Purdue basketball entered the SAP Center in San Jose with 2001 school victories. No. 2002 would've became one of the biggest March Madness upsets in Boilermakers history. Instead, Arizona flexed its muscle in the end and walloped Purdue 79-64 to seal a Final Four trip.
The Big Ten power still delivered a highly successful roundball season at 30-9 overall. It marked the third time Purdue hit 30 single season victories under head coach Matt Painter, now more than his predecessor Gene Keady.
But still, Purdue had chances to bury the favored Wildcats. Here's where the blame lies for the Boilermakers now that Arizona punched its ticket to Indianapolis.
Purdue failed to carry first half momentum
The Boilermakers caught Arizona off guard and took a 38-31 lead at halftime. Shooting became a non-issue for Painter's crew during the first 20 minutes.
But shots clanked off the rim or fell short during the final half. Arizona took advantage from there, improving its percentage to 51.6%.
Purdue became bottled to only 32.1% from field goal range, explaining the 48-26 surge by the Wildcats.
Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd and his players started to figure out Purdue's offense. Lloyd and his seven-man rotation went after Purdue's perimeter shooting and forced bad shot selections.
Purdue struggled to take care of the ball
Turnovers shifted the momentum of the game.
Purdue lost the roundball 10 times in the end. The Big 12 champs took much better care of the rock, losing it just six times.
The Wildcats picked some pockets on the floor too, creating five steals compared to Purdue's four.
Arizona continues to prove its among the best in the country at defensive adjustments. Lloyd got his unit to force Utah State into a half-court offense when ClutchPoints attended Arizona vs. the Aggies last Friday. That approach in San Diego eliminated USU's explosive transition attack, settling for just five points there.
Arizona turned to perimeter pressure to help throttle Purdue's offense. And this approach led to costly turnovers.
Arizona pounded Purdue inside, especially in the end
Freshman Koa Peat unleashed a dunk clinic. Ivan Kharchenkov pummeled Purdue down low. Even guards Jaden Bradley and Brayden Burries found open lanes inside.
The Wildcats carved up Purdue's interior game; scoring 40 points in the paint compared to the Boilermakers' 24. Purdue watched ‘Zona clean up the glass too, collecting 37 rebounds including 27 defensive.
Purdue snatched only 29, with only 10 on the offensive end. Arizona is most dangerous when it out-rebounds the opponent and wears them down in the paint.
Painter and Purdue struggled to find a counterattack to the Wildcats' interior attack. These moments costed a return to the round of four.
Purdue will enter 2026-27 as a heavy favorite to start as a preseason No. 1. But the Boilermakers have adjustments to make after Arizona exploited them.
