Basketball is a big man's sport, and that will be evident in the Final Four matchup between Purdue and NC State. Zach Edey is 7-foot-4 and is likely to become the National Player of the Year for the second straight season, and no one has been able to stop him during March Madness. D.J. Burns may have a better chance than anyone to do that, though. Burns is a 275-pound center that has captivated the nation during NC State's Cinderella run. NC State is only an 11-seed, but they are hot right now, and they will give the Boilermakers a run for their money. In this article, we will explain how you can watch them battle each other in the Final Four.
When and where is the Final Four?
The Final Four is in Glendale, Arizona, at the State Farm Stadium. Purdue will take on NC State at 6:09 p.m. ET on Saturday, April 6. The game will kick off the action in the Final Four and will take place before UConn's game against Alabama.
How to watch Purdue vs. NC State
TBS will be broadcasting both Final Four Games. The broadcast team will include Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill, and Tracy Wolfson.
Date: Saturday, April 6 | Time: 6:09 p.m. ET
Location: State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona
TV channel: TBS
FanDuel Odds: Purdue -9.5
Storylines
Any time you talk about Purdue, the conversation starts with Zach Edey. Edey has established himself as one of the best college players of the 21st century, and while his NBA outlook is still a mystery, there is no denying how dominant he is at the college level. He is simply too big and too strong for anyone to stop, and it has led to 25 points and 12.2 rebounds per game this season. Those figures rank first and second in the nation, respectively.
Edey is unstoppable in the post, especially when he can get to his right handed hook shot, but he has improved his weaknesses, too. While passing out of double teams and playing defense on the perimeter aren't strengths, they are areas that Edey has gotten better at this season. Mobility likely won't be a big concern regardless in this game, though, because he will be matched up with D.J. Burns.
NC State's center is one of the few humans on this Earth who has the size and strength to compete with Edey. Burns has become America's sweetheart during March Madness, but it hasn't been just because of his contagious personality and distinctive frame. Burns has been great for the Wolfpack during March Madness, and he keeps stepping up in the biggest moments. Most recently, he had 29 points against Duke while playing another center – Kyle Filipowski – who is likely headed for the NBA.
While Edey and Burns' matchup will draw a lot of the attention (and rightfully so, considering how big these two are, both physically and to the college basketball scene), there are still plenty of other star players to keep an eye out for. Braden Smith has been Purdue's second-best player. Matt Painter has surrounded his center with a bunch of shooters, and Smith is perhaps the best. Smith is shooting 43.9% from three and is averaging 12.2 points per game.
Lance Jones, Flether Loyer, and Mason Gillis are all elite three-point shooters as well. Purdue's threat from deep combined with their star big man makes them nearly impossible to defend. NC State also has their fair share of talent around Burns, and the big man isn't the only star DJ on the team. DJ Horne actually is the team's scoring leader. He has averaged 16.9 points per game.
Mohamed Diarra has also captivated the basketball world, and that started before March Madness even began. NC State had an average regular season that saw them finish 9-11 in conference play and lose their final four regular season games. They were given a 10-seed in the ACC Tournament, but the team won five games in five days despite Diarra's fasting for Ramadan, via newsobserver.com.
NC State's miraculous run in the conference tournament has continued into the NCAA Tournament, as they have become one of the best Cinderella stories of all time. NC State will have their hands full against Purdue, but they seem like the perfect team to take down Edey and company because of the presence of Burns. The Wolfpack are massive underdogs, but the team is hot, and they have basketball fans around the world on their side.
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