Trivia Time! What is the only team in the CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings that didn't open the season on Monday?
Answer: Purdue.
The Boilermakers waited until Tuesday to get started, for whatever reason. But just like every other team in the Top 25 And 1, Purdue ultimately opened with a victory over an outclassed opponent -- an 84-53 win over Milwaukee.
Freshmen guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith both had impactful debuts. They combined for 24 points, eight steals, seven assists and six rebounds. When asked in the postgame press conference what it was like to see two first-year guards perform so well so early, Purdue coach Matt Painter said this: "It's great. Obviously, [they're] good young players -- [but] it's [still] hard to be good right away even with someone who is talented. There's just a big learning curve when you first start. … But [Loyer and Smith] have a lot of similarities. They can shoot the basketball. They can pass the basketball. They have a good feel for the game. So they plug right in."
Purdue is one of just two schools in the top 25 of the Top 25 And 1 that isn't also in the Associated Press Top 25 poll. (The other is Texas A&M). Throughout the offseason, I had plenty of folks ask why I was ranking the Boilermakers given that they lost four of the top seven scorers from last season's team and didn't add, relatively speaking, a heralded recruiting class. My response, consistently, was that I just believe in Painter, who has guided Purdue to a top-25 finish at KenPom.com in seven straight seasons. He's almost always good, rarely anything less, and thus deserving of the benefit of the doubt nearly regardless of his roster make-up. Simply put, I'll always assume Purdue wil be good under Painter until that trend discontinues.
With Tuesday night's 31-point win, the Boilermakers remain No. 24 in Wednesday morning's updated Top 25 And 1. Their next game is Friday against Austin Peay.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Drew Timme finished with 22 points and three steals in Monday's 104-63 win over North Florida. The Zags' next game is Friday against Michigan State. | -- | 31-6 |
| 2 |  | Armando Bacot finished with 16 points and nine rebounds in Monday's 69-56 win over UNC Wilmington. The Tar Heels' next game is Friday against Charleston. | -- | 20-13 |
| 3 |  | Marcus Sasser finished with 21 points and three assists in Monday's 83-36 win over Northern Colorado. The Cougars' next game is Friday against Saint Joseph's. | -- | 33-4 |
| 4 |  | CJ Fredrick finished with 20 points and three assists in Monday's 95-63 win over Howard. The Wildcats' next game is Friday against Duquesne. | -- | 22-12 |
| 5 |  | Mark Mitchell finished with 18 points and two assists in Monday's 71-44 win over Jacksonville. The Blue Devils' next game is Friday against USC Upstate. | -- | 27-9 |
| 6 |  | Ricky Council finished with 22 points and three rebounds in Monday's 76-58 win over North Dakota State. The Razorbacks' next game is Friday against Fordham. | -- | 22-14 |
| 7 |  | Adam Flagler finished with 21 points and eight assists in Monday's 117-53 win over Mississippi Valley State. The Bears' next game is Friday against Norfolk State. | -- | 23-11 |
| 8 |  | Gradey Dick finished with 23 points and two rebounds in Monday's 89-64 win over Omaha. The Jayhawks' next game is Thursday against North Dakota State. | -- | 28-8 |
| 9 |  | Tyreke Key finished with 17 points and four rebounds in Monday's 75-43 win over Tennessee Tech. The Vols' next game is Sunday against Colorado. | -- | 25-11 |
| 10 |  | Jaylen Clark finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in Monday's 76-50 win over Sacramento State. The Bruins' next game is Friday against Long Beach State. | -- | 31-6 |
| 11 |  | Arthur Kaluma finished with 17 points and eight rebounds in Monday's 72-60 win over St. Thomas-Minnesota. The Bluejays' next game is Thursday against North Dakota. | -- | 24-13 |
| 12 |  | Tyrese Hunter finished with 18 points and five rebounds in Monday's 72-57 win over UTEP. The Longhorns' next game is Thursday against Houston Christian. | -- | 29-9 |
| 13 |  | Trayce Jackson-Davis finished with 15 points and seven rebounds in Monday's 88-53 win over Morehead State. The Hoosiers' next game is Thursday against Bethune Cookman. | -- | 23-12 |
| 14 |  | Wendell Green finished with 16 points and four assists in Monday's 70-52 win over George Mason. The Tigers' next game is Friday against South Florida. | -- | 21-13 |
| 15 |  | Emanuel Miller finished with 19 points and five rebounds in Monday's 73-72 win voer Arkansas-Pine Bluff. The Horned Frogs' next game is Friday against Lamar. | -- | 22-13 |
| 16 |  | Armaan Franklin finished with 21 points and four rebounds in Monday's 73-61 win over North Carolina Central. The Cavaliers' next game is Friday against Monmouth. | -- | 25-8 |
| 17 |  | Azuolas Tubelis finisehd with 23 points and six assists in Monday's 117-75 win over Nicholls. The Wildcats' next game is Friday against Southern. | -- | 28-7 |
| 18 |  | Caleb Daniels finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 81-68 win over La Salle. The Wildcats' next game is Friday at Temple. | -- | 17-17 |
| 19 |  | Wade Taylor finished with 18 points and five rebounds in Monday's 87-54 win over UL Monroe. The Aggies' next game is Friday against Abilene Christian. | -- | 25-10 |
| 20 |  | Jett Howard finished with 21 points and five assists in Monday's 75-56 win over Purdue Fort Wayne. The Wolverines' next game is Friday against Eastern Michigan. | -- | 18-16 |
| 21 |  | Darrion Tramel finished with 18 points and three steals in Monday's 80-57 win over Cal State Fullerton. The Aztecs' next game is Friday against BYU. | -- | 32-7 |
| 22 |  | N'Faly Dante finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 80-45 win over Florida A&M. The Ducks' next game is Friday against UC Irvine. | -- | 21-15 |
| 23 |  | Brandon Miller finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds in Monday's 75-54 win over Longwood. The Crimson Tide's next game is Friday against Liberty. | -- | 31-6 |
| 24 |  | Fletcher Loyer finished with 17 points and three assists in Tuesday's 84-53 win over Milwaukee. The Boilermakers' next game is Friday against Austin Peay. | -- | 29-6 |
| 25 |  | DaRon Holmes finished with 13 points and five rebounds in Monday's 73-46 win over Lindenwood. The Flyers' next game is Friday against SMU. | -- | 22-12 |
| 26 |  | Justice Sueing finished with 20 points and two assists in Monday's 91-53 win over Robert Morris. The Buckeyes' next game is Thursday against Charleston Southern. | -- | 16-19 |
