NC State vs. Purdue: A Historical Perspective

NC State and Purdue will play one another for the 5th time on Saturday night in the Final Four, in a series that dates back to 1971-72. Heading into the game, NC State leads the series 4-2.

The first time NC State and Purdue faced each other on the hardwood, the two played in Reynolds Coliseum, with the 20th ranked Wolfpack defeating the Boilermakers 84-71. Tommy Burleson led all scorers with 24 points.

Two years later, #3 NC State went to Purdue, and walked out with an 86-81 victory. The Wolfpack trailed by 7 with 4:31 left on the clock. The Pack came back through the help of David Thompson, who led the way with 26 points.

Here’s what Purdue Head Coach Fred Schaus had to say about Thompson’s performance:

“I’ve seen it happen so many times, in high school, college and pros, that when a team has a player the caliber of Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and that team gets in trouble, its superstar comes through. That’s why they are superstars.