Buying or Selling Top Contenders for the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament
By Kerry Miller
Published on March 17, 2026.
Pom has named Purdue as the No. 1 offense in the nation by KenPom, narrowly ahead of Illinois. The Boilermakers' senior point guard Braden Smith, who is one assist away from Bobby Hurley for the NCAA career record, and senior shooting guard Fletcher Loyer, power forward Trey Kaufman-Renn, and center Oscar Cluff are considered key players for the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament. However, Purdue ended the regular season with losses in seven of its final 13 games, a significant turnaround for the team. Despite this, the team's defense remains a concern, with several high-scoring teams including Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State, and Wisconsin scoring over 1.3 points per possession in the Big Ten tournament. Connecticut's dominance in 2023 and 2024 has been questioned, but its recent struggles have been noted.
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