Purdue Coach Matt Painter Talks Challenges N.C. State Presents in Final Four

North Carolina State might be a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the Wolfpack reached the Final Four for a reason. Matt Painter and the Boilermakers won't be taking their next opponent lightly, saying they can "beat anyone in the country."

Mar 31, 2024; Detroit, MI, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter reacts in the first half / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Purdue might have punched its ticket to the Final Four, but the job is not done for the Boilermakers. After winning the Midwest Regional, Matt Painter and his team focus on the next major task: Bringing a national championship back to West Lafayette.

On Saturday evening, Purdue will take on North Carolina State (6:09 p.m. ET, TBS) in the first game of the 2024 Final Four. The Boilermakers will have their hands full, taking on the 11th-seeded Wolfpack — the darling of this year's NCAA Tournament.

Wednesday, Painter joined 1070 The Fan's The Ride with JMV to discuss Purdue's Final Four appearance, as well as the matchup against North Carolina State. The longtime coach of the Boilers is not overlooking the next opponent.

"They've won nine straight, and that's who they are. You've gotta look at them as an undefeated team," Painter said. "Because in the last month, they've been that team. They're hot. They've got good guard play — they have guards that can score the basketball, they've got guards that can put pressure on the ball. They've got good size on the front line. (D.J.) Burns is a very, very tough matchup for everybody and his ability to score and pass the basketball.

"They have a lot of guys. D.J. Horne is very, very dangerous. He can really break you down and score the basketball. They got guys that can rebound, they got guys that can run, they have a really good puzzle right now. All of their pieces are fitting ... this is gonna be a very difficult game for us. They're one of those teams, right now, they can beat anybody in the country. And they've proven that or they wouldn't be in the Final Four."

N.C. State has won nine straight games, dating back to the ACC Tournament. The Wolfpack needed to win five games in five days to secure a March Madness bid. It's been one hell of a run.

As worried as Painter is about the weapons N.C. State has on the roster, the Boilers are in pretty good shape, too. Reigning National Player of the Year Zach Edey scored 40 points and grabbed 16 rebounds in Purdue's Elite Eight win over Tennessee to advance to the Final Four.

Plus, Purdue's guard play with Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones has been pretty solid, as well. It should create a really intriguing Final Four matchup on Saturday night.

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