Purdue Basketball Enters New Era: Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn Lead the Charge

Purdue men’s basketball is gearing up for the 2024-25 season with high expectations, despite the departure of standout player Zach Edey. The Boilermakers, who were NCAA tournament finalists last season and back-to-back Big Ten champions, are now led by a new trio of key players: Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Trey Kaufman-Renn.

Coach Matt Painter and his team are looking to maintain their dominance in conference play and extend their impressive non-conference win streak, which has seen them unbeaten since a loss to Miami on December 8, 2020. This streak includes victories over top programs like Duke, North Carolina, Gonzaga, Arizona, and Alabama.

The upcoming season will be challenging, with games against heavy hitters such as Alabama, Marquette, N.C. State, Texas A&M, and Auburn. Before diving into these tough matchups, Purdue will host Texas A&M Corpus Christi at home. Corpus Christi, a defense-first team that excelled in the Southland Conference last year, will provide a test for Purdue’s new lineup, particularly its freshman guards and big men.

Matt Painter has seemingly settled on a starting lineup featuring Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Gicarri Harris, Trey Kaufman-Renn, and Daniel Jacobsen. The guard rotation appears secure, with Smith and Loyer controlling the starting jobs and Harris adding defensive intensity and ball handling skills. However, questions remain about the front court, where Purdue’s youth will be tested on the glass.

The big three of Smith, Loyer, and Kaufman-Renn are expected to dominate the scoring and be contenders for major Big Ten honors. The team’s success will also depend on which other players rise to meet the production of these leaders, particularly among the freshmen who have shown promise in early games).