Despite Early Jitters, Purdue Freshmen Not Intimidated by NCAA Tournament

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Gicarri Harris and CJ Cox understood the finality that March Madness presents. Although they hadn't experienced it until this season, Purdue's two freshmen entered the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament prepared for the moment.

Some may not understand just how difficult it is for a player to mentally prepare for this type of an environment. Yes, both Harris and Cox proved their worth on the court throughout the regular season. This is March Madness, though, a tournament that wreaks havoc on the nervous system on all of its participants.

Yet Cox and Harris — both incredibly confident and composed — weren't intimidated by the magnitude of the situation. In the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Purdue's two star freshmen had flashes of brilliance.

It started in Thursday's 75-63 victory over High Point at Amica Mutual Pavilion with Harris rebounding everything within arm's reach. He finished the game with eight boards, but it wasn't his only contribution. Midway through the second half, with the Boilermakers leading the Panthers 56-50, the freshman knocked down an open triple to push the lead out to nine points.

Yes, High Point was able to make a run and close the gap, but Harris' three-pointer prevented the Panthers from tying the game or taking a lead.

On Saturday, it was Cox had the opportunity to help the Boilers clinch a spot in the Sweet 16. He finished the afternoon with 11 points two assists and a steal in a 76-62 victory over McNeese.

Thanks to contributions from the two newcomers, Purdue is headed back to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the last eight years. They Boilers will play in front of a home crowd (essentially), with the Midwest Regional held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

"We were already ready, all the coaches and players have been helping us the whole time," Harris said. "So, even though we're freshmen, we're still really confident, we still feel very ready to go out there and compete."

Compete they did, and in different ways. Harris made his impact on the glass, concluding Purdue's trip to Providence with 13 rebounds to go along with six points. Cox ended the trip with 13 points, two assists and two steals in the pair of postseason victories.

At times, it may have seemed like both Harris and Cox were fearless in their first March Madness visit. That wasn't the case, though. There were certainly some nerves for the freshmen, especially in the first round matchup against High Point.

When it was time to play McNeese on Saturday, though, they felt more comfortable in the situation.

"I feel like once we got that first win out of the way, coming in more prepared and locked in, I feel like the jitters kind of went away," Cox said.

Performing well in the NCAA Tournament is not an easy task, and Harris and Cox could ask a few of their teammates about that. Rewind back to 2023, when the top-seeded Boilermakers dropped their opening round game to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson. In that game, both Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer struggled.

The then-freshmen put up solid numbers — Loyer scored 13 points and Smith had seven points and six assists — but the magnitude of the NCAA Tournament got the best of them. It didn't happen to Harris and Cox, at least not in the first two rounds.

Yes, the situation in 2025 is much different than the one in 2023. Purdue needed Smith and Loyer to perform at a high level in order to be successful two years ago. Harris and Cox aren't burdened with a bulk of the workload this season. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's easier, especially given the win-or-go-home circumstances.

A major component in the success of Harris and Cox these past two games has been because of their mental approach. Regardless of opponent, score or circumstance, they're both focused on making a difference.

"Just play hard, do what we do, no matter where we are or who we are playing," Cox said. "Whether it's a No. 1 seed or No. 15 seed, treating everyone equally and going out there and playing our hardest."

Purdue may not take any opponent lightly, but the competition is about to improve drastically. On Friday, the Boilermakers will play top-seeded Houston in the Sweet 16. The Cougars are arguably the best defensive team in the country and will present plenty of challenges.

Just like the first two rounds, Purdue's freshmen are ready for the moment, especially in front of a large Boilermaker fanbase.

"It will feel like a home game, basically. A lot of Purdue fans will come out and support us," Cox said. "I feel like that will give us an edge and a lot more energy."

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