By ZACH VOGT
ISL Contributor

It’s time to dance.

We have once again reached the best time of the year. The bracket is out, the matchups are set, and we now embark on a three-week journey to crown a champion.

So, what does that mean for Purdue?

The Boilers secured the 4th seed in the Midwest Region and will be headed out to Providence to face off against 13th-seeded High Point. The opposing matchup in their region is between Clemson and McNeese State. The Midwest Region is hosted by top seeded Houston, and will conclude in Indianapolis for the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 games.

How did they end up here?

Purdue has stumbled their way into the dance, losing 6 of their last 9 games which included a brutal 18 point loss to Michigan in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilers suffered a 4-game losing streak towards the end of February when they took losses to Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Indiana all within a two week span. They were able to salvage two more wins before season’s end against UCLA and Rutgers, but the sky came falling down once again in the final three minutes of the season finale at Illinois. What followed was a disappointing early exit from the conference tournament.

The best part about The Dance is that everyone has a clean slate. 68 teams, 1 champion. It does not matter if you come into the tournament hot or cold, what matters is where you go from here, and Purdue has another opportunity to do something special.

Let’s take a look at what the opening weekend has in store for the Boilers:

The High Point Panthers of the Big South:

• 29-5 Overall (14-2 Conference)
• Head Coach: Alan Huss
• This is their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history
• Net Ranking: 82nd
• KenPom Rankings: 84th Overall – 25th Off – 227th Def

The Panthers are led by the talented guard Kezza Giffa. Giffa is averaging nearly 15 PPG as he leads the high-powered Panther offense. High Point also has a pair of sharpshooters who are each shooting over 40% from deep in Bobby Pettiford and Chase Johnston. Juslin Bodo Bodo, who is averaging over 8 RPG, is their interior presence who will draw the Trey Kaufman-Renn assignment.

The Panthers will be making their first ever NCAA Tournament appearance after erasing a 15 point deficit in the Big South Championship game versus Winthrop.

High Point is an incredible story as they make their first ever appearance in the big dance, and Purdue will certainly have their hands full. Ultimately, Purdue should be able to exploit High Point’s flaws on the defensive end and create enough separation to advance to the next round.

Waiting in the next round will be the winner of the 5/12 game in the Midwest Region which consists of Clemson and McNeese State. That game will tip off approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game one.

Let’s take a look at those two teams:

The Clemson Tigers of the ACC:

• 27-6 Overall (18-2 Conference)
• Head Coach: Brad Brownell
• This is the 15th NCAA Tournament appearance for the program. They have never been to a Final Four.
• Net Ranking: 22nd
• KenPom Rankings: 18th Overall – 24th Off – 16th Def

Clemson is led by First Team All-ACC guard Chase Hunter. He is averaging over 16 PPG while shooting over 40% from behind the three point line. The Tigers also have Second Team All-ACC big man Ian Schieffelin in the middle averaging nearly a double-double per game with 12 points and 9 rebounds per contest. They are a well-rounded team who is very efficient from inside the two point line, which is where Purdue’s defense struggles the most.

Clemson tied with Louisville for 2nd in the ACC behind Duke, and they eventually went on to lose to Louisville 76-73 in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. It was an incredible game where the Tigers fell just short, and now they carry that motivation into the tournament.

Clemson drew 12th seeded McNeese State in the Round of 64, let’s take a look:

The McNeese State Cowboys of the Southland Conference:

• 27-6 Overall (19-1 Conference)
• Head Coach: Will Wade
• This is the program’s 4th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
• Net Ranking: 58th
• KenPom Rankings: 59th Overall – 63rd Off – 66th Def

The Cowboys are led by guard Javohn Garcia who is averaging nearly 13 points per game and is incredible at the free throw line at 81%. The McNeese offense also incorporates sharpshooter DJ Richards Jr. who is shooting a scolding 45% from deep this season. The man in the middle is Christian Shumate who is bringing in over 10 points and 6 rebounds per game.

McNeese basketball has become a viral sensation on social media over the past few weeks as their manager, Amir Khan, gained popularity after leading the teams’ pregame walkouts. He carries a giant speaker and leads the team out of the tunnel before games. It became a massive hit on social media.

It is always fun to have stories like this in the NCAA Tournament. It’s part of what makes this time of year so special.

There you have it.

The first quadrant Purdue must conquer in the 2025 NCAA Tournament is here and the path is clear. Take it one game at a time, and who knows, maybe they will find themselves playing in downtown Indianapolis in front of a home crowd with the chance to go to another Final Four.

It does not matter what happened before now. It only matters what they do from here on out.

It’s win or go home.

It’s March. It’s the greatest time of the year.

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