Regular season

In head coach Lee Rose's first season at Purdue, where he introduced a slowed-down, tempo-controlled style of play, he led the Boilers to a Big Ten Conference

Big Ten Conference

The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...

 co-title, along with the eventual NCAA Champion, Ervin Johnson

Ervin Johnson

Ervin Johnson is an American former professional basketball center who played in the National Basketball Association from 1993 to 2006.-Professional career:...

-led Michigan State team. With only a 32 team NCAA Tournament field in 1979, the Boilermakers were forced to enter the NIT, instead, due to the favor Michigan State had over Purdue for their head-to-head record on the season. Purdue qualified for the National Invitation Tournament, where they lost to the Indiana Hoosiers

1978-79 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team

The 1978–79 Indiana Hoosiers men's basketball team represented Indiana University. The Head Coach was Bobby Knight. The team played its home games in the Assembly Hall in Bloomington, Indiana, and was a member of the Big Ten Conference....

in the tournament finals.

National Invitation Tournament

• First Round
  • Purdue 97, Central Michigan 80
• Second Round
  • Purdue 84, Dayton 70
• Quarterfinal
  • Purdue 67, Old Dominion 59
• Semifinal
  • Purdue 87, Alabama 68
• Final
  • Indiana 53, Purdue 52

Team players drafted into the NBA

Round	Pick	Player	NBA Club
4	82	Jerry Sichting	Golden State Warriors