Basketball fans commemorate 2023-24 season at film premiere in Mackey Arena

Fans flocked to Mackey Arena Friday night to support Purdue men’s basketball, but the Boilers won’t return to the home paint for another 30 days.

Mackey did host Boilerball that night, but instead of a nail-biting game happening live, the fans were cheering for the premiere of "Phoenix: A Purdue Basketball Story," a university-produced film showcasing the team's run to the NCAA championship game.

From alumni and current students to families with young kids, fans of all kinds showed up to “relive the moment,” as one student put it.

“I just want to see all those moments again,” said Connor Sutterley, a junior at Purdue. “You know, that really happened. It really happened to us.”

The film, lasting about an hour and a half, recaps the entire 2023-24 season, from the opening game against Samford to the championship loss to UConn.

Jason Wade attended almost every game with his son Carson, missing only the matchups in Detroit.

“It's priceless,” Jason said about getting to share the experience with his son. “He’s gonna grow up hating the Hoosiers. It's awesome.”

When asked what the highlight of the season was, Carson said “everything.”

Though the stands weren’t filled Friday night, the energy Mackey is famous for still rang through the stadium.

Multiple times throughout the movie, the crowd “oohed” and “aahed” at behind the scenes shots that gave viewers a closer look at the team beyond the court.

Footage from the locker room showed Matt Painter’s halftime pep talks, advice from assistant coaches and even less serious moments like Lance Jones intercepting a water bottle someone was tossing to Fletcher Loyer.

“The various looks that Edey gave other people,” was freshman Peyton Pollert’s favorite part. He said it was really cool to see the players’ personalities.

The film ended by previewing the upcoming season, encouraging fans to be a part of the action throughout.

“This chapter, which will live on in record books, on banners and in memories of Purdue fans all over the globe will be foundational to the next,” the narrator said. “The bar has been raised. The expectations have been set. The only question left is ‘will you be there when the next chapter is written?’”