Purdue Basketball 2026-27 Starting Lineup Projection 2.0

Although Luke Ertel brings a lot of hype with him from Mount Vernon High School, Mayer is the one who is going to win the job as Purdue's next starting point guard. He worked in this role sparingly throughout his freshman season, coming in to relieve Braden Smith for stretches throughout the year. He was also forced to learn to play off the ball regularly, something new for the traditional point guard.

Mayer will now spend the majority of his time running the offense. He can be both a facilitator and a scorer at the one guard position. He's a slightly more aggressive shooter than Smith was, but has still demonstrated a high ability to distribute the basketball to get teammates open looks.

C.J. Cox

Cox is the lone returning starter for the Boilers heading into the 2026-27 season, and he's also the top returning scorer. As a sophomore, he averaged 8.5 points per game and shot 37.3% from behind the three-point line. In many instances throughout his first two seasons with the program, Cox has showcased his ability to get buckets at a high rate.

With Purdue's top four scorers gone from last year, there's a strong chance that Cox is the top scoring option in the offense during his junior campaign. He's also the team's top perimeter defender, which means he's going to be carrying a heavy workload on both ends of the floor this season.

Caden Pierce

Many project that Pierce will primarily play the four spot for the Boilermakers, but it's not unreasonable to believe that he could be Purdue's starting three. Maybe he doesn't have the high percentage from behind the arc that you'd like from a traditional three, but he would give the team an athletic wing, a scorer and a rebounder at that position.

Pierce does a lot of things well on the basketball court and has the size to play both the three and the four. If Purdue is concerned with its rebounding in the starting lineup, then having the former Princeton star in at the three only makes sense.

Raleigh Burgess

Burgess might be the best vocal leader on the team heading into next season, and he also has the potential to be the top rebounder. The 6-foot-11 forward can play both the four and five and utilized his redshirt year to the maximum.

When he played as a true freshman, he was limited because of his stamina. Don't expect that to be an issue this season. Burgess can be a bully in the post and can use his physicality to box out some of the bigger opponents Purdue will face this season. He's also capable of stepping out on the perimeter and creating space on the offensive end.

Daniel Jacobsen

There are expectations for Jacobsen to make big strides from his first full season at Purdue to this year. With good athleticism at 7-foot-4, he's a lob threat on the offensive side, but he can also finish at the rim and can knock down jump shots. If he develops some consistency offensively, he's going to be a difficult player at the five to stop.

Defensively is where Jacobsen needs to make the biggest jumps. He can't afford to pick up sloppy fouls and needs to embrace the physicality on the glass. If he can improve in those two areas, he's going to be a force on the defensive end, too. He already possesses a knack for shot-blocking and gives the Boilermakers good rim protection in the middle.

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