Elite Eight Brawl: Tennessee, Purdue Should Be Promoted As No Disqualification Match For Final Four Spot

The upcoming game between Tennessee and Purdue might as well be played in the famous WWE structure ‘Hell In A Cell’, because this matchup has all the right storylines to add enough spice to this one, which will send one of these teams to the Final Four. 

A history of competitive and physical games, the Vols and Boilermakers were destined to play once more, after an earlier battle this season at the Maui Invitational. But when you ask fans of both teams, this game traces back to the 2019 slugfest in Louisville that folks still argue about to this day. 

Did Lamonte Turner foul Carsen Edwards on Purdue's final possession, which sent it to overtime after Edwards sank two free-throws? You can go back and be the judge, but both sides will give conflicting answers. But it was clear that we had just witnessed one of the best basketball games in recent memory. That game sent Purdue to the elite-eight, where they would go on to lose to Virginia, but it's still a sore subject for fans clad in orange. 

There have been other games, not only in basketball, that have led these two fan bases to despise each other. But as we enter another saga of this story, there's a buzz in the air that will certainly make this forty-minute game an infomercial for blood pressure medication. 

Both sides are better constructed from a roster standpoint, with Rick Barnes and Matt Painter still leading their respective teams. The coaches won't say it, and most likely the players won't over-play it, but this game is personal, and with a spot in the final four on the line, it's going to turn into a no-holds-barred match inside Little Ceasars Arena. 

One thing that could look a little different is the play of Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler, who was still fighting his way back from his ACL injury when the two teams played earlier in the season. Even though he played, it certainly wasn't the Zeigler we've seen on the court four months later.

In terms of how the officials will call this game, judging by recent outings, I'd expect Zach Edey will do everything he can to force a tussle in the paint. If Tennessee is going to hang around in the paint, then Jonas Aidoo and Tobe Awaka will have to walk across the line and jump into the mud with Edey. 

"We obviously have great respect for Purdue, and we've played them. But they're much better, and I'd like to think we are too," Rick Barnes said following the win over Creighton. 

I get it, both coaches have been in the game long enough to know what type of game this is going to be. And Tennessee surely doesn't need a scouting report on how to play Zach Edey. But one thing these previous games didn't have, including the one to start the season, was a Tennessee defense that is playing at a whole new level, with a healthy Zakai Zeigler. 

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 23: Zakai Zeigler #5 of the Tennessee Volunteers reacts to a play during the second half against the Texas Longhorns in the second round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Spectrum Center on March 23, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

When it comes to how their previous matchup was officiated, Rick Barnes said he wasn't trying to send a message to them on Saturday with his comments on how the game is called. 

"Both teams played hard. If you go back and watch that, it was hard fought, that tournament (Maui Invitational) was from start to finish," Barnes noted. "At the time, referees are getting started, we're getting started. Did we foul? Yeah, we fouled some. Did they foul some? Yeah, they fouled some too. Did the referees miss some? Yeah, they missed some too.

What we saw out of Jahmai Mashack, starting for a sick Santiago Vescovi, was almost pure greatness from a defensive perspective. While Gonzaga hung with Purdue for around 28 minutes on Friday night, they were physically manhandled down the stretch, which is a calling card for the Boilermakers. 

But at the same, Rick Barnes' squad has proven they aren't ones to mess around with inside the three-point line, with Dalton Knecht and Zakai Zeigler proving they won't be pushed around. 

Just Make This A No-DQ Match, And Hopefully The Officials Don't Screw It Up

This shouldn't be very hard for the officials. When they step onto the court today, each referee should know that swallowing the whistle is going to be key in how this game plays out. It's going to get ugly in the paint, on both sides of the court, and the Zach Edey vs. Jonas Aidoo matchup will most likely turn into a bloodbath. 

If you've paid attention to these two teams, and i know you have, then it shouldn't come as a surprise that both squads love to get physical. We saw Purdue's Braden Smith have a monster game against Gonzaga, the same way Josiah-Jordan James performed against Creighton. 

When asked on Saturday about what makes a Rick Barnes-led team special, Purdue head coach Matt Painter pointed towards the physicality that Tennessee will bring. 

"Obviously he's hung in there a long time. I don't know if I'll be able to match that in terms of years," Painter noted. "But like his teams always play hard, they always compete. 

"He reminds me a lot of the guy I played for, to be frank with you. You know what you're getting, man, but you've got to be ready to fight. It's not two-hand touch. It's tackle football, man. You've got to be hooked up, and you've got to be ready to go. If you do that, then you've got a chance to win. It doesn't mean you will win, but if you don't, then you have no chance to win."

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MARCH 12: Zach Edey #15 of the Purdue Boilermakers reacts against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the Big Ten Basketball Tournament Championship game at United Center on March 12, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Catch that last part? It's obvious that Painter is trying to lay the groundwork for what to expect today on the court, and most importantly in the paint. 

These two will become very familiar with each other in the opening minutes, while the Vols defense tries to figure out a way to contain Purdue outside the paint. But as many times as we've seen these two squads face-off on the basketball court, the intensity never wavers. 

Yes, it will be a home game atmosphere for Purdue, but it won't matter once these two hit the court. What we've seen from these two squads over the last few weeks is two groups determined to be playing on the final weekend of the season. Tennessee has found twodifferent ways to win their games against Texas and Creighton, while Purdue has stuck with its plan to punish opposing teams around the basket. 

So, i can only hope that the referees just let these two teams go at it for forty minutes. 

I'd go ahead and expect a few hard fouls, along with a technical foul or two. It's time for another round of Purdue versus Tennessee, with a trip to Phoenix on the line.