Way-Too-Early 2022 Basketball Rankings Are High on Boilermakers
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Following an unprecedented season of college basketball, programs across the nation are in the midst of uncertainty.
The transfer portal is flooded with athletes, every player in the country was granted an extra year of eligibility and the top athletes in the NCAA are turning their heads toward the chance of playing professionally in the NBA. College rosters may look drastically different months, even weeks from now.
But that hasn't deterred national media outlets from releasing their way-too-early power rankings for the 2021-22 basketball season, and the Boilermakers are receiving high praise.
Sports Illustrated: No. 8
Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney cements the Boilermakers firmly inside the top-10 of his way-too-early power rankings. Purdue was the third-highest ranked team in the Big Ten according to Sweeney, behind only Michigan and Ohio State.
"Matt Painter’s club was definitely ahead of schedule in 2020–21, earning a No. 4 seed in the Big Dance and finishing fourth in the Big Ten despite a young roster," Sweeney wrote. "Now, the Boilermakers should return every key piece and are set to add a pair of high-level in-state recruits in Trey Kaufman and Caleb Furst."
Kaufman, who committed to Purdue over the likes of Indiana, Indiana State, Virginia and North Carolina, is a 6-foot-9 forward who has shown the ability to score and defend from multiple positions. He made 40% of his 3-point attempts as a senior at Silver Creek High School in southern Indiana.
Furst — standing at 6-foot-10 — is a natural rebounder who put up 18.7 points per game in his senior season at Blackhawk Christian School in Fort Wayne.
The combination of Kaufman and Furst in the frontcourt is expected to make up for the transfer of junior forward Aaron Wheeler to St. John's.
To review the complete Sports Illustrated rankings, CLICK HERE
ESPN: No. 3
Following Baylor's victory over Gonzaga in the national championship game on April 5, ESPN's Jeff Borzello unveiled his way-too-early top-25 rankings for the upcoming season.
Gonzaga tops the list after a near-undefeated season, followed by UCLA. But trailing just behind is none other than Purdue.
"Matt Painter did a terrific job with the Boilermakers this season, finishing 13-6 in the Big Ten before falling in overtime in both the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments," Borzello wrote. "But there are zero seniors on the roster, and only a couple of backup frontcourt players have transferred out so far. So all five starters in should be back for Purdue."
He said the team's success starts with Trevion Williams, who announced Monday he would declare for the NBA draft while retaining his collegiate eligibility. Should Williams return, his dominance in the post will be coupled with several experienced guards, including sophomore-to-be Jaden Ivey.
Ivey averaged 11.1 points per game on the season but scored in double-figures in 14 games. He was named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team and was twice named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
In Purdue's loss to North Texas in the NCAA Tournament, Ivey scored a season-high 26 points.
To review the complete ESPN rankings, CLICK HERE
NCAA.com: No. 6
One day after the title game, NCAA.com correspondent Andy Katz, who also does a lot of work with the Big Ten, placed the Boilermakers well within the top-10 of his way-too-early power rankings. Michigan was the only Big Ten team ahead of Purdue on his list.
"Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey, let alone Trevion Williams, could make the Boilermakers Big Ten champs," Katz wrote.
Edey, who stands at 7-foot-4, appeared in all 28 games for Purdue, including two starts. After averaging 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 59.7% from the field, he was named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team.
His team-high 30 blocks on the season were good for eight on the Boilermakers' freshman single-season list.
To review the complete Andy Katz rankings, CLICK HERE
Related stories on Purdue basketball
- PAUL LUSK HIRED: Purdue coach Matt Painter announced Monday that former Creighton assistant Paul Lusk will join the Boilermakers for his second stint with the program. CLICK HERE
- TREVION WILLIAMS DECLARES FOR NBA DRAFT: Trevion Williams announced Monday he will declare for the NBA Draft. He was named first-team All-Big Ten last season and led the Boilermakers with 15.5 points per game and 9.1 rebounds per game. CLICK HERE
D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.