For the second time in as many seasons and second time this season, Purdue basketball has earned a number one and will play in the friendly confines of Indianapolis to open the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue basketball (29-4) will take on the winner of Montana State and Grambling State, who will earn the 16 seed. Montana State (17-17) and Grambling State (20-14) will play in the First Four of March Madness Wednesday at the University of Dayton’s UD Arena. The game will be televised on TruTV.
Purdue basketball knocked off then top ranked Arizona at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis in December.
A look at Grambling State
Grambling State advanced to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the Southwestern Athletic Conference Tournament for the first time in 47 seasons of basketball.
To advance, Grambling State knocked off Texas Southern in the final, 75-66, to capture the automatic bid and came on the heels of the Tigers winning last year’s regular season title.
The Tigers feature six players averaging at least 7.6 points per game and junior Kintavious Dozier paces Grambling State with 13.1 points.
Grambling State is coached by SWAC Coach-of-the-Year Donte’ Jackson, who has won over 100 games with the Tigers.
A look at Montana State
Montana State enters the tournament with a .500 record, having won the Big Sky Conference title.
In the championship game, the Bobcats defeated Montana, 85-70, in Boise, Idaho on March 13.
This marks the third consecutive year Montana State has advanced to the tournament, and this year’s magic is the due to the play of Eddie Turner III, who helped spark a 15-2 run against Montana in the championship game. Turner ended with 15 points, while guard Robert Ford III added a game high 22 points, nine rebounds and five steals en route to earning Big Sky Tournament MVP honors.
After watching Montana go up by 11 with 17 minutes remaining in the second half, Montana State utilized several runs over the final 15 minutes to outscore Montana 41-9 down the stretch. The Bobcats held Montana to 1-of-14 shooting from the field over an 11 minute span in the second half.
