It has been 44 years in the making for the Purdue basketball team, but they have finally done it.
On Saturday, Purdue will take on 11th seed N.C. State in the Final Four from Phoenix, and have opened as an 9.5 point favorite.
While it has been a banner season already for the Boilermakers, there is still a national title Purdue would like to own.
BoilerWire takes a look at five story lines to watch during the national semi-final against the Wolfpack Saturday.
1) Can Purdue basketball crack N.C. State’s defense
As we said before the NCAA Tournament began, Purdue basketball’s chances of claiming a national title depend on how the guards play. Purdue will go as far as Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones can take them, and so far, it has been pretty far.
N.C. State has held the likes of UNC, Duke and Marquette to below 39 percent shooting recently and has the ability to put the clamps down on opposing offenses. When Purdue basketball shoots less than 44 percent, they are 3-3 on the season. If Purdue has another off shooting night from beyond the three point arc, this could be a defensive battle the Boilermakers do not want to find themselves in. Therefore, Purdue basketball has to do a solid job of pushing N.C. State’s defense by being solid with the basketball and settling for good shots.
2) N.C. State doesn’t turn the ball over
Perhaps, no team has been better with the basketball than the Wolfpack. Purdue basketball has a knack, at times, for turning teams over. However, in its four losses, the Boilermakers turned it over more times than the opposition, and that may not be a recipe for success against a team that has been solid with the ball as of late.
The Wolfpack have been downright stingy with controlling the basketball, turning it over eight times or less during its most recent winning streak. Can Purdue basketball do enough on the defensive side to generate turnovers?
3) Who can get balanced scoring will decide the winner
It is no secret Purdue basketball will look to get big man Zach Edey going early and often. But, again, see point one. The Boilermakers cannot just try to run everything through Edey and will need some other players to step up and produce offensively. Can Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer, Lance Jones and Mason Gillis be those guys? Of course, they can, but they have to be smart and take good shots against an N.C. State team that has been lights out in defending the three this postseason. For Purdue basketball to get the win, it has to get balanced scoring because the odds of Edey going off for another 40 point output are slim against the Wolfpack.
As for N.C. State’s offense, balanced scoring has gotten the Wolfpack to this point and balanced scoring has also played a part in Purdue’s four losses. In three of Purdue’s four losses, the opposition has had at least two players hit 19 points. In order for N.C. State to continue its magical season, DJ Horne and DJ Burns have to shoulder the load. Burns is averaging 18.2 points per game in the NCAA Tournament and Horne is averaging 16.5.
2) It will be fun to watch the two teams play through nerves
Nerves are sure to be on full display when these two teams lock horns Saturday. For Purdue basketball, it is the first Final Four in 44 years and the Boilermakers have achieved a main goal. All season long, we have heard Final Four or Bust for a team that lost in the first round last year. However, just getting here cannot be the end goal for the Boilermakers. This is a team that has the players and weapons to advance to Monday’s national championship game.
As for N.C. State, it has been on an incredible run dating back to the ACC Tournament. This is a team that won five games to just get into the NCAA Tournament and has caught lightning in a bottle. The Wolfpack are, arguably, the hottest team in basketball right now and will enter with plenty of momentum and confidence.
That’s great, but this is unchartered waters for both of this programs. Sure, they’ve each had big games where they overcame adversity, the odds and nerves along the way, but this is the NCAA Final Four. Every college basketball fan will be tuned into this one, and if the game gets close, who blinks first? Purdue basketball has lost to a double digit seed nine times dating back to 1985. If the game is tight, can will the Boilermakers think back to the last three years of disappointments? For N.C. State, if the game is tight, will they have enough moxie to play together, settle down and finish the task at hand?
1) Zach Edey vs. DJ Burns is going to be epic
College basketball fans are in for quite a treat in the paint when Purdue basketball’s Zach Edey takes on N.C. State big man DJ Burns and the paint may not be big enough to contain both of these talents.
Edey, the reigning national player of the year, averages 25 points and 12.2 rebounds. Burns is averaging 18.2 points through the NCAA Tournament. Both players are capable of the big play and can change the momentum of the game rapidly.
How this one is officiated will determine how epic the battle between the two big men will go. Will the officials let either camp out in the lane and be physical? Who can do a better job of staying out of foul trouble, obviously, will go a long way in determining success for their respective team. However, if officials allow it to be physical, one may have to give Burns a slight edge.
At 6-foot-9-inches, Burns gives up some height to Edey, and while Edey is not only taller and weighs more, Burns is a force at a very solid 275 pounds. One shouldn’t expect Edey to have his way backing down Burns like he has other big men not only in the Big Ten but throughout the tourney.
Grab the popcorn and get settled in early, because this one will be phenomenal to watch.
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