Purdue vs. High Point: 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview & Predictions

by BettingPros Staff |
Mar 16, 2025

The 2025 NCAA Tournament is officially here! The March Madness Bracket is set, and first-round NCAA Tournament matchups are in place. It’s time to make your picks and predictions for the first round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament! We’re here to help as we’ll have picks and predictions for each of the first-round 2025 NCAA Tournament games. Here are our NCAA Tournament previews and predictions for Purdue vs. High Point.

2025 NCAA Tournament Preview & Predictions: Purdue vs. High Point

Here are the odds for this opening-round matchup of the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Let’s dive into our preview and predictions for this first-round NCAA Tournament matchup.

Purdue 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

The Boilermakers are heading into the tournament, and in case you weren't aware, they no longer have Zach Edey. That has caused some clear issues, but let's start with the positives.

This year’s team is really impressive on offense, showcasing some serious shooting skills from all parts of the court. Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith is a dynamic playmaker with the highest assist rate among any DI player. Then there’s Fletcher Loyer, who adds to the perimeter threat with his impressive shooting. I must note that while Loyer shot 46% from deep on the year, that number jumps to over 50% at home and drops to 36% on the road — a serious step down when playing away from Mackey Arena. It’s Trey Kaufman-Renn who has had to step up in the biggest way without Edey. Kaufman-Renn averages 20.2 points and 6.2 rebounds a game, both team-leading.

Defense is the question though. Purdue’s near-proximity defense is among the worst in college hoops and is going to be a serious Achilles heel against bigger teams. Purdue also has some of the pronounced home/road splits of any tournament team, ranking 362nd in Haslametrics’ away-from-home metric. This, combined with their inconsistent and sub-50-ranked defense, makes the Boilermakers vulnerable to early upsets against any team that can get hot from deep and take advantage of their weak interior offense.

Still, head coach Matt Painter's system has proven successful over the years, and after Purdue’s run to the championship game in last year’s tournament, it's clear he knows how to win. We all remember what happened two years ago, though.

High Point 2025 NCAA Tournament Preview

High Point enters March Madness as one of college basketball’s most compelling mid-major stories under second-year coach Alan Huss, who orchestrated the best season in program history so far. The Panthers feature a remarkably loaded roster with an embarrassment of riches that would impress even high-major programs, with the 55th most bench minutes in DI. Their offensive attack is led by dynamic guard Kezza Giffa alongside Kansas transfer Bobby Pettiford, who can get to the rim at will.

The frontcourt is anchored by Kimani Hamilton, a versatile basket-attacking, athletic forward, and the dominant 7-footer and Big South Defensive Player of the Year Juslin Bodo Bodo. Bodo Bodo not only anchors the Panthers’ interior defense but has the best offensive rebounding percentage in the country. The team is supplemented by sharpshooters D’Maurian Williams, Chase Johnston, and Trae Benham. To emphasize the depth of this squad, High Point was down 48-33 to Winthrop in the conference championship before Huss put in his bench that finished the game on a 48-21 run. This deep, experienced team employs an offensive system reminiscent of Huss’s time at Creighton, featuring relentless rim attacks, sophisticated pick-and-roll actions, and excellent spot-up shooting that powered them to a top-30 national ranking in offensive efficiency this year.

They have the nation’s longest winning streak heading into the tournament and any player can get hot for some potential madness. You can’t exactly say they are battle-tested with the 330th-lowest non-con SOS but they have the talent to disrupt.

Check out all of our 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket & Betting Coverage >>

2025 NCAA Tournament Game Previews

March Madness is officially here! The 2025 NCAA Tournament Bracket has been announced, and the teams are lining up for the Big Dance. Let's take a look at the early odds, previews, and predictions for the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

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