Purdue's 2025-26 Season is 'Final Four or Bust,' College Basketball Analyst Says

With the roster coach Matt Painter and his staff has retained and assembled in West Lafayette, expectations are high for Purdue entering the 2025-26 season. College basketball analyst Jon Rothstein believes it's a "Final Four or bust" year for the Boilermakers.

Purdue's offseason was arguably the most successful of any team in the sport. The Boilermakers retained Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith, first-team All-Big Ten selection Trey Kaufman-Renn and All-Big Ten honorable mention Fletcher Loyer.

Those three players have spent their entire careers in West Lafayette, and their return for the upcoming season is why Rothstein Purdue has such a high ceiling entering next season.

"It feels like a Final Four or bust type of year for Purdue, and I don't see how that sentiment can be argued," Rothstein said. "If you're 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 includes National Player of the Year candidate Braden Smith, and also Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Those three players ... were all starters when Purdue went to the National Championship Game with Zach Edey in 2024 and lost to UConn."