Purdue basketball opens season with stress test for its defensive upside vs Gonzaga

Purdue men's basketball already had a vision of the defensive force it wanted to be in 2026-27 before it went to Hartford on Tuesday. UConn did not thwart those expectations. It merely reminded the Boilermakers what achieving that vision will take. Gonzaga, Monday's season-opening opponent at the Hall of Fame Opening Night in Las Vegas, steps up as the first challenge which counts. "Being disciplined and paying attention to details and being in on the scouts – that will help us a lot," second-year guard Antione West Jr. said.