Why Matt Painter Believes This is Purdue's 'Best Chance' to Win National Title
In this story:
Matt Painter knows he has a team capable of winning a national championship this season. There's a reason the expectations are so high at Purdue entering the 2025-26 campaign. But is this year the best chance he's had to bring an NCAA title to West Lafayette?
"I think so. With the team we have now, something can happen and we can still be pretty good," Painter told Jon Rothstein on the Inside College Basketball Now podcast. "Your margin of error, sometimes when you lose people, can fall off. Even though we had a good year last year, we fell off when Daniel Jacobsen [got hurt]. Our margin for error was thinner than it was in the past."
Purdue is one of the favorites entering the season because of the mix of returning talent and offseason additions. The Boilermakers return the top trio in the sport with Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn all back. Plus, Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox, Jack Benter, and Raleigh Burgess are all fighting for minutes, as well.
The Boilermakers also landed 6-foot-11 center Oscar Cluff from the transfer portal, a double-double machine last year at South Dakota State. They also brought in sharp-shooter Liam Murphy from North Florida.
Painter and his staff recruited four-star guard Omer Mayer and Antione West Jr. to add depth to the backcourt, as well. It puts Purdue in a really good spot, returning 86% of its offensive production from last year, while also bringing in players who fill a necessary void.
"I think we have enough firepower this year," Painter said. "We have to get some breaks, we have to play well, we have to defend and rebound, all of those things. But we feel good about going into the season."
Boilers have deep roster
One of the reasons Purdue is perceived to have the best roster in college basketball is because of the quality depth it possesses. It gives the Boilermakers some wiggle room if a player gets in foul trouble on a given night, or if an injury keeps someone sidelined.
"Now, if something happens of that magnitude — it doesn't mean if we lose one of those key guys it's not going to effect us — but we still have enough to push forward and compete against elite people." Painter said.
The idea of a 12-man rotation is certainly a benefit for a team, but it doesn't necessarily come in handy every night. Painter pointed out that, while depth is an overall positive, you don't always have the benefit of playing several guys during every game.
"If something happens, it really helps you — foul trouble, injuries, things of that nature," Painter said. "If you stay out of foul trouble, you don't have injuries, the thing people don't understand about rotations, you're playing your best players less if you play more people. You want to keep that in perspective."
Purdue addressed defense, rebounding
Purdue was among the best offensive teams in the country last season. Its 48.6% field goal rate ranked 17th nationally and it had the 16th-best three-point team in the country. Where the Boilers really struggled, though, was on the defensive end and crashing the glass.
Painter believes his team will be better in both of those areas. Cluff averaged more than 12 rebounds per game last season and Jacobsen's 7-foot-4 frame adds rim protection that the Boilers simply didn't have last season.
"I think we've improved with the personnel that we've added and the experience that we have, but you still have to go out and be consistent in those areas," he said. "We have to be consistent in those areas. If we can defensive rebound, we're going to have a lot of good opportunities in transition."
One of the things Painter wants to see from his team this year? If it has the ability to win games when shots aren't falling. He believes that could be the difference between a team capable of making a Final Four run and one that gets bounced early from the NCAA Tournament.
"Defensively, we all know the ball doesn't go in every night," Painter said. "We have to be able to grind out some wins, have to be able to not be at the top of your game, and still beat quality people.
"I think that's always a good sign of a championship-level team."
Related stories on Purdue basketball
SMITH NAMED BIG TEN PRESEASON POTY: Purdue guard Braden Smith was named the Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season. When was the last time a Boilermaker didn't earn the honor? CLICK HERE
HARRIS READY TO MAKE BIG IMPACT: Gicarri Harris says the game has slowed down for him since his freshman season. Now, he's ready to make a big impact for Purdue during his sophomore campaign. 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