How improbable was Fairleigh Dickinson’s 63-58 victory over Purdue on Friday in a first-round matchup of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament in Columbus, Ohio?
Well, let’s start with the Knights are just the second No. 16 seed in tourney history to knock off a top-seeded team.
In terms of height, the Knights rank No. 363; Purdue was No. 1 and fielded the tallest player in college basketball, 7-foot-4 Zach Edey.
Last year, the Knights won just four games.
And this year, they only qualified because Northeast Conference tourney champion Merrimack was ineligible because it’s still in the four-year process of transitioning from a D-II program.
That alone left the Boilermakers fans stunned and at a loss for words …
PURDUE FANS ARE SPEECHLESS 😬 pic.twitter.com/d7SzkGctjr
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 18, 2023
Fairleigh Dickinson’s Smothering Defense Stymies Purdue
What made Fairleigh Dickinson’s win even more improbable was how the Boilermakers folded down the stretch. Who besides Fletcher Loyer wanted to take a shot? The Knights’ smothering defense held the Boilermakers scoreless for early six minutes, surging to a five-point lead on Sean Moore’s 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining.
And Knights coach Tobin Anderson predicted the upset during a team speech, declaring “the more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them.”
He was right.
For the Boilermakers, who lost to a 15-seed last season and a 13-seed two years ago, the suffering continues …
Purdue has lost to a:
• 13-seed
• 15-seed
• and 16-seed in the last 3 NCAA tournaments pic.twitter.com/mYZUxcjc42— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 18, 2023
The Boilermakers’ postgame frustration was evident …
The whiteboard in #Purdue’s locker room#MarchMadness @WISH_TV #BoilerUp pic.twitter.com/J0h7ojvY5P
— Angela Moryan (@SidelineStormer) March 18, 2023
The Knights’ upset victory also seemed fiscally improbable before tip-off, considering the substantial differences in the schools’ athletic budgets for the programs …
The second 16 seed EVER to win in the first round:
FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON has taken down Purdue. pic.twitter.com/zjKK02S4xn
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) March 18, 2023
And now, the Boilermakers are the first team to lose to a 13 seed or worse for three consecutive tournaments.
Fairleigh Dickinson’s win was so improbable, it made anyone associated with Purdue feel very, very queasy …
Purdue as a 1 seed pic.twitter.com/LAkSkRikBu
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 18, 2023
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