13. Purdue (4-seed)
Early this season the story was about how Purdue could still excel even with Zach Edey off to the NBA. Considering what these Boilermakers have accomplished this season, Matt Painter certainly knew what he was doing. This team is back in the Sweet Sixteen for a second year in a row, leaning heavily on Braden Smith and a crew of hungry playmakers, each looking to show that they can be a dangerous team even without the national player of the year.
Purdue had moments of brilliance with wins over Alabama and Ole Miss early in the season and got Big Ten play off to an 11-2 start. However, these Boilermakers hit a rough stretch in February, losing four straight games and then faltering in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournaments. Nobody wants to enter the Big Dance as losers of six of their last nine but perhaps Purdue has put that in the rearview.
Thanks to Smith and new star big man Trey Kaufman-Renn, the Boilermakers have taken care of their early business, with a 12-point win over 13-seed High Point and a 14-point win against 12-seed McNeese. While Purdue did luck into that second matchup thanks to a first-round upset, they showed themselves as the stronger team and left no doubts, with Kaufman-Renn in particular shining against the smaller Cowboys in the second round.
Getting back to this stage was almost expect for the Boilermakers but this is where the real work begins. They’ve shown their potential this season and have the playmakers to win big games in March, it’s all about if Smith and the others can make their shots in these high-profile matchups. Whether or not the road ends here, Purdue has certainly shown that this program is very alive in the post-Edey era.