Which will include eight teams First half of Sweet 16 field Advancing to the 2026 Men’s NCAA Tournament Regionals?
ESPN reporters across the country are recapping how each second-round game is decided on Sunday.
How Purdue won: Leave it to the seniors to bring it home for Purdue. Fletcher Lawyer The highest score in the game was 24 and Trey Kaufman-Ren Added 19 to send the 2-seed Boilermakers back to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive season.
After changing guards at the beginning of the first half, Matt Painter retained Lauer and point guard Braden Smith Stayed on the field the entire second half – and the senior tandem not only stabilized Purdue but helped neutralize a Miami team that looked powerful in the first half. In an era when rosters can be changed on an annual basis, Purdue is making a strong case for home continuity. Change was visible in St. Louis on Sunday.
Still, give Miami and Jay Lucas a lot of credit. The Hurricanes’ margin of victory in Lucas’ first season was 19. –Ben Baby
Purdue’s second-round opponents: texas
How the Boilermakers can advance to the Elite Eight: Kaufman-Renn and Lauer’s return to form late in the season has taken Purdue to a different level – and is possibly the biggest key for the Boilermakers moving forward. Kauffman-Renn had 20 points in the Big Ten Tournament title game, 25 points in the NCAA Tournament first-round win over Queens, then had 19 points and nine rebounds in the second-round win against Miami. Lauer was perfect from 3-point range (4-for-4) against the Hurricanes and is now shooting 19-for-35 from beyond the arc in his last five games.
While Texas’ defense has tightened up recently, it still ranked in the bottom half of the SEC, while Purdue entered the Sweet 16 with the best offense in the country. Additionally, the Boilermakers are in the top 10 nationally in 3-point percentage, while the Longhorns rank in the bottom third in 3-point defense. If CJ Cox Is healthy and can make shots with Lauer and Kauffman-Renn, Purdue should be able to light up the scoreboard. –Jeff Borzello
