Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s
The Cinderella slipper has fit the Peacocks with ease so far, but their work only gets harder from here. Their rotation is deep but undersized, which could be a massive problem (no pun intended) against a Boilermakers bunch that has 7’4″ Zach Edey and 6’10” Trevion Williams in the frontcourt.
If Saint Peter’s somehow manages that size disadvantage, it still needs to contend with likely NBA draft lottery pick Jaden Ivey. Purdue’s explosive point guard totaled 40 points and only 20 field-goal attempts in his first two outings of the tournament.
No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 4 Providence
It’s the best of the Big 12 against the best of the Big East here, although the Friars need to play up a weight class or two. The stat sheet says the gap between these clubs might be even wider than the seed lines suggest. KenPom.com ranks Kansas fifth overall and Providence 32nd, while giving the Jayhawks big advantages in adjusted efficiency on offense (sixth to 31st) and defense (28th to 57th).
Providence needs to get rolling early—as it did against Richmond, earning a 39-24 halftime advantage—because it won’t want to play an uphill game against Kansas. The Jayhawks have gotten a great tournament out of Arizona State transfer Remy Martin (35 points, eight assists and a single turnover) and could really be in business if Big 12 Player of the Year Ochai Agbaji gets on track after consecutive 5-of-14 shooting performances.
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 8 North Carolina
The blue bloods are playing their best basketball at the right time. UCLA enters this contest having won seven of its last eight games, while North Carolina does one better at 8-1 over its last nine.
The Bruins survived a scare from 13th-seeded Akron before thumping fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s by 16 points. The defense is clicking, and the offense is hard to handle when Jonny Juzang and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are making shots. The Tar Heels, meanwhile, thumped ninth-seeded Marquette by 32 points before ousting defending champion Baylor in overtime. Senior forward Brady Manek is as hot as anyone, totaling 54 points and 14 threes in 61 minutes so far.
No. 10 Miami vs. No. 11 Iowa State
This might be the night’s most intriguing matchup from a stylistic standpoint. It’s a classic something’s-gotta-give game, as the Hurricanes are explosive on offense (18th in adjusted efficiency) and generous on defense (121st), while the Cyclones are the opposite (160th on offense, fifth on defense), per KenPom.
Between floor general Charlie Moore (31 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds) and scoring guard Isaiah Wong (43 points on 50 percent shooting), Miami’s offense has been grooving in this tournament. But Iowa State’s defense has been equally impressive (holding third-seeded Wisconsin to 49 points on 29.8 percent shooting), and it can make things interesting if Izaiah Brockington, Tyrese Hunter and Gabe Kalscheur make shots.
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