For years, Purdue has been banging on the door of March glory, but under Coach Painter they have only found disappointment answering the door. There’s been injuries, roster upheaval, Big Ten Titles, and so many moments where it seemed finally he would be able to clear the hurdle.
But Purdue has not been to the Final Four since Coach George King took them their during the 1969 season. 1969 was a pretty good year for Purdue, and while they continue to put astronauts in space, there’s been no further landing in the promised land of college basketball.