The Round of 64 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament starts off with the 4 vs. 13 matchup in the Midwest Region. The Purdue Boilermakers out of the Big Ten are heavy favorites against the High Point Panthers from the Big South. This is one of the many David vs. Goliath matchups in the big dance. Purdue is coming in with a 22-11 overall record while the underdog Panthers have a 29-5 overall mark.
After a 9-4 start to the season, Purdue won 12 of their final 17 regular-season games and made it to the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament before coming up short to eventual champion Michigan. On the other hand, High Point claimed the only available spot for the Big South Confernece in the NCAA Tournament by winning the Big South Conference Tournament. They defeated Winthrop in the championship game.
High Point is currently on a 14-game win streak. This is their first NCAA Tournament appearance and they have the chance to pull off a major stuffer during the first day of the event. Meanwhile, Purdue is trying to make another deep run this March after coming one win short of winning the National Championship last season. Here's how you can watch the opening match of college basketball's premier postseason tournament.
How to watch Purdue vs. High Point
Date: Thursday, March 20 Time: 12:40 PM ET Venue: Amica Mutual Pavilion in Providence, Rhode Island How To Watch (TV): TruTV Streaming: fubo TV Purdue Record: 22-11, 13-7 Big Ten High Point Record: 29-5, 14-2 Big South
Purdue vs High Point odds, spread, and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook
Moneyline Purdue -330 High Point +260
Spread Purdue -8.5 (-102) High Point +8.5 (-120)
Total 153.5 (over -115/under 105)
Purdue Injury Report
Daniel Jacobsen, C: Out (knee)
High Point Injury Report
N/A
Purdue and High Point Series History
Purdue all-time record Vs. High Point: 1-0 (2011)
Purdue vs. High Point prediction
Both of these teams are similar from an offensive point of view. Purdue and High Point can shoot the ball well from 3. For the Boilermakers, three guys carry the load offensively. Those players are forward Trey Kaufman-Renn and the backcourt duo of Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer. The trio combine for an average of 50.1 points per night. Kaufman-Renn is having a breakout season after being a bench player for the last two years.
Smith has grown as one of the best outside shooters in the game while being the main distributor. Loyer is also a dead-eye shooter. Of all players with at least 30 games played, he is leading the team in 3-point percentage(46.4%). Did I mention shooting? Well, that is Purdue’s specialty. The team ranks 13th in the country when it comes to knocking down trays, as they shoot 38.5 percent beyond the arc.
While having a solid scoring trio like this is great, the scoring load drops off significantly. No other player averages 10+ points per game. The closest that comes to that is freshman guard C.J. Cox(5.9 PPG). Purdue ranks seventh in the nation in offensive efficiency. This dip in scoring production won’t be much of a concern if he can step up as well as nobody struggling to make shots. On the other hand, High Point has a deeper influx of players that can score the basketball.
High Point loves to rip nets from downtown. The leading 3-points marksmen are guards Chase Johnston(43.5%), Bobby Pettiford(42.1%), and D’maurian Williams(39.8%). And that’s not all there is as five other players shoot the ball from 3 at a clip of 33% or better. That’s the beauty of this team. High Point has a deep rotation that ranges from nine to 10 players.
Be prepared to see coach Alan Huss sub guys in and out throughout the game. Their main offensive weapons are senior guard Kezza Giffa(14.8 PPG) and junior forward Kimani Hamilton(13.4 PPG). Again, both are capable shooters from the outside. This is the main reason why the Panthers are on a 14-game winning streak at the moment. HPU ranks 25th in offensive efficiency.
Purdue does have another problem that could hinder their chances of making the Final Four again. This team has a lack of size. No more Zach Edey has caused issues on the glass. Purdue went from 10th to 315th in the nation for rebounding in just one year. The tallest presences the team will have available are the aforementioned Kaufman-Renn (6-9) and bench forward Caleb Furst (6-10). None are prototypical big guys.
This might not be much of an issue against their first-round opponent but it will be noticeable in future rounds if Purdue doesn’t get upset. If things go according to plan, the Boilermakers could trade makes with High Point early on but will run away toward the end of the second half. The playmaking of Smith as well as the strong outside shooting and scoring, can be enough to help them move on.
Despite High Point's insane offensive prowess, they lack the results on the other end. The Panthers rank 227th in defensive efficiency. They have improved a bit on that end over recent weeks. But, this is the same squad that allowed UNC-Ashville to score 100 points in two regular-season matchups. It also hurts that they haven’t played a Quad 1 opponent. They haven’t gotten that major test and are unprepared to play big-time defense.
Despite that potentially being exposed, their offense and high-volume scoring will keep them in the game. If they can hit shots, they will stand a chance. We have seen high-powered mid-major with little defense, advance in the NCAA Tournament. However, in this scenario, Purdue will still come out on top.
The reason is that their defense ranks 63rd in efficiency. High Point should make shots throughout the first half but High Point not playing a major opponent until now will hurt their chances. After a while, High Point's shots will start failing to fall. In the second half, Purdue will run away with this game, especially since Braden Smith can get others involved. The Boilermakers have the talent and matchup advantages and for High Point to win, they'd have to find a defense that hasn't been there all year long.