The Midwest region’s top-seeded Kansas Jayhawks will meet the Purdue Boilermakers on the first night of the NCAA tournament Sweet 16 Thursday at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. It was a matchup many predicted at this stage, but the road here was not without a few bumps.
NCAA bracket 2017: Purdue vs. Kansas start time, TV channel, and streaming options
The Jayhawks meet the Boilermakers with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line.
Purdue nearly stumbled its way out of the tournament in the second round, blowing a double-digit lead late in the game and surrendering its advantage late against the Iowa State Cyclones. Work on the boards by Caleb Swanigan secured them the victory, and they escaped the first weekend in dramatic fashion. Their first-round matchup pitted them against a red-hot Vermont team that would not go away until the later stages of the game.
The Jayhawks have been on a roll so far this tournament. They put away both UC Davis and Michigan State with ease on their way to the Sweet 16. Josh Jackson has been on a tear. The Big 12 freshman of the year has averaged 20 points a game so far this tournament, and paired alongside Frank Mason Jr., Kansas has one of the tournament’s greatest scoring duos left in the field.
This will only be the second-ever meeting between the two squads. The first came in 1994, when the Boilermakers won, 83-78. The winner will meet either Oregon or Michigan on Saturday, with a spot in the Final Four on the line.
How to Watch
Time: Thursday, 9:39 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
Live Stream: NCAA March Madness Live
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