PRESSURE: Will 2026 Be Matt Painter's MOST DIFFICULT Season Yet?—Jon Rothstein Challenges Boilermakers

Purdue Boilermakers brace for a new era as Matt Painter faces what CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein calls “one of the toughest challenges” of his career. With stars like Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, and Zach Edey gone, can young talents such as CJ Cox and Luke Ertel lead the charge and keep Purdue basketball in national contention? The freshman-heavy roster’s ceiling and the evolution of team chemistry come under scrutiny—will a three-seed NCAA Tournament run silence the skeptics? Nick Arvin analyzes the next wave of Boilermakers, spotlighting breakout candidates including CJ Cox, Jack Benter, and Gicarri Harris. The episode covers Daniel Jacobsen’s rebounding expectations, the potential impact of Jacob Webber, and key schedule battles like the Fort Myers tip-off against DePaul and Oklahoma. Can Matt Painter’s squad defy doubters yet again and reset program expectations? Get the strategic insights and bold predictions Purdue fans need. Everydayer ClubIf you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!Odoo Great organizations win because operations matter. And that’s why you should get Odoo. Try for free today at https://Odoo.com/lockedon. FanDuel Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. From the opening whistle to the final kick, Let There Be Goals on FanDuel. Visit https://FANDUEL.COM to get started now.   FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.