Welcome to Saturday, where the Boilermakers are one step away from their second Final Four berth in three years tonight in San Jose. They’ll face No. 1 seed Arizona (8:49 p.m. ET, TBS).

COMING HOME

After tonight’s game, Purdue will fly back to Indiana. Will the Boilermakers unpack their bags, say goodbye to the winningest class in program history, and begin looking ahead to the 2026-27 season? Or, will Matt Painter’s team do laundry, try to sleep, and then head an hour south to Indianapolis to continue its pursuit of a national championship? Those are the only two choices.

Standing in the way are the powerful and efficient Wildcats, who blistered Arkansas on Thursday night. They scored 90 of their 109 points either in the paint or at the free-throw line. They attempted only eight 3-pointers, hitting five. They placed six players in double figures, a first in an NCAA tournament game. They attack the rim and can be relentless. Purdue’s defense, a weakness at times this season, will be tested. Asking the Boilermakers to slow down Arizona is a tall order. The best plan might be to outscore the Wildcats. As the nation’s most efficient offense, that’s something Purdue can do.

But the offense must click on the perimeter and inside. Fletcher Loyer was the only Boilermaker to hit a 3-pointer against Texas, and that can’t happen. The rest of the team was 0 of 12 from beyond the arc. It needs production from the perimeter, while establishing an inside presence with Trey Kaufman-Renn and Oscar Cluff. Braden Smith can’t try to play hero ball on every possession and put himself in unwinnable situations. Do the basic stuff at a high level and watch it fall into place.

Purdue can’t stray from what has brought it here. Control the boards, take care of the ball, and run an efficient offense. Arizona is solid, well-armed on offense, and experienced. It’s lost two games - Kansas and Texas Tech - and beat everyone else.

The Boilermakers are 10-0 on neutral courts this season and will need a high-level performance to return to Indiana with their season still intact.

THIS AND THAT

—How did Trey Kaufman-Renn deal with the instant fame of Thursday’s last-second tip-in to beat the Longhorns?

“Believe it or not, I think I watched the replay twice. Other than that, I called my girlfriend, called my mom, and went to bed. To be honest with you. I don't know. It's been crazy to see how many text messages I've gotten. But I'm also not good at responding to people. It went from 400 messages to about 800 messages overnight, unread.”

—The Boilermakers are expected to wear their black uniforms as they’re the No. 2 seed (visitor) and Arizona is considered the home team. The last time Purdue wore black jerseys was the Big Ten tournament championship game against Michigan. Braden Smith ripped his No. 3 jersey after missing too many shots and played in the No. 41 extra jersey the rest of the game. Smith is expected to wear the No. 3 jersey that was pieced back together.

“I think it is,” Smith said.

Are there any shots left in that jersey?

“Let’s hope,” he said.

—Purdue and Arizona played in December 2023 in Indianapolis. Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd remembers the game and the atmosphere inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“What I remember about that game two years ago was that I think it was a Saturday afternoon game,” Lloyd said. “We were ranked 1, they were ranked (No.) 3. Every bar in that city of Indianapolis must have been full for hours because those fans came in there lit. In a good way.

“And it was a lot of fun, and it was so loud in that place. Honestly, other than playing at Allen Fieldhouse, it's probably one of the loudest venues I've ever been a part of, and that's saying something when you're in an NBA arena.”

—Lloyd first became aware of Smith when he played at Westfield, through Indiana Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan. Buchanan’s son, Trey, played with Smith.  

Buchanan previously worked in Portland and knew Lloyd.  

“He’s like, ‘I don’t know, this kid’s a little small, but my son’s playing with him. I mean, he’s really good,’ ” Lloyd remembered. “So, you talk about an eye for talent. That kid was like a freshman or sophomore. For him to be the all-time leader in assists now, it’s pretty impressive. Kudos to Chad. He definitely identified a good one there, and Purdue found him as well. It’s been a match made in heaven.” 

Lloyd never followed up and tried to recruit Smith, knowing Purdue was an hour away, calling it a “moot point … I’ll say this; the kid made a heck of a choice. And the guys at Purdue were really smart for choosing him, because he’s been awesome to watch.”