Braden Smith's brutal first half keeps NC State alive vs. Purdue in Final Four
Braden Smith has not produced the kind of first half Purdue was hoping for in the Final Four against NC State.
Heading into the break, Smith has been a major reason why the Boilermakers have been unable to pull away from the Wolfpack. Zach Edey has continued his dominant play with 14 points and 8 rebounds while also drawing 2 fouls against DJ Burns.
However, NC State has clamped down on Smith, frustrating Purdue’s starting point guard. The second-leading scorer for Purdue at 12.2 points per game, he was shutout in the first half while shooting 0-for-6 from the field (0-for-3 from deep), but it has been ball security that plagued the Boilermakers.
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Smith has 5 of Purdue’s 8 turnovers at halftime, and the turnover battle is particularly noteworthy for this Boilermakers squad. Head coach Matt Painter has continually hammered on the fact this year’s Purdue squad is undefeated when committing 13 or fewer turnovers, and the Boilermakers are on pace to exceed that number Saturday night. As a result, Purdue is clinging to a 35-29 lead at halftime.
On the flip side, NC State’s DJ Horne has been the player to spark the Wolfpack with Burns and Mohamed Diarra limited to 4 points combined on 2-for-8 shooting from the floor. Horne has 13 points at the break and has played all 20 minutes so far. Edey and Smith have played all 20 minutes for Purdue.
Injury concerns for NC State?
One concern for NC State involves Michael O’Connell. The leading assist man for the Wolfpack at 3.2 per game, O’Connell hit a 3-pointer in the first half but left the game after a trip and fall on a fastbreak attempt.
He would briefly re-enter the game after his fall but registered just 9 minutes in the first half. O’Connell is 1 of 4 NC State players to average 25+ minutes this season, and he’s a key glue guy that would be a big loss if he cannot stay on the court in the second half.
N.C. State’s Michael O’Connell getting his hamstring looked at. He tripped running down the floor earlier and returned briefly. Trainers just escorted him from the bench area.
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) April 6, 2024
Per ESPN Bet, Purdue is -10.5 points after carrying a 6-point lead into the break, but things are undoubtedly too close for comfort for the Boilermakers. We’ll see if either team can make a push to kick things off coming out of halftime.
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