8. Purdue (4-0)
Zach Edey is not coming onto the court this season, but the initial weeks of Purdue basketball don’t show a team that desperately misses him. Matt Painter has consistently brought top-level talent into the program and it’s become clear that Braden Smith and the remaining faces in West Lafayette can cause major damage again this season.
Their high-power offense was on full display this week, starting with a 92-84 win over Yale on Monday night. The defense was far from pretty, but Smith had 22 points and 9 rebounds and the Boilermakers got the job done. The real breakthrough came Friday, as Purdue knocked off #2 Alabama in an 87-78 win at home. The whole team made a major statement, with Trey Kaufman-Renn putting up 26 points and 8 rebounds alongside a double-double from Smith.
No matter what you thought of last season, this year’s squad is still going to win games and beat some pretty good teams. There’s impressive talent in the backcourt beyond Smith, while Kaufman-Renn had a real breakthrough as the top answer in the frontcourt. The Boilermakers don’t get opportunities like this often, but they took advantage against a really strong Alabama team. Their challenges don’t get any easier, as they’ll be at Marquette early next week for another tough matchup; their first away from home.