According to the NCAA basketball tournament lines provided by BetUs, March Madness experts have pegged Purdue as one of the second-tier teams; not good enough to be a favorite, but with some breaks, they could win six games en route to cutting down the nets. The Boilermakers have been good in the Tournament under Matt Painter with two second-round exits and two appearances in the Sweet 16, but they need to take that step to the next level to be considered an elite program.
The Boilermakers have one of the best inside-outside duos in the country in forward JuJuan Johnson and guard E’Twaun Moore, a pair of seniors are would be among the best at their respective positions. Johnson is a late first-round NBA prospect who has improved defensively, and he has even shown an ability to hit the three-pointer. Moore has had his best shooting season in four years at Purdue, and he also has a career-high in assists along with a low in turnovers. Moore is usually the one who gets the ball in late-game situations, but Johnson will come into the equation as well. The Boilermakers also have a complimentary group of role players like Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson, but Purdue is only going to go as far as Johnson and Moore will take them.
Still, the Boilermakers have had a great season, but they’re going to miss Robbie Hummel at some points during the NCAA Tournament. His defense, leadership and three-point shooting has been missed at times this season, and Johnson and Moore have overcome that, but as the Boilermakers progress further into the Tournament, they’re not going to survive with one duo unless one of their role players has the Tournament of their lives. The Boilermakers are a good team, maybe even great at times, but we think they’ll reach the Elite Eight, at best.
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