Fansided

College basketball rankings: Way-too-early Top 25 for 2019-20

By Connor Muldowney

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with Cassius Winston #5 in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - APRIL 06: Head coach Tom Izzo of the Michigan State Spartans talks with Cassius Winston #5 in the second half against the Texas Tech Red Raiders during the 2019 NCAA Final Four semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium on April 6, 2019 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /
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LOUISVILLE, KY – MARCH 30: Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates a basket scored during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers in the Elite Eight round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
LOUISVILLE, KY – MARCH 30: Trevion Williams #50 of the Purdue Boilermakers celebrates a basket scored during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers in the Elite Eight round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held at KFC YUM! Center on March 30, 2019 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Joe Robbins/NCAA Photos/NCAA Photos via Getty Images) /

No one expected Purdue to have the kind of run it did in 2018-19 with Isaac Haas, Vincent Edwards and two more of the team’s top five scorers departing, but Matt Painter led his team to a share of the Big Ten title and a run to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament.

Heck, this team was a buzzer-beater away from heading to the Final Four after nearly topping Virginia.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen Purdue in a Final Four, but getting as close as the Boilermakers did set up a successful future for a program that not believes it can reach the promised land.

Carsen Edwards may be declaring for the NBA draft with the intention of hiring an agent and staying in, but Matt Haarms is back along with Nojel Eastern and a number of talented young guys, such as future star Trevion Williams in the post.

The Boilermakers have the No. 41 recruiting class in the country and have already proven that they don’t need a ton of stars to contend for conference titles and Final Fours. They could be back on the big stage next March.