MIDWEST REGIONAL

* This might end up a battle of attrition, the school with the fewest players in foul trouble ending up with the victory. Both teams feature huge front lines. Purdue is used to mixing it up in the rugged Big Ten, and Stanford is the closest thing to a Big Ten school the Pac-10 has to offer. The Cardinal is anchored by 7-1 center Tim Young, a 245-pound junior; the Boilermakers counter with 6-11 Brad Miller, a big man with a soft touch. Purdue’s Brian Cardinal vs. Stanford’s Mark Madsen at the forward spot is a matchup of two scrappy players. Stanford went 47 years between NCAA appearances since winning the national title in 1942, but has made five trips under Coach Mike Montgomery since 1989. Purdue Coach Gene Keady may be the best coach in the country who has not taken his team to the Final Four. He has a winning record against Indiana rival Bob Knight but won’t get the respect he deserves until he gets Purdue past the regional finals. If Purdue can beat Stanford, it will meet the Valparaiso-Rhode Island winner for the chance to get to the Final Four. Purdue might never have a clearer path than this.

HOW THEY MATCH UP

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Pur. Category Stan. 28-7 Record 28-4 84.4 Points. 80.5 72.4 Opp. Pts. 67.8 12.0 Margin 12.7 .489 FG% .461 .446 Opp. FG% .417 .382 3-PT% .413 .366 Opp. 3-PT% .338 .760 FT% .732 2.4 Reb. Margin 9.3 1.9 TO Diff. 2.6 8.7 Steals 5.3 3.7 Blocks 3.3

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