).

Liam Murphy's three-pointer (first round)

Purdue Boilermakers forward Liam Murphy (5) during a practice session. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Murphy's lone season in West Lafayette probably wasn't easy. The senior wing appeared in just 12 games for the Boilermakers this season, playing behind Kaufman-Renn and Jack Benter.

He was a true professional, though, and never let the lack of playing time impact him when he was on the floor. So, when he knocked down a shot against Queens in the first round of March Madness, it was a feel-good moment for the senior.

Murphy had never played in the NCAA Tournament, and because of the lopsided score, the senior got his chance to put his name in the stat book and made his lone shot attempt of the tournament.

Fletcher Loyer's big day in St. Louis (second round)

Fletcher Loyer put in work today 💪

24 points on 7 shots 👀#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/fOfzNIQlho

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2026

Loyer had one of his best performances of the season in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, providing a major jolt for the Boilermakers against the Hurricanes.

The senior guard finished the game with 24 points, needing only seven shots to reach that total. He was 4-of-4 from behind the three-point line, 6-of-7 from the floor and made all eight of his free-throw attempts in the game. He played a major role in Purdue's advancing to the Sweet 16.

Loyer made at least two three-pointers in every NCAA Tournament game and finished March Madness shooting 14-of-26 from long range. His effort against Miami was his best, though.

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