March Madness: Previewing Thursday’s Sweet 16 Matchups
Purdue (4) vs. Kansas (1)
If you haven't watched Purdue yet this year, you are going to love Caleb Swanigan. He plays so hard and is very exciting to watch. However, his work will be cut out for him as the Boilermakers take on top-seeded Kansas.
The Jayhawks are loaded with talent. Frank Mason may win the National Player of the Year, and Josh Jackson is projected to be a top pick in the draft this year.
One thing to keep track of is the glass. Purdue allows the ninth-fewest offensive rebounds in the country, giving up an offensive rebound on just 23.9% of missed shots. Landon Lucas, Kansas' starting big man, hauled in five offensive boards in the opening round and then another two in the second round. If Kansas can win the battle on the boards, it would help them neutralize one of Purdue's biggest strengths.
Below are three players to keep an eye on from each team.
| Player | Team | PPG | RPG | eFG% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frank Mason | Kansas | 20.8 | 4.1 | 0.568 |
| Josh Jackson | Kansas | 16.6 | 7.1 | 0.556 |
| Devonte' Graham | Kansas | 13.3 | 3.2 | 0.564 |
| Caleb Swanigan | Purdue | 18.5 | 12.6 | 0.570 |
| Vince Edwards | Purdue | 12.7 | 5.0 | 0.559 |
| Isaac Haas | Purdue | 12.6 | 5.1 | 0.588 |
Here is a quick breakdown of the team stats comparison.
| School | nERD | O Rtg | eFG% | Reb% | TOV% | D Rtg | Opp eFG% | Opp TOV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 Kansas | 18.86 | 115.3 | 0.563 | 53.1 | 15.3 | 99.5 | 0.477 | 16.0 |
| #4 Purdue | 16.75 | 113.1 | 0.558 | 55.1 | 16.0 | 95.3 | 0.471 | 14.8 |
