WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Purdue men's basketball team was rewarded for its historic season on Selection Sunday, by earning the No. 1 seed in the East Region, the NCAA announced Sunday evening.
The 29-5 Boilermakers will play Friday in Columbus, Ohio, against the winner of a First Four game between Fairleigh Dickinson or Texas Southern. Tip will be at 6:50 p.m. ET, from Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
The winner will advance to the round of 32, where it will face the winner of No. 8 seed Memphis and No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic.
The top four seeds in the East are Purdue, Marquette, Kansas State and Tennessee. The East Regional semifinals and finals will be played in Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 23 and 25.
The Boilermakers earn their fourth No. 1 seed in school history and first since the 1996 tournament after winning the Big Ten regular-season title by three games and the Big Ten Tournament title with a win over Penn State. Purdue's 29 victories are the second most in a season in school history.
Fairleigh Dickinson enters Wednesday's First Four game with a 19-15 overall record and the Northeast Conference Tournament runner-up. The Knights actually lost their league's championship game to Merrimack, but is making an appearance due to Merrimack not being eligible for the NCAA Tournament. The Knights are led by 5-foot, 8-inch senior guard Demetre Roberts, who averages 16.7 points and 4.3 assists per game. FDU's best win of the season came in a 97-80 win over Saint Joseph's.
Meanwhile, Texas Southern enters the tournament with a 14-20 overall record, winning the SWAC Tournament championship. The Tigers are paced by 6-foot, 5-inch sophomore Davon Barnes at 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Texas Southern's best win came against Arizona State, 67-66, in the third game of the season.
Purdue is making its eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and has been a top-four seed in each of the last six tournaments.
The 29-5 Boilermakers will play Friday in Columbus, Ohio, against the winner of a First Four game between Fairleigh Dickinson or Texas Southern. Tip will be at 6:50 p.m. ET, from Nationwide Arena in Columbus.
The winner will advance to the round of 32, where it will face the winner of No. 8 seed Memphis and No. 9 seed Florida Atlantic.
The top four seeds in the East are Purdue, Marquette, Kansas State and Tennessee. The East Regional semifinals and finals will be played in Madison Square Garden in New York City on March 23 and 25.
The Boilermakers earn their fourth No. 1 seed in school history and first since the 1996 tournament after winning the Big Ten regular-season title by three games and the Big Ten Tournament title with a win over Penn State. Purdue's 29 victories are the second most in a season in school history.
Fairleigh Dickinson enters Wednesday's First Four game with a 19-15 overall record and the Northeast Conference Tournament runner-up. The Knights actually lost their league's championship game to Merrimack, but is making an appearance due to Merrimack not being eligible for the NCAA Tournament. The Knights are led by 5-foot, 8-inch senior guard Demetre Roberts, who averages 16.7 points and 4.3 assists per game. FDU's best win of the season came in a 97-80 win over Saint Joseph's.
Meanwhile, Texas Southern enters the tournament with a 14-20 overall record, winning the SWAC Tournament championship. The Tigers are paced by 6-foot, 5-inch sophomore Davon Barnes at 13.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Texas Southern's best win came against Arizona State, 67-66, in the third game of the season.
Purdue is making its eighth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and has been a top-four seed in each of the last six tournaments.