Purdue vs. McNeese March Madness Preview and Prediction
In the No. 4 vs. No. 12 matchup in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Region, the Purdue Boilermakers face the McNeese Cowboys in second-round action.
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How to Watch Purdue vs. McNeese
When: 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 22nd
Where: Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island
Watch: CBS
Odds for Purdue vs. McNeese
(odds current at time of publish)
Spread: Purdue -6.5 (-110), McNeese State +6.5 (-110)
Total: Over 142.5 (-112), Under 142.5 (-108)
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Purdue vs. McNeese Preview & Prediction
One potential Cinderella and popular upset pick made it into the second round in the 4/5/12/13 pod of the Midwest Region. It is McNeese, who suffocated Clemson defensively in the first half and held on as a big second half lead started to slip away in the waning minutes of the game. Purdue, meanwhile, was locked in a good battle with High Point for most of the game, as their lead dropped all the way to three points with just under eight minutes left to play.
But, the Boilermakers avoided disaster and covered all numbers, as the Panthers certainly made them work for it. Purdue looked a lot different on offense this season without Zach Edey, as they settled for a lot of jump shots. Against High Point, though, they did get the ball inside frequently to Trey Kaufman-Renn, who led all scorers with 21. They may find heavier resistance on that front against McNeese, who opened +6.5 and gradually moved down to +6.
Purdue had 19 offensive rebounds, which really did make the difference in the game because they only shot 64% at the free throw line and were just 5-of-15 from 3. We’ll see what sorts of adjustments Matt Painter is able to make against a more physical opponent that has a good chance of faring better on the boards.
High Point was 13-of-25 on 2s against Purdue, an area of concern all season long for the reigning runner-up. This is a 2-point defense that ranked 344th in the nation entering the tournament. They made up for it with their efficient shooting and a good 3-point defense.
McNeese is clearly stepping up in class for the second straight game and probably going up another level. North Carolina rolled, but Clemson and Louisville both had ugly first-round exits and did not do the conference justice. With a much weaker slate of opponents, McNeese has some strong numbers, ranking in the top 100 in 2P%, 3P%, 2P% defense and 3P% defense. With 18 offensive rebounds and 13 takeaways against Clemson, the Cowboys need a similar recipe to pull a second straight upset.
Estimated Score: Purdue 74, McNeese 68
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