For 365 days, Purdue basketball has had a black cloud hanging over its head.
Last March, the Tobin Anderson-led 16-seed Fairleigh Dickinson University upset 1-seed Purdue basketball, only the second time that upset has happened in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach Matt Painter sat under the bright lights postgame, being watched by seemingly the entire college basketball world.
“Obviously it hurts, it hurts bad,” said Painter. “They played better than we did, they coached better than we did… we gotta come back stronger.”
Fast-forward 12 months. The Boilermakers are in the midst of a 33-4 season. Zach Edey has secured his second-straight AP Player of the Year award, the first repeat winner since Ralph Sampson in the early 80s. Purdue is in the Final Four, looking to complete the redemption tour.
Edey has been tremendous once again, as if the award didn’t give that away. He has started every single game of the season, averaging 25.0 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 2.2 BPG, and shooting 62.4% from the field. He is truly a force of nature.
Complimenting Edey is sophomore guard Braden Smith, who leads the nation in assists (7.5 per game). Aside from his elite distribution, he also shoots 43.9% from three-point range to help spread the floor for Edey to work.
This is an experienced Purdue basketball squad. 13 Boilermakers returned this season, meaning they have all experienced what it’s like to lose a 16-over-1 March Madness upset. Those 13 players proceeded to take out their frustration on the rest of the nation, outscoring opponents by over 14 PPG.
The Boilermakers are looking to redeem themselves, but they face an NC State squad looking to prove themselves. The Wolfpack has won nine-straight games, including a five-games-in-five-days stretch to win the ACC Tournament.
It’s “Why Not Us?” vs. “Never Us Again.” An unstoppable force vs. an immovable object. This one should be fun.