The No. 4 seed in the Midwest Region Purdue Boilermakers(23-11) are gearing up to face No.11 seed McNeese Cowboys(28-6) in the 2nd Round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. This game will take place Saturday afternoon in Providence, Rhode Island.
There are a few stories that make the Cowboys an interesting team heading into this matchup. Student manager Amir “Aura” Khan has become an internet darling. He was interviewed in the locker room following the team punching their ticket to “The Big Dance” and secured an NIL deal to capitalize on his newfound fame. Head Coach Will Wade has reportedly been hired as the next coach of NC State. He will officially take the job once McNeese’s tournament run concludes. Will these stories lead to McNeese upsetting Purdue on Saturday?
Purdue Plays a Solid Game To Advance
The Boilermakers were locked in a tight game with High Point until Purdue pulled away late to take a 10-point lead into halftime. High Point fought valiantly in the second half, but the Boilermakers proved too much for their opponent.
Purdue’s offense was powered by their two best players. A team’s best players performing in the NCAA Tournament is crucial to success. Forward Trey Kaufman-Renn is a great player. He played like it against High Point. He finished with 21 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Guard Braden Smith played all 40 minutes. He struggled shooting from the floor shooting 6-of-19. Smith is in a bit of a shooting slump. He must play better for the Boilermakers to go on a deep tournament run.
McNeese Escapes To Make 2nd Round
The Cowboys defeated the Clemson Tigers 69-67 to advance in the tournament. McNeese was outscored by 16 points in the second half nearly blowing a big lead. The issue for the team was their defense in the second half. They let up a whopping 54 points to the Tigers. McNeese must improve their defense to compete with Purdue.
Guard Brandon Murray scored a season-high 21 points to help propel McNeese to victory. Overall, the Cowboys struggled on offense. They shot 36.8% from the field and 30% from three-point range. They must improve a defense that struggled in the second half and an offense that struggled on Thursday.
Final Thoughts
Both teams have areas to improve on before facing off on Saturday. Purdue is a slight favorite in a game that is expected to be a high-scoring affair. The Boilermakers need to come out of the gates better than they did Thursday. McNeese must be better on offense and defense to pull off the upset. McNeese is on a Cinderella-type trajectory. Do not be surprised if they send Purdue home on Saturday afternoon.
