Matt Painter’s coaching record has been dinged with a season-opening loss for just the second time in his 22 seasons at Purdue.
Of course, No. 15 Gonzaga rates as a tough opening opponent for anyone. Painter and the Boilermakers will attempt to notch a win when they face Valparaiso on Friday night in West Lafayette, Ind.
Purdue (0-1) had won 13 straight season openers before dropping the 78-72 decision to the Bulldogs on Monday night in Las Vegas.
“It was a very winnable game for us, so that’s a hard pill to swallow,” Painter said Thursday. “But if that game can help us be better going forward, then so be it.”
One player who enjoyed a big season debut was 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen, who is beginning his third season in the program.
Jacobsen scored 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting for his second career 20-point outing. He also grabbed a team-leading seven rebounds.
“He’s a damn good player, is a damn good college player, going to be a good pro,” Painter said. “His development never stopped. You just don’t see some of it.”
Princeton transfer Caden Pierce said that feeding the ball inside to Jacobsen should be a regular part of the team’s ball movement.
“I’ve never played with a 7-footer, let alone 7-foot-4,” Pierce said. “When he has position inside, you’ve got to reward him. You’ve got to throw him the ball.”
Pierce had seven points and six rebounds in his Purdue debut. He sat out last season to let an ankle injury heal, finish his degree at Princeton and preserve his final season of college eligibility. He was a three-year starter for the Tigers and was Ivy League Player of the Year in 2023-24.
Valparaiso (1-0) is looking for its first victory over a power conference opponent since dispatching Alabama 68-60 on Nov. 21, 2016, in Las Vegas.
The Beacons cruised to an 80-58 home victory over Western Illinois on Monday in their season opener.
JT Pettigrew scored 18 points for his 10th straight double-digit outing dating to last season. Pettigrew averaged 12.5 points per game last season as a freshman.
Freshman Rajan Roberts added 13 points for Valpo, which committed nine turnovers while forcing 16.
Valpo has dropped 19 straight contests against Big Ten foes dating to a 69-56 victory over Penn State on Dec. 28, 2004. The Beacons will take aim at halting that skid on Friday when they make the 90-mile trip to Purdue’s campus.
“It’s a great opportunity for these guys,” Beacons coach Roger Powell Jr. said of facing the Painter-coached Boilermakers. “I’m happy they chose to play us. Kudos to him. He plays some tough mid-major teams. It will be a challenge.”
Purdue last started 0-2 in the 1976-77 season.
