Sunday’s Elite 8 games have a similar feel. All four teams are familiar with each other as they have played one another respectively earlier in the year, for some teams twice every season. This is what you need to know about today.

Midwest Regional Final:

#1 Purdue vs #2 Tennessee:

These two teams are quite familiar with each other from their matchup in the Maui Invitational Semi-Final. In that contest Purdue pulled away late with a 10-6 run to end the game and win 71-67. That game was very physical and called tight as there were 52 personal foul calls that night. Purdue was 29-48 from the line and Tennessee was 21-30. Zach Edey was in somewhat of foul trouble and Fletcher Loyer probably played his best game this season in that matchup scoring 27 points. Since that matchup Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht has really come into his own, having scored 30 plus points in 7 games this season after that and has really turned into one of the nation’s premier scorers. This Tennessee team really makes you work for everything you get, but I think their biggest strength is defending without fouling. Against Creighton they really made the Bluejays work for every point they scored, but they kept them off the line just enough to win that basketball game. The Vols remained aggressive and won that game at the line because of their aggressiveness. Purdue on the other hand has had some favorable matchups this tournament with Zach Edey’s size and It’s not just Zach Edey beating you, it’s Fletcher Loyer vs Utah State and Braden Smith vs Gonzaga, but the two unsung heroes in Camden Heide and Lance Jones as well. In this Matchup with these two teams evenly matched up, I do believe the team that can defend without fouling the most wins this basketball game. Both teams are aggressive offensively, but I do believe Tennessee is the better defensive team and the more athletic team on the perimeter. A key matchup in this game will be Zakai Zeigler vs Braden Smith, who will have the better matchup of the two, who will be the better Point Guard.

Prediction: Tennessee over Purdue

South Regional Final:

#4 Duke vs #11 NC State:

DJ Burns has turned in the darling of the tournament and NC State has been on quite a Cinderella run since the ACC Tournament. Considered a bubble team, these Wolfpack went against all odds to be here and have flourished through adversity. They are not only the hottest team in tournament but probably third next to UConn and Purdue as the most dominant team in the tournament. Their Two wins vs Texas Tech and Marquette showed how good their perimeter defense was holding both teams to 36% from the field and 17.7% from beyond the Arc. DJ Burns against Marquette really set the tone early on with his passing and playmaking ability out of the post, while Casey Morsell and DJ Horne made big shots vs one of the best teams in the nation. These two teams know each other very well, playing each other every season at least once in the ACC. This will be the third matchup between these two teams and the rubber match, as both teams split in their two matchups prior. Duke has really shot well from deep in their three tournament games so far at 39.5%. Freshman Jarred McCain and Senior Jeremy Roach have really catapulted this team in the last two games and as a team Duke really showed a true test of toughness by out hustling and muscling one of the toughest teams in the nation in Houston, a game that everyone had Duke losing in. In their last matchup vs NC State, Duke didn’t play their best perimeter defense by allowing NC State to make 43.8% from beyond the Arc, as NC State was also the more aggressive team getting to the stripe 6 more times than Duke. While NC State was also great on the perimeter limiting Duke to 25% from Three. A Key Matchup in this game will be Kyle Filipkowski vs the frontcourt of NC State. Flip had a great game in their last matchup vs this frontcourt with 28 points and 14 rebounds, can Duke couple that with the great perimeter shooting they’ve displayed in the tournament? We will have to see. With that being said, I believe NC State is a team of destiny playing with house money, they continue to be aggressive in this one from the tip and they stifle Duke with great perimeter defense.

Prediction: NC State over Duke