Fairleigh Dickinson wasn't even supposed to be in the NCAA Tournament. Here's how they beat Purdue
Fairleigh Dickinson University, a private commuter school near the George Washington Bridge in Teaneck, N.J., on Friday became just the second No. 16-seed in history to win a game in the men’s NCAA tournament. The Knights knocked off the No. 1-seed Purdue Boilermakers, 63-58 on Friday in Columbus, Ohio. Fairleigh Dickinson’s victory comes five years after No. 16 UMBC dominated the top overall seed in the tournament, Virginia, 74-54. Before Friday, No.
Fairleigh Dickinson—which has about 6,500 students on its main campus—has the shortest team in Division 1 basketball, with its players averaging 6’1” in height. , had a fine game—scoring 24 points and grabbing 15-rebounds—but he turned the ball over late in the game, with under two minutes left, after three Knights collapsed on him in the post.FDU’s Sean Moore, a Columbus native, scored a layup to give FDU a five-point lead, 58-53. Moore also nailed a huge straight-away three pointer on the next possession.
The Knights refused to be intimidated by Purdue’s size and pedigree. A zone defense from the smaller FDU team seemed to confound Purdue’s players. The Boilermakers, despite being coached by the seasoned Matt Painter, were out of rhythm, as they seemed to spend a lot of time looking into Edey, who was double and triple-teamed. They had little to know flow. Purdue, despite often suiting up some of the top-ranked teams in the country over the past four decades, hasn’t made a Final Four since 1980.
A year ago, FDU coach Tobin Anderson was coaching at tiny St. Thomas Aquinas College, in Division II, a 2,000-student school in New York’s Rockland County. Moore was one his players there. Fairleigh Dickinson finished last season 4-22, fired coach Greg Hernenda, and took a chance on Anderson. Moore came with him. One final twist: FDU wasn’t even supposed to be in the tournament; the Knights lost to Merrimack College in the Northeast Conference Tournament on March 7.
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NCAA Tournament updatesSixteen first-round games are in the books after a wild opening day of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Follow here for insights, news and analysis from The Athletic's college basketball staff as the Round of 64 continues Friday. Friday's first-round schedule (all times ET)No. 10 USC vs. No. 7 Michigan State | 12:15 p.m. | CBSNo. 14 Kennesaw St. vs. No. 3 Xavier | 12:40 p.m. | truTVNo. 14 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 3 Baylor | 1:30 p.m. | TNTNo. 12 VCU vs. No. 5 Saint Mary’s | 2 p.m. | TBSNo. 15 Vermont vs. No. 2 Marquette | 2:45 p.m. | CBSNo. 11 Pitt vs. No. 6 Iowa State | 3:10 p.m. | truTVNo. 11 NC State vs. No. 6 Creighton | 4 p.m. | TNTNo. 13 Iona vs. No. 4 UConn | 4:30 p.m. | TBSNo. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson vs. No. 1 Purdue | 6:50 p.m. | TNTNo. 11 Providence vs. No. 6 Kentucky | 7:10 p.m. | CBSNo. 14 Grand Canyon vs. No. 3 Gonzaga | 7:35 p.m. | truTVNo. 9 Florida Atlantic vs. No. 8 Memphis | 9:20 p.m.| TNTNo. 14 Montana St. vs. No. 3 Kansas St. | 9:40 p.m. | CBSNo. 13 Kent State vs. No. 4 Indiana | 9:55 p.m. | TBSNo. 11 Arizona St vs. No. 6 TCU | 10:05 p.m. | truTV(Photo: Kevin C. Cox / Getty Images)
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