NCAA Basketball: Way-too-early top 25 power rankings for 2022-23 season

2021-22 season record: 29-8 (14-6 in Big Ten)

There’s no other way to describe Purdue’s postseason run other than a missed opportunity, losing to 15 seed Saint Peter’s in the Sweet 16. That’s the last game that star guard Jaden Ivey has played in a Boilermaker uniform after averaging 17.3 ppg and 3.1 apg. He’s not the only guard leaving, as Sasha Stefanovic has gone pro and Isaiah Thompson has entered the transfer portal.

The most important news will be about the center position. The odds are near 100% that Zach Edey and Trevion Williams aren’t both coming back, although the more likely scenario is that Williams will move on the Edey will be back, with some projecting him early to be an All-American candidate now that he doesn’t have to share the minutes. 7’1 incoming freshman center William Berg will probably be the next great Purdue big man anyways and he’ll get early playing time most likely.

How the backcourt looks without Ivey will be key. Brandon Newman, Ethan Morton, and Eric Hunter all took a backseat to Ivey but will have much larger roles next season if they’re able to handle it. Four-star shooting guard Fletcher Loyer should have an early impact, while Caleb Furst will look to solidify the power forward spot.

With Edey set to have a big junior campaign, Purdue will be in decent shape next season. How the perimeter players will do will ultimately determine what kind of drop they’ll take compared to this past 29-win season.