2026 Tournament PreviewThe consensus preseason No. 1, Purdue started 17-1, faltered to fifth in Big Ten play but then rallied to win the conference tournament final, resulting in a surprise two seed in the West. The Boilermakers are first nationally in offensive efficiency, per KenPom, led by a backcourt of four-year starters Braden Smith (14.0 ppg, 9.1 apg) and Fletcher Loyer (13.8 ppg), both of whom drain from deep (36.5, 42.1 percent, respectively). Smith, second in the nation in assists per game, is within one career assist of Bobby Hurley's all-time record. A 6-9 senior, Trey Kaufman-Renn (13.6 ppg, 8.5 rpg) is capable of instant offense, though his scoring has mysteriously dropped from 20.3 points per game last season. Purdue is 36th in defensive efficiency but doesn't force many turnovers (247th) or defend shots well, ranking outside the top 175 vs. both two-pointers and three-pointers. The Boilermakers have 11 Quad 1 wins and no bad losses, but if it's true that defense wins championships, they might not reach their Final Four ceiling.
Scouting Report Offense Defense
Efficiency N/A N/A
Pace N/A
Effective FG% 57.64 (10) 52.35 (232)
Turnover % 11.74 (12) 13.60 (246)
Off Reb % 36.42 (19) 27.09 (39)
FTA/FGA 28.57 (336) 25.53 (9)
3P% 38.31 (11) 34.12 (192)
2P% 57.75 (23) 53.27 (245)
FT% 74.62 (99) 72.46 (182)
3PA/FGA 40.20 (165) 43.84 (318)
Totals
Per Game
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Purdue
Big Ten
Rankings
AP Poll: #18 Coaches Poll: #13 NET: #8 RPI: #14
Record
Overall: (30-9) Conference: (13-7) Quad 1: (12-9) Quad 2: (7-0) Quad 3: (8-0) Quad 4: (3-0)
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Purdue Depth Chart
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Purdue Starting Lineup - Last 5 Games
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