PHILADELPHIA — As Purdue braces for its Sweet 16 meeting with Saint Peter's on Friday, the Boilermakers and Peacocks met with the media on Thursday to discuss the game and more.
A few notes from Philly and more ...
JADEN IVEY ON CARSEN EDWARDS
It was just a few years ago that Purdue's surprising run to within a fraction of a second of the Final Four was driven by Carsen Edwards' surreal NCAA Tournament surge.
As Purdue hopes to cross that line this season that it couldn't quite get over then, its current star guard has been communicating with Its past star guard.
"I really started to build kind of a relationship with Carsen over the past year," Purdue's Jaden Ivey said. "He wished me good luck the first round. I really got to know him, and obviously seeing him play, he's one of the reasons why I came to Purdue, just seeing how he helped his team win and led them. I really looked at that, and it played into my decision on coming here."
Edwards is currently playing for the Salt Lake Stars of the NBA's G-League.
CALEB FURST'S BIG SHOT
Just moments after Texas fully overcame a 14-point first-half deficit to lead Purdue in the second half Sunday night, it wasn't All-American Jaden Ivey or star centers Zach Edey or Trevion Williams, or even one of Purdue's seniors, who punched back.
It was Caleb Furst, the Boilermaker freshman reserve who made a shot against the Longhorns that he never even really took prior to his college career. His catch-and-shoot three-pointer with just under 13-and-a-half minutes left took Purdue from a point down to two up and the Boilermakers never trailed again.
