It is always fun to debate which are the best college basketball programs. In the past, the criteria was amorphous, where you’d have to blend factors like tradition, facilities, fan base, proximity to quality recruits and the like. Now, however, there is only one: How much money the coach has available to pay his players.

If you’re making a list of programs with the biggest bags, you probably wouldn’t guess that it would include Purdue. And yet it does. We know this because Matt Painter has assembled a roster that is a consensus top-five choice in all those way-too-early-top-25 rankings. The difference is that while most coaches shower their cash on incoming transfers, Painter used it to convince his current players to return for less money than they could have made elsewhere. That’s smart strategy considering the Boilermakers were one late baseline out-of-bounds play from advancing to the Elite Eight, but it’s also very on-brand with the culture that Painter has built over the last two decades. There have been many changes in college basketball, but one thing will remain the same next season: Purdue is going to win a lot of basketball games.

You can read all about it in the story I wrote after speaking with Painter by phone last week. We also have a very interesting guest column written by noted sports attorney Darren Heitner, who explains why players might not be getting such a sweet deal when (if?) the House v. NCAA settlement gets approved. And of course, it wouldn’t be college basketball coverage without a healthy dose of transfer portal coverage.

We have had a lot of fun covering Portal Madness and will continue to do so over the coming weeks. But we are starting to work our way towards the NBA Draft, so you can expect a lot of news and insight on that as well. Have a great Monday and thanks as always for your support of Hoops HQ. — Seth

Get Old, Stay Old, Get Paid: Purdue Has a Winning Formula

By Seth Davis

For a program like Purdue, which for so long has thrived on culture, retention and player development, the new landscape in college basketball poses challenging questions. Can it compete with the traditional bluebloods and new-wave trend setters when it comes to assembling a payroll? Can it still convince its best players to stay and improve, instead of chasing almighty dollars? Can it keep the talent pipeline flowing in this pay-for-play era?

As it turns out, the answer to these questions is yes, yes and yes. Ever since the Boilermakers’ season ended with a heartbreaking Sweet Sixteen loss to Houston, coach Matt Painter has demonstrated that he has both a lot of money and the wisdom to spend it wisely. While many of his peers were tossing cash around the transfer portal, Painter chose to invest in his current players...

The House Settlement Will Allow Athletes to Get Paid, But It Comes At a Cost

By Darren Heitner

The landscape of college sports is on the brink of seismic change, but don’t let the headlines fool you. While the proposed settlement in the House v. NCAA case promises a new era of revenue sharing for athletes — potentially up to $20.5 million per school starting in the 2025-26 athletic year — it also comes with a bitter catch. The powers that be in college sports are working overtime to ensure that this newfound financial freedom for athletes is as restricted as possible.

If the settlement is approved, athletes will once again find themselves squeezed by rules designed to limit the money flowing into their pockets...

‍