Tennessee vs Purdue prediction: Who has edge in 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite 8?

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DETROIT — Tennessee basketball is in the program’s second Elite Eight and playing for its first trip to the Final Four.

No. 2 Tennessee (27-8) faces No. 1 Purdue (32-4) on Sunday (2:20 p.m. ET, CBS) at Little Caesars Arena with a spot in Phoenix on the line.

Here is what to know about the matchup:

Zach Edey and Dalton Knecht are the front-runners for national player of the year

Tennessee and Purdue feature the top two candidates for national player of the year in Purdue center Zach Edey and Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht.

Knecht took the college basketball world by storm after transferring to Tennessee in May from Northern Colorado. He is averaging 21.1 points and shooting 39.1% on 3-pointers.

The 7-foot-4 Edey is averaging 24.5 points and 12.1 rebounds. The reigning national player of the year scores 32.6% of his points at the free-throw line, where his 280 made free throws are more than all but four players have attempted.

How Tennessee vs Purdue went in Maui Invitational

Tennessee fell to Purdue 71-67 in the Maui Invitational semifinals in November.

The Vols and Boilermakers combined to shoot 78 free throws and were called for 52 fouls. Purdue was 29-for-48 at the free-throw line, while the Vols were 21-for-30. Dalton Knecht had 16 points. Purdue’s Fletcher Loyer had 27 points.

Tennessee and Purdue have NCAA Tournament history

The Boilermakers ended Tennessee’s season in the Sweet 16 in Louisville in 2019. UT lost 99-94 in overtime. Admiral Schofield had 21 points, while Purdue’s Carsen Edwards and Ryan Cline had 29 and 27, respectively.

UT guard Lamonte Turner was called for a disputed foul in the final seconds on an Edwards 3-pointer that led to Purdue tying the game and sending it to overtime.

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/tennessee-vs-purdue-prediction-edge-090349414.html

Author : Knox News | The Knoxville News-Sentinel

Publish date : 2024-03-30 09:03:49

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