NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Game Preview: #1 Purdue Vs #5 Gonzaga

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#1 seed Purdue looks to get to its first Elite Eight since 2019 against a familiar #5 seed Gonzaga

Purdue and Matt Painter have only made one Elite Eight in his tenure. All that stands between the Boilers and its first trip back since 2019, is a team and program that has been in this exact spot for nine straight seasons.

Mark Few has led Gonzaga to nine straight Sweet 16’s, one of college basketball’s most impressive streaks.

But Purdue is no stranger to the Zags. Purdue and Gonzaga have met in back to back seasons in the non-conference with Purdue winning both, this year’s matchup as part of the Maui Invitational and the PK85 in Portland last season.

But a lot can change in four months. Coaches and players on both teams spent Thursday describing how its teams are different in March than they were in November when the two met during Thanksgiving week in Hawaii.

Both teams get into Detroit playing its best basketball of the season.

Purdue is 17-2 in its last 19 games.

Gonzaga is 16-2 in its last 18 games.

And both teams are playing for the same thing: a trip to the Elite Eight.

Never been against always there

Despite early season struggles, Mark Few and the Bulldogs have proven again that if there’s an NCAA Tournament going on, the Bulldogs are going to be involved. The nine straight Sweet 16’s is only the tip of the iceburg when it comes to March success for Gonzaga.

Few has two runner-up finishes in the NCAA Tournament in his two decades plus at Gonzaga, and three more Elite Eight appearances since the 2014-15 season. As mentioned, the Zags have made nine straight Sweet 16’s. Even without a National Title, Few’s one of the most accomplished coaches in March history.

It didn’t look like Gonzaga would make the tournament at times this season. Three games into the conference season, Gonzaga was just 11-5 with losses to the two top teams in the country (Purdue, UConn), and losses to San…

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Author : Boiler Upload

Publish date : 2024-03-28 21:37:34

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