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NCAA Basketball: Who should be the No. 1 team to start the 2023-24 season?

By Tristan Freeman

Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) celebrates as he is announced the player of the tournament after winning the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, Sunday, March 12, 2023, at United Center in Chicago. Purdue won 67-65.Pupsu031223 Am22423
Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) celebrates as he is announced the player of the tournament after winning the Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament Championship game against the Penn State Nittany Lions, Sunday, March 12, 2023, at United Center in Chicago. Purdue won 67-65.Pupsu031223 Am22423 /
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Purdue’s head coach Matt Painter, right, talks with Fletcher Loyer 230116 Msu Purdue Bball 056a
Purdue’s head coach Matt Painter, right, talks with Fletcher Loyer 230116 Msu Purdue Bball 056a /

Purdue Boilermakers

There’s not really much to discuss when it comes to why Purdue should get consideration for the No. 1 spot. They become the second team in the past 10 years (Kentucky) to return its National Player of the Year star, Zach Edey. And the big difference between the Boilermakers and the Wildcats, who struggled last season compared to expectations, is that the roster hasn’t gone through any changes.

All five starters are back from a team that won 29 games and dominated the Big Ten Conference. They were an easy 1 seed and while the shocking loss to 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson remains on the resume, having so much production returning overrides that blemish. Edey and his 22.3 ppg and 12.9 rpg are back, along with solid frontcourt partners, Mason Gillis, Trey Kaufmann-Renn, and Caleb Furst.

And what should give Purdue fans even more optimism is the backcourt duo of Braden Smith and Flecther Loyer. Both mightily overachieved as freshmen starters and assuming the development continues, will only be better this year. And having Edey down low will automatically give them plenty of room to operate.

The Boilermakers easily have the highest floor in NCAA Basketball this upcoming season. I’d argue that their ceiling could also be just as high, though the lack of definite future NBA players is something to consider. Yet could there be another Big Ten team with an even higher ceiling?

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