Purdue men off to nightmare start following 2OT loss to Valparaiso

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue men off to nightmare start following 2OT buzzer-beating loss to Valparaiso

By Adam Gretz | Last updated Nov 6, 2026 10:12 PM ET

Even though expectations are a bit lowered this season, the Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball team still figures to be playing in the NCAA Tournament as the program tries to reset a little. But it has also taken only two games for everybody to get a bucket of cold water thrown in their faces regarding where they are versus previous seasons.

After dropping their season-opener to No. 15 Gonzaga on Monday, things got significantly worse on Friday in a stunning, 83-80, double-overtime home loss to Valparaiso.

Purdue stunned at home in double-overtime loss to Valparaiso

Losing a neutral-site, close game to a constant contender and national power (Gonzaga) is one thing. That happens. It is easy to write that off early in the season and move on from it, maybe even taking some lessons.

But Friday's loss is a different story entirely for head coach Matt Painter and his new squad.

Valparaiso's Justus McNair drilled a game-winning three-pointer as time expired, giving the Beacons an early signature win to open the season as they improved to 2-0.

VALPARAISO TO WIN THE GAME AGAINST PURDUE AT THE BUZZER IN DOUBLE OT pic.twitter.com/V0QefICyG8
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 7, 2026

Just for some perspective on how big of an upset this is.

Valparaiso has not made the NCAA Tournament since the 2014-15 season, and it has qualified just two times since the 2004-05 season.

Purdue, meanwhile, has not only been a mainstay in the tournament for the past 12 years, but it has routinely been a top seed, been ranked No. 1 in the country in four of the past five years and has been to the Elite Eight in two of the past three years.

It was also a massive favorite on Friday, ranging anywhere from 18.5 to 19.5 points depending on the sportsbook.

And they lost.

At home.

It is a staggering result, even for a team with lowered expectations that is still trying to figure out who and what it is. It might also be a sign that there is a lot more work to do for Painter than he may have realized going into the season.

Purdue still has a pretty favorable schedule over the next few games before conference play starts, so there should be a chance to work through things before they get into the Big Ten schedule. But this was also supposed to be one of those games.

Adam Gretz

Adam Gretz is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh. He covers the NHL, NFL, MLB and NBA. Baseball is his favorite sport -- he is nearly halfway through his goal of seeing a game in every MLB ballpark. Catch him on X @AGretz

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