5 Reasons to Already Be Excited for Purdue Basketball's 2026-27 Season
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Purdue's college basketball season ended less than a week ago, and it was hard to watch the senior trio of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer walk off the floor for a final time. They accomplished a lot during their time in West Lafayette, raising the expectations for the program.
While the program closes the book on that era at Purdue, there's plenty to look forward to when the Boilermakers take the floor for the 2026-27 season. There are a lot of unknowns about next year, which only adds to the anticipation and excitement.
Here are just a few reasons fans should already be excited for next year.
Getting our first glimpse of Antione West Jr.
West only saw action in the exhibition games this year and utilized his freshman season to redshirt. But because of the high praise he's received from his coach and teammates, there's a lot of excitement about what the 6-foot-3 guard can bring to the floor.
In one of his podcast episodes, Braden Smith predicted that West would be Purdue's leading scorer for the 2026-27 season. When the Ohio native initially signed with the program, Matt Painter compared him to Carsen Edwards because of his play-making ability.
How can West impact the program as a redshirt freshman next season? That's something many Purdue fans are already looking forward to watching.
A talented group of incoming freshmen
Purdue's four-man recruiting class ranks seventh nationally, according to 247Sports. The Boilermakers are bringing in four-star point guard Luke Ertel, four-star center Sinan Huan, four-star shooting guard Jacob Webber and three-star forward Rivers Knight.
How does each player fit into the program? How many will earn immediate playing time?
Ertel will come in and battle Omer Mayer for the starting point guard spot. If Mayer remains the top option, Ertel would serve as a quality backup for the Boilermakers. It's a similar situation for Huan, who could challenge for a big role at the five spot, battling Daniel Jacobsen and potentially Raleigh Burgess.
Roles for Webber and Knight might be more difficult to define, but that doesn't mean they couldn't see the floor as freshmen.
It's always exciting to see what a new recruiting class has to offer and how they immediately impact the team.
Who emerges as the team's "go-to" player?
Next season will be the first time in several years that Purdue doesn't have a clear No. 1 option in the offense, at least heading into the offseason. The Boilermakers have plenty of options, but who will fill that role?
Returning guard C.J. Cox is a logical option, demonstrating his ability to score points in bunches multiple times through his first two years. Will he be the primary scorer in the offense? Caden Pierce is also an option, transferring in from Princeton. He showed he can score at a high level during his three-year career at Princeton.
Mayer is another possibility, especially if he has the ball in his hands more frequently. Or, perhaps Smith's prediction becomes reality and West is the best option offensively.
An argument could be made for many players on Purdue's roster. It's going to be interesting to see how that shakes out when the season starts.
The potential to be better defensively
It's not a secret that Purdue depended so heavily on its offensive prowess to win games over the last two years. It struggled on the defensive end of the court because of some of the limitations of the lineup.
But the Boilermakers might find themselves in a better spot this coming season. They'll have two rim protectors with Jacobsen and Huan at the five, providing a last line of defense. Cox and Gicarri Harris are skilled perimeter defenders, and West isn't afraid to pressure the basketball.
Mayer provides good positional size at the lead guard spot and Pierce and Benter can defend multiple positions, if necessary. Burgess can also provide the Boilers with good positional size and some mobility at the four.
None of this means Purdue will be an elite defensive team. It will probably still depend heavily on its offense for success. Taking a step forward defensively would be a great sign for the Boilers, though.
Painter becoming the program's winningest coach
For the third time in his career, Painter coached his team to a 30-win season, bringing his win total at Purdue to 501. That means he needs just 12 wins to pass Gene Keady as the all-time winningest coach in the history of Boilermaker basketball.
Painter has accomplished a lot during his time in West Lafayette. He's led the program to five Big Ten regular-season championships, two Big Ten Tournament titles, and its first Final Four appearance in more than four decades. It's only fitting that he become Purdue's all-time winningest coach.
That's going to be a special moment for the program. And, if he does it in Mackey Arena, you know Keady will be sitting courtside, smiling from ear to ear.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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