Here's a thumbnail look at Purdue's Sweet 16 opponent St. Peter's and possible Elite Eight opponents UCLA and North Carolina.
Sweet 16 opponent: No. 15-seed Saint Peter's Peacocks; 21-11 (14-6 MAAC)
How Saint Peter's earned a spot in the Sweet 16:
As the 15-seed in the East Region, Saint Peter's pulled off one of the most significant upsets in NCAA Tournament history when they defeated Kentucky 85-79 in overtime on Thursday. The Peacocks shot better than 50 percent from the field as a whole and three-point range in the upset victory. Daryl Banks III's 27 points and Doug Edert's 20 points led the way for St. Peter's. Meanwhile, the Wildcats shot just 4-for-15 from behind the arc and couldn't capitalize on Oscar Tshiebwe's 30 points, 16 rebound effort.
In the round of 32, Saint Peter's handed Murray State just their third loss of the season to advance to the Sweet 16. The 70-60 win snapped Murray State's 21-game win streak and allowed Saint Peter's to become the first MAAC team to advance to the tournament's second weekend. The Peacocks held Murray State to 34 percent from the floor and rode double-digit scoring efforts from Edert and K.C. Nfedo.
Common Opponents: Saint Peter's and Purdue did not share any common opponents during the regular season. The closest they came was Providence, who Purdue played in an unofficial scrimmage in October. The Friars took down St. Peter's 85-71 in late November. St. Peter's is 1-2 against power conference teams, defeating Kentucky and falling to Providence and Saint John's.
The story of the Peacocks' season:
Fourth-year coach Shaheen Holloway helped his team earn their fourth-ever NCAA Tournament bid after a 16-11 regular season. The Peacocks played several close games throughout the season, including a three-point loss to VCU in their season opener. Heading into the Sweet 16, Saint Peter's is on a nine-game win streak, including their five postseason victories.
Saint Peters won the MAAC Tournament to earn the automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They entered as the number two seed from the league and defeated the seventh, eleventh, and fourth seeds to cut down the nets.
Banks III leads the team in scoring with 11.4 points per game, though it's a balanced effort for the team. Ndefo and Edert are right behind him and several other players who chip in here and there. Though they aren't a high-volume team from deep, the Peacocks shoot a respectable 35.5 percent from outside.
Series/NCAA History: Purdue defeated Saint Peter's 65-43 in the Round of 64 in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. The third-seeded Boilers were led by JaJuan Johnson and E'Twaun Moore, who each scored double figures in the victory. Purdue is 13-0 all-time vs. members of the MAAC.
More Links on the Peacocks:
Purdue-Saint Peters 2011
Possible Elite Eight Opponent: No. 4-seed UCLA; 27-7 (15-5 PAC 12)
How UCLA earned a spot in the Sweet 16:
UCLA needed a closer-than-expected win over Akron to get through their first-round matchup on Thursday as they survived 57-53. Point guard Tyger Campbell led the Bruins with 16 points and five assists, while forward Jaime Jaquez pitched in 15 and nine rebounds. In their first tournament game, UCLA struggled shooting, going just 35 percent from the field. However, they held Akron to 4-for-17 from three-point range and only allowed the Zips to shoot eight free throws.
In an all-California second-round matchup, UCLA ran away with it late to cruise past St. Mary's 72-56. Campbell and Jaquez again led the way, though Jaquez suffered an ankle injury towards the end of the game. His status for the North Carolina game remains in question. Johnny Juzang and Jules Bernard helped the Bruins, as well, with 14 points apiece. UCLA was able to shoot 56 percent from the field and go 16-for-19 from the free throw line to put the game to rest.
Common Opponents: UCLA and Purdue each took on Villanova in November. The weekend before the tournament in Connecticut, where they fell to Purdue, Villanova fell on the road at UCLA 86-77. UCLA defeated Bellarmine, who Purdue took down 96-67 in the season opener, 75-62 in Las Vegas. In December, UCLA was set to square off with North Carolina, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19. Should UCLA advance to the Elite Eight to potentially square off with Purdue, they'll have joined Purdue in defeating the Tar Heels.
The story of the Bruins season: UCLA entered the season with as much hype as anyone, earning the number two ranking in the preseason AP Poll. The Bruins went on a stunning run from the First Four to the Final Four in last season's NCAA Tournament, earning them serious praise.
Juzang leads the Bruins with 15.7 points per game. He began his career at Kentucky before transferring to UCLA, where he's developed into one of the nation's better players. They're a veteran group, relying on plenty of upperclassmen in juniors Juzang, Jaquez and Campbell and seniors Bernard, Cody Riley and Rutgers transfer Myles Johnson.
They shoot a respectable 45 percent from the field and 35 percent from three-point range. According to Ken Pomeroy, both sides of the ball are a strength for the Bruins, who are inside the top 15 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. While the surprise breakthrough of Arizona held the Bruins back from winning the PAC 12 regular season or tournament, they have been a contender all season long.
Series/NCAA History: There have been plenty of history between Purdue and UCLA for teams that aren't geographically close. Most notably, the John Wooden connection has linked the two schools for a long time. Purdue is 3-10 all-time against the Bruins, though the last Boilermaker victory came in 1959. There have been several notable matchups in the series between the two. Purdue fell to UCLA 73-71 in Mackey Arena's first game back in December 1967. Twice, Purdue has lost to UCLA in the NCAA Tournament. Purdue dropped the national championship game 92-72 to UCLA in 1969, while the Bruins sent Purdue home from the 1980 Final Four in a 67-62 decision. The two programs last met in December of 2000.
More Links on the Bruins:
Possible Elite Eight Opponent: No. 8-seed North Carolina; 26-9 (15-5 ACC)
How North Carolina earned a spot in the Sweet 16:
While matchups between eight and nine seeds can be unpredictable at times, North Carolina dominated Marquette from the opening tip to cruise to a 95-63 win. Forward Brady Manek turned in a tremendous performance, scoring 28 points and recording 11 rebounds, while guard Caleb Love added 23 points. North Carolina knocked down 13 threes as a team and held Marquette to just 35 percent shooting from the field.
The possible "game of the tournament" may have been UNC's wild win over Baylor in the round of 32. In the second half, the Tar Heels led by 25 before Baylor came roaring back to force overtime, where North Carolina ultimately prevailed.
Common Opponents: North Carolina and Purdue met themselves earlier this season, a 93-84 Purdue victory in the Hall of Fame Tipoff on November 20. Besides that matchup, the Tar Heels took down Michigan 72-51 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in their only other Big Ten game of the season. North Carolina swept their two meetings with in-state rival North Carolina State, who Purdue snuck past in overtime in December. Like Purdue, UNC rolled past Florida State in a 94-74 decision.
The story of the Tar Heels season: Coach Hubert Davis' first season replacing the legendary Roy Williams has been a bit up-and-down, but being in the Sweet 16 is as much as Tar Heel fans could have hoped for. All but one of their losses came against NCAA Tournament teams, and they've played their best basketball of late.
Before the NCAA Tournament, Carolina took down Duke in Mike Krzyzewski's final game in Cameron Indoor Stadium, entering the postseason on a solid note. North Carolina finished tied for second in the ACC with Notre Dame, ending a game behind Duke.
Interestingly enough, Dawson Garcia, who led the Tar Heels in scoring vs. Purdue, is no longer with the team due to personal reasons. His work has gone to Manek, who has been fantastic for them of late, particularly in the NCAA Tournament. Center Armando Bacot finished second in ACC Player of the Year voting, averaging 16.4 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore point guard Caleb Love, a highly-recruited but highly-scrutinized player, has come on of late, scoring 15 points per game and shooting nearly 40 percent from three. This is a much different and improved North Carolina team compared to the one Purdue squared off with in Connecticut back in November.
In Ken Pomeroy's adjusted offensive efficiency, North Carolina rates well, number 20, but they aren't great on defense, checking it at number 45 on the defensive side. They play at one of the fastest tempos of teams, remaining in the Big Dance.
Series/NCAA History: Purdue currently sits at 3-8 all-time against the Tar Heels, counting the win from back in November. Purdue won the first two matchups before dropping the next eight but got back in the win column in 2021. A potential matchup with North Carolina would be the third postseason meeting between the two programs. Purdue defeated North Carolina 92-65 in 1969 Final Four, but the Tar Heels were victorious over Purdue in the 1974 NIT and the 1977 NCAA Tournament.
More Links on the Tar Heels:
Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?
Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube
More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2022. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.
