INDIANAPOLIS - An unstoppable force meets an immovable object on Monday night.
Purdue or UConn were number one 12 weeks out of the year in the AP Top 25 Poll and the talent on both teams is no secret.
"They've been kind of in that race with us all regular season," senior center Zach Edey said. "When you watch them play, you always want to play them."
"They understand what we're up against. They understand we haven't played anybody like UConn. They're not fools," head coach Matt Painter said. "We have cable where we're from."
Saturday's semifinal win over North Carolina State wasn't without its struggles. Sophomore guard Braden Smith shot 1-of-9 from the floor and committed five turnovers, but the Westfield native isn't dwelling on it.
"If I played bad and we lost, it's one thing to hang your head about," Smith said. "The most important thing is to get the win, so we got that, so just flush it and move on."
"He's a competitor through and through," sophomore guard Fletcher Loyer said. "I know he'll go out there fearless and play with energy."
UConn has a chance to become the first back-to-back champions in men's basketball since Florida accomplished the feat in 2006 and 2007.
"Playing certain programs is a privilege because of what they stand for, how they do it, and how good they are," UConn head coach Dan Hurley said. "How good they are, and how Matt [Painter] runs things, it's a real privilege to play them for the championship."
A Purdue win would earn the program its first national title in men's basketball and add to the legacy of Painter and two-time player of the year Edey.