Purdue men’s basketball head coach Matt Painter has announced the recipients of the 2017-18 team awards, highlighted by Carsen Edwards being named the John Wooden Most Valuable Player Award.
TEAM AWARDS
John Wooden Most Valuable Player Award: Carsen Edwards
Ward Lambert Award (academic achievement): Tommy Luce
Tom Reiter Award (values of a true Boilermaker): P.J. Thompson (second straight year)
Rebound Award: Vincent Edwards
Doc Combs “Play Hard” Award: Dakota Mathias
Courage Award: P.J. Thompson
Bob King Assists Award: Dakota Mathias (second straight year)
Ray Eddy “Mr. Hustle” Award: Grady Eifert
TEAM NOTES
- Purdue set a school record with 30 wins, posting a 30-7 overall record and a 15-3 mark in the Big Ten.
- The Boilermakers were one of six programs to advance to the Sweet 16 in consecutive seasons (PURDUE, Kentucky, West Virginia, Kansas, Michigan, Gonzaga).
- Purdue is one of eight programs to each top-five seeds in each of the last three seasons (PURDUE, Kansas, Villanova, North Carolina, Virginia, Duke, Kentucky, West Virginia).
- Purdue set a school record for scoring margin (+14.7).
- Purdue recorded its highest scoring average since the 1993-94 season (80.4).
- In Big Ten play only, Purdue became the first team since Indiana in 1992 and 1993 to average at least 76.5 points per game in consecutive seasons.
- Purdue’s 353 3-pointers were the second most in Big Ten history and set a school record.
- Purdue’s offense was ranked No. 2 nationally in efficiency according to KenPom.com, behind just Villanova.
- Purdue will finish the year ranked No. 5 in the KenPom ratings, the highest ranking in school history.
- Purdue was one of four schools to win a bowl game and reach the Sweet 16 in the same year (PURDUE, Duke, Florida State, Kansas State). Purdue is the only program to reach the Sweet 16 in consecutive years, sandwiching a football bowl victory.
- Matt Painter’s four Sweet 16s in the last 10 years are the ninth most nationally during that span.
- Purdue’s 10 NCAA appearances in the last 12 years are the ninth month in the country.
- Purdue is one of six programs to have won at least 26 games in each of the last three years (PURDUE, Gonzaga, Kansas, Kentucky, Saint Mary’s, Villanova).
- Purdue is the only Big Ten team to finish in the league’s top three in each of the last four years and is the only team to receive a double-bye in each of the four years of the current tournament format.
- Purdue won at least 14 league games in consecutive seasons for the 13th time overall in Big Ten history. Purdue’s 29 wins in back-to-back seasons were the ninth most in league history.
- Purdue’s 29-7 mark in Big Ten play over the last two years was the best in the league by three games. It also owned the best three-year (41-13) and four-year (53-19) Big Ten record.
- Purdue’s 83 wins over the last three years are the ninth most nationally and most in the Big Ten.
- Purdue’s 62 home wins over the last four years are the seventh most nationally and the most in the Big Ten.
- Purdue set a new average attendance record last year, drawing 10 sellouts in 17 games. Despite having the 33rd-largest arena, Purdue ranked 15th nationally in attendance, its highest ranking ever, at 14,344 fans per game.
- Purdue’s 19-game win streak was the longest in school history and the longest in the country this past season.
- Carsen Edwardswas named a second-team All-American by the NABC and a third-team honoree by the AP and Sporting News. The first-team All-Big Ten honoree won the Jerry West Award given to the nation’s best shooting guard.
- Edwards set the school record for points scored by a sophomore and became the first player to have 650 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in the same season. He was the seventh player in school history to score 1,000 points in his first two seasons on the hardwood.
- Purdue’sIsaac Haaswas a finalist for the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award this past season, given to the nation’s best center.
- It marked the third straight year that a DIFFERENT Purdue big man was a finalist for a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame position award. Purdue is the only team to claim that. Only one team, Gonzaga, can even claim two different players.
- Purdue was one of five teams nationally to have a position award finalist in each of the last three years (PURDUE, Villanova, Kansas, Duke, North Carolina).
- Purdue was one of four teams to have two finalists this year (Carsen Edwards – Jerry West Award), joined by Villanova, Duke and North Carolina.
- Purdue has had two Pete Newell Big Man of the Year winners in the last eight years (JaJuan Johnson – 2011; Caleb Swanigan – 2017).
- Coach Painter’s 11 NCAA appearances are the most for an active coach under the age of 55.
- Purdue has finished first and second in the Big Ten in six of the last 11 years under Coach Painter. He’s finished in the top four in nine of the last 12 years.
- Painter’s 10.9 wins per year in Big Ten play is the fifth-best average in Big Ten history. He has won 142 gamesin 13 years, the 15th most of any coach in Big Ten history.
- Painter’s three Big Ten Coach of the Year honors are the fourth most in Big Ten history.
- Painter won his 300th career game in his 14th year of coaching, becoming one of 15 coaches in NCAA history to win 300 games in his first 14 years (or fewer).
- Among active coaches with 14 or fewer years of coaching, Painter’s 320 wins are the third most.