WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – As the 2020-21 men's basketball season concluded Monday, the page was being turned to the 2021-22 season as several national media outlets released their "Way-Too-Early" top 25 preseason polls.
The polls paint Purdue in a positive light as almost every media outlet has the Boilermakers ranked in the preseason top 10. Here is what the outlets had to say about the Boilermakers' prospects for the upcoming season.
3 – ESPN.com: Matt Painter did a terrific job with the Boilermakers this season, finishing 13-6 in the Big Ten before falling in overtime in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. But there are zero seniors on the roster, and only a couple of backup frontcourt players have transferred out so far. So all five starters in should be back for Purdue. It starts with Trevion Williams, a preseason All-America candidate who can be dominant down low. Painter has a deep and versatile perimeter group, with Jaden Ivey a prime breakout candidate as a sophomore. Ivey started the final 12 games of the season, scoring in double figures in all but two of those games and scoring 26 points in the NCAA tournament. Painter can go big with 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, he can have a more traditional lineup with Mason Gillis at the forward spot, or he could go small with four perimeter scorers.
4 – 247Sports: If that starting lineup looks familiar, it should: it's the same exact starting lineup Purdue fielded in the NCAA Tournament against North Texas. But there's some serious upside here for those who believe the biggest growth comes between a player's first and second seasons on the court—two starters and four of the nine players who played in that game were freshmen. That includes Brandon Newman and Zach Edey off the bench, both of whom could play starter-type minutes (Newman started 23 of 28 games last year before coming off the bench late). Add in another point guard option in Isaiah Thompson and a strong two-man recruiting class that adds two 6-foot-8 forwards in Trey Kaufman (No. 32 overall) and Caleb Furst (No. 54) and the Boilermakers bring back a ton of experience, yet still have quite a bit of young talent. Williams could be an All-America candidate, and Ivey looks like a star. The question mark on what to keep an eye on comes in that it's unclear what Purdue would even add.
4 – FoxSports Radio
4 – Stadium: Matt Painter returns just about everyone of note from a top 25 team. Williams and Edey are tough to match with on the frontline, Ivey is a potential star and Stefanovic and Newman give the Boilermakers proven shooters. Continuity will be rare this season, and that's where Painter will have a major advantage.
4 – The Athletic: The Boilermakers did not have any seniors this season, and though their postseason ended with a disappointing first-round loss to North Texas, they will enter 2021-22 with a great chance to reach their first Final Four since 1980. Williams might take a peek at the draft, but in today's NBA there is not a lot of demand for a player with his skill set. Ivey appears set for a breakthrough season, and 247Sports ranked Kaufman-Renn and Furst No. 32 and No. 54 in their class, respectively, will aid the Boilermakers' lineup.
6 – NCAA.com: Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey, let alone Trevion Williams, could make the Boilermakers Big Ten champs.
7 – USA Today: Leading scorer Trevion Williams (15.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is expected to return for his senior season, while rising sophomore Jaden Ivey (11. ppg) is ready to blossom further following a promising freshman campaign. Coach Matt Painter will have a much more seasoned team than the one that was upset by North Texas in the NCAA Tournament.
8 – Sports Illustrated: Leading scorer Trevion Williams (15.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is expected to return for his senior season, while rising sophomore Jaden Ivey (11. ppg) is ready to blossom further following a promising freshman campaign. Coach Matt Painter will have a much more seasoned team than the one that was upset by North Texas in the NCAA Tournament.
9 – CBS: The Boilermakers have no seniors and zero obvious NBA prospects, meaning everybody who matters should return from a team that received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The star is Trevion Williams, who averaged 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a junior.
The polls paint Purdue in a positive light as almost every media outlet has the Boilermakers ranked in the preseason top 10. Here is what the outlets had to say about the Boilermakers' prospects for the upcoming season.
3 – ESPN.com: Matt Painter did a terrific job with the Boilermakers this season, finishing 13-6 in the Big Ten before falling in overtime in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments. But there are zero seniors on the roster, and only a couple of backup frontcourt players have transferred out so far. So all five starters in should be back for Purdue. It starts with Trevion Williams, a preseason All-America candidate who can be dominant down low. Painter has a deep and versatile perimeter group, with Jaden Ivey a prime breakout candidate as a sophomore. Ivey started the final 12 games of the season, scoring in double figures in all but two of those games and scoring 26 points in the NCAA tournament. Painter can go big with 7-foot-4 Zach Edey, he can have a more traditional lineup with Mason Gillis at the forward spot, or he could go small with four perimeter scorers.
4 – 247Sports: If that starting lineup looks familiar, it should: it's the same exact starting lineup Purdue fielded in the NCAA Tournament against North Texas. But there's some serious upside here for those who believe the biggest growth comes between a player's first and second seasons on the court—two starters and four of the nine players who played in that game were freshmen. That includes Brandon Newman and Zach Edey off the bench, both of whom could play starter-type minutes (Newman started 23 of 28 games last year before coming off the bench late). Add in another point guard option in Isaiah Thompson and a strong two-man recruiting class that adds two 6-foot-8 forwards in Trey Kaufman (No. 32 overall) and Caleb Furst (No. 54) and the Boilermakers bring back a ton of experience, yet still have quite a bit of young talent. Williams could be an All-America candidate, and Ivey looks like a star. The question mark on what to keep an eye on comes in that it's unclear what Purdue would even add.
4 – FoxSports Radio
4 – Stadium: Matt Painter returns just about everyone of note from a top 25 team. Williams and Edey are tough to match with on the frontline, Ivey is a potential star and Stefanovic and Newman give the Boilermakers proven shooters. Continuity will be rare this season, and that's where Painter will have a major advantage.
4 – The Athletic: The Boilermakers did not have any seniors this season, and though their postseason ended with a disappointing first-round loss to North Texas, they will enter 2021-22 with a great chance to reach their first Final Four since 1980. Williams might take a peek at the draft, but in today's NBA there is not a lot of demand for a player with his skill set. Ivey appears set for a breakthrough season, and 247Sports ranked Kaufman-Renn and Furst No. 32 and No. 54 in their class, respectively, will aid the Boilermakers' lineup.
6 – NCAA.com: Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey, let alone Trevion Williams, could make the Boilermakers Big Ten champs.
7 – USA Today: Leading scorer Trevion Williams (15.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is expected to return for his senior season, while rising sophomore Jaden Ivey (11. ppg) is ready to blossom further following a promising freshman campaign. Coach Matt Painter will have a much more seasoned team than the one that was upset by North Texas in the NCAA Tournament.
8 – Sports Illustrated: Leading scorer Trevion Williams (15.5 ppg, 9.1 rpg) is expected to return for his senior season, while rising sophomore Jaden Ivey (11. ppg) is ready to blossom further following a promising freshman campaign. Coach Matt Painter will have a much more seasoned team than the one that was upset by North Texas in the NCAA Tournament.
9 – CBS: The Boilermakers have no seniors and zero obvious NBA prospects, meaning everybody who matters should return from a team that received a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The star is Trevion Williams, who averaged 15.5 points and 9.1 rebounds as a junior.