Let the expectations begin.
Purdue has never been ranked No. 1 in the Men’s Basketball AP Poll.
It has only been ranked in the top 10 of the preseason poll six times.
It has only been ranked in the top 5 of the preseason poll three times: 1970, 1987, and 1988.
The most anticipated season in decades for Purdue men’s basketball is less than four weeks away, and that means the preseason polls are coming out. There have been number of articles across college basketball media member that have been very complimentary of Purdue, and the media backed it up with a top 10 ranking in the AP Poll:
- Gonzaga (55) 1,562
- UCLA (8) 1,459
- Kansas 1,427
- Villanova 1,332
- Texas 1,315
- Michigan 1,255
- Purdue 1,213
- Baylor 992
- Duke 963
- Kentucky 894
- Illinois 861
- Memphis 831
- Oregon 775
- Alabama 713
- Houston 694
- Arkansas 673
- Ohio State 581
- Tennessee 563
- North Carolina 547
- Florida State 381
- Maryland 294
- Auburn 267
- St. Bonaventure 238
- Connecticut 161
- Virginia 125
Others receiving votes: Michigan St. 87, Indiana 41, Southern Cal 30, Arizona 26, Virginia Tech 25, Oklahoma St. 25, Xavier 22, Texas Tech 17, Richmond 13, Rutgers 11, Colorado St. 11, LSU 7, Belmont 7, St. John’s 5, Syracuse 5, San Diego St. 5, Mississippi St. 5, Drake 4, Colorado 4, BYU 3, Notre Dame 3, Louisville 3.
The schedule is there to get to No. 1 for the first time ever, as the bolded teams are ones that are on Purdue’s schedule (with an “or” for Tennessee and Villanova). We obviously play some twice (or even three times, depending on the Big Ten Tournament) in Big Ten play. The path to a No. 1 seed is there. That and a 25th Big Ten title are very reasonable goals.
Of course, this means absolutely nothing right now, and it all means nothing unless we’re still playing basketball in April in New Orleans. Purdue has done everything it can under Matt Painter except reach the Promised Land of the Final Four. It is our sports White Whale.
Let the expectations begin.