Where Purdue Ranks in College Basketball Analyst's Summer Big Ten Power Rankings
In this story:
With the returning talent and the incoming skill on Purdue's roster, the Boilermakers are entering the 2025-26 college basketball season as the best team in the Big Ten, according to analyst Andy Katz.
This week, Katz released his late summer power rankings for Big Ten Network. It's not a huge surprise that Purdue was listed in the No. 1 spot, returning a veteran senior class that includes Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Fletcher Loyer. The Boilers also brought in Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy from the transfer portal and a recruiting class that includes Antione West Jr. and Omer Mayer.
Plus, the Boilers also return sophomore guards Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox, as well as 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen. On paper, Purdue has all the pieces in place to make another strong push to win a Big Ten title and a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
Time for @TheAndyKatz's late summer #B1GMBBall Power Rankings❕📊 Do you agree with his 1-18? pic.twitter.com/kY071ssotx
— Big Ten Men's Basketball (@B1GMBBall) August 4, 2025
Katz has a tier of "contenders" for the Big Ten title this year, which includes five teams. Along with Purdue, he also believes Michigan, Oregon, UCLA, and Illinois can compete for a conference championship.
If the Boilers are able to win the Big Ten, it would be their third conference title in the last four years.
Related stories on Purdue basketball
DIANE KEEPS PURDUE IN TOP 12: Arafan Diane, the top-ranked center in the 2026 recruiting class, has narrowed his list of schools down to 12. Purdue is still in contention. CLICK HERE
WEBBER SCHEDULES VISIT TO PURDUE: Jacob Webber, a four-star recruit in the 2026 recruiting class, has set an official visit date to Purdue for late August. He will attend La Lumiere this year. CLICK HERE
OUTLET RANKS PAINTER TOP BIG TEN COACH: Where does Purdue's Matt Painter rank among basketball coaches in the Big Ten? On3 released its list of the top 10 in the conference this week. 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