Is Purdue Ranked Too High or Too Low in Newest College Basketball Power Rankings?

Yes, it's still way too early to look at the preseason rankings for the 2026-27 season. But this is what the offseason is all about, right? And when it comes to Purdue basketball, there's truly never an offseason.

In his new "Power 44," NCAA.com's Andy Katz released his top 44 teams in college basketball heading into the 2026-27 campaign. Purdue snuck inside the top-20, listed at No. 19. The Boilermakers are the fifth-highest-ranked team from the Big Ten.

Michigan is No. 3, Illinois comes in at No. 4 and Michigan State cracked the top 10 at No. 10. Nebraska is the only other Big Ten program ahead of Purdue, ranked No. 17.

Is Purdue's way-too-early ranking too high, too low or just right? First, here's a complete rundown of the top 20:

Duke Blue Devils
Florida Gators
Michigan Wolverines
Illinois Fighting Illini
Tennessee Volunteers
UConn Huskies
Arizona Wildcats
Arkansas Razorbacks
Texas Longhorns
Michigan State Spartans
Vanderbilt Commodores
Virginia Cavaliers
Kansas Jayhawks
Houston Cougars
Louisville Cardinals
Alabama Crimson Tide
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Iowa State Cyclones
Purude Boilermakers
USC Trojans

Is Purdue ranked too high?

Purdue Boilermakers guard Jack Benter (14) shoots the basketball during a practice session. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

It's really difficult to evaluate whether this is an accurate prediction of where Purdue stands heading into the 2026-27 season. The Boilermakers are losing more than 60% of their scoring production from last year, with Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer and Oscar Cluff all departing. It's going to be difficult to replace that level of production.

However, this isn't a new concept for Purdue. The program has continued to flourish even after moving on from some of its greatest contributors. The Boilermakers have continued to reload over the years, even when losing talents like Carsen Edwards, Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey.

Purdue returns key contributors in C.J. Cox, Gicarri Harris, Daniel Jacobsen, Omer Mayer and Jack Benter. All played roles for the Boilers last year, but none have been "go-to" guys to this point in their careers. How will that group handle that type of pressure?

Maybe incoming transfer Caden Pierce can provide that senior leadership Purdue needs, playing three seasons at Princeton before entering the transfer portal. The Boilers also need a redshirt player like Raleigh Burgess or Antione West Jr., or one member of the 11th-ranked incoming freshman class to contribute quickly.

So, what's the official word on Purdue being No. 19 in Katz's poll? My complicated answer is this: On paper, the Boilers may be worthy of a spot in the top 25, but 19 might be a tad high. At the same time, I do believe that the 2026-27 squad will improve as the season progresses and players get more comfortable in their new roles.

For whatever reason, this feels like a Purdue team similar to the 2018-19 team — one that began the year 6-5 but went on to win the Big Ten and reached the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.

Next year's team is going to go through some growing pains, but ultimately, Purdue will be one of the top teams in the Big Ten again.

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