Where ESPN's Joe Lunardi Seeds Purdue in Post-Transfer Portal Bracketology

Now that the transfer portal window is closed and the NBA Draft deadline has expired, ESPN's Joe Lunardi has released a new edition of his Bracketology for the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. He no longer has Purdue has the No. 1 overall seed in March Madness.

In his Bracketology released on June 24, Lunardi still has Purdue as a No. 1 seed in the tournament, but the Boilermakers are the fourth No. 1 seed and playing in the Houston Regional.

His No. 1 seeds are Florida, Houston, Duke, and Purdue.

Lunardi has Purdue playing the first two rounds in St. Louis, followed by a trip to Houston for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds. Previously, he had Purdue as the No. 1 overall seed in the Midwest Regional, playing the first two rounds in St. Louis and Chicago for the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight.

It's an interesting change, although it's still way too early to know just how good Purdue can be during the 2025-26 season.

The Boilermakers return seniors Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer, a trio that has spent their entire careers in West Lafayette. Purdue also brings back guards CJ Cox and Gicarri Harris, and 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen returns from injury.

Coach Matt Painter landed 6-foot-11 forward Oscar Cluff (South Dakota State) and 6-foot-7 forward Liam Murphy (North Florida) out of the transfer portal. The Boilermakers also brought in two recruits as members of the 2025 class, Omer Mayer and Antione West Jr., both guards.

Purdue returns 86% of its offensive production from last season and has added pieces that should help with rebounding and rim protection. There's a reason why so many think highly of the Boilers headed into the 2025-26 campaign.

Lunardi still thinks Purdue will be one of the top four teams in college basketball next season, just not the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.