nERD: 19.00

Historical Comp: 2006 Connecticut Huskies, 30-4, 1 seed, lost in Elite 8

Given Purdue's offense and defense both ranking inside the top 10 in the nation, the Boilermakers compare nicely to the 2006 UConn team that lost in the Elite 8, a group which was led by NBA veteran Rudy Gay. These two squads are veteran-led teams that were battle tested and perennial tournament teams.

This Purdue team has made it into the top five of the AP poll despite the loss of Caleb Swanigan to the NBA. Given the current state of the Big Ten, Purdue can clean up and possibly find themselves with a higher seed and likely an easier path through to the Final Four than in past seasons.

Similar to the main players from that UConn team, the Boilermakers have suffered through some tournament disappointment, including a loss to a double digit seed in Arkansas-Little Rock two years ago. With three seniors -- Isaac Haas, Vince Edwards, and Dakota Mathias -- averaging 13-plus points per game, familiarity can play a big part in Purdue's success this year.