Both Purdue and Gonzaga are coming into this Sweet 16 tilt following two blowout wins. The Boilermakers dominated Grambling State and Utah State in their first two games seemingly from start to finish. The Bulldogs smacked McNeese in the first game and dominated Kansas in the second half to get to their 9th straight Sweet 16. Who has the upper hand in this clash of the titans?
Purdue is on the warpath after getting bounced by a 16 seed in last year’s tournament. Their offensive strategy is no secret. Get the ball to Zach Edey then let him a) get an easy bucket in the paint, b) get fouled, or c) kick it out for a three point look. It’s hard to argue their success. Edey leads the country in ppg, they are 8th in the country in free throws attempted, and 1st in three point percentage. It is worth noting that Purdue beat the Zags early in the season in the Maui Invitational 73-63.
Gonzaga has played three near perfect halves of basketball in this tournament. They blew out potential darkhorse McNeese in the first round. They trailed Kansas at the half then blitzed the Jayhawks in the second on their way to a 21 point win. Their offense is on fire right now. They shot 50% from the floor vs. McNeese and 60% vs. Kansas. They have also shot a whopping 53% from deep in the R32. The Bulldogs will be out for revenge in this one while looking to get to the Elite Eight.
