Boilers Stay In Chicago, Prepare For St. Peters

The Boiling Point: Purdue was given a No. 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament and will face St. Peters Friday at 7:20 p.m. in Chicago.

Purdue was given a No. 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament tonight and will face the St. Peter’s Peacocks Friday in Chicago. That game will be at 7:20 p.m. on TNT.

Tickets from Purdue don’t sound promising, unless you’re a student season ticket holder, but folks have found other ways to get tickets to just Purdue’s session (hint) instead of paying for the $243 all-session pass.

Purdue will face either Georgetown or the winner of the USC/VCU play-in game on Sunday, should the Boilers advance. The regional will be in San Antonio, where a matchup with No. 2-seed Notre Dame could occur.

The Big Ten got seven teams in the Big Dance, including Penn State, Michigan State, Michigan and Illinois.

For a complete breakdown of EVERY team in Purdue’s region, follow the jump.
(By The Associated Press)
Kansas
Lawrence, 32-2.
Nickname: Jayhawks. Coach: Bill Self.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: Big 12 champion.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 1.
Tournament Record: 85-38, 39 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (82.4); Marcus Morris 17.3; Markieff Morris 13.6; Tyrel Reed 10.0; Tyshawn Taylor 9.1.
Rebounds: Team (38.6); Markieff Morris 8.2; Marcus Morris 7.2; Thomas Robinson 6.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.9/13.5); Tyshawn Taylor 4.5/2.7; Brady Morningstar 3.3/1.2; Josh Shelby 2.4/2.3.
3-pointers: Team (.387); Tyrel Reed 66; Brady Morningstar 35; Josh Shelby 31.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: The Jayhawks have been consistent all season, even though Thomas Robinson (torn meniscus), Josh Selby (ankle injury) and Tyshawn Taylor (suspension) missed games late in the regular season. With that trio available, Kansas is the deepest team in the country.
———
Boston U.
Boston, 21-13.
Nickname: Terriers. Coach: Patrick Chambers.
Conference: American East. Bid: American East champion.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 16.
Tournament Record: 2-6, 6 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2002.
Scoring: Team (65.2); John Holland 19.2; Darryl Partin 14.5; Jake O’Brien 10.9.=
Rebounds: Team (36.0); Patrick Hazel 5.9; John Holland 5.9; Jake O’Brien 5.5; Dom Morris 4.7.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (9.6/11.6); D.J. Irving 3.6/2.0.
3-pointers: Team (.355); John Holland 73; Darryl Partin 62; Matt Griffin 53.
Last Ten: 10-0
The Skinny: The Terriers never led the America East title game until Holland made two free throws with 2.4 seconds left against Stony Brook. The senior from the Bronx is one of the most prolific scorers in school history, averaging better than 19 points per game the past two years.
———
UNLV
Las Vegas, 24-8.
Nickname: Rebels. Coach: Lon Kruger.
Conference: Mountain West. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 8.
Tournament Record: 33-16, 17 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (71.9); Tre’Von Willis 13.5; Chace Stanback 13.0; Oscar Bellfield 11.1; Anthony Marshall 9.6.
Rebounds: Team (35.2); Chace Stanback 6.0; Quintrell Thomas 5.2; Derrick Jasper 4.3; Anthony Marshall 4.0
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.5/12.7); Oscar Bellfield 3.8/2.3; Tre’Von Willis 3.6/2.1; Anthony Marshall 3.1/1.7.
3-pointers: Team (.331); Oscar Bellfield 45; Chace Stanback 32; Tre’Von Willis 40.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Five of the Runnin’ Rebels’ eight losses came to BYU and San Diego State, including a third loss to the Aztecs in the Mountain West tournament. But this is also the team that beat Wisconsin, Virginia Tech and Kansas State out of conference. Tough schedule.
———
Illinois
Champaign, 19-13.
Nickname: Fighting Illini. Coach: Bruce Weber.
Conference: Bid: At Large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 9.
Tournament Record: 38-29, 28 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (71.3); Demetri McCamey 14.8; Mike Davis 12.0; Mike Tisdale 10.1; Brandon Paul 9.2.
Rebounds: Team (34.8); Mike Davis 7.1; Mike Tisdale 6.4; Jereme Richmond 5.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.6/12.7); Demetri McCamey 6.1/2.8; Brandon Paul 2.0/1.8; D.J. Richardson 1.9/1.2.
3-pointers: Team (.387); Demetri McCamey 70; D.J. Richardson 50, Brandon Paul 40; Bill Cole 32.
Last Ten: 4-6.
The Skinny: The Illini began the season with victories over the likes of North Carolina, Gonzaga and Wisconsin. They’ve closed with 10 losses in their last 16 games, including a 60-55 defeat to Michigan in the Big Ten tournament. McCamey is outstanding, but he needs help.
———
Vanderbilt
Nashville, Tenn., 23-10.
Nickname: Commodores. Coach: Kevin Stallings.
Conference: Southeastern. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 5.
Tournament Record: 9-12, 11 years. Last appearance: 2010
Scoring: Team (76.2); John Jenkins 19.5; Jeffery Taylor 15.1; Festus Ezeli 12.8; Brad Tinsley 10.6.
Rebounds: Team (36.9); Lance Goulbourne 7.3; Festus Ezeli 6.2; Jeffery Taylor 5.4.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.4/13.2); Brad Tinsley 4.5/1.9; Andre Walker 2.8/1.3; Jeffrey Taylor 2.4/2.6.
3-pointers: Team (.370); John Jenkins 96; Brad Tinsley 43; Jeffrey Taylor 39.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: Jenkins led the SEC in scoring at nearly 20 points per game, including 29 in the conference tournament against Mississippi State. But he’s been dealing with an ailing left foot that contributed to a poor performance in a tourney loss to Florida.
 ———
Richmond
Richmond, Va., 27-7.
Nickname: Spiders. Coach: Chris Mooney.
Conference: Atlantic 10. Bid: Atlantic 10 champion.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 12.
Tournament Record: 6-8, 8 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (70.2); Justin Harper 17.9; Kevin Anderson 16.6; Dan Geriot 9.9.
Rebounds: Team (33.2); Justin Harper 7.0; Kevin Smith 4.2; Darrius Garrett 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.0/10.7); Kevin Smith 3.5/1.3; Kevin Anderson 3.3/2.1; Dan Geriot 2.8/1.7.
3-pointers: Team (.400); Justin Harper 73; Kevin Anderson 67; Darien Brothers 46; Dan Geriot 32.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: Mooney has built a juggernaut at Richmond, but the truth is the program has been good for years. The Spiders are the only program to ever win games as 12, 13 14 and 15 seeds, including upsets of Charles Barkley-led Auburn in 1984 and No. 2 seed Syracuse in 1991.
———
Louisville
Louisville, Ky., 25-9.
Nickname: Cardinals. Coach: Rick Pitino.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 4.
Tournament Record: 60-38, 36 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (75.4); Preston Knowles 14.8; Kyle Kuric 10.8; Peyton Siva 10.1; Terrence Jennings 9.7; Chris Smith 9.1.
Rebounds: Team (36.6); Terrence Jennings 5.2; Chris Smith 4.6; Gorgui Dieng 4.5; Preston Knowles 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (17.5/13.0); Peyton Siva 5.3/2.8; Preston Knowles 3.1/1.9; Chris Smith 2.5/1.6; Mike Marra 2.2/1.2.
3-pointers: Team (.361); Preston Knowles 97; Kyle Kuric 68; Mike Marra 45; Chris Smith 35.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Pitino said last week in New York City that this is the most fun he’s ever had coaching a team. It’s easy to see why. Knowles has become the star, but there’s a handful of guys on the bench who can fill it up. If the Cardinals knock down the 3, they’re dangerous.
 ———
Morehead State
Morehead, Ky., 24-9.
Nickname: Eagles. Coach: Donnie Tyndall.
Conference: Ohio Valley. Bid: OVC champion.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 13.
Tournament Record: 5-7, 6 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (69.8); Kenneth Faried 17.6; Demonte Harper 16.0; Terrance Hill 10.4; Sam Goodman 8.4.
Rebounds: Team (37.5); Kenneth Faried 14.5; Demonte Harper 4.9; Drew Kelly 4.4; Sam Goodman 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.3/15.1); Demonte Harper 3.4/3.9; Lamont Austin 2.0/1.3.
3-pointers: Team (.340); Terrance Hill 57; Demonte Harper 55; Ty Proffitt 48.
Last Ten: 9-1.
The Skinny: Most people already know about Faried, who earlier this season broke Tim Duncan’s modern-era Division I career rebounding record. He gets plenty of help from Harper, though, who had 27 points and 11 rebounds against Tennessee Tech in the Ohio Valley title game.
———
Georgetown
Washington, D.C., 21-10.
Nickname: Hoyas. Coach: John Thompson III.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 6.
Tournament Record: 45-25, 26 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (71.0); Austin Freeman 17.9; Chris Wright 13.1; Jason Clark 12.1.
Rebounds: Team (33.7); Julian Vaughn 6.0; Hollis Thompson 4.4; Jason Clark 4.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.1/13.4); Chris Wright 5.4/2.9; Austin Freeman 2.5/1.7.
3-pointers: Team (.360); Austin Freeman 62; Jason Clark 51; Chris Wright 42; Hollis Thompson 38.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: The Hoyas haven’t won since losing Wright to a broken hand with a couple weeks left in the regular season. They hope he’s able to play in the NCAA tournament, especially given how much they struggled against UConn in the Big East tournament without him.
———
Southern Cal
Los Angeles, 19-14.
Nickname: Trojans. Coach: Kevin O’Neill.
Conference: Pac-10. Bid: At Large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 11.
Tournament Record: 12-17, 15 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (66.8); Nikola Vucevic 17.3; Jio Fontan 10.4; Alex Stepheson 10.0; Donte Smith 9.9; Maurice Jones 9.9.
Rebounds: Team (34.0); Nikola Vucevic 10.2; Alex Stepheson 9.2.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.1/11.4); Jio Fontan 4.0/2.4; Maurice Jones 3.3/2.1.
3-pointers: Team (.357); Donte Smith 73; Maurice Jones 40.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: It’s been an embarrassing stretch for Southern Cal. O’Neill was suspended the rest of the Pac-10 tournament after getting into a confrontation with an Arizona booster. Then the Trojans lost 67-62 to the Wildcats in the semifinals. Time to make some positive news.
 ———
Virginia Commonwealth
Richmond, 23-11.
Nickname: Rams. Coach: Shaka Smart.
Conference: Colonial Athletic Association. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 11.
Tournament Record: 5-9, 9 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scorng: Team (71.5); Jamie Skeen 15.3; Bradford Burgess 14.0; Brandon Rozzell 11.3; Joey Rodriguez 10.6.
Rebounds: Team (32.0); Jamie Skeen 7.5; Bradford Burgess 6.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.2/11.6); Joey Rodriguez 4.8/2.3; Darrius Theus 2.2/1.4.
3-pointers: Team (.359); Brandon Rozzell 61; Joey Rodriguez 60; Bradford Burgess 55.
Last Ten: 5-5.
The Skinny: Another curious selection, the Rams got into the tournament despite losing five of their last eight games, including a conference tournament game to Old Dominion. Their win over fellow NCAA tournament participant George Mason must have carried a lot of weight.
———
Purdue
West Lafayette, Ind., 25-7.
Nickname: Boilermakers. Coach: Matt Painter.
Conference: Big Ten. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 3.
Tournament Record: 34-24, 24 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (72.7); JaJuan Johnson 20.5; E’Twaun Moore 18.2; Lewis Jackson 7.8.
Rebounds: Team (35.2); JaJuan Johnson 8.2; E’Twaun Moore 5.1.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (15.8/10.3); Lewis Jackson 3.9/1.9; E’Twaun Moore 3.2/1.6.
3-pointers: Team (.367); E’Twaun Moore 69; Ryne Smith 50; D.J. Byrd 35.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Remember when everyone thought the Boilermakers would be lost without Robbie Hummel? Guys like Johnson and Moore picked up the slack, while role players like Lewis Jackson and Ryne Smith are a big reason why Painter deserves Coach of the Year consideration.
 ———
Saint Peter’s
Jersey City, N.J., 20-13.
Nickname: Peacocks. Coach: John Dunne.
Conference: Metro Atlantic Athletic. Bid: MAAC champion.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 14.
Tournament Record: 0-2, 2 years. Last NCAA Appearance: 1995.
Scoring: Team (61.4); Wesley Jenkins 12.8; Jeron Belin 11.6; Nick Leon 10.6; Ryan Bacon 10.0.
Rebounds: Team (35.8); Ryan Bacon 7.5; Jeron Belin 5.3; Darius Conley 5.1; Wesley Jenkins 4.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (11.3/15.1); Nick Leon 3.1/2.5; Wesley Jenkins 1.6/2.0.
3-pointers: Team (.404); Wesley Jenkins 65; Nick Leon 58; Steven Samuels 37.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Peacocks upset top-seeded Fairfield and second-seeded Iona to win the MAAC title and their first NCAA tournament bid in 16 years. They have a team full of senior who were just 6-24 as freshman during the 2007-08 season. They sure have come a long way since.
———
Texas A&M
College Station, 24-8.
Nickname: Aggies. Coach: Mark Turgeon.
Conference: Big 12. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 7.
Tournament Record: 9-12, 11 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (68.9); Khris Middleton 14.3; David Loubeau 11.9; B.J. Holmes 9.8; Nathan Walkup 9.4.
Reounds: Team (36.3); Nathan Walkup 5.6; Khris Middleton 5.2; David Loubeau 4.9; Kourtney Roberson 4.0.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (13.5/13.0); Dash Harris 3.1/2.1; B.J. Holmes 3.2/1.7; Khris Middleton 2.8/2.7.
3-pointers: Team (.338); B.J. Holmes 49; Khris Middleton 36; Nathan Walkup 30.
Last Ten: 7-3.
The Skinny: Middleton’s cousin, Josh Powell, plays for the Atlanta Hawks, and the 6-foot-7 sophomore might soon be joining him in the NBA. He’s a good shooter with excellent range and can also bang inside. That kind of versatility makes opposing coaches jealous.
———
Florida State
Tallahassee, 21-10.
Nickname: Seminoles. Coach: Leonard Hamilton.
Conference: Atlantic Coast. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 10.
Tournament Record: 12-12, 12 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (69.3); Chris Singleton 13.8; Derwin Kitchen 9.9; Michael Snaer 8.6; Bernard James 8.4.
Rebounds: Team (39.0); Chris Singleton 7.1; Bernard James 5.7; Derwin Kitchen 5.5.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (12.5/16.1); Derwin Kitchen 3.6/2.0; Luke Loucks 2.2/1.6; Michael Snaer 2.2/2.5.
3-pointers: Team (.330); Deividis Dulkys 51; Michael Snaer 37; Chris Singleton 33.
Last Ten: 6-4.
The Skinny: The Seminoles’ success could depend on how much Singleton can contribute after surgery Feb. 14 on his broken right foot. Hamilton has been hoping all along that last year’s ACC defensive player of the year would be back by the NCAA tournament.
———
Notre Dame
South Bend, Ind., 26-6.
Nickname: Fighting Irish. Coach: Mike Brey.
Conference: Big East. Bid: At large.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 2.
Tournament Record: 30-34, 30 years. Last appearance: 2010.
Scoring: Team (76.0); Ben Hansbrough 18.5; Tim Abromaitis 15.3; Carleton Scott 11.6; Scott Martin 9.9; Tyrone Nash 9.7.
Rebounds: Team (36.9); Carleton Scott 7.1; Tim Abromaitis 6.1; Tyrone Nash 5.9; Scott Martin 4.9.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (16.7/10.7); Ben Hansbrough 4.3/2.4; Eric Atkins 3.3/1.2; Tyrone Nash 2.7/1.6; Carleton Scott 2.2/1.3.
3-pointers: Team (.392); Ben Hansbrough 82; Tim Abromaitis 72; Carleton Scott 45; Scott Martin 34.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: Hansbrough received no recognition — not even honorable mention All-Big East — before the season. By March, he’d become the Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference pick. Meanwhile, the Irish set their modern-era record for wins (25) in the regular season.
———
Akron
Akron, Ohio, 23-12.
Nickname: Zips. Coach: Keith Dambrot.
Conference: Mid-American. Bid: MAC champion.
Region: Southwest. Seed: No. 15.
Tournament Record: 0-2, 2 years. Last appearance: 2009.
Scoring: Team (70.5); Nikola Cvetinovic 11.9; Brett McKnight 10.3; Brett McClanahan 10.1.
Rebounds: Team (34.5); Nikola Cvetinovic 7.0; Zeke Marshall 4.8.
Assists/Turnovers: Team (14.6/12.1); Alex Abreu 3.5/2.2; Steve McNees 2.9/1.2; Nikola Cvetinovic 2.1/2.1.
3-pointers: Team (.361); Brett McClanahan 80; Steve McNees 65; Darryl Roberts 49; Alex Abreu 34.
Last Ten: 8-2.
The Skinny: The Zips lost in the MAC championship game on a buzzer-beater in 2007, then fell in overtime last year to ninth-seeded Ohio. This time, a last-second shot went their way. Akron was 12-10 at one point this season before getting it together in February.