Purdue will have its hands full trying to stop historically prolific Arizona in the Elite Eight, but the Boilermakers can score with the best of them
Basketball fans cheer as the Arizona Wildcats head to the locker room after their 109-88 win against the Arkansas Razorbacks for their 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
, on Thursday, March 26, 2026. The Boilers aren’t bereft of size themselves — they feature 6-foot-11 big man Oscar Cluff, an Australian who was once a transfer from Cochise College in southern Arizona. But the Wildcats bring a different level of length to the floor. They start 7-foot-2 big Motiejus Krivas, 6-8 forward Koa Peat, 6-7 forward Ivan Karchekov, 6-4 guard Brayden Burries and 6-3 point Jaden Bradley. By Purdue’s standards, this iteration of the Boilermakers is undersized. Purdue is best known recently for raising 7-foot-4 big man Zach Edey, the linchpin of the Boilers’ run to the national championship game in 2024. Purdue center Zach Edey shoots over NC State forward Ben Middlebrooks during the second half of the NCAA college basketball game at the Final Four, Saturday, April 6, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. This Purdue team wins differently. The Boilermakers still have star guards Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer plus forward Trey Kaufman-Renn , all of whom played key roles in the national championship game run. Now, they’re the senior elder statesmen tasked with leading Purdue against the Arizona juggernaut that has evoked the supersized dominance of recent national champions Florida and UConn. “Obviously Zach was really good,” Loyer said. “We played around him and played through him a lot. But I think this team can play in a lot of different ways depending on what the other team throws at us, whether it’s pressuring defense or trapping defense. Whatever it is, we can score in a lot of different ways, and then also we’re really good on the glass as well.” Arizona is really good at seemingly everything. The Wildcats boat-raced Arkansas with a 109-point barrage Thursday night, shooting 63.8% from the field and getting whatever they wanted offensively. Arizona Wildcats' Jaden Bradley takes a shot against Arkansas Razorbacks' Trevon Brazile in the second half at the 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 26, 2026. Like Purdue historically, they sometimes score with shot charts some would consider ancient. They’re not overly fond of 3-pointers – they took just eight and made five in their win. But they sure are efficient. And physical. Purdue, once the paragon of positional size in college basketball, knows it will have its work cut out carving out space inside. “Just coming out, being physical, being ready for 40 minutes,” Cluff said of the keys of succeeding inside. “Not letting up. Not coming out with a soft mentality. Just being ready, being physical with them and just playing tough.” Cluff, who some fans in San Jose anointed “the big lumberjack” on Thursday night, will be the focal point of Purdue’s paint presence. But the Boilermakers take 3s too. Purdue Boilermakers' Oscar Cluff fights for the ball against Texas Longhorns' Camden Heide in the first half at the 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 26, 2026. They attempted 20 against Texas, making just four. But Loyer and Smith in particular are fearsome threats from outside. That duo helped carry Purdue to the national title game two years ago in a floor-spacing supplementary role around Edey. Nowadays, things have flipped.It works. Purdue leads the country in adjusted offensive efficiency, averaging 1.32 points per possession. Braden Smith #3 of the Purdue Boilermakers shoots a free throw against the Miami Hurricanes during the second half in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Enterprise Center on March 22, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. Kaufman-Renn, Loyer and Smith combined for 54 of Purdue’s 79 points against Texas. Guard C.J. Cox added 10 and Cluff had 11. “It just depends on how you play,” Painter said. “Do you play to the low post? Do you use your five in a five-out situation? There’s a lot of differences there, and it doesn’t mean you can’t incorporate both within what you do, because you can. We haven’t tried to be a cookie cutter-type offense. We’ve tried to allow things to happen organically in the summer.” Arizona had a historically balanced effort against Arkansas, with six players scoring at least 14 points. It was the first time that had happened in the NCAA Tournament. All five of Arizona’s starters average over 10 points per game. Bench players Tobe Awaka and Anthony Dell’Orso aren’t far behind. Arizona Wildcats' Tobe Awaka is fouled by Arkansas Razorbacks' Trevon Brazile in the second half at the 2026 NCAA Division I West Regional Semifinal game at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Thursday, March 26, 2026. “If you can get a really talented team and you’ve got five guys and they all average points, that’s pretty rare,” Painter said. East Bay native Jordan Pope plays through broken foot, but Texas falls to Purdue on Trey Kaufman-Renn’s late tip‘I definitely miss it’: East Bay native Jordan Pope back home as Texas takes on Purdue in Sweet 16March Madness: UCLA the last women’s team standing from West Coast Painter and Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd share a similar ethos when it comes to coaching. Do what works, and don’t get away from it. Whichever team is more resolute in executing its game plan will likely move on to the Final Four. It would be the Wildcats’ first trip in 25 years if they win on Saturday. “Both teams are here for a reason, because they’re probably really good at doing what they are good at doing,” Lloyd said. “So you’re going to see two teams try to come out and assert their will on each other tomorrow. And I’m sure it’s going to be a heck of a battle.”Miss Manners: They won't even set a menu until the guests arriveBay Area weather: Rain is forecast to break the long dry spell. Here's when to expect it.San Jose is clearing its last large homeless encampment. Not everyone wants what comes next Kurtenbach: MLB's SF Giants-Yankees Opening Night Netflix cash-grab proves nothing is sacred in modern sportsGreat America hits 50. It may not make it to 52
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