March Madness Sweet 16 analysis: Smith leads Purdue past Gonzaga, into Elite Eight-ZoomTech News

The 2024 NCAA Males’s Basketball Event continues on Friday as 4 extra Candy 16 video games happen in Detroit and Dallas.

No. 11-seeded NC State kicked off the motion with a formidable 67-58 victory over No. 2-seeded Marquette. In the meantime, Zach Edey and the No. 1-seeded Purdue Boilermakers adopted with a dominant 80-68 win over No. 5-seeded Gonzaga.

Jamal Shead and the Houston Cougars are presently taking up Kyle Filipowski and the Duke Blue Devils, whereas second-seeded Tennessee is battling No. 3-seeded Creighton.

FOX Sports activities’ school basketball consultants, John Fanta and Michael Cohen, are right here to offer instantaneous evaluation of Friday’s video games.

Atone for all of the motion from the Candy 16 right here:

(1) Purdue 80 (5) Gonzaga 68

Realizing that his All-American middle, Zach Edey, had determined to stay in class, Purdue head coach Matt Painter entered the offseason intent on surrounding the massive man with a group of deadeye shooters. Edey had completed sufficient to information the Boilermakers to a No. 1 seed in final 12 months’s NCAA Event. However when the first-round matchup with Sixteenth-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson lastly arrived, everybody round Edey let him down. Purdue shot simply 5-for-26 from past the arc in a shocking 63-58 loss. It was the third consecutive season wherein Painter’s workforce was upended by a double-digit seed.

And so started the summer season of taking pictures in West Lafayette, Indiana, the place Purdue added Southern Illinois switch Lance Jones (205 made 3s in 4 seasons) and honed the abilities of fellow marksmen Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Mason Gillis. The Boilermakers improved from 276th within the nation in 3-point discipline purpose share through the 2022-23 marketing campaign (32.2%) to No. 1 nationally this season (40.9%). Painter did all the things he may to make sure Edey’s final experience wouldn’t finish as a result of the perimeter nicely ran dry for a second consecutive 12 months.

His technique labored fantastically throughout a Candy 16 matchup with No. 5 Gonzaga on Friday night time as Purdue shot 7-for-13 from past the arc within the opening half of an eventual 80-68 win. Smith, Loyer, Gillis and Jones all buried two 3-pointers apiece to provide the Boilermakers a plus-nine benefit in perimeter taking pictures. And as soon as Purdue had gashed the Bulldogs from the perimeter, Painter and his workers turned to Edey and Co. on the inside to rack up 28 factors within the paint after halftime. Smith orchestrated all of it fantastically with 14 factors, 15 assists and eight rebounds. Edey completed with 27 factors and 14 rebounds.

The win pushes the Boilermakers into the Elite Eight for the primary time since 2019 and simply the second time within the final twenty years. They’ll face the winner of No. 2 Tennessee and No. 3 Creighton for an opportunity to succeed in the Ultimate 4 — a spot Purdue hasn’t visited in additional than 40 years. Edey’s final experience continues.

– Michael Cohen

(11) NC State 67, (2) Marquette 58

This version of March Insanity may not have a mid-major Cinderella, however there’s a beautiful story with a program-rich custom that has come out of nowhere to crash the Massive Dance.

For the primary time for the reason that days of the late Jim Valvano, in 1986, the NC State Wolfpack are going to the Elite Eight. The considered this occurring was unfathomable simply 17 days in the past when this program was 17-14 and trailing on the half to lowly Louisville within the opening spherical of the ACC Event. Quick-forward to Friday night time, and Kevin Keatts has the Wolfpack simply 40 minutes away from this system’s first Ultimate 4 look in 41 years. 

NC State’s magical run continued with a 67-58 win over Marquette on Friday night time. The workforce’s skilled backcourt of DJ Horne and Casey Morsell mixed for 34 factors, whereas Mohamed Diarra continued to be the Wolfpack’s X-factor with 11 factors and 15 rebounds. 

As for Marquette, nerves had been a significant component. The Golden Eagles, making their first Candy 16 look since 2013, shot simply 4-for-31 from 3-point territory, by no means actually discovering a rhythm offensively and leaving with a disappointing end in what was a golden alternative. The ACC continues to be the story of the Massive Dance with two groups within the Elite Eight and a 10-2 file general. 

NC State will advance to play the winner of Duke or Houston on Sunday, so an all-ACC regional closing is in play.

– John Fanta

(1) Houston vs. (4) Duke

(2) Tennessee vs. (3) Creighton

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John Fanta is a nationwide school basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports activities. He covers the game in a wide range of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Community to offering commentary on The Discipline of 68 Media Community. Observe him on Twitter @John_Fanta.

Michael Cohen covers school soccer and basketball for FOX Sports activities with an emphasis on the Massive Ten. Observe him on Twitter @Michael_Cohen13.

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