It shouldn’t come as any surprise that Purdue is near the top of another preseason top-10 ranking. Thursday, Evan Miyakawa (EvanMiya.com) revealed the top-10 teams in college basketball entering the 2025-26 season based on analytics.
The Boilermakers came in at No. 2 on that list, behind only Houston. Purdue had an offensive rating of 18.6 and a defensive rating of 8.8 for a NET score of 27.5. The Cougars rated 14.0 offensively and 14.5 defensively for a 28.5 NET score.
Purdue is one of three Big Ten teams that rank in the top 10 of EvanMiya.com. Michigan came in at No. 5 (23.6 NET) and Illinois was ranked No. 9 (21.5 NET).
The top five looks like this:
Houston Cougars — 28.5 NETPurdue Boilermakers — 27.5 NETDuke Blue Devils — 27.0 NETFlorida Gators — 24.4 NETMichigan Wolverines — 23.6 NET
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) during the game / Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Along with Purdue’s high rating on EvanMiya.com, Braden Smith was projected as the best player in college basketball entering the 2025-26 season. He topped the charts with an overall BPR (Bayesian Performance Rating) — a player’s overall value to his team — of 11.10.
Smith is coming off a season in which he averaged 15.8 points, 8.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game. He was the Big Ten Player of the Year, the winner of the Bob Cousy Award, and was a consensus first-team All-American as a junior.
Smith will be one of the top contenders for National Player of the Year.
Here are the top five players on EvanMiya.com heading into the 2025-26 season:
Braden Smith, Purdue — 11.10 BPRYaxel Lendeborg, Michigan — 9.45 BPR JT Toppin, Texas Tech — 8.98 BPRTahaad Pettiford, Auburn — 8.86 BPRLabaron Philon, Alabama — 8.51 BPR
SMITH RANKS FOURTH IN NIL SALES: Braden Smith is still one of the most popular figures at the NIL Store. The senior Purdue guard was one of the top-selling male athletes in the month of August. CLICK HERE
PURDUE OFFERS RALPH SCOTT: Purdue has extended an offer to another prospect in the 2026 recruiting class. The Boilermakers have shown interest in 6-foot-7 forward Ralph Scott. CLICK HERE
SMITH’S RIDICULOUS STAT LINE: In just three seasons, Purdue guard Braden Smith has already accomplished something that no other Big Ten basketball player has done. CLICK HERE