Purdue is returning 10 players from last year's roster, is bringing in a highly-rated recruiting class and landed Caden Pierce out of the transfer portal.
The amount of production Purdue will have to replace from the 2025-26 season is significant. But head coach Matt Painter has plenty of faith in the guys on the roster to pick up the slack and keep the Boilermakers rolling next season.
Purdue returns 10 members from last year's team, including every scholarship player. The Boilermakers are also bringing a highly-ranked four-man recruiting class and landed 2024 Ivy League Player of the Year Caden Pierce from the transfer portal.at the NBA Scouting Combine.
"We had some guys who came off the bench for us last year who were starters. I think that's what a great team is, you're going to have more than five starters. Obviously, it's a big loss with those three, but I think we have some guys who are going to step up ... I feel really good about our roster.
"C.J. Cox is the lone starter returning from last year's team. He averaged 8.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game for the Boilers. Gicarri Harris, Omer Mayer, Jack Benter and Daniel Jacobsen all played roles for Purdue off the bench, as well.
Plus, Raleigh Burgess and Antione West Jr. are coming off redshirt seasons. Pair those returners with the incoming talent, and Purdue is going to have a lot of competition for playing time during the offseason.
"They're going to have more usage, they're going to have the ball in their hands more," Painter said. "You focus on what you have and everything will sort itself out through competition. You mentioned C.J. , Gicarri, and Omer, and those guys have experience.
Daniel Jacobsen, I feel, isfor us. I can go right down the line. I like our team. I like the guys who sat out, I like the guys coming in.
"Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter instructs his team. | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images With minutes opening up for the 2026-27 season, the offseason will be extremely competitive. Not only will the Boilermakers have two months of practice, but Painter confirmed that the team will take aThat will serve as an opportunity for Purdue's incoming freshmen and Pierce — who sat out last season — to catch up with the returning players on the Boilers' roster.
"We'll have a couple months to practice, we're going to go to Canada the last week of July for a trip," Painter said. "I think that's going to be great for the guys that redshirted or guys that transferred in or high school guys to be able to get that experience. " Purdue has been in a position before where it has lost a lot of production from one season to the next.
Yet the Boilers continue to find success, reaching 11 straight NCAA Tournaments and earning a top-four seed in nine consecutive March Madness trips. Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for theDustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football.
He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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