Saint Peter's basketball: What to know about Purdue, the Peacocks' Sweet 16 opponent
Saint Peter’s is cruising into uncharted waters.
Having captivated the nation with their grit and determination in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, the 15th-seeded Peacocks are the third team seeded that high to reach the Sweet 16, carrying the weight of underdogs everywhere.
But if they want to become the first to reach the Elite Eight, they’ll have to take care of a rugged Big Ten opponent in Purdue on Friday (7:09 p.m.) in Philadelphia.
The third-seeded Boilermakers (29-7) advanced Sunday night with a 81-71 win over Texas.
While it’s a daunting task, Saint Peter’s (21-11) has already dispatched second-seeded Kentucky, 85-79, in the opening round, following that up with a 70-60 win over No. 7 Murray State Saturday in Indianapolis.
At this point, you can’t put anything past the upstarts from Jersey City.
Having won nine straight, they’re as hot as anyone in the field, with head coach Shaheen Holloway’s squad exhibiting poise and confidence on the grand March Madness stage.
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Purdue is a Big Ten team area fans are very familiar with. It was Ron Harper’s desperation buzzer-beater that beat the Boilermakers at Jersey Mike’s Arena when they were No. 1 in the country in December.
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After being upset in the first round a year ago as the fourth seed, the third-seeded Boilermakers opened the tournament with an easy win over Yale.
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The Boilermakers are solid at both ends of the court, averaging 79.7 points-per-game, 11.3 points more than they give up on average.
Here are three things to know about Purdue:
1. Big frontcourt
The Peacocks struggled with Kentucky big man Oscar Tshiebwe in the opener, as the National Player of the Year candidate scored 30 points and grabbed 16 rebounds. But they did a much better job against Murray State’s 6-10 KJ Williams, limiting him to 12 points and three rebounds.
Up next is Purdue sophomore Zach Edey, who, at 7-4, 295, is averaging 14.6 points, shooting 65 percent from the floor, while grabbing 7.8 rebound. He’s part of a formidable frontcourt with forward 6-10 forward Trevion Williams averaging 11.6 points and 7.4 rebounds off the bench. Williams finished with 22 points against Texas.
The Peacocks play great team defense, and Edey can expect to be double teamed when he gets the ball in the paint.
2. Superstar guard
Saint Peter’s will have its hands full with 6-4 sophomore guard Jaden Ivey, one of the most dynamic players in the country. A first team All-Big Ten selection and second team All-American this season, Ivey was selected to the All-Big Ten Tournament team as well. Ivey is averaging 17.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and three assists. He opened the tournament with a 22-point performance against Yale.
Look for 6-4 junior guard Daryl Banks III to get the assignment on Ivey.
3. Coaching challenge
Purdue head coach Matt Painter, in his 17th season with the Boilermakers, has a reputation as a very good tactician. Painter has a career record of 409-196, and is 16-13 in the NCAA Tournament, having reached the Sweet 16 four times, and the Elite Eight once.
But Holloway, in his fourth season, has been on quite a run, outcoaching Kentucky’s John Calipari with a zone defense and other moves that kept the Peacocks a step ahead of the second-seeded Wildcats. And against Murray State, the Peacocks led every step of the way, repelling continued challenges as Racers’ coach Matt McMahon tried everything to change the course of the game.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Saint Peter's NJ basketball: What to know about Sweet 16 vs. Purdue
