Purdue Basketball Makes Program History in Preseason Associated Press Poll
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For the first time in program history, Purdue will begin the college basketball season ranked as the No. 1 team in the country. The Boilermakers were atop the rankings in the Associated Press preseason poll, which was released Monday.
Purdue received 1,485 points and 35 first-place votes in the preseason poll. Houston is ranked No. 2 after receiving 1,459 points and 16 votes for the top spot. Other teams to receive votes for No. 1 included Florida (8) and UConn (2).
Before this season, Purdue had never been ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP poll. Before Zach Edey's senior season in 2023-25, Purdue was ranked as the No. 3 team in the preseason poll. That year, the Boilers reached the National Championship Game for the first time since 1969.
The Boilermakers are the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten and to reach the Final Four. A big reason is because of the return of 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year and Bob Cousy Award winner Braden Smith, as well as third-team All-American Trey Kaufman-Renn, and All-Big Ten honorable mention Fletcher Loyer.
In the offseason, coach Matt Painter and his staff also addressed Purdue's rebounding woes by adding 6-foot-11 Oscar Cluff, who averaged a double-double at South Dakota State last season. Plus, the Boilers return 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen and sophomore guards CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris.
The addition of four-star international guard Omer Mayer has also generated a lot of buzz surrounding the program.
Purdue's season begins on Tuesday, Nov. 4 with a game against Evansville at Mackey Arena. Before that, the Boilers will play two exhibition games: traveling to Lexington on Oct. 24 to play No. 9 Kentucky. On Oct. 29, they will host UIndy.
2025-26 Preseason AP Poll
- Purdue Boilermakers
- Houston Cougars
- Florida Gators
- UConn Huskies
- St. John's Red Storm
- Duke Blue Devils
- Michigan Wolverines
- BYU Cougars
- Kentucky Wildcats
- Texas Tech Red Raiders
- Louisville Cardinals
- UCLA Bruins
- Arizona Wildcats
- Arkansas Razorbacks
- Alabama Crimson Tide
- Iowa State Cyclones
- Illinois FIghting Illini
- Tennessee Volunteers
- Kansas Jayhawks
- Auburn Tigers
- Gonzaga Bulldogs
- Michigan State Spartans
- Creighton Bluejays
- Wisconsin Badgers
- North Carolina Tar Heels
Others receiving votes — North Carolina State, Oregon Ducks, San Diego State, Texas Longhorns, Ohio State Buckeyes, Kansas State Wildcats, Ole Miss Rebels, USC Trojans, Missouri Tigers, Washington Huskies, Vanderbilt Commodores, Iowa Hawkeyes, Boise State Broncos, Mississippi State Bulldogs, VCU Rams, Virginia Cavaliers, Saint Mary's Gaels, Indiana Hoosiers, Oklahoma Sooners, Baylor Bears.
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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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