Purdue men's basketball season preview 2024-25: 3 biggest games, key players to watch, predictions and more

Months after coming close to winning their first-ever national title, the Purdue Boilermakers are back to trying once again.

The 2024-25 NCAA men's basketball season will be arguably Purdue's toughest as it will defend the Big Ten regular season championship against 17 other teams. This is following the addition of former Pac-12 mainstays Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.

They will also miss the services of two-time national college player of the year Zach Edey, who was drafted in the first round by NBA team Memphis Grizzlies. But above all this, the Matt Painter-coached team is almost intact.

Last year's key contributors, Braden Smith, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Fletcher Loyer are coming back for another season.

They will be reinforced by five recruits from the high school ranks, including two four-star cagers who could be part of the rotation right away.

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Purdue men's basketball 2024-25 season preview: Biggest games, key players to watch and more

Purdue's 3 biggest games in 2024-25 season

Purdue coach Matt Painter (Image Source: IMAGN)

Purdue will have three tough games this coming season and these are against Alabama, Michigan and their rivalry game against Indiana.

The Crimson Tide, who are slated to face the Boilermakers in November, are coming off a Final Four appearance last season. Just like their counterparts, they'll have a chip on their shoulder as they seek to prove that their recent run under coach Nate Oats is no fluke.

Michigan, under new bench tactician Dusty May, will parade a top 25-caliber roster. It features four-star high school combo guard and the son of six-time NBA champion Scottie Pippen, Justin Pippen. Also included are former Yale center Danny Wolf, ex-Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr and 7-foot-1 Florida Atlantic transfer Vladislav Goldin.

Last, but not least, is Indiana, which has beefed up its 2024-25 roster by adding Oumar Ballo, Myles Rice and Kanaan Carlyle from the transfer portal. The Hoosiers will also get reinforced by five-star small forward Bryson Tucker, who may likely be an NBA draft prospect as the season progresses.

The Boilermakers will also compete in the Rady Children's Invitational, which features a tough field consisting of BYU, North Carolina State and Ole Miss.

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Key Purdue players to watch out for in the 2024-25 season

Purdue point guard Braden Smith (Image Source: IMAGN)

As Zach Edey ventures to the NBA, Purdue is expected to rely on point guard Braden Smith. The six-foot player out of Westfield, Illinois was an effective sidekick to the seven-foot-four giant, averaging 12.0 points, 7.5 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Now that Edey is gone, Smith, who shot 43.1% from the 3-point line, will be the on-court leader and the focal point of the Boilermakers offense in the coming college basketball season.

Another Purdue player bound for a breakout season is Fletcher Loyer. The six-foot-four guard out of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was the team's top shooter from deep, making 44.4% of his attempts from way downtown. He has tallied 10.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg and 1.9 apg in 39 games for the Boilermakers.

The cager most likely to take Edey's place is USA U18 star Daniel Jacobsen. The seven-foot-three slotman started in all six games in the FIBA U18 AmeriCup. There, he swatted a team-high 3.2 blocks to go along with 9.2 points and 7.0 rebounds in 16.3 minutes of action.

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Purdue predictions for the 2024-25 season

The road will be tougher for Purdue in the 2024-25 season as the Big Ten has expanded to 18 teams. This includes perennial rivals Indiana, who have strengthened their squads through high school and transfer portal recruitments.

Purdue has eased past the tough schedules due to the big presence of Zach Edey. Now that he's gone, it's up to Smith, Loyer and possibly Jacobsen to pick up the slack and keep the team's winning tradition intact.

The Matt Painter-coached squad may likely go 28-5 in the regular season and make the NCAA Tournament. However, they could be eliminated in the Elite Eight if the all-around Smith would not step up and lead the team to victory.