After all, he rode Zach Edey to the national title game in 2024 and has won four Big Ten titles in the last ten seasons. If anyone thought Edey’s departure was going to slow Purdue down then what happened last season was certainly a surprise to them.
The Boilermakers clearly had a major hole to fill without Edey under the basket but found the pieces for another solid season. Purdue won 24 games, tied for 4th in a strong year in the Big Ten, and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen, their third trip in the last four years. We’ll get into just who stood out for the Boilermakers last season because many of those faces are back in town again.
Expectations are sky high in West Lafayette heading into a season where the three stars from last year are all back for their senior seasons, and we’ll dive into them soon enough. Purdue does have to navigate a few departures from this lineup like Caleb Furst but are returning a much more significant amount of talent than the average Big Ten team from last year.
Without too much teasing we’ll simply say that this year’s Purdue squad could be special, and we know we’re talking about a program that was in the championship game 18 months ago. We’ll dive into just why the Boilermakers could be a dominant force with the faces on this roster and a little bit about their schedule. Is Purdue truly the preseason favorite to win another Big Ten title?
Projected Starters
Guard – Braden Smith (Senior)
Now back for what should be a special senior season, Smith is undoubtedly one of the nation’s best point guards. His third year with the Boilermakers really jumped off the page, putting up 15.8 points and 8.7 assists per game while knocking down 38% of his 3-pointers last season. The Big Ten Player of the Year and a First Team All-American, Smith not only runs the show but does a little of everything for the Boilermakers and will spearhead whatever success comes in 2026.
Guard – Fletcher Loyer (Senior)
Another major asset and star back in West Lafayette, it’s now year four as a starting guard for Loyer with these Boilermakers. The Fort Wayne native averaged 13.8 points per game with great shooting numbers, including a 44% mark from outside the arc. Loyer is basically everything you want in a sharpshooter and brings the athleticism and experience in this backcourt.
Guard – C. J. Cox (Sophomore)
During his freshman year Cox showed flashes of brilliance and the Boilermakers are excited about what he’ll bring to this program in the near future. A 6-3 guard from Massachusetts, he averaged 6.0 points and 2.8 rebounds a game last year, sliding into the starting lineup in January and never looking back. Cox can also shoot the ball, making just under 40% of his 3-pointers and it’ll be interesting to see if he can take that next step in his second year.
Forward – Trey Kaufman-Renn (Senior)
Last year was a major breakout campaign for Kaufman-Renn, stepping into that bigger role in Edey’s absence. He successfully navigated that transition with 20.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game with great efficiency numbers. Purdue is hoping Kaufman-Renn’s explosion onto the scene wasn’t just a one-year affair, leaning heavily on him to produce at the back end of this offense and defense.
Center – Oscar Cluff (Senior)
The one major addition to this lineup, Cluff comes to Purdue following previous work at Cochise College, Washington State, and South Dakota State. After that stellar work with the Cougars, he really thrived with the Jackrabbits last season, putting up 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. Cluff was among the national leaders in rebounds and effective field goal percentage and provides a major presence around the rim in his final collegiate campaign.
Key Reserves
Guard – Antione West Jr. (Freshman)
A 6-3 shooting guard out of Toledo, West is a new young weapon for the Boilermakers and a potential sharpshooter of the future. He’s been a name on the rise across the last season and projects as a talented lead guard who can not only produce for himself but help run a cohesive offense. We’ll see what kind of role he can play behind those two seniors in this backcourt.
Forward – Liam Murphy (Senior)
Another new interesting weapon for the Boilermakers, Murphy is an interesting piece with past experience at Columbia and North Florida. Last year for the Ospreys he averaged 13.0 points and 3.3 rebounds coming off the bench while leading the ASUN by making 42% of his 3-pointers. Adding this type of sharpshooting presence off the bench is a great veteran asset for this Boilermakers team.
Center – Daniel Jacobsen (Sophomore)
A Top 100 prospect from last season’s recruiting class, Jacobsen is a 7-4 center from Chicago who didn’t really get his college career started. He started a pair of games for the Boilermakers before missing nearly the entire season with an injury, averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in those contests. He’s had an offseason to learn this system while recovering and could develop into the next great frontcourt piece, especially with that sensational size.
Guard – Omer Mayer (Freshman)
Someone who’s seen as a major coup for this Boilermakers staff, Mayer is a 6-4 point guard from Israel. Considered by some as the point guard of the future for this team, he’s an electric playmaker with a smooth jumper and solid ball skills. He tracks as a quick guard and a great distributor who could become the next big thing in Purdue’s backcourt in a few years.
Guard – Gicarri Harris (Sophomore)
Another big piece from last year’s recruiting class, Harris is a rising guard from Atlanta who saw his share of minutes even as a true freshman. He started a few games and played solid backup minutes, putting up 3.8 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Harris is athletic and can contribute all over the backcourt, with the size and strength to be an impact athlete at that position and perhaps make great strides this year as a sophomore.
Schedule Outlook
There will certainly be eyes on the exhibition game at Kentucky in October, but the real beginning comes against Evansville on November 4th. The first real challenge comes just over a week later as the Boilermakers head to Tuscaloosa on November 13 for a big test at Alabama. Soon after that they’re off to the Baha Mar Championship, facing Memphis and either Texas Tech or Wake Forest in the Bahamas.
There’s a brief taste of Big Ten play in early December included the dreaded trip to Rutgers, though the Boilermakers also have an interesting test at home against Iowa State. They’ll welcome Marquette to town on December 13th and then take on Auburn a week later in Indianapolis as part of the Indy Classic. Big Ten play begins in earnest just two weeks later.
January brings road tests at Wisconsin, Indiana, and the Los Angeles schools, but the Boilermakers have a lot of winnable games in conference play. They luck out, avoiding road trips to Illinois, Michigan, and Michigan State, though they will get a pair of looks at Iowa, Wisconsin, and those rival Hoosiers. The regular season concludes at home for an exciting Senior Night on March 7th against the Badgers.
Season Outlook
There’s plenty to say about this roster but we’ll do our best to concisely represent why this could be another special year in West Lafayette. With this new era of the transfer portal, Purdue has become that special school still able to bring talent in and build them up for several years. Kaufman-Renn, Loyer, and Smith are each star seniors that had three years building up in this system and all three have become icons for this program.
The conversation starts with Smith, a dynamic point guard who affects the game on multiple levels. Bringing back an All-American to run the offense is first and foremost an insane achievement and represents the experience and talent on this roster. While Smith has his runs of deadly shooting, you also have to watch out for Loyer, who has casually developed into a lights out shooter in his own right in this backcourt.
Losing Edey was supposed to slow the Boilermakers but instead Kaufman-Renn had an insane breakout campaign and is one of the best returning big men in the country. He was enormously productive and doesn’t even have to carry the weight of the frontcourt alone this season. Cluff is a sensational rebounder who won’t put up the same numbers as last year but certainly offsets some of that pressure from Kaufman-Renn. There’s also potential for Jacobsen to step up now that he’s healthy and back on the bench.
The big question for Purdue comes in that fifth slot in the starting rotation. Cox held that role and played well at times as a true freshman last season, but there’s certainly competition in this backcourt. Harris himself showed signs of brilliance and the Boilermakers really like what they’ve found in Mayer as a prospect. Expect Cox to get every change to prove he’s the guy at the 3, though it’ll be interesting to see who produces outside of Smith and Loyer.
Find another team that brings back three starters who have played at such a high level for the same program for this much time. After all Kaufman-Renn, Loyer, and Smith were starters in the national title game and this team has more than enough talent to produce that same type of season. The Boilermakers then added pieces like Cluff and Mayer into the equation, leaving Painter and the Purdue faithful wondering if this could truly be that special campaign.