On Saturday afternoon, Purdue Basketball and the North Carolina Tar Heels will square off for just the third time in program histories. North Carolina took both of the two previous matchups with the last one coming in 1999. The two premier Big Ten and ACC programs both enter the season with sky-high expectations following disappointing tournament performances in 2020-2021.
Purdue looks to build on an impressive season that saw a young team surprise a lot of people and finish 4th in a stacked Big Ten. With stars Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams back, as well as Zach Edey emerging, Matt Painter’s team earned preseason recognition as the AP’s 7th-ranked team in the country. The Boilermakers are off to a 3-0 start after blowout wins against Bellarmine, Indiana State, and Wright State and have moved up to number six in the polls.
North Carolina, on the other hand, has seen a great deal of change after being one of the steadiest programs for decades. Hubert Davis took over as head coach following Roy Williams’s retirement and looks to lead the Tar Heels to more sustained success for the next few decades.
Caleb Love returned for his sophomore season after an up-and-down freshman campaign and has played very well so far. The Tar Heels also acquired big-name transfers Brady Manek and Dawson Garcia from the portal which gives them size that is versatile. Despite a few early scares, the Heels are 3-0 and look to remain undefeated with a top-10 road win at Purdue.
Pulling off the upset at a neutral site will be no easy task for Hubert Davis’s team, but North Carolina certainly has the talent to do it. Purdue hasn’t especially been tested yet, so this will be a measuring stick game for them, too.
Here are the keys for Purdue to survive at home and remain undefeated…