ESPN Men's Basketball

OMAHA, Neb. -- Multiple times Sunday -- including a few occasions in the second half when his team trailed Purdue by double digits -- Bill Self sat in the middle of the Kansas huddle and repeated the same phrase.

“We can win this game!” Self said he told his players. “We can win this game!”

There was only one problem.

“Deep down,” Self admitted later, “I’m not sure I was believing it.”

Any doubts Self might have had were understandable. Fair or not, the coach with an NCAA title on his resume is equally defined by the March meltdowns that have soured otherwise great seasons throughout his Kansas career.

First it was Bucknell and Bradley. Then came Northern Iowa and VCU. On Sunday it looked as if disaster was going to strike again when the sixth-place team from the Big Ten almost pestered the Jayhawks into another epic choke job.

Almost.

This time, instead of wilting down the stretch, Kansas mustered up the inner toughness that’s helped it win eight consecutive Big 12 titles and flourished when it mattered most.

Elijah Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor combined for three breakaway layups in the game’s final minute, turning a 60-57 deficit into a 63-60 victory over Purdue, the No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region.

“If you’re going to be scared, you might as well not be on the floor,” Johnson said. “We practice for those moments. You can’t run from them.”

No. 2 seed Kansas, which trailed for virtually the entire game, advanced to the Sweet 16 for the second consecutive season. Self’s squad will play No. 11 seed North Carolina State on Friday in St. Louis, with the winner getting either North Carolina or Ohio on Sunday for a trip to the Final Four.

Players such as Johnson and Taylor, though, were hardly looking that far ahead as they danced in the middle of the CenturyLink Center court Sunday. Unlike so many KU teams before them, the Jayhawks never appeared spooked or rattled during a game in which they shot a season-low 33.9 percent.

“That’s unheard of,” Self said. “That was probably more stressful for our guys than the Purdue guys. When you don’t have that momentum and energy, it takes toughness.

“I’m proud of our guys, because a testimony to a team’s toughness is to figure out a way to win when things aren’t going well. How we won is who we are.”

The Jayhawks won by outrebounding Purdue 44-36, including a season-high 21 offensive boards. They won by tightening their defense on Boilermakers star Robbie Hummel, who had 22 points in the first half but only four in the second after KU switched to a triangle-and-two. And they won because a few key players -- mainly Johnson -- welcomed the opportunity to be a hero instead of shying away from it.

“Elijah,” Self said, “has been our best player the last two weeks.”

Kansas trailed 60-57 after Purdue’s Terone Johnson scored on a pull-up jumper with 2:02 remaining. Nearly a minute later, Elijah Johnson grabbed the long rebound on a missed 3-pointer by D.J. Byrd, dribbled up the court and fired an alley-oop pass to a streaking Taylor, who caught the ball above the rim and dunked it.

It was a risky play by Johnson in such a close game, but it didn’t matter. With 59.9 seconds left, Kansas trailed 60-59.

“I was throwing that lob whether I threw it over the backboard or not,” said Johnson, who scored a team-high 18 points. “If I was down there, I would’ve been mad at Ty if he didn’t throw it to me. That’s our game. That’s how we play with each other every day. Why not throw it?”

Johnson was big again moments later, when he came up with a steal after playing menacing defense on Purdue point guard Lewis Jackson, who had committed just one turnover all game. Johnson secured the ball and raced up the court for an uncontested layup that put Kansas up 61-60.

Purdue’s best chance to win came on its ensuing possession, when Hummel came off a screen and went up for a 3-pointer on the right wing. Robinson raced over at the last second to defend the shot, which Hummel took off-balance.

“They set a screen,” Robinson said. “I jumped at him and prayed that he missed.”

The shot was indeed off. Robinson snared the rebound and passed up the court to Taylor, who made it 63-60 with an uncontested layup with 2.5 seconds remaining.

Taylor probably made a mistake by scoring instead of trying to run out the clock, because it gave Purdue one last shot at a game-tying 3-pointer. The Boilermakers got a decent look considering the circumstances, but Ryne Smith’s heave from the right wing hit the backboard and clanged off the front of the rim.

“When the buzzer went off and we saw the red on the backboard, it was a huge relief,” guard Travis Releford said. “We gave it our all in the second half. We had to earn that one.”

Self’s feelings were similar.

“I feel relieved,” Self said, “but I feel some jubilation, too. The kids are excited. If you looked at our team [before the season] and someone said we’d be 29-7 [actually 29-6] and playing in St. Louis in the Sweet 16, everybody would have said, ‘What a great year.’”

Self’s point is certainly hard to argue.

Kansas lost four starters from season’s Elite Eight team and, throughout most of the season, has depended on Robinson, a national-player-of-the-year candidate, and Taylor, who is a finalist for the Cousy Award.

Lately, though, other players have stepped up. Sometimes it’s been 7-foot center Jeff Withey or walk-on Conner Teahan, a 3-point specialist off the bench. Reserve forward Kevin Young came up with some huge offensive rebounds Sunday. And of course there was Johnson, who will always be remembered for his performance against Purdue.

Along with his heroics in the final minute, Johnson had two huge 3-pointers late in the second half -- including one that came from about 5 feet beyond the arc.

Taylor said he looked at Johnson as he squared up to take the shot, which turned a 56-54 deficit into a 57-56 lead.

“He had a smile on his face,” Taylor said.

Johnson was asked what he thought after he released the ball.

“Money!” he said.

Self hopes Johnson and the rest of the Jayhawks carry that same confidence into their Sweet 16 game against NC State. Even though they’re the No. 11 seed in the Midwest Region, the Wolfpack have more than proved their worth with victories over No. 6 seed San Diego State and No. 3 Georgetown.

“Seeds don’t matter anymore,” Releford said. “Everyone can play at this point. That’s the great thing about this tournament. Any team can win it -- and any team can have a bad day and get upset.”

Kansas almost became that team again Sunday.

Almost.

This year, it appears, things are different.

OMAHA, Neb. - Quick thoughts from Kansas' 63-60 victory over Purdue.

Overview: First it was Bucknell. Then came Bradley, Northern Iowa and VCU. Just when Kansas seemed primed to take a yearlong hiatus from stunning NCAA tournament upsets, the Jayhawks almost found a way to choke again Sunday.

Almost.

This time, instead of wilting down the stretch, Kansas mustered up the inner toughness that's helped it win eight consecutive Big 12 titles and flourished when it mattered most. Elijah Johnson and Tyshawn Taylor (twice) each scored on breakaway layups in the game's final minute, turning a 60-57 deficit into a 63-60 victory against No. 10 seed Purdue - the sixth-place team from the Big Ten.

Taylor's layup came on a fast break after Purdue's Robbie Hummel missed a 3-pointer - which was heavily contested by Thomas Robinson - on the other end. Kansas got the rebound and fired ahead to Taylor, who scored easily with 2.5 seconds remaining. Taylor probably made a mistake by scoring instead of running out the clock, because Purdue had one last shot a game-tying 3-pointer. The Boilermakers got a decent look considering the circumstances, but Ryne Smith's heave from the right wing hit the backboard and clanged off the front of the rim.

Kansas fans - who comprised about 75 percent of the crowd at the CenturyLink Center - went wild in celebration as the final horn sounded. Five minutes later, Johnson, Taylor and Travis Releford danced at mid-court after conducting post-game interviews.

The heavily favored Jayhawks had to feel relieved after surviving a scare from a well-coached Purdue team that led for virtually the entire game. Kansas trailed 60-57 after Purdue's Terone Johnson scored on a pull-up jumper with 2:02 remaining. But the Jayhawks scored the next six points - all on fast breaks.

The first basket came on an alley-oop from Johnson to Taylor with 59.9 seconds left that shaved Purdue's lead to 60-59. Kansas coach Bill Self called a timeout and, on the ensuing possession, Johnson stole the ball from Lewis Jackson and scored on an uncontested lay-up to give KU a 61-60. Hummel - who was brilliant, with 26 points on 9-of-13 shooting - missed the 3-pointer on the other end, and Kansas fired a pass to Taylor, who streaked down the court for the game-clinching basket.

The Jayhawks, who got 18 points from Johnson, will take on No. 11 seed North Carolina State on Friday in St. Louis. Purdue ends its season with a 22-13 record.

Key player: Johnson stepped up in a big way for Kansas. With Taylor (10 points) struggling offensively, Johnson made 7 of his 14 field goal attempts and hit three huge 3-pointers, including two in the second half. Robinson missed all but two of his 12 field goal attempts but still finished with 11 points and 13 boards.

Key stat: Kansas won despite its worst offensive showing of the season. The Jayhawks shot just 33.9 percent from the field.

Miscellaneous: Kansas' 2008 NCAA title run began in Omaha. ... If Kansas wins Friday it will likely play North Carolina in the Elite Eight. The Tar Heels could be without standout point guard Kendall Marshall, who fractured his wrist in Sunday's win against Creighton.

OMAHA, Neb. -- Quick thoughts from Purdue's 72-69 victory over Saint Mary's Friday at the CenturyLink Center.

Overview: Purdue made four free throws in the final 23 seconds to beat No. 7 seed Saint Mary's in the second round of the NCAA tournament. The victory propels the No. 10 seed Boilermakers into a third round game against either Kansas or Detroit on Sunday.

Purdue trailed 69-68 after Saint Mary's guard Jorden Page swished a 3-pointer from the left wing with 45 seconds remaining. But 22 seconds later, the Gaels' Stephen Holt fouled Purdue's Lewis Jackson as Jackson was driving to the basket. He made both free throws to put the Boilermakers ahead 70-69.

Saint Mary's had a chance to tie it on the ensuing possession, but this time Page air-balled a wide-open 3-pointer. Purdue's Robbie Hummel snared the rebound and was fouled with 8 seconds left. His free throws extended Purdue's lead to three, 72-69. The Gaels had one more chance, but Rob Jones misfired on a 3-pointer from the top of the key as time expired.

Turning point: Purdue controlled most of the game and led by 10 points with 7:17 remaining before a valiant comeback attempt by Saint Mary's made the game interesting. The Gaels' went on an 18-7 run that was capped by Page's 3-pointer at the 45 second mark that put Saint Mary's up by a point. The foul call on Holt, which was a bit questionable for that late in the game, put Jackson on the line for what would ultimately be the game-deciding free throws.

Key player: Guard Terone Johnson had 21 points and five assists for Purdue. Jones led Saint Mary's with 23 points and 14 rebounds.

Key stat: Saint Mary's shot just 4-of-25 (16 percent) from beyond the arc. Jones was just 2-of-10. Cousy Award finalist Matthew Dellavedova had just 12 points on 3-of-10 shooting overall. He had eight assists.

Miscellaneous: Purdue has now won 14 straight Round of 64 games in the NCAA tournament.

What's next: Purdue advances to play either No. 2 seed Kansas or No. 15 seed Detroit on Sunday. Saint Mary's, which won the outright West Coast Conference title, ends its season 27-6.

Click here to read our afternoon recap. Now back to the lecture at hand, which comes in three parts:

The Rivalry

No. 2 Syracuse 71, Connecticut 69: One of the many things to love about this Syracuse team -- besides its great zone defense and incredible depth and talent and length and pretty much everything besides defensive rebounding -- is how well it handles close games. Since the Jan. 21 loss at Notre Dame, Syracuse has taken respective best shots from Cincinnati, West Virginia, Georgetown, Louisville, South Florida and now at UConn, and each time the Orange have either pulled away late or made the key stop down the stretch to preserve the narrow win. It's a real skill, and it isn't entirely intangible; when you have a defense this good, you tend to get a lot of stops, and there's no reason why that wouldn't be true in the final minutes of any given game, too. But however you quantify it, the Orange win close games. Such traits tend to come in handy in March.

As for Connecticut? While the Huskies didn't get the win, they appear to be rounding into form, or at least starting to figure a few things out. UConn had its fair share of issues with Syracuse's zone, and there were plenty of bad shots to be had, but the Huskies were much more balanced (four players finished in double figures, while Ryan Boatright and Shabazz Napier combined for 13 assists) and competent on both ends of the floor in the second half. Unless it suddenly begins shooting the ball from outside at a much higher clip, this team probably has a ceiling. But there are plenty of realistic improvements to be made. Even better, many of them appear to be in progress. Let's not bury this team just yet.

The Upsets

Purdue 75, No. 13 Michigan 61: When Purdue guard Ryne Smith was asked what he thought about guard Kelsey Barlow's dismissal from the team last week, he was direct, even curt: "Addition by subtraction," Smith said. Apparently he was right. Whatever the reason, Purdue played its best game of the season Saturday at the most important time, containing Michigan's outside shooters and slowly stretching a second-half lead thanks to the heady play of point guard Lewis Jackson, forward Robbie Hummel and, most importantly, guard Terone Johnson, who scored a career-high 22 points and made a handful of key plays down the stretch, including two big and-1 finishes around the rim. Purdue is an unconventional team with no true post presence; the Boilermakers rely on Hummel's outside-in versatility and an extended, guard-oriented style. This makes them a great matchup for Michigan, and, in their own way, a dangerous team.

In any case, Purdue can now feel entirely safe about its at-large NCAA tournament chances. Beating Michigan at home -- the Wolverines' first home loss of the season -- is most definitely a signature victory. And it couldn't have come at a better time.

TCU 83, No. 21 New Mexico 64: Let's hear it for TCU! A round of applause is most definitely in order. At this time in 2011, the Horned Frogs were in the midst of a season-ending 13-game losing streak, en route to an 11-22 finish. This season is an entirely different story: TCU is playing its best basketball down the stretch, having won four of its past five (and eight in a row at home) and toppling ranked UNLV and New Mexico and a good Colorado State squad in the process. The key: great 3-point shooting. The Horned Frogs lead the league in long-range makes in conference play, and they're undefeated at home as a result. What a difference a year makes.

In the meantime ... um, what happened to New Mexico? Last Saturday, we watched in near-awe as the Lobos thoroughly dominated UNLV, which came just a few days after a 10-point win at San Diego State. Steve Alford's team, once a relatively unheralded efficiency darling with few good wins to show for it, looked set to run away with the Mountain West and make a deep run into March. Since then, the Lobos are 0-2 and are now in a three-way tie. A loss at Colorado State makes some sense; we know the Rams are tough, particularly at home. And this is not to take away from TCU, which (as you just read above) is giving everyone more than they bargained for in February, particularly in their own building. But a 19-point blowout loss? Isn't this the team that just rolled UNLV in the Pit and moved to 8-2 in the league? It's kind of weird, right?

Georgia 76, No. 11 Florida 62: This is an upset, of course, but I'm not sure we should be all that surprised. Frankly, I'm not sure if a Florida loss should ever truly catch us off guard. Don't get me wrong: The Gators are good. But they're a specific kind of good. When their steady diet of 3s are falling, they can shoot opponents off the floor before said opponents even have a chance to catch their breath. But if the shots aren't going down, Florida has no Plan B. Patric Young is the only true post presence, and his offensive game is still a work in progress (and he's still underutilized as a scoring threat to boot). The Gators' defense -- which ranks fifth in opponents' points per possession in SEC play, No. 10 in opponents' 3-point field goal percentage and No. 10 in block rate -- still isn't good enough to hold opponents in check when the shots clanging off the iron and the opponents start turning long rebounds into secondary breaks and easy buckets. Florida might yet get there on the defensive end, but it isn't yet. If this UF team has a lower ceiling than it should, well, that's why.

The Bubble Specials

Alabama 67, Mississippi State 50: It was instinctively easy to write off the Crimson Tide when coach Anthony Grant suspended Tony Mitchell and JaMychal Green; it was easy to predict a late collapse, even a fall off the bubble, for a team whose two leading scorers would be missing such important games down the stretch. Instead, the Crimson Tide keep, well, rolling. They've now won three in a row and prevented any hint of a collapse. Mississippi State, on the other hand, appears to be doing exactly that: The Bulldogs are collapsing. This is the Bulldogs' fifth consecutive defeat, a stretch that has included some good basketball (in the near-miss vs. Kentucky this week) but also some baffling losses (the loss at Auburn especially). It's no stretch to say Mississippi State -- which for much of the season looked like a tourney near-lock -- could wind up missing the tournament after all. The Bulldogs are, after all, 6-8 and tied with rival Ole Miss in the SEC standings. Ouch.

Northwestern 67, Penn State 66: Breathe a big ol' sigh of relief, Northwestern fans: In the chase for their first NCAA tournament appearance in school history, the Wildcats remain very much alive. Senior forward John Shurna made the game-winning free throws with just 2.6 seconds remaining, giving Bill Carmody his first win in State College since 2002. Big challenges still lie ahead: Ohio State comes to town on Wednesday, followed by next weekend's season-ender at Iowa, a team that just knocked off Indiana and Wisconsin in Carver-Hawkeye Arena. But for now, some minor rejoicing is in order. Northwestern's tourney hopes are still very real.

Rutgers 77, Seton Hall 72 (OT): Let's not take Seton Hall off the bubble just yet, eh? The Pirates got a great win over Georgetown this week, one that could have firmed up a previously shaky at-large profile. All Seton Hall needed to do the rest of the way was avoid bad losses. Well, losing to a young, 13-16 Rutgers team at home is just that. Next weekend, the Hall travels to DePaul. If the Pirates lose there, all the good vibes from the emphatic Georgetown victory will have almost entirely faded from the picture.

VCU 89, George Mason 77: First things first: Thanks to Drexel's one-point win at Old Dominion on Saturday afternoon, VCU's win over George Mason won't give them a share of the CAA title this season. Bummer, sure, but the Rams would surely settle for a spot in the NCAA tournament, something to which they're at least a little closer after this victory today. As a league, the Colonial's top teams (Drexel, VCU and GMU) didn't get quality nonconference wins (VCU's best came against South Florida, for example), so any at-large consideration will have to come from separation at the top and perhaps a pair of deep runs for both Drexel and VCU in the CAA tournament. A win here was a must, and Shaka Smart's team got it, behind Bradford Burgess' career-high 31 points.

Dayton 76, UMass 43: A home loss to UMass can't be called "bad," but for a team like Dayton -- which is desperately scrapping for a spot in the NCAA tournament -- it could have been disastrous. Instead, the opposite happened: UD won, and won big, looking very much like one of the A-10's best teams and a squad worthy of a tourney bid in the process. We'll see how the Flyers finish up, but if they're one of the last four in, they might just be one of the play-in game candidates, which are held in -- you guessed it -- Dayton!

Saint Joseph's 82, No. 22 Temple 72: Speaking of somewhat fringe Atlantic 10 tournament hopefuls, the A-10 can't offer a bubble team a better shot at a marquee win than Temple on its own floor late in the season, but the Hawks still had to overcome Fran Dunphy's typically peerless bunch, which had won its previous 11 games and 13 in the 15-game stretch beginning with its Jan. 4 victory over Duke. Phil Martelli's team is now 9-6 in the league and 19-11 overall, and it added the one thing it desperately needed to its profile: A legitimate top-25 RPI win. Temple is most definitely that.

Penn 55, Harvard 54: Just when you think it's time to plan a long-awaited Harvard hoops coronation, Penn's Zack Rosen comes along, scores 20 points, makes a huge jumper down the stretch and ices two game-winning free throws in the final 30 seconds. And all of a sudden the Ivy League race is legitimately up for grabs with both of these teams having two losses. (Another one-game playoff for the Crimson? Oh boy.) As an at-large entity, Harvard is still in decent shape, but its profile isn't so strong that it can afford to lose at either Columbia or Cornell in its final two games, lose out on the Ivy auto-bid, and still feel safe about being picked to join the group of 37 at-large teams. Big days ahead for Tommy Amaker's team.

Washington 59, Washington State 55: For the first 10 or so minutes of the first half, it looked like Wazzu was going to hand its in-state opponent the type of loss that would severely damage Washington's at-large chances. But the Huskies fought back and, as the AP report notes, won the game's most important battle -- at the charity stripe: "Ultimately, the game came down to free throws. WSU (14-14, 6-10) went 11 of 12 to keep the game tied at 28-all despite shooting 27 percent in the first half. In the second half, the Cougars shot 6 of 20 from the free throw line, while the Huskies, who only went 2 of 5 in the first half, finished 17 of 24." The win keeps Washington on the right side of the bubble for now, but UW's marginal profile might not be able to survive a loss at either USC or UCLA going away.

Xavier 65, Richmond 57: Kenny Frease's season highs in both points (19) and rebounds (14) helped carry Xavier to an ugly but ultimately victorious Saturday. A loss here would have kicked Xavier off the bubble for good and almost certainly, barring an upset in the A-10 tournament, ended Chris Mack's 100 percent NCAA tournament hit rate in his XU tenure. Instead, the Musketeers live to fight another day.

No. 21 San Diego State 74, Colorado State 66: The Rams pass at least two NCAA tournament bubble tests: The RPI/SOS numbers are great, and they sure do look like a tournament team. But will that be enough? A win in Viejas Arena would have provided a tidy bookend to this week's huge victory over New Mexico, but the loss isn't a huge deal. Colorado State, which is undefeated at home in Mountain West play, hosts UNLV in Fort Collins in just three days' time. Win that one and the Rams are probably set.

Here's my attempt at ranking the Big Ten teams:

1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes finished off South Carolina essentially without Jared Sullinger, who was hampered by a foot injury. They’re a solid team without him. But to maintain this post, they need Sullinger to get healthy fast. The Big Ten’s contenders are coming, and they’re far more competitive entering conference play than it appeared they'd be in mid-November.

2. Indiana: The Hoosiers passed their first test since becoming a ranked team with a win Saturday over Notre Dame in Indianapolis. Cody Zeller scored 21. His 6-foot-11 frame and skills that go with it make the Hoosiers Ohio State’s greatest threats in the Big Ten. Seasons 2008-09 through 2010-11 just called and they can’t believe what I just wrote.

3. Michigan State: The Spartans are rolling. They’ve won nine in a row. I’d love to see this Spartans squad matched up against North Carolina and Duke right now. It’s just a different team compared to the one that lost to those ACC powers in back-to-back games at the start of the season. Draymond Green (15.9 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is playing like an All-America candidate.

4. Wisconsin: The Badgers bounced back from a Dec. 3 home loss to Marquette with four straight wins. That streak included a win over UNLV and a road victory over UW-Milwaukee. The Badgers have the best scoring defense in the country. Bo Ryan’s system still works.

5. Illinois: The Illini’s offensive inconsistency finally caught up with them Saturday in Chicago, where they accrued only 48 points in a loss to UNLV. Memo to the Illini: That 7-footer in the paint (Meyers Leonard) didn’t get enough touches down the stretch in that game. They’ll learn. It was just their first loss of the season.

6. Michigan: Trey Burke’s talent is undeniable. He’s averaging 13.1 points and 4.7 assists per game as a freshman. But it’s his poise and leadership that should really scare Big Ten opponents.

7. Minnesota: The biggest surprise in the Big Ten. The Gophers didn’t collapse after they lost Trevor Mbakwe to a torn ACL in a loss to Dayton last month. That was their last loss. They’ve won five in a row, as juco transfer Julian Welch (10.3 ppg) has blossomed into a leader for the team.

8. Purdue: Saturday’s 67-65 loss to Butler in Indy exposed one of Purdue’s greatest weaknesses: its limited interior. Robbie Hummel has recovered well from back-to-back ACL tears. And Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson offer solid support. But in the oversized Big Ten, the Boilermakers need some beef inside. They could use a midseason trade.

9. Northwestern: The Wildcats had a close call against Central Connecticut State on Saturday (they won 70-64). But they’ve only lost once: a blowout against Baylor at home. This is still a hard team to peg based on its soft nonconference schedule. But Big Ten play is coming. We’ll find out soon if the Wildcats are ready for their first-ever trip to the Big Dance.

10. Nebraska: Bo Spencer (16.1 ppg) is a special player. He’s mature and the bright lights of the Big Ten won’t intimidate him, considering the time he spent in the SEC. But this is a deep league. So the Cornhuskers will need more than a one-man operation to climb the conference’s standings.

11. Penn State: The Nittany Lions have lost three of four. But Tim Frazier (17.4 ppg, 7.2 apg) is the one bright spot for this struggling team.

12. Iowa: Fran McCaffery’s rebuilding phase is apparently going to take some more time, especially considering the depth in the Big Ten. But if he ever gets discouraged, he should call Tom Crean. These rebuilding projects don't show results right away.

No. 11 seed VCU (25-11) vs. No. 3 seed Purdue (26-7) 7:10 p.m. ET (TBS)

How they got here: Purdue blew out No. 14 seed St. Peter's. Virginia Commonwealth, after disposing of USC in Dayton, blew out No. 6 seed Georgetown. One of those results was a major surprise. It wasn’t shocking to see the Rams beat Georgetown -- that seemed like a plausible result, given the Hoyas’ late-season struggles -- but it was a shock to see VCU so thoroughly handle their battle-tested Big East foes. Coupled with VCU’s win against the Trojans and its deep run in the CAA tournament in early March, it’s safe to call the Rams one of the nation’s hottest, most confident teams.

Storyline: VCU coach Shaka Smart hasn’t shied away from that age-old classic coaching chestnut: “No one believed in us.” Smart has boosted his athletic Rams into the round of 32 by capitalizing on that discontent; he even showed his players a video of ESPN’s Joe Lunardi saying the Rams “couldn’t defend me” in advance of Friday night’s game. But after the dominating win over the Hoyas, can the Rams really say no one believes in them? Or will they find -- or create -- more disrespect to fuel their fire?

Players to watch: Purdue forward JaJuan Johnson and Purdue guard E'Twaun Moore are always players to watch. The Boilers are built around their two stars, and the explanation for their consistent excellence in 2010 and 2011 starts with both. But Purdue can’t rely only on their stars. They’ll also need big games from Ryne Smith and Lewis Jackson. Jackson will be crucial. VCU’s pressing defense put Georgetown in uncomfortable situations from the opening tip Friday night. The lightning-quick Jackson will have to handle that pressure competently.

Meanwhile, the Rams’ pressure will be a major focus of their attack, and to turn that up-tempo play into points, they’ll need to get another big game from point guard Joey Rodriguez and another hot shooting night from guard Brandon Rozzell.

What to look for: A battle of styles. It’s no secret Purdue comes from the slow-down, grind-it-out Big Ten, and the Boilermakers’ success has always come in the half court. Purdue’s offense is classic patient motion. Its defense is designed around checking opponents with aggressive half court man-to-man. VCU, on the other hand, likes to force an up-tempo style; the Rams like to press, force turnovers, run at the rim and make the game as skittish and unpredictable as possible. The first few minutes will be key. Purdue has to assert itself much more soundly than Georgetown did if Matt Painter’s team want to keep the Rams from controlling the game’s trajectory.

Quoteable: “Any time somebody presses you, you've got to be able to attack when it's there and be under control and take good shots. When it's not there, be able to run half-court offense. But that is the theme of a pressing team. They're trying to get you to get at a speed you're not used to. You've got to play fast but under control.” -- Purdue coach Matt Painter

No. 10 seed Florida State (22-10) vs. No. 2 seed Notre Dame (27-6) 9:40 p.m. ET (TBS)

How they got here: Notre Dame got a bit of a test from pesky 15-seed Akron on Friday, but the Fighting Irish eventually put the Zips away in the second half. Florida State, on the other hand, had a much tougher path. The Seminoles relied on their trademark defense to stall No. 7-seed Texas A&M 57-50. It was one of the tournament’s ugliest games, but it was plenty pretty to the Noles.

Storyline: It sounds weird, but in some ways, the Irish are still fighting for respect. Many -- including President Barack Obama -- believe Purdue is the team to beat in the bottom half of the Southwest region despite the Irish’s stellar offense and 14-4 finish in the rough-and-tumble Big East. This veteran team has its sights set on the highest of postseason goals. But first they have to find a way to score against Florida State.

Players to watch: Ben Hansbrough is the Big East player of the year. The reasons for that honor -- Hansbrough manages to be both an efficient scorer and a fantastic distributor, not to mention this team’s de facto leader -- are not mysterious. Hansbrough didn’t play well against Akron, but he didn’t really need to. Facing one of the nation’s top defenses, he will have to be comprehensively good on Friday. Also keep an eye on ND forward Scott Martin, who adds a crucial mid-range scoring option to a stacked group of perimeter shooters.

On Friday, Florida State forward Chris Singleton played his first game since a Feb. 19 foot injury. While he wasn’t at full strength, he did contribute a key 3-pointer to help FSU fend off a second-half A&M run. Singleton is likely to get more time Sunday, and his unique mix of hyper-athletic defense and creative offense could be the difference for the Seminoles.

What to look for: Perhaps the best offense-versus-defense matchup of the entire tournament. Per Ken Pomeroy’s adjusted efficiency metric, Notre Dame’s offense is the third-best unit in the entire country. By the same standard, Florida State’s defense is the single stingiest in the nation. It’s strength versus strength, and whoever can execute at the opposite end -- can Florida State’s ugly offense get buckets against ND’s so-so defense? -- will be the winner.

Quotable: "I don't know about it. I was very young then and wasn't really paying attention to stuff like that.” -- Florida State guard Derwin Kitchen on whether he was familiar with the classic 1993 Notre Dame-Florida State football game.

CHICAGO -- A look at the night games being held here at the United Center:

No. 14 seed St. Peter's (20-13) vs. No. 3 seed Purdue (25-7), 7:20 p.m. ET (TNT)

How they got here: Few teams have succeeded despite adversity quite as well as the 2011 Boilermakers. In October, Purdue lost star senior Robbie Hummel to his second torn ACL in eight months. Purdue coach Matt Painter was forced to recalibrate a team that had suddenly gone from a top-five national title contender to a team with two stars -- E'Twaun Moore and JaJuan Johnson -- and a lot of unheralded complementary pieces. Painter has succeeded in spades, and though Purdue fans may always wonder what could have been, it’s remarkable that this team still has a legitimate chance to reach the Final Four all the same. They’ll begin that quest against St. Peter’s, who finished fourth in the MAAC but toppled Loyola-Maryland, Fairfield and Iona on the way to a conference tournament title and an automatic NCAA berth.

Players to watch: Johnson and Moore are well-known to any casual college hoops fan, and it’s no secret Purdue’s stars have to excel on both ends of the floor for Purdue to succeed. But the Boilermakers also built success on the backs of role players this season. Lewis Jackson runs the show at the point, Ryne Smith -- who suffered a mild concussion this week but will play Friday -- is a deadly long-range shooter, and D.J. Byrd and Terone Johnson provide versatility and defense at the forward and guard spots.

One player missing from that list? Guard Kelsey Barlow, whom Painter suspended this week for disciplinary reasons. (Smith’s concussion and Barlow’s dismissal were not connected, as some speculated; on Thursday Painter confirmed Smith caught an inadvertent elbow from Moore in practice.) Whatever the reason for Barlow’s absence, the Boilermakers will have to spread their minutes and make up for Barlow’s unique ability to guard a variety of positions in Purdue’s pressing man-to-man.

What to look for: Can Purdue right the ship? The Boilermakers ended an otherwise peerless Big Ten season with back-to-back losses (at Iowa, to Michigan State in the Big Ten tournament). Will Purdue’s shots start falling again? How will Barlow’s absence affect Purdue’s defense, if at all? The first question could yield legitimate answers; surprisingly enough St. Peter’s boasts a top 20 defense per adjusted efficiency. The second question may be more difficult to gauge, as the Peacocks are among the nation’s worst offensive teams. But the shorthanded Boilermakers could go a long way toward proving itself to suddenly skeptical fans by handling a sneaky-tough No. 14 seed Friday.

Quotable: “It's kind of cool, I guess, in a way, that the President picks us to go to Elite Eight. But it's the reason that you play the games. I guess those people that they have us beating, I know they're not probably too happy about that.” -- Purdue forward Johnson on President Barack Obama’s prediction that Purdue will advance to the Elite Eight.

No. 11 seed VCU (24-11) vs. No. 6 seed Georgetown (21-10), 9:50 p.m. ET (TNT)

How they got here: Georgetown’s path to the tournament was never in doubt. But thanks to an untimely injury to starting point guard Chris Wright, the Hoyas lost their last four games down the stretch and, averaged 51.5 points per game in that span. Wright’s injury derailed a major mid-season surge; after starting 1-4 in Big East play, Georgetown won eight straight Big East games from Jan. 15 to Feb. 13, including a reputation-making win at Syracuse on Feb. 9. VCU, on the other hand, took the long road to the tournament. The Rams were one of the last four at-large teams included in this year’s field -- much to the chagrin of those who believed Colorado and Virginia Tech were more deserving -- but Shaka Smart’s team made the most of the opportunity with its win over USC in Dayton Wednesday night.

Players to watch: “Key player” is too understated a term for Wright. “Lifeblood” is more accurate. Wright isn’t Georgetown’s best or most efficient player; that honor goes to preseason Big East player of the year Austin Freeman. But the past three weeks have offered a clear picture of how Wright’s absence affects the Hoyas, and the picture isn’t pretty. The Georgetown guard responded well to four straight days of full practice this week, and the Hoyas will be glad to have him on the court. Defensively, Georgetown will be keen to stop VCU’s Jamie Skeen, a former Wake Forest transfer who has the size, athleticism and skill to play in the post or stretch defenses with the perimeter shot.

What to look for: It’s never a surprise when a team that loses its point guard struggles to maintain its prior level of play, but it is rare to see a team fall off so far without one player. But it’s really rather simple. With Wright, the Hoyas were one of the Big East’s best teams. Without him, they were barely mediocre. Wright’s presence could be the difference between an early exit and a deep tourney run, but is he really at full strength? And if not, can the Hoyas hold off a hot VCU team that rolled to the CAA tournament final and manhandled an athletic USC team?

Quotable: “Stairmaster. I think I was on a stairmaster, which is probably harder than anything I’ve ever had to do. That's very hard. I don't want to do it anymore.” -- Georgetown guard Chris Wright, on what he did to stay in shape during rehab.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- When did E'Twaun Moore know? When did he realize he couldn't be stopped?

Was it in the first half of Purdue's 76-63 win over Ohio State on Sunday, when Moore's deep 3 cut OSU's lead to 28-27? Was it the ensuing double-clutch breakaway layup that somehow -- how? -- found its way through the net? Was it the next two shots, a pair of 3s, one of which splashed in after traveling 25 feet from Moore's extended position on the left wing?

Or was it the final possession of the first half, when Purdue cleared out for their hot-shooting senior and watched as he drained a Jordanesque -- yes, Jordanesque -- one-on-one, 17-foot stepback with one of the Big Ten's best defenders (OSU's David Lighty) draped all over him?

Which moment was it, E'Twaun? Take your pick.

Moore smiles. He hesitates.

"I think somewhere late in the first half," he said. "I hit a 3 off a pin-down [screen], and I thought, 'OK, damn. That felt good.'"

"That felt good." Purdue fans, you now have your commemorative T-shirt. You also have three simple words, words that can describe those shots, this win, the maniacs in the crowd, and that classic performance -- and it was a classic -- by one of the nation's most perennially underrated guards.

For his part, Purdue guard Lewis Jackson saw it coming the moment Moore cracked his first smile of the game.

"I know once he gets that rhythm going and steps back and hits a 3 and once he smiles, you know he has it going," Jackson said. "E'Twaun, he may put his fingers up and tell you he hit a 3-pointer, but he rarely smiles. Once he smiles, he's in a zone, and you probably won't stop him that night."

Yes, it was a feel-good day in West Lafayette, but not just because Jackson's smile-based prediction came true, not just because Moore played what he called "definitely the best" game of his collegiate career. Moore scored 38 points on 13-of-18 shooting from the field (including 7-of-10 from beyond the arc!), 5-of-7 from the charity stripe, and added five assists, four rebounds and two steals. It wasn't just that such an insanely efficient, brilliant performance came on the same day Moore surpassed the 2,000 career points mark and became one of only four players in the history of the Big Ten to record 2,000 points, 500 rebounds and 350 assists in his career.

It wasn't just because Purdue found a way to frustrate Ohio State from the inside out just enough to make it difficult for the Buckeyes on the perimeter, where Lighty, Jon Diebler, William Buford, Aaron Craft and Deshaun Thomas combined for 4-of-15 beyond the arc.

And no, it wasn't just because Purdue's win handed the former No. 1-ranked Buckeyes their second conference loss in eight days and pulled the Boilermakers within a game of OSU's once-impenetrable Big Ten title lead.

All of those reasons would be enough, but as Jackson told reporters after the game, this one felt good for different, more complicated reasons. It felt good because this season wasn't supposed to.

"We remember in October when everybody was like 'It's over for Purdue, there's no chance, they may finish in the middle of the pack,'" Jackson said. "I think that makes it more satisfying to have a week like this.

"But I also know everyone in that locker room is not that happy, because we still want to get a Big Ten championship," he added. "We still want to chase our goal of the national championship and we won't be satisfied until we get there. But I think this is a great day for us. We'll sleep great tonight."

Jackson was referring to the underlying subplot of Purdue's season: The preseason injury to forward Robbie Hummel. Hummel was recovering from last February's devastating ACL tear when he suffered the same injury in October, which would cause him to miss his senior season and the final one he would play alongside his friends and fellow classmates, Moore and Johnson. Talking to Purdue at Big Ten media day in October felt almost sad; even the most die-hard Indiana fans in the state couldn't have wished such a cruel twist of fate on the Boilermakers.

There was still business to attend to, however. With minimal dissent, the college hoops landscape rushed to react to the news, pushing Purdue down their preseason rankings, and suddenly Matt Painter's team -- despite the fact that it still had two very good players in Moore and Johnson -- was mired in doom-and-gloom.

The disrespect did not go unnoticed.

"When you drop somebody in the rankings as much as everybody [dropped us] -- and rightfully so, if you want to drop us a little bit, a lot, OK -- it really spoke to all of our guys except E'Twaun and JaJuan," Painter said. "They take that personal. Wouldn't you take it personal? They take it personal."

The questions about Painter's team -- who else would score, who else could rebound? -- have been answered by a host of role players who fit perfectly inside Painter's high-intensity system. Jackson has taken over point guard duties and defended opposing guards well. Ryne Smith is a knockdown outside shooter. Kelsey Barlow, John Hart, D.J. Byrd and a host of other previously unknown glue guys have crashed the glass, made key shots, and defended at a championship level throughout the 2011 season.

"We have good players on our team," Painter said. "Maybe they didn't get recruited by everybody, but they're good players. It's in the eye of the beholder. I think they're good; I think they fill roles for us."

Those spot contributions -- especially Jackson's -- have been key. But Purdue's impressive season has been all about Johnson and Moore. Together, the inside-out duo scores 38.6 points per game, which is 52 percent of Purdue's total mark. They've also carried the bulk of the rebounding load. Without those performances, there's simply no way Purdue is 22-5, 11-3 in conference, and within striking distance of the Big Ten conference title as of Feb. 20. No way.

Which is why college hoops fans who wrote this Purdue team off in October -- the same fans who have for four years overlooked the historic and underrated production of Moore and Johnson in favor of Hummel's stardom -- finally need to take note. These seniors, and this team, aren't defined by their teammate's injury. Johnson and Moore still want to write their own story.

For as big a win as they got Sunday, for as many capital-M Moments as E'Twaun Moore delivered, his best -- and Purdue's best -- may be yet to come.

That's something every Purdue partisan should feel good about.

For the next month or so, our friends at The Mag are previewing one high-profile school per day for their Summer Buzz series. For the sake of all that is synergistic, yours truly will be attempting the same, complementing each comprehensive Insider preview with some adjusted efficiency fun. Today's subject: Purdue. Up next? Butler.

It's the existential basketball question: Can you win a title with stars alone? Or does it require more?

Thanks to Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and some other dude, most NBA fans have been asking themselves that question all summer. The consensus answer, long codified in the NBA, is yes: If your stars are that good, it doesn't matter who else fills in.

College basketball isn't quite the same game, of course, and the Purdue trio isn't exactly LeBron-Wade-Bosh, but it's fair to ask a similar question of the 2010-11 Purdue Boilermakers. Will a three-headed monster of Robbie Hummel, E'Twaun Moore, and JaJuan Johnson be enough to win an NCAA title?

It's also fair to answer with a resounding yes.

Which is not to say the Boilermakers will win the title. Merely that they can. (It's far too early for such bold proclamations. I'm a wimp.) Why? Because Hummel, Moore and Johnson are the rarest of college basketball trios -- a group of seniors with four years of collective experiences, accomplishments and disappointments alike. It's hard to quantify, but that sort of connectedness rarely happens for college basketball teams anymore, and it counts as a major plus. It's like going to college and playing in an open gym with your high school friends against a random pickup team. Even if you're less talented, you have an innate advantage. (You never want to play against that team in open gym. It's the worst.)

Purdue's three stars aren't likely to be the less talented team too often this season. Hummel is a bonafide do-everything wing, Moore is a silky perimeter threat, and Johnson is a consistently underrated presence on both ends of the floor. Together, they subsume a huge percentage of Purdue's offensive possessions, and Purdue coach Matt Painter wouldn't have it any other way.

That's not to say Purdue won't have to make some adjustments from last season's successful-until-the-Hummel-injury campaign. The main challenge for Purdue will be in replacing senior guard Chris Kramer, arguably the best perimeter defender in the country last season. Kramer's defensive contributions -- harassing every Purdue opponent's best player with all-out man defense for 40 minutes and forcing steals at a league-leading rate -- are a big part of why Purdue finished No. 3 overall in adjusted defensive efficiency last season. When Hummel was injured, the Boilermakers' offensive efficiency plummeted. (Remember that Minnesota game? Blech.) It's indicative of just how good Kramer was that the defense didn't face a similar fate.

But weirdly enough, replacing Kramer on defense might be the easiest part of the transition. Sophomore guard Lewis Jackson, who will step into Kramer's shoes, has the chops to approximate some of his former teammate's defensive ability. Painter will also look for Kelsey Barlow, freshman Terone Johnson, and 6-foot-8 sophomore Patrick Bade to fill Kramer's crater-sized shoes.

It's on offense that Kramer made his most underrated plays: Believe it or not, Kramer took the highest percentage of shots (62.4 percent) of any Purdue player in 2009-10, and his effective field goal percentage (58.5 percent) made him one of the more efficient scorers on the team. Jackson's eFG percentage in 2009-10 was, by contrast, 35.0 percent. It remains to be seen whether any of Purdue's newcomers or sophomores can do much better.

Still, there are reasons to be bullish about the Boilermakers, and they're not hard to find. Hummel, Moore, and Johnson are this team's core. They take the majority of its possessions -- that figure should increase in 2010-11 -- make the majority of the big plays, and they're as experienced as any group in the country. There's no reason, save maybe for Kramer's absence, to expect anything different in 2010-11.

Can three stars win you a national championship? Sure. Can they win Purdue one? We're about to find out.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Minnesota is showing this week that there's always time to put your best foot forward.

The Gophers' three-game run at the Big Ten tournament is their best stretch of the season, hands down. They beat Michigan State on Friday for the first time since 2006. They have reached the tournament championship game for the first time in team history.

All new goals, achieved just in the nick of time.

Coach Tubby Smith called the first 20 minutes of Saturday's semifinal matchup against Purdue "as good a half as I've been a part of." He's been a part of quite a few.

After Minnesota stomped No. 2 seed Purdue 69-42 to advance to the tournament championship game, forward Paul Carter said, "This is when you want to peak, right now, this time of the year."

Purdue might cringe at Carter's statement. Not because it's wrong, but because it's true.

And the Boilermakers definitely didn't peak Saturday. In fact, the 27-point loss was their worst since an 85-58 loss at Indiana on Jan. 10, 2007.

Their 11 first-half points marked the lowest in Big Ten tournament history, and Purdue's lowest since at least 1950. Purdue had a 12-point first half against Michigan State in the first round of the 2003 Big Ten tournament.

"They had a great day, and we had a bad day," Painter said. "I look at it as, we need to burn that tape and forget about it."

Unfortunately for Purdue, the NCAA tournament selection committee is going to be setting any fires on the 15th floor of the Westin Hotel a few blocks from here. They watched Saturday's debacle, and it's the final time they'll see Purdue before finalizing the selections.

The Boilers certainly wanted to leave a better lasting impression on a group that must evaluate them without star forward Robbie Hummel. Purdue has gone 4-2 since Hummel's season-ending knee injury: wins against Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern and Penn State, and losses to Minnesota and Michigan State. The Boilers averaged only 43 points in the losses. They were outrebounded 50-26 on Saturday.

There was fear of another key injury as starting guard Lewis Jackson hobbled off the court in the second half. A Minnesota player stepped on Jackson's surgically repaired left foot, but the prognosis is favorable.

"[The trainers] didn't think it was something where he couldn't come back and play here this week," Painter said.

So, how should the committee size up Purdue?

"They have to evaluate us really for where we are in terms of the guys on our roster and the guys that are currently playing," Painter said. "We're a good basketball team. Obviously, we're not better at this point than when Rob Hummel was playing. ... But we can't control that. We've got to go out and play and not make excuses. Our guys figured out a way to win the Big Ten without him.

"They have to evaluate us in our current state, and we understand that."

Purdue no longer has time to showcase itself to the committee. Minnesota, on the other hand, is just getting started.

Walking through the bowels of Conseco Fieldhouse, Minnesota athletics director Joel Maturi said he'd be "shocked" if the Gophers weren't into the NCAA tournament after the Purdue win. Minnesota can put any remaining doubts to rest by beating Ohio State on Sunday.

"We don't want to leave that to chance," guard Lawrence Westbrook said. "We want to get a win [Sunday], so we're 100 percent in the tournament."

INDIANAPOLIS -- Purdue maintained its defensive intensity through the halftime break, and tacked on some ferocious offensive rebounding.

Add in more heroics from junior guard E'Twaun Moore and junior forward JaJuan Johnson, and the Boilermakers proved too much for No. 7 seed Northwestern, holding on for a 69-61 victory. Second-seeded Purdue continues its Big Ten tournament title defense Saturday in the semifinals against Michigan State or Minnesota, while Northwestern waits for a likely NIT berth.

"Just knowing we have a guy in JaJuan Johnson in the inside who can be a big factor, and E'Twaun Moore, once he gets going, he's unstoppable," said guard Lewis Jackson, who provided a lift with four points and five assists. "We know we can feed off them."

Credit Northwestern for never going away, and Jeremy Nash brought the Wildcats to within a point in the final minute. But Boilermakers senior guard Chris Kramer, a nonfactor for nearly the entire game, responded with a 3-point play to make it a two-possession game.

There aren't many Purdue wins that don't feature a big play from Kramer, and you figured he would make his mark.

"We broke their 2-2-1 pressure and got it to JaJuan on the right wing," Kramer said. "I was cutting down the middle, he hit me right in stride, got fouled and just flipped the ball up, just trying to give it a chance, don't know how it went in.

"Any time you can help your team, it's great, but E'Twaun and JaJuan were big time for us."

After a sluggish start to the game, Purdue set the tone in the first 70 seconds of the second half, recording back-to-back 3-point plays. The Boilers continued to hound the Wildcats, slowing down one of the Big Ten's better offenses for most of the half. Moore stepped up big time with 28 points and five rebounds, and Johnson added 22 and eight rebounds. That's what Purdue needs in Robbie Hummel's absence.

Johnson struggled in a Jan. 16 loss to Northwestern, scoring just seven points before fouling out in only 18 minutes. He picked up two quick fouls Friday but never lost focus and scored 15 second-half points.

"I definitely felt the same, it was like, 'Aw, man, here we go,'" Johnson said of the early fouls. "I definitely didn't want to be in that situation. This time, I did a better job of staying in the game mentally. Coach [Matt] Painter did a real good job, subbing me in here and there, just a few minutes, just let me in the flow of the game, still.

"It helped me a lot in that second half."

Drew Crawford (15 points) and John Shurna (16 points) led Northwestern, but the Wildcats struggled with 15 turnovers and Purdue's pressuring man-to-man.

The officiating crew of Curtis Shaw, Paul Janssen and Dan Chrisman played far too big a role in the game, making questionable calls that affected both teams. There was no flow at all in the second half because a minute didn't go by without a whistle. Northwestern's entire starting backcourt fouled out, and Purdue also had several players in foul trouble. There were 52 fouls called.

Having Shaw officiate your conference tournament is just asking for national embarrassment, and the other two weren't much better.

"Big Ten basketball's reputation is it's a physical game," Shurna said. "A lot of calls were being called today, and it's a little tougher to get into it."