Purdue looks to reach consecutive Sweet 16s for the third time under Matt Painter. McNeese looks to reach its first Sweet 16 ever. Saturday’s second-round slate begins with a banger. It’s the Boilermakers, last year’s national runner-up, against the Cowboys, a program finally ascending after just three tourney berths in the previous five decades.
How to watch No. 4 Purdue vs. No. 12 McNeese
- What: Midwest Regional, second round
- Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion — Providence, R.I.
- Time: 12:10 p.m. ET, Saturday
- TV: CBS
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
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It wasn’t the cleanest win, but Purdue nevertheless handled business against High Point on Thursday. Junior bucket-getter Trey Kaufman-Renn had 21 points and snared four offensive rebounds against the overmatched Panthers frontcourt, while Big Ten player of the year Braden Smith scored 20 with six dimes in a full 40 minutes. He can be one of the nation’s most fun players to watch, a shifty and clever playmaker with real fearlessness in tight spots.
Purdue was 17th in regular-season offensive rating, but is only 238th on the other end. It led the conference in both 2- and 3-point percentage. The Boilermakers will tip off as the favorite over McNeese, who earned their dancing spot after winning the Southland Conference. The Cowboys are far from a March staple and understandably don’t have much national sway. That could all change with another major upset that launches a triumphant tournament run.
McNeese led Clemson by as many as 24 points on Thursday, ultimately surviving a comeback effort and emerging with a tense two-point W. Senior Brandon Murray hopped off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 21. The Cowboys showed heart in winning the turnover and rebounding margins against their power-conference opponent.
Junior guard Quadir Copeland gets to the foul line and racks up assists. Senior fixture Christian Shumate had a cool moment with Thursday’s exclamation-point dunk. McNeese is the clear underdog, but it has shown that it can hang with the rest of the field.
This matchup can also be streamed on the NCAA March Madness Live app and Paramount+.
Purdue vs. McNeese odds
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