The NCAA Tournament rolls on into the Elite Eight on Saturday. We have two regional final games on tap as we narrow down the March Madness field. Let’s dive into the top NCAA Tournament PrizePicks Predictions for today’s pair of Elite Eight matchups. We’ll dish out the top plays for Iowa vs. Illinois and Purdue vs. Arizona. Note that these lines are accurate as of this writing, but are always subject to change. Best of luck!
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight PrizePicks Predictions (Saturday)
Arizona has multiple scoring options, with five or six guys capable of leading the way in any given game. For this matchup against Purdue, Koa Peat is the player to watch. The standout freshman scored 21 points against Arkansas and is now averaging 16.7 PPG in the NCAA Tournament thus far.
The NCAA Tournament rolls on into the Elite Eight on Saturday. We have two regional final games on tap as we narrow down the March Madness field. Let’s dive into the top NCAA Tournament PrizePicks Predictions for today’s pair of Elite Eight matchups. We’ll dish out the top plays for Iowa vs. Illinois and Purdue vs. Arizona. Note that these lines are accurate as of this writing, but are always subject to change. Best of luck!
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight PrizePicks Predictions (Saturday)
Arizona has multiple scoring options, with five or six guys capable of leading the way in any given game. For this matchup against Purdue, Koa Peat is the player to watch. The standout freshman scored 21 points against Arkansas and is now averaging 16.7 PPG in the NCAA Tournament thus far.
Peat's strength around the basket and ability to overpower defenders in the paint can give Purdue serious trouble. The Boilermakers rank 249th nationally in defending two-point shots and often struggle against physical power forwards. Trey Kaufman-Renn is more of an offensive-minded big, and he's frequently targeted down low. Meanwhile, Oscar Cluff is usually tied up with opposing centers.
Arizona will likely exploit this by feeding Peat against Kaufman-Renn, while Cluff is tasked with guarding Arizona center Motiejus Krivas. Purdue has recently had issues containing inside scoring from opposing power forwards and bigs. Texas' Dailyn Swain tallied 15 points against the Boilermakers in the Sweet 16, while both Shelton Henderson (18 points) and Malik Reneau (16) found success in the paint for Miami in the Round of 32. In the Big Ten Tournament, Yaxel Lendeborg (20) and Nick Martinelli (25) had big games inside. Expect Peat to join this group.
Fletcher Loyer has been red-hot from beyond the arc lately. The Purdue senior has knocked down four three-pointers in each of the first three NCAA Tournament games so far, shooting 60% from downtown. He's also made three or more triples in six consecutive games.
Loyer's shooting will be crucial if Purdue wants to stay competitive today. Arizona's elite interior defense is likely to limit opportunities for Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff. The Wildcats' size and athleticism could challenge Braden Smith at the point as well. That means Loyer may need to shoulder more of the scoring load from the perimeter, especially if Purdue falls behind and needs three-point production to close the gap.
This season, Loyer is connecting on an impressive 43.5% of his threes. Plus, his hot shooting during the NCAA Tournament continues an even longer run. He's made three or more three-pointers in 12 of his last 17 games now, shooting 50% from deep in this stretch. While Arizona does defend the three-point line well, Loyer's high volume should help him hit this mark.
Kylan Boswell wasn't much of an offensive factor in the Sweet 16 win over Houston. The Illinois guard scored just six points and went 0-for-4 from the field. However, it was encouraging to see him get to the free-throw line 10 times while staying aggressive and driving to the rim.
Things should be much easier for Boswell against Iowa, especially after dealing with Houston's hounding defense. Before that last game, the senior scored 13 and 12 points in the first two games of the NCAA Tournament. Notably, after being held to single digits this season, Boswell is averaging 14.8 PPG in the games after. That includes 11+ points in seven of those nine instances.
Boswell should play a bigger offensive role than he just did. Against Iowa earlier this season, he went for 17 points as one of the Illini's top scorers. Boswell will likely be guarded by Bennett Stirtz, who has limitations defensively. The former owned that matchup once already, and he should be active again.
