Purdue basketball vs. NC State Final Four predictions: Is anyone picking Wolfpack?
The Purdue Boilermakers come into the Final Four as a No. 1 seed, and the North Carolina State Wolfpack are a No. 11 (albeit an unconventional one).
Purdue (33-4) has been considered a national contender all season and N.C. State (26-14) won nine straight elimination games after starting the ACC tournament as a No. 10 seed.
Can the Wolfpack continue their unlikely run or will the Boilermakers set the tone in the matchup between big men Zach Edey and DJ Burns?
Tale of the tape: Zach Edey vs. DJ Burns in Final Four matchup
Scouting report: Key storylines for Purdue vs. N.C. State
Here are national semifinal predictions.
All eight of CBS Sports' basketball pickers predict a Purdue win over NC State, with Jerry Palm and Gary Parrish the only two picking the Boilers to beat UConn in the national championship game.
Sam King, Journal & Courier: Purdue 85-71
The Boilermakers are on a mission.
The Wolfpack are on the improbable ride of their lives. Somehow, those unlikely NCAA Tournament upsets for the ages tend to happen at Purdue's expense.
Not this time.
ESPN: All Purdue
Joe Lunardi, 78-65
This should be a double-digit win for the Boilermakers. Even if you were to believe Edey and Burns are a wash (which they are not), Purdue is better at every other spot. This is also NC State's longest layoff for quite some time, leading us to wonder if the magic dust might be gone. The Wolfpack lost four straight and seven of nine at the end of the regular season for a reason. I'll be shocked if Purdue isn't playing Monday night.
John Gasaway, 77-70
No player at this Final Four claims a more impressive list of defensive victims than Burns. During NC State's miraculous run across both the ACC and NCAA tournaments, the senior has scored on a who's who of defenders from Duke (twice), Virginia, North Carolina, Texas Tech and Marquette. He'll get his points, but opponents doing so hasn't really been a worry for Edey and Purdue. The Boilermakers are as good as it gets when it comes to second chances. NC State's defensive rebounding has held up surprisingly well the past four games, but Edey is a different challenge.
Myron Medcalf, 80-71
I don't know if any team in the country has an answer for Edey. The bigger question: How many fouls does NC State have to give? Because the Wolfpack will foul Edey as they try to guard him. Burns could create problems for Edey with his passing and his ability to play in space -- although Tennessee committed 55 fouls against Purdue over two games this season. Early foul trouble is a greater focus for NC State than neutralizing the best player in America.
Jeff Borzell, 74-66
Burns will be a unique matchup for Edey, given his ability to pass out of double-teams and knock down face-up jumpers from the midrange or baseline areas. But I'm not sure defending the 7-foot-4 Edey with Burns and Mohamed Diarra, two 6-9 players who have dealt with foul trouble all tournament, is necessarily a solution. I'm not going to fully count out the Wolfpack, given the ride they've been on the past three weeks, but I think this game against Purdue is where it comes to an end for Kevin Keatts' crew.
Bleacher Report: Purdue 85-68
In all likelihood, though, this is where the incredible run ends for NC State, with DJ Burns Jr. unable to get anything going in the paint against Zach Edey, and with the Wolfpack's 3-point defense regressing to the mean against an excellent perimeter attack.
Rodd Baxley, Fayetteville Observer: Purdue 76-70
The Wolfpack has leaned into a prove-it mentality throughout the tournament, but so have the Boilermakers. After losing to a 16 seed last season, Purdue won’t be taking NC State lightly in Arizona. Zach Edey, the most dominant force in the sport, will be the difference.
Bill Bender, Sporting News: Purdue 80-72
The Boilermakers can play at their tempo, however, and Edey will be the focus in this game. Can the Wolfpack limit the fouls? Will the Boilermakers make those 3-point shots? NC State is 34.7% (26 of 75) from 3-point range, and they will have to be better than that.
Tony Garcia, Detroit Free Press: Purdue 79-69
It had been 44 years since Purdue punched its ticket to a Final Four, a streak busted Sunday afternoon in Detroit. Now, it tries to end a 55-year drought since it last played for a national title. NC State is on an absolutely incredible run. A team that would’ve missed the tournament, it became the first to win five games in five days in the ACC tournament to earn an automatic berth. Then, it upset 6-seed Texas Tech and outlasted red-hot 14-seed Oakland in overtime. The Wolfpack then easily beat 2-seed Marquette, before dispatching conference foe and in-state rival Duke to go to the Final Four. Its a memorable stretch, much like that of coach Jim Valvano’s 1983 national championship team, but it doesn’t end with the same Disney finish.
Jordan Mendoza, USA Today: Purdue wins but Burns bests Edey
No one has been able to stop Burns during this magical run to the Final Four. No matter who guards him, he hasn’t stopped wreaking havoc in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 18.3 points per game on 67.4% shooting. The matchup against Edey will be juicy, but this will be one of the rare occurrences when the Purdue star can’t overpower his counterpart. Burns will use his frame to bully and outscore Edey while creating issues for him on the other side of the ball, making it a frustrating night for Edey.
NC State doesn’t have answers for everything as it focuses on limiting Edey. The Boilermakers don’t let their star big man down and pick up the pieces in what will be a very competitive game. Purdue books its trip to the national championship game for the first time since 1969.
N.C. State vs. Purdue start time in Final Four
6:09 p.m. ET Saturday, April 6, 2024, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale Arizona.
What channel is Final Four on?
TV: TBS, with Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Grant Hill and Bill Raftery (analysis) and Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporting)
Streaming: SiriusXM Channel 84
Final Four betting odds
via BetMGM
Favorite: Purdue by 9.5 points
Over/under: 145.5 total points
Moneyline: Purdue -450, N.C. State +350
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Final Four predictions, picks: Purdue vs NC State national semifinal
