Purdue vs. Gonzaga Preview

The Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament continues Friday, with a matchup between No. 1 Purdue and No. 5 Gonzaga in Detroit, Michigan.

Purdue

Purdue is one of four No. 1 seeds in the tournament, dominating every game starting in Round 64. In the first round against Grambling State, the Boilermakers won 78-50. Center Zach Edey led his team against the Tigers, scoring 30 points and 21 rebounds. In the second game, played against 8-seed Utah State, Purdue crushed the Aggies by 39.

Now going up against Gonzaga, Purdue head coach Matt Painter said he’s excited for the matchup with the Bulldogs.

Gonzaga

Gonzaga was able to demonstrate its strengths, beating No. 12 McNeese State in the first round by a score of 86-65. In its Round of 32 game against 4-seed Kansas, the Bulldogs were able to beat the Jayhawks 89-68. Gonzaga dominated on all ends of the court.

On Nov. 20, 2023, the Bulldogs and Boilermakers matched up, with Purdue coming out on top 73-63. Gonzaga head coach Mark Few said his team turned the ball over too much despite playing well.

9 Straight 𝐒𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐓 16s 😈😤 pic.twitter.com/kQlmRgfocd

— Gonzaga Basketball (@ZagMBB) March 23, 2024

Zach Edey

The 7-foot-4 center from Purdue is the biggest and most impressive name in this tournament. The Canadian center managed to make his mark during the regular season, and its continued in March Madness. He leads the team in points and rebound per game, averaging 24.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game, respectively.

Zach Edey has won the 2023 men's Wooden Award as the national player of the year 👏 @BoilerBall pic.twitter.com/kYYA7It4Yh

— ESPN (@espn) April 4, 2023

Game Time

Purdue and Gonzaga will tip-off at 7:39 p.m. The winner will face the either Creighton or Tennessee in the Elite Eight Sunday.