NCAA analyst claims Matt Painter’s Purdue fits “all criteria” to be 1st ranked preseason team

Head coach Matt Painter and the Purdue Boilermakers had a strong season, reaching the Sweet 16 of March Madness. They were eliminated 62-60 in a close matchup against the eventual runners-up of the tournament, the Houston Cougars. However, while it was a strong season, it was a step back from being the runner-up of March Madness the year prior.

Heading into next season, the Boilermakers have become a trendy pick to win the National Championship. They have sat near the top of many preseason rankings, including ESPN, which ranked them No. 2 behind Houston in their Apr. 16 rankings.

During Thursday's episode of "The Field of 68 After Dark," analyst Mike LaTulip spoke about why he thinks Purdue could be the No. 1-ranked team in the preseason.

"When we look at preseason rankings, which I don't know how much stock everybody wants to put into them, but if you're going to do them, Purdue fits all the criteria there," LaTulip said. "Now, what I really like about them, I talked about the retention, who they bring back. You get year four of Loyer I think CJ Cox is going to take a step forward. You fortified that front court rotation." [1:26]

"I mean last year, Caleb Furst, thank god he came on late in the year. He played his role but Jacobsen and Cluff coming in being a part of that frontcourt rotation I think will allow them to, not necessarily need to hide Trey Kaufman-Renn last year, they had to get so creative with coverages because they need to keep him out of foul trouble because they didn't have anybody in the front court."

Mike LaTulip continued to talk about the changes to Purdue for next season.

"Now I think you can be more aggressive or have a set defense you want to run. I think that's only gonna help them on that end."

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Transfer Oscar Cluff helps fortify the front court for Purdue

One of the additions that LaTulip mentioned as important for Purdue was Oscar Cluff. Cluff is a transfer from South Dakota State and is coming off a breakout season where he averaged 17.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. LaTulip believes he will help bring relief to star Trey Kaufman-Renn, who had most of the front-court responsibilities this past season.

The Boilermakers are also retaining many of their key players from last season, including Kaufman-Renn, Fletcher Loyer, and C.J. Cox. Growth from those players, along with strong additions, should make the Boilermakers a contender.