Kenny Thompson

There likely would have been no Big Ten Conference title and a berth in the 1969 NCAA men’s basketball tournament championship game for Purdue if Rick Mount had decided to follow through on his original commitment in the spring of 1966. That probably would have meant a 39-year gap between conference titles for a program…

Books, movies and TV shows have been devoted to stories about changing the course of history, from preventing Abraham Lincoln’s assassination to would John F. Kennedy have pulled the United States out of Vietnam had he lived? While not on the scale of either of those scenarios, I’ve always wondered what if the right decisions…

For many years, the sign “Defense Lives Here” has been displayed in Mackey Arena. Maybe there also should be a placard declaring “Loyalty Lives Here.” Do not underestimate the fact that every eligible scholarship player is returning to Purdue for the 2026-27 season. Whether or not Purdue adds a player or two from the transfer…

Photos courtesy Purdue Athletics In addition to helping Purdue end a 44-year Final Four drought during their careers, Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn depart as the highest scoring senior trio in Boilermaker men’s basketball history. Smith (1,932 points), Loyer (1,829) and Kaufman-Renn (1,655) combined for 5,416 points to finish eighth, 11th and 19th on the…

Braden Smith may not have repeated as the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year or become the first two-time winner of the Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s best point guard. However, the Indiana Mr. Basketball from Westfield did claim consensus first-team All-America honors. After earning first-team All-America citations from the United States Basketball…

Photos courtesy Purdue Athletics. During Matt Painter’s 21-year tenure leading the Purdue men’s basketball program, the Boilermakers have become known as “Big Man U.” In an era when history is regarded by some as yesterday, Purdue has been the home of exceptional center play going back to before the 55-year-old Painter entered grade school. In…

Purdue may be known as “Big Man U” these days but it historically also has produced outstanding power forwards. This top 10 list is talented, led by three first-team All-Americans. It also is the third time in this series that an active player has been selected. The “Big Dog” was the most dominant player in…

The roller-coaster ride taken by the Purdue men’s basketball team since the dawn of 2026 is once again on an upward trajectory. Becoming the first No. 7 seed to win the Big Ten Tournament has renewed some faith in the eighth-ranked Boilermakers, who were viewed as a preseason national championship contender. Beating the Michigan all-star…

Every play-by-play announcer dreams of a signature call. Think Al Michaels and the 1980 Olympic hockey semifinal between the U.S. and Soviet Union. “Do You Believe in Miracles? Yes!” To this point in Rob Blackman’s career with the Purdue Global Radio Network, his came on Easter Sunday in 2024 in Detroit during the final seconds…