Purdue begins another NCAA tourney atop the Midwest Region after losing to a 16-seed a year ago
Purdue is seeded first in the Midwest Region for the NCAA Tournament as it tries to make amends for becoming only the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed a year ago
Purdue coach Matt Painter, reigning AP player of the year Zach Edey and the rest of the Boilermakers have had to carry with them all season the stink of becoming the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
They can truly put that loss to Fairleigh Dickinson behind them when they play Montana State or Grambling State on Friday in Indianapolis.
The Boilermakers once again earned a No. 1 seed on Sunday, one day after losing to Wisconsin in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament, and will begin their trek toward their first Final Four appearance since 1980 in nearby Indianapolis.
It could include a matchup with fourth-seeded Kansas or No. 5 seed Gonzaga, two teams accustomed to much better seeds this time of year, just to reach the Sweet 16. And to reach the Final Four, the road could go through second-seeded Tennessee or No. 3 seed Creighton, who are both coming off disappointing appearances in their conference tournaments.
