Entering the final few days of the 2024 Big Dance are some unexpected groups of players along with projected favorites. In a clash where there are only 50-50 chances of going into the next stage, what is Purdue Boilermakers’ biggest plus, and how have their NCAA semifinal rivals cruised past Duke? It is going to be a memorable event at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. While the Boilermakers are the No.1 seed and have one of NCAA’s biggest star names, Zach Edey, all the talk since last night has been of the once-discounted NC State.

If anyone watched their games in the regular season, NC State did not have any chance to even enter the bracket. However, the team has only improved while bringing a show that no one was prepared for. Beginning with their display in the ACC tournament against Virginia, the conference champions turned the tides in their favor with just one shot. The 3-pointer by Michael O’Connell against the Cavaliers forced an OT. The ACC Final ended with the Wolfpack grabbing more than double points in OT and ending the game 73-65.

Kevin Keatts’ squad has certainly never looked back from that day. In fact, they have come back to every game even stronger, disruptive, and motivated to go against the storm. Their very first round brought them against a 6-seed Texas Tech in the South. Proving everyone wrong, the Wolfpack stayed ahead in both halves and came out with a 13-point win, 80-67. While they have not matched that difference yet, they have only improved.

In their next heavyweight competition against the 2-seed Marquette, NC State came in with full offense, leading by 13 points. While the Golden Eagles tried to fight back, the Wolfpack cut their wings down and provided another upset, winning 67-58. Their Elite Eight matchup was even more intense. None other than the Blue Devils themselves stood in front of them. The ACC champions tug them down again by leading by 18 points in the last 20 minutes of the game. Duke was one of the projected favorites but left Dallas with a disappointing 76-64 loss.

Previously, NC State had lost 5 of their final 6 regular season games. But with their mind-boggling performance, Kevin Keatts and Co. have changed everyone’s views.

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It has been an amazing ride for the Wolfpacks this March Madness. Not only have they swept away the ACC conference title but also reached to fulfill a wish that was last completed in 1983. Proving their potential, NC State has displayed offensive prowess in the form of DJ Burns Jr. and DJ Horne. The 6’9″ fifth-year forward contributed a season-high 29 points with zero turnovers against their ACC rivals.

However, everyone has also seen their flip side and admired it. Their defense in the post-season tournament has been exemplary. They were able to hold their opponents to 35% shooting from the floor and only 24% from deep. In comparison, Purdue has been fighting many battles as well.

Purdue in March Madness

It is surprising how the Boilermakers are not the biggest news for the Final Four. They have been fighting the entire season to get rid of the narrative everyone has set for them. A team that boasts Zach Edey, one of the best players this year, did not see themselves as winners. Nevertheless, they have battled hard throughout the tournament to vanquish claims of losing in the Elite Eight round. However, the Boilermakers shut all the noise out with a 72-66 victory to remember.

The spotlight was, again, on their star senior Zach Edey, who grabbed 40 points and 16 rebounds for his team. However, their entire tourney has also been quite influential in turning the volume down on haters who thought that Matt Painter’s team was over-seeded.

Purdue brought the heat from the very first round. They won over Grambling (16) 78-50. While the opening matchup was quite one-sided, their next with 8-seed Utah State could have been trouble. However, they comfortably beat them as well. They swept the floor with Utah State with a 106-67 win, the largest win margin this March Madness.

Again, running at a consistent pace, the Boilermakers reigned over both Gonzaga (5) and Tennessee (2) to enter the NCAA Tournament Final Four.

Is the overall projection leaning towards Purdue vs UConn?

While it is going to be a gripping Final Four and NC State has all the chances to write another Cinderella Story and stop Purdue on its way to their second-ever NCAA DI men’s basketball tournament Final, there is no denying that people want to watch them lock horns with the reigning champions.

While Alabama has an amazing ability to shoot the ball from outside, the Huskies can walk all over them with both ends of the floor well-guarded. These two upcoming games are surely going to be fiery and will undoubtedly justify the very name of this tournament as the madness reigns over everyone.

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