Let me ask you a question, what do a knight and golden retriever have in common? Beating #1 seeds!

A game that in which it felt nobody believed in #16 seed FDU, few did. Tobin Anderson rallied the troops after an incredible win in the First Four at UD Arena. With a message of, lets go out there and compete. “I want Purdue to see this. The more I watch Purdue, the more I think we can beat them” said coach Tobin Anderson in the locker room following his teams win in the First Four of the NCAA March Madness tournament.

Coming into this one the Knights of FDU had a tall task on their hand and quite literally one, with Zach Edey standing at 7’4 and arguably being the nations best player. While also being the shortest team in all of Division 1 basketball (FDU, per Kenpom). The Knights of FDU came to Nationwide Arena with the goal of doing the unthinkable.

I personally thought that they would give Purdue fits all game long with their tenacious energy, press, while also forcing Zach Edey to guard the perimeter given the FDU’s tallest player is only 6’7. Which would result in this game being “interesting” wire to wire. Instead the Knights of FDU pulled off the upset that will be remembered throughout all of sporting history.

This game was not pretty or flashy, this game was a grinder said Head Coach Matt Painter of Purdue. In this game we didnt see a single team break over 40% shooting from the field, FDU shot 39% while Purdue shot 36% from the field.

Throughout the contest FDU tormented the Boilermakers with their aggressive and tenacious defense. Daring the Boilermakers to beat them and the Boilermakers couldn’t hit the stand still wide open three as they went 5-26 from 3 (19.6%). The Knights forced 16 turnovers on the evening while only losing the rebound battle by 9, while being the shortest team in all of Division 1 (Kenpom).

As coach Tobin Anderson put it, his team and himself are a collection of guys with chips on their shoulders looking to prove a point that they simply “belong”. With Anderson being hired at FDU from St. Thomas Aquinas a Division 2 school and Coach Anderson brought three players from St. Thomas Aquinas with him. These players were the core in addition to the talent FDU already had and gained, Demetre Roberts, Sean Moore, and Grant Singleton.

The Knights simmply executed, Coach Anderson and his staff developed the master gameplan which they executed to perfection. They flat out, outcoached, outplayed, and simply wanted it more than the Boilermakers.

An incredible night that shall live on in history, the FDU Knights have done the unthinkable. They toppled goliath, in the Boilermakers and look forward to a Round of 32 clash between the winner of (9) FAU and (8) Memphis on Sunday. FDU Knights defeat the Purdue Boilermakers 63-58.