Predicting Purdue's Path to the 2026 Final Four in Indianapolis
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On Sunday, Purdue cut down the nets at the United Center in Chicago after winning four games in four days, capped by an 80-72 win over Michigan to claim the Big Ten Tournament title. But the Boilermakers are hoping to ask for scissors and ladders a few more times in the coming weeks.
Purdue begins its NCAA Tournament journey on Friday as the No. 2 seed in the West Region. The Boilermakers will open the tournament against No. 15 seed Queens at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
The West is loaded with quality teams standing between Purdue and a spot in the Final Four in Indianapolis. So, what's the most likely path the Boilermakers will have to take to get to at Lucas Oil Stadium in April?
Here's a prediction of which opponents Purdue will face on the path to a second Final Four appearance in three years.
First round vs. No. 15 Queens (St. Louis)
This won't be an easy first-round matchup for Purdue, playing a team that averages 84.9 points per game and isn't afraid to shoot the three-point shot. This isn't a team with a lot of interior size, though, which sets up nicely for Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn to dominate in the post, much like they did during the Big Ten Tournament.
Second round vs. No. 10 Missouri (St. Louis)
Missouri snuck into the field after losing its last three games of the regular season, but the advantage of playing in St. Louis and having a large home crowd provides motivation, and the Tigers take down Miami (Florida) in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. This sets up a Big Ten-SEC showdown in the second round of March Madness with a trip to the Sweet 16 hanging in the balance.
Sweet 16 vs. No. 3 Gonzaga (San Jose)
Gonzaga flexes its muscle in the first round against Kennesaw State, but faces some challenges in a second-round matchup against BYU. Still, Mark Few finds a way to get his Bulldogs back to the Sweet 16. This would set up a rematch from the 2024 Sweet 16, when Purdue defeated Gonzaga 80-68 to advance to the Elite Eight.
Elite Eight vs. No. 1 Arizona (San Jose)
Arizona has been one of the best teams in college basketball all season long, and it will look like it through the first three rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats will dominate in games against Long Island and Utah State in the first two rounds. Arizona will have a much more difficult game against Wisconsin in the Sweet 16, but ultimately uses its size and athleticism to pull out a victory and advance to the Elite Eight for a showdown against the Boilermakers.
West Region bracket predictions
Here's a quick rundown of our bracket predictions for the West Region, which would lead Purdue on the path to the Final Four.
First round
- No. 1 Arizona def. No. 16 Long Island
- No. 9 Utah State def. No. 8 Villanova
- No. 5 Wisconsin def. No. 12 High Point
- No. 4 Arkansas def. No. 13 Hawai'i
- No. 6 BYU def. No. 11 Texas
- No. 3 Gonzaga def. No. 14 Kennesaw State
- No. 2 Purdue def. No. 15 Queens
- No. 10 Missouri def. No. 7 Miami (Florida)
Second round
- No. 1 Arizona def. No. 9 Utah State
- No. 5 Wisconsin def. No. 4 Arkansas
- No. 3 Gonzaga def. No. 6 BYU
- No. 2 Purdue def. No. 10 Missouri
Sweet 16
- No. 1 Arizona def. No. 5 Wisconsin
- No. 2 Purdue def. No. 3 Gonzaga
Elite Eight
- No. 2 Purdue def. No. 1 Arizona
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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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