Purdue Hoops To Host Grace College In Exhibition

Matt Painter’s Boilermakers will open the 2023-24 season with an exhibition game against Grace College Nov. 1 in Mackey Arena.

Grace College, located in Winona Lake, is a member of NAIA and the Crossroads League.

Purdue returns practically its entire roster from last season’s Big Ten regular-season championship team that also won the conference tournament.

The 29-6 Boilermakers were ranked No. 1 during the season for the second consecutive year and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. They were upset in the opening round of the Big Dance by No. 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson, becoming just the second No. 1 seed to lose to a 16-seed ever.

Leading the list of returnees for Purdue is unanimous National Player-of-the-Year Zach Edey. The 7-4 footer won all six major National Player-of-the-Year awards as well as capturing Big Ten MVP.

Edey led the conference in scoring (22.3 points per game), rebounding (12.9) and field goal percentage (60.7 percent). He tested the NBA waters before opting to return to West Lafayette for another season.

Edey is one of five returning starters to a team that is ranked in practically everyone’s preseason top five nationally.

In Grace, Purdue will be facing one of the premier teams in the Crossroads League, which is regarded as the NAIA’s top conference.

Last season Grace went 31-4.

“This is an incredible opportunity not only for our team, but for our entire college and community,” Grace head coach Scott Moore said. “I have so much respect for Coach Painter and how he runs his program. This is a tremendous honor to be able to compete against one of the top programs in the country.”

Grace, the defending Crossroads League regular season and postseason tournament champions, advanced to the elite eight of the 2023 NAIA tournament.

The Lancers will return four of five starters and nine of their top 10 scorers this season.

Leading the way for Grace is second-team All-American Elijah Malone (14.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 blocks per game).

This will be the first time the Boilermakers and Lancers have played one another.

There are a few connections between Grace and Purdue.

Boilermaker assistant coach Terry Johnson played for the Anderson Lawmen (an independent baseball league). Grace’s athletic director Chad Briscoe worked at the Lawmen’s front office at the same time.

Plus, Purdue junior forward Caleb Furst starred at Fort Wayne Blackhawk Christian High School for head coach Marc Davidson, who passed away in 2022. Three of Coach Davidson’s sons – Frankie, Marcus and Jimmy – have played in Grace’s program and played with Furst in high school.

It will be the second time Grace has played a Big Ten opponent. The Lancers played Indiana Nov. 4, 2009, at Assembly Hall.

Getting tickets to the Purdue-Grace game will not be easy. After all, Purdue has a 57-game sellout streak ongoing. Every game has been sold out in Mackey Arena (which has a capacity of 14,240) since Jan. 15, 2019, including exhibition games.

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