Welcome to the 2025-’26 Purdue basketball season!
It’s been a long eight months of anticipation since the Boilermakers exited the floor at Lucas Oil after coming up just short against the top-seeded Houston Cougars in a game that very easily could have broken their way. During their time out of the spotlight, Matt Painter has done everything within his power to bring in pieces to help his team not only return to Indianapolis, but leave Indianapolis with the Naismith Trophy in tow.
Advertisement
Tonight, Evansville draws the unenviable assignment of being the first step on Purdue’s march back to Indianapolis. I’ll put out my usual in-depth preview for bigger games, but I don’t need me to tell you what Purdue should do to the Purple Aces, or how they will go about doing it. KenPom considers Purdue a 29-point favorite, and if anything, that’s taking into account a few minutes of garbage time at the end. Needless to say, I don’t anticipate this game being close.
I have a personal rule that I don’t draw any conclusions about a college basketball team until after January 1st. I’ve seen too many great March teams look bad in November and December, and I’ve seen too many great November and December teams crumble in the new year. In any event, even if I’m going to try my best not to draw any conclusions (I’m notoriously poor at following the rules, even my own) after tonight’s game, I do have a few things I’d like to see.
Braden Smith’s Opening Stanza
It wasn’t the best preseason for Purdue’s superstar point guard. Kentucky made him uncomfortable with their length in the first scrimmage, and he didn’t feel the need to get out of second gear in the subsequent exhibition game. That’s nothing to be concerned about; Braden is nothing if not a gamer. When the actual lights come on in Mackey, I have no doubt he’ll be ready to play, but every great story needs a strong opening.
Advertisement
Consider this game the opening sentence in the story of Braden Smith and Purdue’s run towards the National Championship. The Wooden Award favorite had to sit around last night and watch as Koa Peat put up 30 and 7 for Arizona in their upset of Florida. Maybe he flipped over and witnessed Michigan’s Elliot Cadeau accumulate 12 assists as the Wolverines shredded the Oakland Grizzlies 121-78. I’m sure he caught a little of BYU freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa putting up 21 and 6 in Las Vegas to kick off his five or six-month college basketball career. He probably caught a few highlights of Illinois’ David Mirkovic putting up 19 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists in the Fighting Illini’s 113-55 evisceration of the Jackson State Tigers.
A few statements of intent were made last night.
Now it’s Braden’s turn to remind the college basketball world why he’s one of the best point guards, not just in Purdue’s history, not just in Big 10 history, but in the history of college basketball. He needs to average a little over nine and a half assists per game to write his name at the summit of the assist leaderboard. There are no nights off when you’re chasing history, and it’s time for Mr. Smith to awaken from his basketball hibernation and show the world what he’s been working on over the offseason. I’m looking for him to start this season off with a bang.
Shhhhhh!!!!!!
I know I said earlier that I don’t like to draw conclusions about early-season college basketball, but that doesn’t mean I enjoy listening to talking heads doubt the Boilermakers. After a summer of heaping every accolade possible on the Boilermakers during the offseason, the Kentucky scrimmage seems to have spooked the sports media.
Advertisement
Suddenly, I’m hearing whispers about Purdue not being athletic enough.
I’m hearing some doubt creep in about TKR’s ability to play next to Oscar Cluff and Cluff’s ability to play at this level.
Again, I know it doesn’t mean anything. It’s a 24-hour news cycle, and when there’s no news, news will be invented from whole cloth. I’m looking for Purdue to shut down all that talk tonight. I want them to leave no doubt and make the talking heads prostrate themselves at the feet of Matt Painter and the Boilermakers and beg their forgiveness for ever doubting the efficiency monster that is Purdue basketball.
Welcome to College Basketball Mr. Meyer
Don’t get it twisted. Coach Painter went out and procured the services of one of the best international point guards available because he aims to win a National Championship this season. It’s great that there might be some sort of “two-year plan” and that it appears Purdue has a natural successor to Braden Smith, but I’m all in on 2025- ‘26. I’m ready to see what the precocious Israeli can do for Purdue right now.
Advertisement
The scrimmages were OK, but that wasn’t the flame thrower I saw leading Israel’s U-19 team this summer. A few eyebrows were raised about “fit” when Omer decided on the Boilermakers. The thing is, you can always find a space for a baller on the court, and I firmly believe Omer is a baller. One thing Purdue lacked last season was a true heater off the bench. The Boilermakers played at one pace with their starters and then brought in their subs and played…at the exact same pace.
In my ideal Purdue world, Omer Myer changes things when he comes into the game. Maybe he’s not on the court for a long time, but he’s going to be on the court for a good time. If the Boilermakers can use his electric passing and deadly pull-up game to spur on the second unit, their goal of college basketball immortality will be that much closer at hand.
We know what Purdue’s “Big 3” brings to the table. I think we’ve got a decent idea about what we’re going to get out of Gicarri and CJ. Matt added Omer because he brings something different to the backcourt off the bench. You can’t fake the confidence and shot-making I saw this summer at the U-19s.
I’m certain it’s real.
I’m ready to see it.
Other Than That….
Let’s get this party started. Sit back and enjoy, folks, you’re witnessing the Golden Era of Purdue basketball. That’s pretty cool.
