Purdue Basketball: Previewing the matchup with Texas Tech in Sweet 16

For the right to have a spot in the Elite Eight, Purdue basketball and Texas Tech will square off in the East Regional semifinal on Friday night.

TV Schedule: 9:57 p.m. ET on TBS

Location: TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts.

The East Region has the strongest teams remaining according to many, including No. 2 seed Purdue and No. 3 seed Texas Tech. The winner of the game, which will start very late on the east coast, will square off against the winner of the game played just before it on Friday night featuring Villanova and West Virginia.

This matchup is intriguing, mainly because of the clash of styles of play. Purdue prefers to play at a slower pace in the half court, relying on their set plays and strong defensive setup. On the other hand, Texas Tech thrives when the game is going at a quicker pace and when there is more chaos. When this happens, they can use their speed to score in transition and derail the game plans of opponents.

Even so, pace alone will not determine this game, because Purdue has the speed to play a quicker paced game and Texas Tech has succeeded in the half court at times, such as their Round of 32 victory over Florida. What will be more indicative of who gets the edge in this one is who is able to do all of the little things right.

Even with loads of talent, Purdue has struggled from the free throw line. They have also gone through cold spells offensively in which they haven’t scored for minutes at a time. For example, within the last five minutes of the Boilermakers’ second-round victory over Butler, they went three consecutive minutes without scoring any points, allowing the Bulldogs to get themselves back into the game. This is partially the responsibility of the coaching staff without a doubt, but it really comes down to concentration and execution, as Purdue must avoid taking ill-advised shots and having missed assignments on defense.

Besides doing the little things right, the Boilermakers will need to find some sort of compensation for the absence of senior center Isaac Haas if he is indeed not able to play as is expected. Purdue can never fully replace Haas, and even another seven-footer in freshman Matt Haarms won’t have quite the same impact on either side of the floor. Instead, the Boilermakers need to rely on forwards and even guards to be a threat offensively in the paint and snatch tough rebounds when necessary. Forward Vincent Edwards will especially be called on to help make up for the missing Haas due to his well rounded skill set.

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From Texas Tech’s perspective, whatever they can do to exploit a missing Isaac Haas in the middle will work to their advantage. The Red Raiders have a talented forward in Niem Stevenson who can make plays around the basket and use his physicality to out-muscle Haarms and company. This will give Texas Tech a major advantage, as it diversifies their offense since guards such as the nifty Keenan Evans can be a threat as well.

This game could go either way depending on adjustments Purdue makes and how well both teams execute, especially late in the contest. But ultimately, the experience gives the Boilermakers the edge. They can use the adversity of missing Haas to their advantage, and others can step up as the team is deep, well coached, and experienced. They are also hungry for an elite eight appearance, which is exactly what they will get.

Next: 16 facts to know for watching the Sweet 16

Final Prediction: Purdue 69, Texas Tech 63

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