Purdue vs NC State: 2024 NCAA Tournament Final 4 game preview, TV schedule
In what will be an epic battle of the big men, does NC State have one more upset left in them, or will Purdue get to the national title game?
TV schedule: Saturday, April 6 6:09 pm ET (TBS)
Arena: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
Entering the NCAA Tournament, there were two teams viewed as the clear favorites to win it all. One of them is Purdue (33-4), who is looking to follow the path that Virginia took a few years ago; going from losing as a 1 seed the season before winning it all a year later.
The Boilermakers' path to the Final Four featured some good teams, including Utah State, Gonzaga, and Tennessee. Only the Vols were competitive coming towards the end of the game but Purdue was able to hold on for the 72-66 win in the Elite 8. Zach Edey, the expected two-time National Player of the Year, finished with 40 points and 16 rebounds in one of the most impressive performances in his career.
Edey, listed at 7'4 and 285 pounds, requires a double-team against almost every other big in NCAA Basketball. But he faces a tough matchup himself in D.J. Burns, a 6'9 and 260-pound center at NC State (26-14). They needed an autobid to even get into the Big Dance and as an 11-seed, they made a miraculous run to be the first-ever 14-loss team to make the final weekend.
After beating Texas Tech, Oakland, and Marquette, the Wolfpack was down eight points at the half to fellow ACC program, Duke. But thanks to Burns and his 29 points, NC State made a charge to push the Blue Devils away in the final 20 minutes to win, 76-64. DJ Horne, who leads the team in scoring on the season, also had 20 points in the win.
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The big matchup to watch will be Edey vs Burns inside. If Edey has his way, it's going to be very difficult for NC State to win. However, if they win the three-point battle against the No. 1 shooting team in the country, the Wolfpack may have a shot. They've shown to be competitive in March, currently on a nine-game win streak and with plenty of momentum. Still, look for Purdue to end the Cinderella run.
Prediction: Purdue 74, NC State 62