Purdue advanced to the Sweet Sixteen on Sunday with a resounding 106-67 win over Utah State.
The Boilermakers appear poised for a deep run after years of frustrating NCAA Tournament losses — most notably losing to No. 16 seed Farleigh Dickinson in 2023 and No. 15-seed Saint Peter’s in 2022.
Related: If Wisconsin decides to move on from Greg Gard, who could it target as its next head coach?
The discussion surrounding star center Zach Edey will be a story for as long as Purdue continues to win. Wisconsin fans know the story well, and voiced their displeasure with the whistle he received in the Badgers’ overtime win in the Big Ten Tournament.
Purdue head coach Matt Painter goes to great lengths to defend his star. Last week he questionably took a shot at Wisconsin’s defensive tactics. This week, he called out the ‘moronic’ online opinions about how Edey is officiated:
"… Even people that cover the game say [Zach Edey] is just tall. What would you say to the people that say that, that are only looking at the size…?"
Purdue HC Matt Painter: "They just shouldn't cover basketball." 🏀🔥 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/xRtGIcp8s1
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 24, 2024
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