No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Purdue Team Prediction, Game Preview


Kansas vs. Purdue prediction and game preview, as the No. 1 Jayhawks and No. 4 Boilermakers face off in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.


Matt Painter’s fourth-seeded Purdue squad escaped with a wild 80-76 win over Iowa State on Saturday night in Milwaukee. Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan had 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to help the Boilermakers reach the Sweet Sixteen for the first time in seven years. Purdue actually held a 19-point lead in the second half, but the Cyclones stormed back to take their first lead of the game with 3:11 left. However, a P.J. Thompson 3-pointer and the play of Swanigan late made the difference for the Boilermakers, as the Big Ten landed another team in the Sweet Sixteen after a bit of an up and down regular season for the league.

As for the Jayhawks, after being handed a No. 1 seed in the tournament, they were paired up with No. 16-seeded UC Davis. Kansas walked away with a 100-62 blowout victory. Then, in the second round, Bill Self’s squad was met by No. 9 Michigan State. However, the Spartans were unable to pull off the upset. The Jayhawks came away with a 90-70 win to move on to the Sweet 16.

Kansas vs. Purdue Game Preview

Date: March 23, 2017
Venue: Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Region: Midwest

Kansas Wins If …

If the Jayhawks continue to get to the line and convert. They were 14-of-15 from the free throw line against Michigan State while still holding the Spartans to 12-of-17 from the charity stripe. However, Kansas has to shoot a little better from beyond the arc. It sank 8-of-20 from behind the three-point line. Frank Mason III didn’t hit a single one of his four shots from long range.

If Landen Lucas keeps crashing the glass, though, the Jayhawks will be in great shape. He pulled down 11 of the team’s 36 rebounds against the Spartans, and he’ll be a key player in shutting down the paint versus Purdue.

Purdue Wins If …

It can continue to ride the strong play of Swanigan, who was made to be an NCAA Tournament star. Iowa State’s Deonte Burton certainly was a load for Swanigan to handle, and the Big Ten Player of the Year missed eight shots in the second half, but he had a key offensive rebound in the final seconds that helped the Boilermakers hold on. He is a premier big man and, along with 6-foot-8 junior forward Vince Edwards, provides a lethal interior presence.

Painter’s bench outscored Iowa State’s second unit, 23-5, behind the play of Isaac Haas. He finished with 14 points, and the 7-foot-2 junior center is just another interior presence for a Boilermakers squad that also needs sound play from guards Carsen Edwards and Dakota Mathias.

Kansas vs. Purdue Prediction

This one will end up going Rock Chalk’s way. Lucas will lead Kansas in rebounds once again, and Mason will warm up from three. With some clutch buckets from him and Devonte’ Graham, the Jayhawks will continue to get to the foul line and tack on free points. Purdue will be unable to match Kansas’ scoring output, and Self will coach his team to another Sweet 16 appearance.

Kansas vs. Purdue Score Prediction: Kansas 88, Purdue 75

MORE: Complete NCAA Tournament Bracket, Previews, Predictions