Report: Alabama, Purdue finalizing home-and-home series after Final Four runs

It appears as though two of the top teams in college basketball will face off each of the the next two seasons. Purdue and Alabama are finalizing a home-and-home series, according to Jon Rothstein.

The two Final Four participants are set to meet at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette in 2024-25, with a matchup taking place in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2025-26.

Alabama and Purdue both made the Final Four this past season. The Crimson Tide lost to UConn in a national semifinal game, before the Boilermakers came up short in the national championship against the Huskies.

Alabama and Purdue are known as programs that are not afraid to schedule tough games.

In fact, the two teams also met last season, with the Boilermakers earning a hard-fought 92-86 win in Toronto.

The Crimson Tide had an up-and-down year for most of the 2023-24 season, before locking in and making a run in the NCAA Tournament. Nate Oats’ squad played better defense in March, leading to wins over Charleston, Grand Canyon, North Carolina and Clemson.

As for Purdue, the Boilermakers had been criticized in recent years for their postseason struggles.

However, after losing to a No. 16 seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament, the Boilermakers advanced all the way to the national title game in 2024. Along the way, Purdue made its first Final Four since 1980.

Purdue will be much different team in 2023-24

Purdue finally got over the hump this past season, reaching the Final Four for the first time in 44 years.

However, if the Boilermakers are going to go on another deep run in next year’s NCAA Tournament, they will be doing so with a much different team.

Zach Edey was the most dominant player in college hoops the past two years, averaging 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds in 2023-24, a year after averaging 22.3 points and 12.9 boards.

Edey is now off to the NBA, starting guard Lance Jones is out of eligibility and Big Ten Sixth Man of the Year Mason Gillis has transferred to Duke.

Purdue is set to return some important pieces, including point guard Braden Smith, shooting guard Fletcher Loyer, wing Cam Heide, wing Myles Colvin and big man Trey Kaufman-Renn. But there’s no doubt the Boilermakers will play much different and look much different in 2024-25.

The good news for Matt Painter and the Boilermakers is that they signed an excellent recruiting class.

Purdue has the No. 19 class in the country coming in for the class of 2024, led by top-75 prospects Kanon Catchings and Gicarri Harris.

The Boilermakers and Alabama will get an early test next season when they face off in West Lafayette. It will give both coaches an opportunity to see where their teams are.