PORTLAND, Ore. — The PK85 tournaments will not have chalk in Sunday’s finals. In the Phil Knight Invitational, Iowa State will play No. 20 UConn. And in the Phil Knight Legacy, No. 8 Duke will face No. 24 Purdue.
All four teams have gone 2-0 through different means and paths.
Purdue’s guard play keyed the 24th-ranked Boilermakers to an emphatic 84-66 win over No. 6 Gonzaga. It was impressive. It was a statement. With an unproven backcourt, Purdue had some skeptics.
After Friday night, it’s hard to shake off the feeling that Purdue will compete for a Big Ten title. Yes, Zach Edey’s a huge (pun intended) factor. The 7-foot-4 behemoth is figuring it all out, and we’re watching it happen with each game. Edey made Gonzaga All-American Drew Timme look 6-5 and had his way with Gonzaga’s defense. He finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
But it was the backcourt play by the Boilermakers that put them in the finals, spoiling the Blue Devils-Zags matchup that many wanted to see.
“Early in the season very few teams play with a purpose collectively,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said.
But his team has. With every game.
It’s the guards. Freshman Braden Smith has something about him that gives the offense confidence. Smith finished with 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds. Fellow freshman Fletcher Loyer added 14 more points. Painter said Smith is the type of guard “that can really manipulate the defense with their eyes.”
For as much as we could make this about Gonzaga, Purdue’s dominance feels like the bigger story. Gonzaga will have its chance at some smaller redemption on Sunday vs. a Xavier team that lost its opportunities to upset Duke. Gonzaga also still has more big games awaiting in the next few weeks.
Duke cruises into Sunday’s Legacy title game
Quick history lesson: The last time Xavier played Duke, and I don’t mean Friday afternoon, Sean Miller was in fact…
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