Purdue (27-5)
COACH: Matt Painter, five years at Purdue, four years in NCAA Tournament
HOW THEY GOT IN: At-large bid
MATCHUP BREAKDOWN: The NCAA Tournament committee bumped Purdue down to a No. 4 seed after watching the Boilers struggle to score since Robbie Hummel tore his ACL on Feb. 25. That dropped them into a spot where they don't want to be -- facing a veteran Siena team that knocked off higher-seeded teams in each of the last two NCAA Tournaments. If the Boilers don't want to be the third, then they're going to have to find someone (probably Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Chris Kramer) to slow down Siena senior PG Ronald Moore. He leads the country in assists and doesn't make many mistakes. Purdue also needs swift recoveries from guards E'Twaun Moore and Keaton Grant, who both finished the Big Ten tournament limping.
GO-TO GUYS: Junior G E'Twaun Moore (16.7 points per game) earned first-team All-Big Ten honors alongside injured teammate Robbie Hummel. Moore makes his share of 3-pointers (team-high 44), but he's more dangerous when he's driving to the hoop or posting up smaller defenders. Junior C JaJuan Johnson (14.9 points per game, 7.2 rpg, 2.0 bpg) was worthy of the first team, as he became even more of a threat from 18 feet this year. Senior G Keaton Grant (6.8 points per game) came alive late in the year, and he loves to take big shots late in games.
THEY'LL KEEP WINNING IF: There's no hangover from a shockingly implausible loss in the Big Ten tournament to Minnesota. The Gophers clearly haven't been the same without Hummel, and there's some concern that PG Lewis Jackson's foot was reinjured last week. They can recover if the officials allow them to play their trademark brand of defense. Senior G Chris Kramer, the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year, sets the tone for an aggressive man-to-man scheme that forces 16 turnovers per game and limits foes to 40.2-percent shooting. The Boilers also need a third scorer to step forward in Hummel's absence -- preferably someone like Grant who can stretch the defense and give Johnson and Moore room to maneuver around the lane.
STRENGTHS: There aren't many big men more skilled than Johnson, who feels just as comfortable facing the basket as he does posting up. The Boilers also have endless guards who keep the motion offense going and the defensive pressure constant. Those traits are reflected in Purdue's plus-4.9 turnover margin per game that ranks among the nation's top five. The Boilers shoot 73 percent at the line, which makes it tough for opponents to foul their way back into a game.
WEAKNESSES: Hummel's season-ending knee injury robbed Purdue of its best outside shooter, steadiest rebounder and headiest player. The Boilers had only three regular-season games to figure out ways to replace his 15.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, not to mention his ability to defend on the perimeter and in the post. Purdue merely broke even on the boards with Hummel, so rebounding could be an issue against bigger frontcourts.
