Purdue out of the Big Ten will take on West Virginia out of the Big 12 in the nightcap of the First Round. Purdue is 3-0 to start the season and ranked 24th as they adjust to a new roster after a number of departures in the offseason. West Virginia has started the season red-hot at 4-0 but are still out of the top-25 entering this tournament. Game time for this Power-Five inter-conference matchup is scheduled for 11:00pm EST.
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After a 29-win season in 2021-22 and a run to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament, the Purdue Boilermakers are by no means satisfied. Purdue had one of their best team in decades but failed to win the Big Ten tournament and then were bounced in the Sweet 16 by heavy underdog, Saint Peter's. Now, with three starters gone from that time, Purdue head coach looks to continue a push towards meeting those lofty goals this season.
“It was a very good season; with that, it was disappointing also,” Painter told . “We get third in the Big Ten. We get runner-up in the Big Ten tournament. We get to the Sweet 16. Ultimately, there’s a lot of positives there, but that wasn’t our goals.”
On Tuesday, Purdue was able to improve to 3-0 on the season with a 75-70 win over Marquette in a matchup at home. It was the team's 17th straight win at home against a non-con ference team. They have also won 10 straight games in the month of November, last losing in 2020. Big man Zach Edey led the way with his third straight double-double, scoring 20 points to go along with 13 rebounds in the win. Freshman Braden Smith chipped in with 20 points, three assists and two rebounds. Purdue committed just six turnovers overall in the win.
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Purdue enters the AP Top 25 for the first time this season.
?: 8th straight year with a Top-25 appearance, longest streak in Purdue history. pic.twitter.com/ZE93zy25yO
— Purdue Men's Basketball (@BoilerBall) November 21, 2022
The Boilermakers have played all of their games at home thus far and own a +18.3 point differential in their three wins. They are shooting 44% from the field but just 29% from long range. They have been active on the glass with a +11.3 advantage on the glass. The Boilermakers have a +1.7 turnover differential, which will be critical against the aggressive Mountaineers' defense. Defensively, they have smothered the opposition, holding them to 35% shooting overall and 23% from long range.