Purdue Ends 2025-26 Basketball Season Making KenPom History

Purdue didn't accomplish its goal of making a Final Four, but the Boilermakers still did some special things offensively during the 2025-26 basketball season.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts in the first half. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

It may not have been the history Purdue had aimed for this season, but the Boilermakers did close out the 2025-26 college basketball season with the most prolific offensive season in the history of the KenPom rating system.

Purdue ended the season with a 131.6 offensive efficiency rating for the 2025-26 season. That is the highest rating for any team in KenPom history, surpassing Duke's 2024-25 rating of 130.1.

For those unfamiliar, the KenPom efficiency rating is based on points scored per 100 possessions. The Boilermakers had flip-flopped with Illinois between the No. 1 and No. 2 spots for most of the season. With the Illini falling 71-62 to UConn in the Final Four on Saturday night, it essentially assures Purdue will own the record for KenPom's most efficient offense in a single season.

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) reacts in the first half. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Illinois ended the year with a 131.0 rating. Michigan is currently fourth at 128.4, and UConn is 27th at 122.8, the two teams that will play for the national title on Monday night in Indianapolis.

Obviously, Purdue had set out to accomplish much bigger goals, but this record indicates how dynamic the Boilermakers were offensively during the 2025-26 season. They ended the year with a 30-9 record, winning the Big Ten Tournament and reaching the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament.

Purdue regularly near the top of KenPom's offensive rating

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter gestures from the bench. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Producing one of college basketball's top offenses is nothing new in West Lafayette. Matt Painter's teams have regularly been near the top of KenPom's offensive efficiency rating for the past 10 seasons.

Last year, Purdue ranked seventh in offensive efficiency (124.6) and was fourth during the 2023-24 campaign, when it made the run to the National Championship Game (125.2). The Boilers also ranked second in 2022 (121.0), fourth in 2019 (122.5), and second in 2018 (122.7).

It's no coincidence that Purdue has earned a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament each of the last nine seasons and has won four Big Ten regular-season titles and two Big Ten Tournament championships in the past decade.

This past season, Purdue was led by its senior trio offensively. Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer all average more than 14 points per game, and senior transfer Oscar Cluff also averaged double digits fro the Boilermakers.

Purdue ended the year averaging 81.7 points per game, shooting 49.9% from the floor and 37.9% from behind the three-point line.

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