How to Watch Purdue's First-Round NCAA Tournament Game vs. Queens Live
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ST. LOUIS — The NCAA Tournament has arrived and we have an interesting showdown in St. Louis. No. 2 seed Purdue will take on No. 15 seed Queens in the opening round on Friday night, the first game of what the Boilermakers hope is a long March Madness journey.
Purdue begins the tournament close to home, making the four-hour drive from Mackey Arena to the Enterprise Center. This is an experienced Boilermaker team that has experienced all the highs and lows throughout their careers.
Queens is making its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament and would love to put itself on the map. It sets up for an intriguing matchup on Friday night.
No. 2 Purdue (27-8) vs. No. 15 Queens (21-13)
- What: First round of the NCAA Tournament
- Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
- Tipoff time: 7:35 p.m. ET
- Location: Enterprise Center in St. Louis (18,096)
- TV: TruTV
- TV announcers: Spero Dedes (play-by-play), Jim Spanarkel (analyst), Jon Rothstein (reporter)
- App: March Madness
- Radio: Purdue Global Radio Network — WAZY 96.5 FM (Lafayette); WKJG 100.9 FM (Fort Wayne); WNDE 1260 AM (Indianapolis); WGBF 1280 (Evansville); View all listings: CLICK HERE
- Radio announcers: Rob Blackman (play-by-play), Bobby Riddell (analyst), Wes Scott (producer).
- National radio: Westwoodonesports.com (SiriusXM channel 21 or 208)
- National announcers: Nate Gatter (play-by-play), Jordan Cornette (analyst)
- All-time series: This is the first meeting between Purdue and Queens
Team stats
Stats (per game) | #2 Purdue | #15 Queens |
|---|---|---|
Scoring | 81.7 | 84.9 |
Points allowed | 70.1 | 82.9 |
FG% | 49.9% | 48.2% |
3FG% | 37.9% | 36.0% |
Rebounds | 35.4 | 33.8 |
Assists | 19.9 | 15.9 |
Steals | 5.5 | 5.9 |
Blocks | 2.8 | 2.9 |
Turnovers | 8.9 | 10.7 |
Quick storylines
First NCAA Tournament trip for Queens
In its first year of NCAA Tournament eligibility, Queens punched its ticket with a win in the ASUN Championship Game, defeating Central Arkansas in overtime. The Royals got to this point with a high-powered offense, averaging nearly 85 points per game and shooting fewer than 29 three-point attempts per contest.
Queens has six players who have double-figure scoring totals this season, led by Nasir Mann with 13.4 points per contest. Carson Schwieger, Avantae Parker, Chris Ashby, Jordan Watford and Yoav Berman are all averaging 10 points or more, as well.
Grant Leonard's team comes into Friday's game with a lot of confidence, going 7-1 in its last eight games. Queens is hoping to make the most of its first March Madness appearance.
Purdue's seniors wanting one last memorable run
This is the final rodeo for Purdue's veteran core of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn. It's a trio that has experienced everything in the NCAA Tournament, from losing to a No. 16 seed in the first round to playing in the National Championship Game.
Purdue struggled at the end of the regular season, going 6-7 in its last 13 games and dropping four of its final six. But the Boilermakers found some momentum at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago, winning four games in four days to claim the tournament title. Oscar Cluff was a major part of that success, averaging 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn have talked about winning a national championship since the offseason. The journey to bring one to West Lafayette begins on Friday evening in St. Louis.
Players to watch
Queens Royals
- Nasir Mann, G — Mann is a 6-foot-5 senior guard averaging 13.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game. He's effective at getting to the rim and attacking when he gets into the paint. Mann is an efficient shooter, hitting at a 49.5% clip.
- Avantae Parker, F — Parker is going to cause the biggest problems for Prudue's frontcourt. He's 6-foot-9, can step out and shoot the three (41.9%) but can also score around the rim and rebound emphatically. Parker isn't the most consistent player, but he does present some matchup problems.
- Yoav Berman, G — Berman is another big-bodied guard who can score in a variety of ways. He's also Queens' top distributor, dishing out 3.7 assists per contest. He has scored in double figures in 17 of the team's last 18 games.
- Chris Ashby, G — Ashby is a major reason why Queens made the tournament. He made 10 three-pointers and scored 34 points in the ASUN Championship Game win over Central Arkansas. He can light it up on any given night.
Purdue Boilermakers
- Braden Smith, G — Smith enters Friday's game just two assists away from breaking the NCAA record. He's the best distributor in college basketball, but also leads the way for Purdue in scoring, averaging 14.0 points per game. He is one of the toughest guards to defend in college basketball.
- Trey Kaufman-Renn, F — Kaufman-Renn has been a consistent post player for Purdue each of the last two years. Even at 6-foot-9, he's one of the most physical forwards in the country and has excellent footwork. He averages 13.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers.
- Fletcher Loyer, G — Loyer has made a career out of being a three-point shooter at Purdue, setting a program record earlier this season. He's also the team's top communicator and an excellent leader on the floor. Loyer is shooting 42.1% from three and averages 13.8 points per game.
- Oscar Cluff, C — Cluff dominated in the Big Ten Tournament, averaging 17.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for Purdue on the way to a title. He's been logging more minutes and provides the Boilers with another strong interior presence alongside Kaufman-Renn.
Game preview
Purdue has a size advantage in the post and, considering how Cluff and Kaufman-Renn played in the Big Ten Tournament, the Boilermakers should be able to attack the paint. Queens can provide some resistance with Parker and Schwieger, but they don't possess the same skill as Purdue's bigs.
Where Queens can gain an advantage, though, is from behind the three-point line. The Royals are averaging 28.9 triples per game and are connecting at a 36% clip. Purdue has struggled defending the three-point line at different points in the season. If Queens gets hot from the perimeter, things could get interesting.
Feeding Cluff and Kaufman-Renn in the post, getting to the basket and drawing fouls against a team that gives up almost 24 free throws per game should be the plan of attack for Purdue. If the Boilers can establish a post presence and force Queens' defense to collapse, it'll open up opportunities for the three-point shooters.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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