Purdue Women Win; Men Enter Season No. 1

Purdue’s women’s basketball opened the 2025–26 season with a 67–48 home win over Fairleigh Dickinson, using pressure defense to force nine second-quarter turnovers and build a 42–21 halftime lead; Kiki Smith led the Boilermakers with 19 points while freshman Hila Karsh had 12 and five rebounds, Lana McCarthy scored 10 and Saige Stahl grabbed eight boards. The team debuted new gold uniforms and the game was available on Big Ten Plus. On the men’s side, Purdue enters the 2025 season as the AP preseason No. 1 and a national-title contender, led by unanimous preseason All‑American Braden Smith and bolstered by additions Oscar Cluff, Liam Murphy and Omer Mayer. Last season Purdue ranked seventh in adjusted offensive efficiency but 53rd on defense, a gap that Coach Matt Painter’s recruiting shift toward skilled, high‑shooting, low‑turnover players is intended to address as the program pursues its first national championship. Purdue faces a deep Big Ten slate with top competition from programs including Michigan, UCLA, Illinois, Michigan State and Wisconsin.