For more than a decade you'd scroll through the Preseason All-Big Ten list and find a Boilermaker. Not this year, though. No preseason accolades were bestowed upon anyone from Purdue, marking the first time since the 2014-15 season that nobody from Matt Painter's program received a mention.
It's understandable why nobody from Purdue was included this offsesaon. The Boilermakers are moving on from a dominant trio that included Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn. There are plenty of things we don't know about this team just yet.
This preseason "snub" creates an opportunity, though. While everyone in West Lafayette is focused on winning games and competing for championships, it also provides a chance for someone wearing a Purdue uniform to prove the voters wrong. Which player has the best chance of doing that?
Here are a few candidates that could be All-Big Ten selections at the end of the 2026-27 season.
Purdue Boilermakers guard Antione West (1) gets a high five from guard Gicarri Harris (24). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
The redshirt freshman has received all the preseason hype out of West Lafayette. Even though he didn't play last year at Purdue, West looks like a prospect capable of becoming the best player on the floor for the Boilermakers.
West can shoot from every level of the floor and makes plays with the basketball in his hands. The greatest compliment may have come from teammate Omer Mayer in September , when he talked about the range that West has when shooting the basketball.
"We had practices where he was on the scout team, and he just made shot after shot," Mayer said. "The coaches were looking at us, and we're like, 'Hey, man, he's shooting from really deep and contended, and he was making them.'"
Not only is West an excellent offensive player, he might be Purdue's best on-ball defender, as well. He can use his length to cover a lot of ground. His defensive pressure forces opposing guards into turnovers, creating quick transition opportunities for the Boilers.
Purdue center Daniel Jacobsen (12) dunks against Alabama. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Could this be the year that Jacobsen puts it all together? The 7-foot-4 center has a high ceiling and is going to get more playing time this season with Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn out of the picture. Painter has talked about the importance of Jacobsen making a big jump in the offseason, and his improvement will be a key piece to the team's success this year.
Last season, Jacobsen averaged 5.5 points. 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. He provides Purdue with a shot blocker and rim protector on the defensive end. The biggest concern is his physicality on the glass. If he can collect upwards of 6.0 rebounds per game, he might be an All-Big Ten-caliber center.
Jacobsen has faced some challenges during his first two seasons in West Lafayette. He suffered a broken leg just two games into his freshman campaign after winning the starting job. Last winter, he wasn't able to learn and play through mistakes because of Cluff's presence.
This year, though, Jacobsen is going to get a majority of the minutes at the five spot. He has a major opportunity to be Purdue's next great big man.
Purdue Boilermakers guard C.J. Cox (0) shoots the ball. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
We might be able to give Cox the " silent assassin " label heading into the 2026-27 season. Although he's Purdue's only returning starter from the past two years, there isn't much conversation surrounding the junior guard. Are we overlooking his importance to this year's team?
Cox averaged 8.5 points per game last season and shot at a 45.7% clip. He wasn't one of Purdue's primary options in the offense. With Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn gone, it could lead to the junior guard becoming one of the top scorers for this year's team.
This is a player who has shown the ability to light it up, especially from long range. He reached double figures in three of Purdue's four NCAA Tournament games. He dropped 27 in a road game against Northwestern and scored 18 against Memphis in the Baha Mar Championship.
Like West, Cox gets plenty of credit for his offensive skill set, but he also deserves praise for his defensive abilities. He was Purdue's best on-ball defender last season, and he'll be one of the best again this season.
Purdue Boilermakers guard Omer Mayer (17) after making a shot. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Mayer's situation is similar to Jacobsen's. He didn't deal with any injuries since arriving at Purdue, but he was limited on minutes as a freshman because of Smith. This year, the sophomore guard will have the opportunity to have the basketball in his hands and lead the Boilers.
We didn't really see what Mayer could accomplish in extended minutes, yet he still averaged 5.5 points per game off the bench. He has a great pull-up jumper, but has been working on his drives, trying to get easy points by getting to the rim.
Mayer has become the vocal leader for Purdue, a role he has embraced in the offseason. He looks like a player ready to be the point guard of Big Ten program. His ability to both score and pass makes him a tough guard to defend.
The defensive end is probably where Mayer still has the most room for improvement, but at 6-foot-4, he has good size and physicality to create problems for opposing teams.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/purdue as No Boilers Mentioned on Preseason All-Big Ten Team - Who Will Prove Voters Wrong? .
