Welcome to “Big Ten offseason at a glance,” a team-by-team look at the conference at the start of the summer. We’ll examine roster movement for each Big Ten roster and give an early outlook for each Big Ten program for the 2025-26 season.
Previously: Rutgers, Penn State, Minnesota, Northwestern, Washington, Oregon, Nebraska, Maryland, Iowa, Wisconsin, USC, Ohio State, Michigan State, Illinois, UCLA, Michigan
Today: Purdue (24-12 overall in 2024-25, 13-7 in Big Ten play)
Last year was somewhat of a down year for Matt Painter’s Purdue team on the heels of three straight years reaching the No. 1 ranking. Still, having the Big Ten player of the year and reaching the Sweet 16 isn’t too shabby. The Boilermakers gave No. 1 seed Houston a run for its money, but a brilliant Cougars in-bounds play with seconds to go sent Purdue home.
Purdue’s roster movement
Players returning with eligibility: Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, C.J. Cox, Daniel Jacobsen, Gicarri Harris, Raleigh Burgess, Jack Benter
Players leaving due to exhausted eligibility: Caleb Furst
Players leaving via transfer portal: Cam Heide (to Texas), Myles Colvin (to Wake Forest), Will Berg (to Wichita State), Brian Waddell (to Bellarmine)
Players arriving via transfer portal: Oscar Cluff (from South Dakota State), Liam Murphy (from North Florida)
Players arriving from high school: Antoine West, Omer Mayer
There’s a reason Purdue has been one of the most consistent and successful programs in the past decade. The Boilermakers bring back nearly all of their production, headlined by the trio of Big Ten player of the year Braden Smith, All-Big Ten first teamer Trey Kaufman-Renn and sharpshooter Fletcher Loyer. For what the program did lose, it replaced. Big man Oscar Cluff is an offensive machine down low and is a top-50 transfer. Liam Murphy is a big wing whose perimeter shooting took a huge leap last season.
What to like about Purdue
Only one team nationally has a higher returning possession minutes percentage than Purdue in Bart Torvik’s metrics and it’s the Naval Academy. The few pieces the Boilermakers lost can be made up for, but what they retained is more valuable than any transfer or high school class. With what is probably the best returning group in the nation, Purdue’s core is running it back.
The Boilermakers possess the No. 1 adjusted offensive efficiency ranking at Bart Torvik. Led by Smith as the maestro, this offense will be a force. The team’s chemistry and familiarity with Painter’s system only adds to the success. Additionally, the addition of Cluff on the inside adds another threat opposite Kaufman-Renn and he’s great on the offensive glass. Especially with Smith’s ability to find any open man on the floor, Purdue will be difficult to slow down.
Considering this is mostly the same team as last year’s, Purdue will continue to improve throughout the season as its younger pieces do the same. C.J. Cox and Gicarri Harris logged good minutes and will continue to do so this year and their development will be key. At 7-foot-4, there was a lot of offseason promise for then-freshman Daniel Jacobsen to be the next ginormous big to develop in West Lafayette before an injury derailed his season. If he recovers well this year, Purdue’s inside presence will again prove one of the most daunting nationwide.
What to question with Purdue
This is an abnormality, but on the chance Jacobsen doesn’t live up to his billing, Purdue’s rim protection isn’t all that great. Neither Kaufman-Renn or Cluff are any better than average defenders in the paint. Defense is the more suspect side of the ball for the Boilermakers and their biggest concern may be inside.
How much more can this group really do and have they already reached their ceiling? It’s hard to imagine Smith topping his performance from last season – meant as a compliment to how terrific he was – and some guys don’t have much more potential to realize, like Loyer. It’s hard to doubt Painter, but he needs to get this crew to reach another level to compete for a national title.
Purdue’s outlook for the 2025-26 season
Home: Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Oregon, Penn State, Washington
Away: Maryland, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Rutgers, UCLA, USC
Home/Away: Indiana, Iowa, Wisconsin
Purdue currently projects as the Big Ten’s best and inside the top-2 nationally in Bart Torvik’s preseason metrics. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi forecasts the Boilermakers to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.
Purdue looks to win its third Big Ten title in four years and certainly has the team to do so. Two years removed from the school’s third-ever Final Four, Painter hopes to not only make a return but to win the program’s first national title.
Category: Commentary
Filed to: 2025-26 Big Ten preview, Purdue Boilermakers
