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#2 Purdue vs. #15 Queens
It’s here. After a full day of
dancing, Purdue and Queens will square off on Friday night in St. Louis, Missouri.
#2 seed Purdue is eyeing its second Final Four in three seasons, a Final Four that happens to take place just an hour south of Purdue’s campus in Indianapolis.
Queens is trying to make history as the next great Cinderella story.
Purdue brings experience with four seniors starting, and Queens has six double-digit scorers.
Let’s take a look at what both teams had to say during media on Thursday.
Not just a mascot
If you’ve paid any attention to Queens, you’ve noticed that Queens has a bit of a mascot schtick. But it’s more than just a stuff dog for Queens. It’s a team identity.
Naturally the unusual dog statue has caused something of a stir and talking point with the media, but the dog holds a purpose.
Nasir Mann had this to say when asked about it,“I wouldn’t say he is more of our mascot, but more of an identity. We try to go out and play each game very hard and whoever we feel like was the hardest playing player, not necessarily the one who scores all of the points but the one who does the dirty work to get the win, usually gets the dog. That’s how we like to portray it.”
Queens will need that tenacity to go up against the high-powered Purdue offense. Purdue has the best offense in the country and Queens has relied on outscoring teams for most the season.
For a deeper look into check out our two previews: Drew’s numbers breakdown and my Early Look at Queens
Can Defensive momentum continue?
Matt Painter wasn’t happy with his team going into the Big Ten Tournament. It had to be better, particularly on the defensive end. It proved it could in the four wins in four days in the conference tournament. It will need to keep that focus and effort up against Queens in its first round matchup.
“They are a skilled team,” Painter said of Queens. “They have a couple of guys that can really shoot it. They have a lot of guys that can break you down and make plays. They are a smaller team than we are used to in the Big Ten. But they are a quality team. Their big guys can rip and go. They have size that can shoot threes. They have athleticism, they have play Americas. They have proven throughout the year they can score the basketball.”
Keeping Queens out of the paint and its guards off rhythm will be key to let Purdue’s offense and size down low to overwhelm Queens.
Legacy and composure
Braden Smith said he’s not thinking about the record, but his teammates are all very aware of what’s going to be accomplished on Friday night. After a storied four year career, Smith will leave college basketball with the most assists of any player in the history of the sport. Kaufman-Renn called him the best passer in college basketball history. Others struggled to make sense of the achievement and brilliance they’ve beena ble to witness playing with Smith.
It shouldn’t take long. Smith needs just one assist to tie the record and one more to break Bobby Hurley’s all-time mark.
Can Purdue handle the emotional swell and fallout in the game after it happens? Against Wisconsin when Smith broke the Big Ten assists record, Purdue kind of lost its head for the ensuing few minutes after the record breaking assist. In March, Purdue can’t afford to take its foot off the gas or lose their heads in the clouds.
Purdue’s seniors have been here before, a lot, and the class has just one thing it hasn’t accomplished. That’s the ultimate goal. The first step starts on Friday.
