NCAA Basketball: Top 25 preseason power rankings for 2021-22 season

The Boilermakers were a pleasant surprise last season, getting a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. And outside of reserve forward Aaron Wheeler transferring out, the entire roster returns for another season, joined by a pair of top-60 freshman forwards to bolster the frontcourt.

A frontcourt that already was one of the best in the country, led by All-Big Ten big man Trevion Williams. He averaged a team-leading 15.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg on 53% shooting and is one of the more dominant post players in the country. His backup, 7’3 big man Zach Edey was just as good when on the court, averaging 23.6 ppg and 12.1 rpg per 40 minutes. He and Williams aren’t compatible on the court together but at least that means Purdue will have a great post option inside all 40 minutes.

Joining them inside is freshman forwards, Caleb Furst and Trey Penn-Kaufmann. Considering Purdue’s ability to play small lineups and how much time Williams and Edey will get on the court, it’s hard to envision either getting a ton of playing time. But these are long-term pieces that can spread the floor if the team wants to switch things up on offense.

The biggest reason why the Boilermakers are ranked so high is due to Jaden Ivey, who was impressive as a freshman but is pegged as a near consensus national breakout candidate for 2021-22. He was the only other double-digit scorer on the team at 11.1 ppg and is a great athlete that can create his own offense. If Ivey becomes a national star, this team can truly win it all.

And while the supporting cast doesn’t make national headlines guards such as Eric Hunter, Mason Grills, Brandon Newman, and Sasha Stefanovic are all solid shooters and scorers that provide consistent production on a nightly basis. There’s a lot of proven depth and potential on this roster that warrants a top-10 spot.