Moments ‘til Madness: What to make of the preseason Top 25
The independent student newspaper of Tufts University reports on the first official Associated Press Poll of the 2025–26 season.
With about three weeks to go until the opening tip of the college hoops season, the rankings have been released. Most of the names and general rankings aren’t very surprising, given all the time spent analyzing these now mostly finalized rosters.
Key Takeaways
- The Boilermakers start the season at the top of the sport for the first time in program history.
- Purdue has yet to finish the job, despite having a strong roster and steady coaching from Matt Painter.
- After losing in the 2024 championship game, Painter is feeling the pressure to win the trophy this season.
Purdue needs lead guard Braden Smith to continue his stellar play, along with their star forward Trey Kauffman-Renn.
Author's summary: Analyzing the preseason Top 25 college hoops rankings.