WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. â After two convincing wins in Indianapolis, the Purdue menâs basketball team has begun preparations for its Sweet 16 encounter with Gonzaga on Friday night in Detroit.
The Boilermakers will practice Wednesday before departing to Detroit. Thursdayâs activities in Detroit will include press conferences and media availability before practice at Little Caesarâs Arena. Unlike the open practice in Indianapolis, Thursdayâs practice is closed to the public.
â¢Â TICKETS: Tickets through the Purdue Athletics ticket office are sold out, but we encourage fans to use trusted third-party sites to purchase tickets.: StubHub.
The Boilermakers and 5th-seeded Gonzaga will battle for the second time this season, tipping off at 7:39 p.m. ET, at Little Caesarâs Arena in Detroit â the home of Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons. The Boilermakers defeated Gonzaga 73-63 in the opening round of the Maui Invitational. This marks Purdueâs second trip to Little Caesarâs Arena for the NCAA Tournament, as Purdue advanced to the Sweet 16 out of Detroit in 2018, defeating Cal State-Fullerton 74-48 and Butler 76-73.
The winner will face the winner of No. 2 seed Tennessee and No. 3 seed Creighton on Sunday at a time to be announced.
BOILERBALL NCAA FACTS
⢠Purdue will be making its fifth Sweet 16 appearance in the last seven tournaments, the second most in the country during that span, behind Fridayâs opponent, Gonzaga.
⢠Purdue has set a school record for most wins in a season with 31, surpassing the 30 victories accomplished by the 2017-18 team (30-7). Purdue has won at least 26 games 11 times under Matt Painter, including in seven of the last nine seasons (2020, 2021).
⢠Purdue owns a 7-0 record against the other members of the Sweet 16, defeating six different teams. No other team in the field is unbeaten against the Sweet 16 field or has defeated more than four Sweet 16 opponents (Connecticut, North Carolina – 4 each).
⢠FRIDAY FAN HEADQUARTERS: The Purdue for Life Foundation has established a tournament headquarters for all alumni and fans less than a quarter mile from Little Caesars Arena at Hockeytown Cafe. The Cafe opens at Noon, there is no entry fee, and no registration is required. Attendees are responsible for their own food and drink. Seating is first come, first served!
Time: Opens at Noon
Location: Hockeytown Cafe (2301 Woodward Ave, Detroit, MI 48201))
Price: Admission is free, guests are responsible for their own food and drink.
Registration: None, first come, first served.
