3/30/2026 Boilermaker Water Cooler Chat: End of an Era Edition
Rants, ravings, and somewhat sensical opinions following the wild, wacky, and wide-wide world of Purdue sports.
The college sports landscape is changing. The NCAA saw player compensation, NIL, and transfer rule changes approaching from a mile a way. They did nothing. No guard rails. They watched it slowly walk in and ruin their product.
We live in an era in which it is completely legal to purchase a super team. It isn’t just legal, it is encouraged. Highest bidder wins. We live in a world where there is no loyalty. Hired guns skirt student commitments, collect their paychecks, and win national championships. If you don’t make a super team, you get mocked.
When I was a kid, Purdue Basketball players were my heroes. When I was on campus, they were my buddy. When I was just out of college, they were my little brother. Now, they’re like my kids’ friends.
When I was a kid, Purdue losing would destroy me. When I was on campus, Purdue losing would infuriate me. When I was just out of college, I would be frustrated at a Purdue loss. Now, anymore, I am pretty calloused.
This team harkens back to the days of my childhood. The forgone era in which players didn’t collect a paycheck. Went to class. Where players stayed for 4 years, unless they were good enough to go to the NBA early. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith, and Fletcher Loyer showed loyalty. The Final Four teams are filled with mercenaries. Hired guns, collected from a portal filled with agents, tampering, and paychecks. Nothing home grown.
We got to see our players grow up before our eyes. College basketball will more than likely never see it again. Three players, multi-year starters. Two players who started every single game that they suited up for, for four straight years. Multiple All-America honors. Several records broken. This sort of thing just doesn’t happen anymore. I am so proud of this team.
The Game:
#1 Arizona 79, #2 Purdue 64
Boilermakers led at halftime. Lost to a much better team in the second half.
Oscar Cluff scored 14 points and hauled in 10 rebounds. Braden Smith scored 13 points and dished out 7 assists. Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 10 points, and Fletcher added 8.
Break It Down:
No. I am not going to break it down. There is no need to lament or go over each X and every O of this game. ISC pays me by the character and I ain’t getting “rich” talking about a game that is ancillary to the actual important part of the story. A historic era has ended in Purdue Basketball lore. Three walking legends have donned the old gold & black for the final time. Young men that we have seen all of the ups, all of the downs. 4 years of pouring their heart out for their school. Four years of us screaming our heads off cheering for them.
This team was the last of the traditional programs. There is no putting the toothpaste back into the tube. The NCAA has disincentivized building a program the right way. All the more reason to adore this program.
I am not naive enough to believe that Purdue isn’t in the weeds of NIL. Purdue is a significant player in NIL. I get it. Maybe it is my last gasp of normalcy, my desperate attempt to hold on to tradition. The traditional program building techniques are dead. Purdue is one of the few teams still doing it as close as possible to the traditional way. That is something to be proud of.
Photos by Bowen Arrow Photography
It’s a Shame:
Sports fandom is so toxic now a days. Within the last few years, sports fans have entered into “Ring Culture”. You either win your championship ring, or you are an embarrassment to the entire sport. Nothing matters without winning a championship.
That is bullshit.
Purdue finished the season 30-9. Thirty victories. This class is the winningest class in Purdue history (117 Wins). 2 regular season Big Ten Championships. 2 Big Ten Tournament championships. 4 years in the NCAA Tournament. 3 Sweet 16s. 2 Elite 8s. 1 Final Four. 1 National Title Game appearance.
Fletcher Loyer is the greatest 3 point shooter in Purdue history. The only player to have made over 300 in a career. Started every game in his 4 years.
Trey Kaufman-Renn, All American. Gritty, hard nosed, leader. Killer post scorer. One of the most Purdue guys that could ever “Purdue”.
Braden Smith, multi-time All American. The greatest point guard in Purdue history, probably Big Ten history. There is an argument of all time. Owns the record for most assists in the annals of NCAA basketball (1103). Game in, and game out, Braden played 35+ minutes. After the 14th minute of this Elite 8 game, Braden Smith added another record, most minutes ever played by an NCAA basketball player.
We were here to see it. We got to watch it. Be proud of these guys. Be proud of this team. Be proud to be a Boilermaker.
A Look Ahead:
Purdue will lose 4 starters from this team. Naturally, the program keys will be handed to CJ Cox, Purdue’s only returning starter. Look for major role increases for Omer Mayer, Gicarri Harris, Daniel Jacobsen and Jack Benter. Returning from redshirts will be solid big man Raleigh Burgess, and explosive athlete Antoine West.
The Boilermakers have added Princeton star Caden Pierce as a transfer for next season, who will more than likely be a huge impact player.
From a recruiting standpoint, Purdue currently sits with the #1 high school recruiting class in the nation (Per 247 Sports). Luke Ertel (4 Star) is coming off of a state championship for Mt. Vernan. A lefty PG who has a killer instinct in him. Jacob Webber (4 Star) is a La Lumiere SF is a three point bomber. Joining him from La Lumiere is PF RIvers Knight (3 Star). Knight has a strong frame with the ability to stretch the floor. Finally, Sinan Huan (4 Star) is a Chinese center, currently playing prep basketball in Georgetown Academy, in Rockville MD. The left handed defensive specialist has a unique skillset. Not a traditional back-to-the basket big man, his highlights show several examples of athleticism as he likes to get out, run, and dive to the hoop.
Keep in mind, too, that we live in an era of the transfer portal. You never know who will stick around. Who will be leaving. Purdue has lost some of their most explosive athletes due to transferring the past few years. Camden Heide and Myles Colvin transferred out. Kanon Catchings was on campus for one single day before a very ill advised mistake forced him into transferring out of the program. The bottom line is, things can change.
Remember… Twitter trolls will tell you. Purdue will be dead now that the Big 3 are off campus.
Just like Purdue was done when the Baby Boilers left. Just like when Issac Haas left. Just like when Swanigan left. Just like when Carsen Edwards left. Just like when Edey left.
Things are going to look a bit different next year. I think we’re going to be just fine.
Thank You:
This article marks the end of our regularly scheduled sports calendar. Thank you, Boilermakers for your support this season. We do this for fun, balancing our day jobs and family life, and without you the readers, we don’t exist.
Thank you to the Purdue Athletic Department for opening their doors to us, providing countless hours of entertainment and content for us to cover.
Thank you to the staff at ISC plus other contributors. Without everyone working behind the scenes, we cannot function. So a special thank you to the ISC Team of Contributors: Dave Kovich, Mark Elsner, Kobie Lucabaugh, Corey Ross, Steve Bowen, John Budzynski, Kaleb Hosier and Shane Miller. Y’all brought it this year.
So, I guess this is it. You’ll be without my blathering and bombast for the next several months. Until then, for ISC Purdue, this is Ben Kolodzinski, signing off.
Boiler Up! Hammer Down!
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