How Purdue Basketball's Returning Production Compares to Other Big Ten Teams
In this story:
It's no secret that Purdue returns a large chunk of its offensive production from last season. With the top three scorers from last season all returning — Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith, and Fletcher Loyer — the Boilermakers have earned their spot as favorites to win the 2025-26 Big Ten title.
Along with Kaufman-Renn, Smith, and Loyer, Purdue also returns CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris, both making significant impacts as freshmen. In total, the Boilermakers bring back 86% of their scoring production from the 2024-25 squad. That team averaged 77.9 points per game and finished with a 24-12 record.
What's even more impressive about that figure is that Purdue's returning scoring production is nearly 30% higher than the second-highest in the Big Ten — Ohio State at 59%. Only four teams in the conference are returning more than 50% of their scoring from last season, per college basketball insider Jon Rothstein.
Here's a look at Purdue's returning scoring production compares to the rest of the Big Ten.
Big Ten returning scoring production
- Purdue — 86%
- Ohio State — 59%
- UCLA — 55.5%
- Illinois — 52.1%
- Nebraska — 48.1%
- Oregon — 48%
- Northwestern — 47.2%
- Michigan State — 40.4%
- Michigan — 40.1%
- Wisconsin — 35.9%
- Washington — 19.8%
- Penn State — 14.6%
- Rutgers — 14.4%
- Minnesota — 8.2%
- USC — 2.9%
- Iowa — 1.7%
- Indiana — 0%
- Maryland — 0%
Purdue's top returning scorers
- Trey Kaufman-Renn — 20.1 ppg
- Braden Smith — 15.8 ppg
- Fletcher Loyer — 13.8 ppg
- CJ Cox — 6.0 ppg
- Gicarri Harris — 3.8 ppg
- *Daniel Jacobsen — 6.5 ppg (appeared in just two games)
Related stories on Purdue basketball
THOUGHTS ON PURDUE'S FIRST PRACTICE: Purdue held its first summer practice of 2025 on Monday. Here are a few quick thoughts and takeaways from what we saw at Cardinal Court in early June. CLICK HERE
PURDUE PLAYER INTERVIEWS: Following Purdue's first basketball practice of the summer, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith, Daniel Jacobsen, and Fletcher Loyer all met with reporters. CLICK HERE
JACOBSEN EAGER TO GET BACK TO WORK: Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen missed almost his entire freshman season due to injury. Now that he's back to full strength, the 7-foot-4 center is ready to get back to work. CLICK HERE
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.
Follow SchutteDustin