How well did Purdue’s offseason go during the spring months? Field of 68 college basketball analyst Rob Dauster tabbed the Boilermakers as the biggest winners, thanks to the returning talent, transfer portal additions, and incoming recruits.
The most important aspect of Purdue’s offseason was the retention of many key players from last year’s 24-12 squad, which reached the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. The top three scorers and seniors Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith, and Fletcher Loyer all return, as well as rising sophomores CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, and Raleigh Burgess. Plus, the Boilers get the services of 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen back for the 2025-26 campaign.
For Dauster, that was the biggest factor in putting Purdue at the top of his offseason winners list.
“I have Purdue at No. 1. One of the things you have to prioritize when you talk about winners and losers of the offseason is continuity and who are you bringing back?” Dauster said. “I don’t think anybody had better continuity this offseason than Purdue.”
Along with returning talent, Matt Painter and his staff did some big things in the transfer portal and on the recruiting front. Purdue added big man Oscar Cluff, who averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game last season at South Dakota State. The Boilermakers also landed a transfer commitment from Liam Murphy, a 6-foot-7 wing who shot better than 42% from three-point range at North Florida last year.
Israeli guard Omer Mayer, considered one of the top international players in the 2025 recruiting class, also committed to Purdue. He has experience in the EuroLeague, playing alongside former Boiler Trevion Williams for Tel Aviv Maccabi.
“They added Oscar Cluff, they added Liam Murphy, they got the Israeli point guard Omer Mayer, but you also bring back two All-Americans,” Dauster said. “They got back Braden Smith, who might be the preseason National Player of the Year, they got back Trey Kaufman-Renn, they got back Fletcher Loyer. I think they’re the preseason No. 1 team, and I don’t know how you can do much better than that.”
Several media personalities and outlets have projected Purdue as the No. 1 team in their way-too-early top-25 rankings for the 2025-26 season. Jon Rothstein recently bumped the Boilermakers ahead of Houston; On3 put Purdue in the No. 1 spot, and ESPN also tabbed Painter’s squad as college basketball’s top team.
Dauster’s recent compliments of Purdue will add even more fuel to the preseason hype entering the 2025-26 college basketball season.
