Boilermakers Ranked No. 7 in Preseason AP Top 25 Poll
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men’s basketball team is ranked No. 7 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll released earlier today.
The ranking marks the sixth time in the last seven years that Purdue has been ranked in the AP preseason poll (2015 – 23rd; 2016 – 15th; 2017 – 20th; 2018 – 24th; 2019 – 23rd; 2020 – UR). The Boilermakers have exceeded those rankings in the final poll of four of the five previous years they were ranked with the 2020-21 season being the lone exception.
In addition, the ranking is Purdue’s highest in the preseason since also being ranked No. 7 to start the 2009-10 season. It marks the second preseason top-10 ranking of the Painter era, joining that 2009-10 team.
The Boilermakers garnered 1,213 points to easily outdistance Baylor (992 points) in the eighth spot. Gonzaga was ranked No. 1, and was followed by UCLA, Kansas, Villanova, Texas and Michigan. Purdue was seventh and Baylor, Duke and Kentucky rounded out the top 10.
In addition to Michigan and Purdue, Illinois is 11th, Ohio State is 17th and Maryland was ranked 21st. Michigan State and Indiana were the first two teams in “others receiving votes” and Rutgers also garnered 11 points to rank 35th overall.
Purdue will also face No. 20 Florida State, No. 19 North Carolina and either No. 18 Tennessee or No. 4 Villanova in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
Purdue is one of eight teams nationally to be ranked in at least six of the last seven AP preseason polls, joining North Carolina, Kentucky, Kansas, Duke, Gonzaga, Villanova and Michigan State.
The Boilermakers open the regular season Nov. 9, when Bellarmine visits Mackey Arena. Single-game tickets and mini-plan packages are available by calling the Purdue Athletics Ticket Office at 800.49SPORT or online at PurdueSports.com.
Purdue will also host UIndy in an exhibition game on Nov. 4, beginning at 7 p.m. ET, in Mackey Arena. Tickets remain available for the exhibition contest as well.