3 Daunting Questions for NC State Wolfpack vs. Purdue in Final Four
By Joe Summers
The NC State Wolfpack hope to continue their magical NCAA Tournament run as they battle the Purdue Boilermakers in the Final Four on Saturday as big underdogs.
This is the most difficult test yet for NC State. While they have the underlying profile of legitimate national title contenders, Zach Edey and Purdue won't go down easy.
That said, the Wolfpack are playing with house money at this point, having made the Final Four for the first time in 40 years. Why not win a couple more? With that in mind, let's look at three questions that will determine the outcome of tonight's contest.
Daunting Questions for NC State vs. Purdue
1. Can NC State Handle Zach Edey?
Zach Edey is in the midst of a historically dominant run. He had 40 points and 16 rebounds against Tennessee in the Elite Eight and is averaging an obscene 30 points, 16.3 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game in the tournament while shooting 65.6% from the field.
It's one of the most impressive March Madness performances we've ever seen. Edey has officially silenced the doubters from last year's catastrophic loss to a 16 seed in the first round, and the Wolfpack's hopes largely hinge on whether or not they can slow Edey down.
BREAKING: 7-foot-4 center Zach Edey of Purdue wins second consecutive AP Player of the Year award in men's college basketball.
— AP Top 25 (@AP_Top25) April 5, 2024
Full story: https://t.co/PYMTZPGNQ4 pic.twitter.com/rkr2uflwvv
DJ Burns and Mohamed Diarra are at a significant size disadvantage against Edey, though Burns could use his mass to potentially make the Purdue big man uncomfortable.
Avoiding foul trouble is paramount as well. If Burns gets into foul trouble early, this one could be over quick. Conversely, if NC State is able to draw a couple of early fouls on Edey, they'll be in great shape to shock the world once again.
It doesn't feel quite right to describe Burns as a "David" against Edey's "Goliath" but that's exactly the matchup we have today. NC State can't let Edey explore for another monster performance if they want to hang around in the game.
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