Anyone picking Wolfpack? Boilers favored
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?
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.
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 3point 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.