GAMEDAY INFO
Friday, March 17, 2023 | 6:50 p.m. ET
[1] Purdue (29-5) vs. [16] Fairleigh Dickinson (19-15)
- OR - [16] Texas Southern (14-20)
Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena (19,500)
TELEVISION: TNT | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Earning the East Region's top seed, the No. 3-ranked Purdue Boilermakers will begin their NCAA Tournament journey on Friday evening when it faces the winner of Wednesday's First Four game between Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas Southern. The Boilermakers enter March Madness as winners of five straight games and with the most wins by a major-college program entering the NCAA Tournament with a 29-5 record.
• Purdue has earned its fourth No. 1 seed in school history and its first since the 1996 season. Purdue is 6-3 all-time as the No. 1 seed advancing to the Elite 8 in 1994 and the Sweet 16 in 1988. Purdue is one of just two schools to earn top-5 seeds in each of the last seven NCAA Tournaments (Kansas).
• Purdue owns a 58-13 record since the start of last season. The 58 wins over a two-year span are the most in school history and Purdue needs one win to tie the season-school record of 30 (2018). Since the start of last year, Purdue's 58 wins lead the Big Ten by 13 victories (Iowa - 45).
• Purdue is battle-tested, having won 17 games against the KenPom top-50, the most in the country (Kansas, Alabama, Texas - 14).
• The Boilermakers are 7-0 in neutral-site games, having defeated four teams that are in the NCAA Tournament (West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, Penn State). In seven neutral-site games, Zach Edey is averaging 25.0 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.
• Purdue is 15-3 overall away from Mackey Arena, ranking 11th in offensive efficiency and 16th in defensive efficiency nationally away from home. Purdue's 15 wins are tied for second nationlly behind Iona's 16 wins away from home.
• The Boilermakers are 12-4 against the NCAA Tournament field, including 4-0 against teams in the East Region (Marquette, Duke, Michigan State twice). Purdue's 12 wins against the field are the third most nationally (Kansas, Alabama - 14).
• Purdue became the 10th Big Ten team in league history to win both the regular-season and tournament titles. Of the previous nine, five of the teams reached the Final Four (2019 - Michigan State; 2015 - Wisconsin; 2007 - Ohio State; 2005 - Illinois; 1999 - Michigan State).
• Purdue finished the season ranked No. 3 in the final AP Top 25 poll, matching its highest final ranking in school history (1988). Purdue spent the last 16 weeks this season in the Top 5, more than double its previous longest streak in the Top 5 (2022 season - 7 weeks). Purdue was unranked at the start of the season, but ascended to No. 1 faster than anyone in AP Top 25 poll history (34 days).
• Matt Painter will be coaching in his 15th NCAA Tournament, ranking eighth among active coaches. He is the youngest of the group at just 52 years old. Among the group, Kansas' Bill Self and Gonzaga's Mark Few are the next-youngest coaches at 60 years old.
• Purdue has finished in the top three of the Big Ten standings in seven of the last nine seasons, with three Big Ten titles (2023, 2019, 2017).
• Zach Edey has became the third player in the last 30 years to accumulate at least 700 points, 400 rebounds, 60 blocks and 50 assists in a season (Arizona's DeAndre Ayton - 2017-18; Utah's Andrew Bogut - 2004-05). He is one of two players in Big Ten history with at least 700 points and 400 rebounds in a season (Ohio State's Jerry Lucas in 1960).
• Zach Edey has eight 30-10 games this season, the most for a major-college player in the last 20 years surpassing Marvin Bagley (Duke) and Kevin Durant (Texas). His eight 30-10 games are more than the rest of the Big Ten combined this season (6).
• Zach Edey is sixth nationally in scoring (22.3 PPG) and second in rebounding (12.8). He is one of five high-major players over the last 25 seasons to rank in the top 10 in both categories (Luke Harangody, Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant, Troy Murphy).
• Braden Smith has become the fourth freshman in Big Ten history to have at least 330 points, 140 rebounds and 140 assists in a season joining Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1978), and Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell (2015) and JaQuan Lyle (2016).
• Purdue's freshman duo of Fletcher Loyer (371) and Braden Smith (333) have combined for 704 points, the third-highest freshman scoring duo in school history (2008 Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore - 813 points; 2013 A.J. Hammons, Ronnie Johnson - 709 points).
Friday, March 17, 2023 | 6:50 p.m. ET
[1] Purdue (29-5) vs. [16] Fairleigh Dickinson (19-15)
- OR - [16] Texas Southern (14-20)
Columbus, Ohio | Nationwide Arena (19,500)
TELEVISION: TNT | RADIO: Purdue Sports Network
ANNOUNCERS: Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas, Jamie Erdahl
THE NOTES TO KNOW
• Earning the East Region's top seed, the No. 3-ranked Purdue Boilermakers will begin their NCAA Tournament journey on Friday evening when it faces the winner of Wednesday's First Four game between Fairleigh Dickinson and Texas Southern. The Boilermakers enter March Madness as winners of five straight games and with the most wins by a major-college program entering the NCAA Tournament with a 29-5 record.
• Purdue has earned its fourth No. 1 seed in school history and its first since the 1996 season. Purdue is 6-3 all-time as the No. 1 seed advancing to the Elite 8 in 1994 and the Sweet 16 in 1988. Purdue is one of just two schools to earn top-5 seeds in each of the last seven NCAA Tournaments (Kansas).
• Purdue owns a 58-13 record since the start of last season. The 58 wins over a two-year span are the most in school history and Purdue needs one win to tie the season-school record of 30 (2018). Since the start of last year, Purdue's 58 wins lead the Big Ten by 13 victories (Iowa - 45).
• Purdue is battle-tested, having won 17 games against the KenPom top-50, the most in the country (Kansas, Alabama, Texas - 14).
• The Boilermakers are 7-0 in neutral-site games, having defeated four teams that are in the NCAA Tournament (West Virginia, Gonzaga, Duke, Penn State). In seven neutral-site games, Zach Edey is averaging 25.0 points and 12.1 rebounds per game.
• Purdue is 15-3 overall away from Mackey Arena, ranking 11th in offensive efficiency and 16th in defensive efficiency nationally away from home. Purdue's 15 wins are tied for second nationlly behind Iona's 16 wins away from home.
• The Boilermakers are 12-4 against the NCAA Tournament field, including 4-0 against teams in the East Region (Marquette, Duke, Michigan State twice). Purdue's 12 wins against the field are the third most nationally (Kansas, Alabama - 14).
• Purdue became the 10th Big Ten team in league history to win both the regular-season and tournament titles. Of the previous nine, five of the teams reached the Final Four (2019 - Michigan State; 2015 - Wisconsin; 2007 - Ohio State; 2005 - Illinois; 1999 - Michigan State).
• Purdue finished the season ranked No. 3 in the final AP Top 25 poll, matching its highest final ranking in school history (1988). Purdue spent the last 16 weeks this season in the Top 5, more than double its previous longest streak in the Top 5 (2022 season - 7 weeks). Purdue was unranked at the start of the season, but ascended to No. 1 faster than anyone in AP Top 25 poll history (34 days).
• Matt Painter will be coaching in his 15th NCAA Tournament, ranking eighth among active coaches. He is the youngest of the group at just 52 years old. Among the group, Kansas' Bill Self and Gonzaga's Mark Few are the next-youngest coaches at 60 years old.
• Purdue has finished in the top three of the Big Ten standings in seven of the last nine seasons, with three Big Ten titles (2023, 2019, 2017).
• Zach Edey has became the third player in the last 30 years to accumulate at least 700 points, 400 rebounds, 60 blocks and 50 assists in a season (Arizona's DeAndre Ayton - 2017-18; Utah's Andrew Bogut - 2004-05). He is one of two players in Big Ten history with at least 700 points and 400 rebounds in a season (Ohio State's Jerry Lucas in 1960).
• Zach Edey has eight 30-10 games this season, the most for a major-college player in the last 20 years surpassing Marvin Bagley (Duke) and Kevin Durant (Texas). His eight 30-10 games are more than the rest of the Big Ten combined this season (6).
• Zach Edey is sixth nationally in scoring (22.3 PPG) and second in rebounding (12.8). He is one of five high-major players over the last 25 seasons to rank in the top 10 in both categories (Luke Harangody, Michael Beasley, Kevin Durant, Troy Murphy).
• Braden Smith has become the fourth freshman in Big Ten history to have at least 330 points, 140 rebounds and 140 assists in a season joining Michigan State's Magic Johnson (1978), and Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell (2015) and JaQuan Lyle (2016).
• Purdue's freshman duo of Fletcher Loyer (371) and Braden Smith (333) have combined for 704 points, the third-highest freshman scoring duo in school history (2008 Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore - 813 points; 2013 A.J. Hammons, Ronnie Johnson - 709 points).