March Madness: Best bets to win the 2018 NCAA National Championship

Purdue has fallen out of the spotlight over the last few weeks of the season, but the numbers say they have the potential to bring a title to West Lafayette.

Purdue hasn’t received much attention since enduring a three-game skid late in the season and bowing out of the Big Ten tournament against eventual champion, Michigan.

The Boilermakers come into the Big Dance ranked second in offensive efficiency and twenty-eighth defensively according to KenPom.

Close enough to the established criteria that they are serious contenders.

While they don’t have much tournament experience, the Boilers biggest strength might be their senior-laden lineup.

Seniors Isaac Haas, Dakota Mathias, Vincent Edwards, and PJ Thompson led Purdue on a school record nineteen-game winning streak not losing a single game in the months of December and January.

Throw sophomore point guard Carsen Edwards into the mix and Purdue is an offensive juggernaut.

Carsen Edwards, while not as well-known as other players around the country checks off the “Have a really good point guard box.”

Per sports-reference.com, Edwards ranked second in the Big Ten in points scored, and both offensive and total win shares.

When Purdue finds itself in dire straights, they find their answer in Dakota Mathias.

Mathias finished third in the Big Ten sinking ninety three-pointers this season, but no one shot it at a better rate. Mathias hit the three at a 46.4% clip this season good for first in the Big Ten and ninth nationally, per sports-reference.com

There’s a possibility that Purdue could meet up with Villanova with a trip to the final four on the line, which would certainly be a viewers delight.