Portland, OR (My Sportsbook) - Second-round action in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament will take place this evening, when the fourth-seeded Washington Huskies battle the fifth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon.
The Boilermakers got all they could handle from Northern Iowa in the first round, but Purdue was able to move on with a 61-56 victory over the Panthers. It was the fourth straight win for Purdue, which is now an impressive 26-9 on the year. It was the 30th victory in this event for the Boilermakers, who have lost in the second round of the tournament over the past two campaigns.
As for the Huskies, they opened tournament play with a solid 71-58 victory over Mississippi State. It was the seventh win in the last eight games for Washington, which is now a solid 26-8 on the year. Washington, which is the highest-seeded team from the Pac-10, is now 15-14 overall in this event.
This is the fifth meeting between the two schools on the hardwood, but the first matchup between Purdue and Washington since 1967. The Boilermakers have won three of the four contests, including the last showdown over 40 years ago (84-77). The winner here will move into the Sweet 16 against either Connecticut or Texas A&M.
The Boilermakers put forth a Big Ten style defensive effort in their first- round win over Northern Iowa, as Purdue held the Panthers to just 56 points on a 37.0 percent shooting effort. At the other end of the court, the Boilermakers relied on E'Twaun Moore, who scored 17 points. JaJuan Johnson added 14 points, while Robbie Hummel posted nine points, to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds. Moore has been the most consistent scoring threat for Purdue, as the forward is pacing the team with 14.0 ppg, while also dishing out 105 assists. Johnson is averaging 13.2 ppg and 5.6 rpg, while Hummel is posting 12.5 ppg, to go along with a team-best 7.0 rpg. The team's play offensively has been mediocre at best, but it has been the efforts of Purdue at the defensive end of the court that has propelled the Boilermakers to this level. Opponents are averaging just 59.0 ppg against Purdue, while the Boilermakers are limiting those teams to a meager 38.8 percent shooting effort. The team is also forcing 15.0 turnovers per contest, and has collected 254 steals up to this point.
Teams from the Big Ten are known for their defensive play, while the Pac-10 schools are more offensive minded. One of those teams that can score in bunches is Washington, which enters this second-round tilt with four players averaging double figures. Isaiah Thomas is the clear leader in the backcourt for Washington, as the guard is pacing the team with 15.2 ppg and 2.6 assists per outing. Making his presence felt in the paint has been Jon Brockman, who is averaging a double-double with 14.7 ppg and 11.3 rpg. Justin Dentmon is also contributing 14.7 ppg, thanks to a solid 41.6 percent showing from long range, while Quincy Pondexter is chipping in 11.8 ppg, and 5.8 rebounds per matchup. As a whole, the Huskies charge into this matchup with Purdue averaging a very strong 78.7 ppg, behind a 45.9 percent shooting effort. Washington did not put forth its best performance in the first round, but the team did just enough to get past the Bulldogs by a 13-point margin. The Huskies shot a mediocre 43.5 percent from the field and leaned on Pondexter, who led the way with 23 points and also pulled down eight rebounds. Brockman added a double-double of 14 points and 10 boards, while Thomas finished with nine points and five assists.
