DETROIT — The Purdue Boilermakers are preparing for a big game Friday against Gonzaga.
It's the kind of matchup that makes March Madness great.
Each time you advance in the tournament, the level of excitement, energy, passion, focus and, of course, pressure intensifies.
That's certainly the case for the Boilers as they get set for their Sweet 16 matchup against the Bulldogs, who have become a perennial power.
Purdue hit the practice floor Thursday in Detroit, eyeing their second Elite Eight appearance in the last five NCAA tournaments.
Hearing from Matt Painter and speaking with many of the Purdue players, that focus we kept referencing last weekend is, without a doubt, still here.
With each round, everything gets more intense, but these guys are staying the course and just focusing on their game, nothing else.
"Yeah, I definitely think the focus intensifies, from the coaches on down," said senior guard Lance Jones. "Coach Painter's on edge, you know, we're on edge, but I think being on edge is a good thing at this point in the season because it just keeps us focused and locked in."
"Our goal is a national championship," said senior forward Mason Gillis. "And so we keep that good pressure on ourselves. Yes, the media talks one way or another, but we know what we want. That's the biggest thing. We don't have a divided locked room, we don't have a confused locker room. Everybody's going for one goal and everybody understands that one goal."
Zach Edey said he doesn't believe in pressure. He said it's just basketball.
BOTTOM LINE
No. 3 Purdue and No. 18 Gonzaga meet in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
The Boilermakers are 18-4 against Big Ten opponents and 13-0 in non-conference play. Purdue has a 27-4 record against teams over .500.
The Bulldogs' record in WCC play is 15-3. Gonzaga leads college basketball in inside scoring, averaging 42.8 points per game in the paint this season. Graham Ike leads them with 10.8 points per game in the paint.
Purdue's average of 8.4 made 3-pointers per game this season is only 0.8 more made shots on average than the 7.6 per game Gonzaga gives up. Gonzaga averages 7.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.2 fewer makes per game than Purdue allows.
TOP PERFORMERS
Braden Smith is averaging 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists and 1.6 steals for the Boilermakers. Zach Edey is averaging 27.7 points over the last 10 games.
Nolan Hickman is shooting 41.8% from beyond the arc with 2.2 made 3-pointers per game for the Bulldogs, while averaging 13.9 points. Ike is shooting 63.0% and averaging 19.1 points over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES
Boilermakers: 8-2, averaging 81.0 points, 39.5 rebounds, 19.8 assists, 5.1 steals and 3.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.7 points per game.
Bulldogs: 9-1, averaging 85.3 points, 35.1 rebounds, 18.7 assists, 5.4 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 55.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.0 points.