"I don't see how that sentiment can be argued": Big Ten analyst makes a bold prediction about Purdue's 2025-26 season 

Sports reporter and Big Ten analyst Jon Rothstein isn't holding back when it comes to his expectations for Purdue in the upcoming college basketball season. According to Rothstein, anything short of a Final Four appearance in the 2025/26 NCAA tournament would be considered a major disappointment for the Boilermakers.

"The first thing that we look at entering the Big Ten for the 2025/26 college basketball season is that it feels like a final-four or bust type of year for Purdue," Rothstein said on CBS Sports' "Inside College Basketball". "I don't see how that sentiment can be argued."

To back up his claim, he pointed to the fact that the Boilermakers have managed to retain their key scorers and starters from the previous season:

"If you are Purdue, you have done the ultimate thing in retention. You have been able to retain almost 90% of your scoring, from a team that came within inches of beating Houston in the Sweet 16 last March.

"Purdue returns 86% of its scoring that include National Player of the Year, Braden Smith, and also Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn. And those three players were all starters when Purdue went to the national championship game with Zach Edey in 2024 and lost to UConn," he added.

Rothstein also highlighted several other returning players, along with a few new additions, which he believes only strengthen the team's case as a serious contender heading into the new season:

"We also have to look at the fact that Purdue is going to also bring back several players in addition to Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Ren. CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, also, Purdue is going to get Daniel Jacobsen, who played in the FIBA U19 World Cup for Team USA and won a gold medal. They are also going to add Oscar Cluff, a transfer big man from South Dakota State."

He even described the team's player retention as one of the rarest in college basketball history. As a result, he views the Boilermakers as the No. 1 contender for the 2025-26 season:

"I've said it before and I will say it again, that type of retention is unheard of in college basketball… To me, Purdue is the No. 1 team entering the 2025-26 college basketball season."

Backing up Rothstein's claim, the Boilers have only lost five players from last season's roster, none of whom were major contributors. The highest scorer among them, Myles Colvin, averaged 5.4 points per game.

In addition to Oscar Cluff, coach Matt Painter has also brought in Liam Murphy, who averaged 13.0 ppg at North Florida last season. They also recruited Antoine West and Omer Mayer into their freshman class.

Purdue ranked No. 1 in On3 analyst's preseason college basketball rankings

Ahead of the 2025-26 college basketball season, On3's James Fletcher III released his preseason college basketball rankings with Purdue occupying the No. 1 spot.

The Boilermakers finished fourth in the Big Ten standings last season and reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament. With much of their core intact, many college basketball analysts are predicting they'll surpass last season's performance and potentially outshine most teams in the country next year.

In CBS Sports' Gary Parrish's preseason Top 25 rankings, the Boilermakers came in at No. 4, trailing St. John's, Houston and BYU.