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A change has been made at the top of Jon Rothstein's top-45 teams entering the 2025-26 college basketball season. The popular hoops analyst has bumped Purdue into the No. 1 spot for the upcoming year, overtaking Houston.
For weeks, the Boilermakers were locked into the No. 2 spot with the Cougars sitting atop the rankings. It was a surprising decision to drop Houston and move Purdue into the No. 1 ranking, as star Milos Uzan decided to withdraw his name from the NBA Draft and return to Houston for another season.
However, there was another significant announcement that may have led Rothstein to make a change. Former Creighton guard Pop Isaacs, who had previously committed to Houston, signed to play at Texas A&M for the 2025-26 season, per On3.
Houston was a No. 1 seed in last year's NCAA Tournament, reaching the National Championship Game and falling to Florida. The Cougars and Boilermakers played in the Sweet 16, with Purdue falling short of an upset in a 62-60 loss.
Purdue returns its "Big Three" of Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer. The Boilermakers also brings back guards CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris, center Daniel Jacobsen and forward Raleigh Burgess.
Additionally, coach Matt Painter and his staff brought in Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State) and Liam Murphy (North Florida) from the transfer portal. The Boilers are also welcoming in recruits Antione West Jr. and Omer Mayer for the 2025-26 season.
Preseason rankings don't mean anything, but it's another nod to the talent and experience Purdue will put on the court for the upcoming season. The Boilers will likely be the preseason favorite to win the Big Ten and reach their second Final Four in three seasons.
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Luka Bogavac, the Tar Heels' X-Factor
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Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season
A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore, who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of, but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.
Shohei Ohtani named in lawsuit regarding $240M real estate project
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has been named in a lawsuit that was filed in Hawaii on Friday. Ohtani and his agent, Nez Balelo, are being sued by a real estate investor and a broker in Hawaii who have accused Ohtani and Balelo of sabotaging a $240M real estate deal for a development on the Big Island. According to court documents that were obtained by Jimmy Golen of The Associated Press, real estate developer Kevin J. Hayes Sr. and real estate broker Tomoko Matsumoto say Ohtani and Balelo deliberately had them removed from the project “for no reason other than their own financial self-interest.” The lawsuit claims Ohtani was brought into the deal for his promotional value and that he and his agent pushed the founders of the project out using “threats and baseless legal claims.” “Defendants must be held accountable for their actions, not shielded by fame or behind-the-scenes agents acting with impunity,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiffs bring this suit to expose Defendants’ misconduct and to ensure that the rules of contract, fair dealing, and accountability apply equally to all — celebrity or not.” Hayes and Matsumoto have also accused Ohtani and Balelo of trying to push them out of a similar neighboring development project. The $240M Big Island development is located along Hapuna Beach, which is rated one of the top beaches in the world. Matsumoto was supposed to be the listing agent for the properties, which average more than $17.3M each. A brochure for the project stated that Ohtani, who was called “Japan’s Babe Ruth” has committed to buying one of the 14 properties and acting as a “celebrity spokesperson” for the development. Ohtani signed a 10-year, $700M contract with the Dodgers prior to the 2024 season. The two-way star is having another monster year with a .284 average, 42 home runs, 78 RBI and a 1.013 OPS entering Tuesday. Ohtani has also returned to pitching this season and has a 2.37 ERA across 19 innings. Ohtani was also connected to a massive gambling scandal last year, though Major League Baseball determined that the 31-year-old was not guilty of any wrongdoing.
Bryson DeChambeau divulges Scottie Scheffler's biggest advantage
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