NCAA Tournament 2023: 5 teams with most pressure to make a Final 4 run

3. Purdue Boilermakers

The Boilermakers have a couple of Final Four appearances in program history, with the last one coming in 1980. They’ve been a consistent NCAA Tournament team ever since, especially under head coach Matt Painter. But they missed out on a chance to make a deep run a year ago, losing to the 15-seed Saint Peter’s in the Sweet 16.

Purdue was a 4-seed last year. This time around, they were a 1 seed and one of the top teams in the country all season. They weren’t ranked to start the year but after dominating performances in the PK85 that includes wins over Gonzaga and Duke, the team instantly got on the map. They’re led by National Player of the Year favorite Zach Edey, who is averaging 22.3 ppg and 11.8 rpg overall.

If this is Edey’s final year, it’s going to be hard for the Boilermakers to find another star player. And after wasting top-5 NBA Draft pick Jaden Ivey’s year, not making a deep run this year would be tough. It’s also big for the Big Ten that this team makes a deep run as well since they’re arguably the only team that can make a deep run in the event.

It might not be fully fair to demand that Purdue makes a Final Four run since they have freshmen starters, Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith. But Edey is too good to not have success in the NCAA Tournament and as a 1 seed, there are expectations for them to do something.