DETROIT — Second-seeded Tennessee men's basketball can reach its first-ever Final Four, but the top-seeded Purdue Boilermakers stand in the Vols way in the Midwest Regional Final at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday.
UNFAMILIAR TERRITORY
The Vols are making just their second Elite 8 appearance in program history after taking down Creighton in the Sweet 16 on Friday night. Tennessee's only other appearance on this stage was in the 2009-10 season when a sixth-seeded Tennessee team overcame No. 2 Ohio State in the Sweet 16 in St. Louis. The team went on to lose a heartbreaker to No. 5 Michigan State in the Elite 8 that season, 70-69.
Tennessee will get another chance to make program history and will make it to the Final Four in Phoenix if they can overcome the region's top seed, Purdue. The Boilermakers will try and make it to the Final Four for the first time since 1980.
A FAMILIAR OPPONENT
Tennessee and Purdue have already squared off this season when the teams met in the Maui Invitational all the way back on Nov. 21, 2023. Purdue was ranked No. 2 in that matchup and came away with a narrow 71-67 win against the Vols. Reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, but guard Fletcher Loy led the Boilermakers' scoring effort with 27 points.
Foul trouble played a big factor for Tennessee and the Vols sent Purdue to the free throw line 48 times in the game while big men Tobe Awaka and Jonas Aidoo both fouled out and played only 25 minutes combined while trying to contend with Edey down low. The Vols finished with 30 team fouls compared to 21 from Purdue.
Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler was still working his way back to full health following the ACL injury the season prior but still played 28 minutes in that contest. He struggled offensively and went 2-of-11 from the floor, and finished with five points, three assists and two steals.
AN ALL-AMERICAN DUEL
The Elite 8 matchup in Detroit will feature two of the best players in the country: Tennessee's guard Dalton Knecht and Purdue's center Zach Edey.
The two are both Consensus First Team All-Americans, with Edey being a unanimous selection. Knecht was named the SEC Player of the Year this season, while Edey has earned back-to-back Big Ten Player of the Year honors.
This season, Knecht is averaging 21.2 points per game, which ranks 14th in the nation. Edey is atop that list with 24.6 points per game and also averages 12.1 rebounds per game. Edey scored 27 points and pulled down 14 rebounds in Purdue's Sweet 16 win against Gonzaga and has recorded a double-double in all of Purdue's NCAA Tournament games so far.
WHERE AND WHEN TO WATCH
No. 2 Tennessee will take on No. 1 Purdue in the Elite 8 on Sunday, March 31 at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit with the opening tip-off set for 2:20 p.m. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
