Purdue's 2025-26 Season is 'Final Four or Bust,' College Basketball Analyst Says

Expectations are high in West Lafayette as Purdue prepares for the 2025-26 season. With so much talent on the roster, many peg the Boilermakers as national championship contenders.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter shares a moment with guard Gicarri Harris | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

With the roster coach Matt Painter and his staff has retained and assembled in West Lafayette, expectations are high for Purdue entering the 2025-26 season. College basketball analyst Jon Rothstein believes it's a "Final Four or bust" year for the Boilermakers.

Purdue's offseason was arguably the most successful of any team in the sport. The Boilermakers retained Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith, first-team All-Big Ten selection Trey Kaufman-Renn and All-Big Ten honorable mention Fletcher Loyer.

Those three players have spent their entire careers in West Lafayette, and their return for the upcoming season is why Rothstein Purdue has such a high ceiling entering next season.

"It feels like a Final Four or bust type of year for Purdue, and I don't see how that sentiment can be argued," Rothstein said. "If you're Purdue, you have done the ultimate thing in retention, you have been able to retain almost 90% of your scoring from a team that came within inches of beating Houston in the Sweet 16 last March.

"Purdue returns 86% of its scoring, that includes National Player of the Year candidate Braden Smith, and also Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Those three players ... were all starters when Purdue went to the National Championship Game with Zach Edey in 2024 and lost to UConn."

The 2025-26 season feels like a "Final Four or bust" type year for Purdue.

🎧 https://t.co/c9JLel2QnF (Apple)
🎧 https://t.co/EsZxIkca32 (Spotify) pic.twitter.com/47Z4Vxf7sV

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 8, 2025

The return of those three players catapulted Purdue to the top of the way-too-early rankings for the upcoming season. But they're not the only reason why Painter's squad is viewed so positively.

Purdue also brings back guards CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris, and 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen returns after suffering a season-ending injury in the second game of the 2024-25 campaign.

Additionally, the Boilers added Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy via the transfer portal and Omer Mayer and Antione West Jr. are incoming freshmen guards.

"CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, also Purdue is going to get Daniel Jacobsen (back) ... and they're going to add Oscar Cluff, a transfer big man from South Dakota State. So, the Purdue team that we saw last year lose in the Sweet 16 to Houston, is going to bring back four starters, and it's going to add major reinforcements in Jacobsen and Cluff.

"To me, Purdue is the No. 1 team entering the 2025-26 college basketball season."

Purdue has enjoyed tremendous success recently. Can the trio of Smith, Kaufman-Renn and Loyer cap off incredible college careers by bringing a national championship back to West Lafayette?

Related stories on Purdue basketball

ADIDAS FEATURES CARSEN EDWARDS IN VIDEO: Former Purdue star Carsen Edwards is enjoying a great career in the EuroLeague. Though he may be overseas, he still depends heavily on his family for support. CLICK HERE

WOODEN AWARD ODDS FOR SMITH, KAUFMAN-RENN: Purdue guard Braden Smith and forward Trey Kaufman-Renn are among those with the best odds to win the Wooden National Player of the Year award in 2026. CLICK HERE

RECAPPING OMER MAYER'S FIBA PERFORMANCE: Israel guard Omer Mayer only played in four games in the FIBA U19 World Cup, but he showcased his talent when he was on the floor. CLICK HERE

RECAPPING DANIEL JACOBSEN'S PERFORMANCE IN FIBA: Daniel Jacobsen won a gold medal for the second time in the FIBA World Cup. Here's how the Purdue center performed during his time with Team USA. CLICK HERE