#2 Purdue Men’s Basketball vs. #7 Miami: Staff Predictions
A trip to the Sweet 16 in San Jose is on the line.
Mar 20, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; The Miami (FL) Hurricanes mascot during the second half against the Missouri Tigers during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images As I pack up my hotel room and prepare to head for the Arena for today’s matchup, I wanted to share the staff predictions for this one.
So no preamble, let’s just get into it. Ledman: This Miami team has two Big Ten retreads with Malik Reneau and Tre Donaldson. I think that should give Purdue a bit of an advantage as they’ve prepared for these guys before.
Now, they are playing different roles and have certainly improved their games, but the Purdue staff is familiar with them. If you watched that Missouri versus Miami game you’d know that it wasn’t exactly a testament to the beauty of the game of basketball. Now, Purdue’s offense?
That’s the beauty of the game of basketball. The defense doesn’t have to be perfect but they have to continue putting forth the effort they’ve been putting forth since they got into tournament time. I think they are able to do that today and will advance to the Sweet 16 once again with a date with former Purdue player Cam Heide and Texas.