Purdue University has achieved a historic milestone by securing the No. 1 spot in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 college basketball poll for the first time. The Boilermakers received 35 of 61 first-place votes, leading the poll as of Monday, marking the start of the 2025-26 season. This rank positions them ahead of the two teams that contested last year’s NCAA championship: Houston at No. 2 and reigning champion Florida at No. 3.
Purdue Boilermakers’ Journey
Head coach Matt Painter expressed his excitement about the ranking but emphasized the need for hard work. “We are thrilled that people think this highly of our team,” he stated. “But the goal is to be No. 1 at the end of the year.” Painter, who has been coaching for 21 seasons, previously played under Gene Keady, who had a similar ranking in the 1987-88 season.
- First AP Ranking: Purdue had never achieved a No. 1 rank in any AP poll until the 2021-22 season.
- Previous Achievements: They reached the national title game during the 2023-24 season with star player Zach Edey.
Key Players Returning
Purdue will look to build on its success from last season, where they reached the Sweet 16 before being eliminated by Houston. The team boasts several standout players, including:
- Braden Smith: A first-team AP All-American point guard.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn: The scoring leader with an average of 20.1 points per game.
- Fletcher Loyer: An experienced veteran guard.
Top Contenders in the Poll
The preseason AP Top 25 reveals a competitive landscape for college basketball this season:
- No. 2 Houston: Earned 16 first-place votes, matching their best preseason ranking.
- No. 3 Florida: Received eight first-place votes, their highest ranking since entering as reigning champions in 2006-07.
- No. 4 UConn: Garnered the remaining two first-place votes.
- No. 5 St. John’s: Achieved their best preseason AP ranking at No. 5 under coach Rick Pitino.
- No. 6 Duke
- No. 7 Michigan
- No. 8 BYU: Captured the nation’s top recruit, A.J. Dybantsa.
- No. 9 Kentucky
- No. 10 Texas Tech
Additional Rankings and Updates
Among other notable rankings, Louisville is at No. 11 after a successful 27-win season. The Cardinals had struggled in the two seasons prior, with a record of 12-52. Kansas is ranked No. 19, marking their lowest preseason rank since 2008-09 as reigning champions.
- Auburn: They begin at No. 20 in the wake of coach Bruce Pearl’s retirement.
In terms of conference representation, the Southeastern Conference, Big Ten, and Big 12 each have six ranked teams, making up 72% of the field. The Atlantic Coast Conference and Big East feature three ranked teams each, with Gonzaga representing the West Coast Conference.
As the season unfolds, all eyes will be on how these teams perform and whether Purdue can maintain its top ranking through the 2025-26 season.
