NC State vs Purdue men's basketball history: H2H, records and more

Purdue and NC State - who clash on Saturday - have long been significant college basketball powers.

From John Wooden and Rick Mount to Jim Valvano and David Thompson, legends abound on both sides of the upcoming matchup. But interestingly enough, the two schools have rarely faced off.

The meeting will be only the seventh battle between the two programs. But here's some history behind the Boilermakersr and Wolfpack.

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NC State vs Purdue men's basketball history

Zach Edey is preparing for his second career matchup with NC State.

NC State will always battle for prominence in the shadows of North Carolina and Duke, two of the most legendary programs in college basketball history.

The Wolfpack have forged their own identity and had their share of memorable moments. National titles in 1974 and 1983 highlight the Wolfpack's impressive hoops history.

A trio of legendary coaches have been at NC State, with Everett Case the first, Norm Sloan coming second and Jim Valvano the most recent.

Case led the program to its first Final Four in 1950, with Sloan winning the 1974 title and Valvano the 1983 championship. Sloan's 1974 team pulled off an impressive win over UCLA to stop the Bruins' seven-year championship dynasty.

Valvano's 1983 team captured the heart of the nation, squeaking its way into the NCAA Tournament and winning the championship, thanks to an astonishing collection of last-minute highlights, good luck and basketball magic.

Since Valvano stepped down in the late '80s, NCSU has been up and down until the current team, which in many ways seems to mirror the 1983 one.

Purdue developed under John Wooden. Before he led UCLA to 10 national titles on the sidelines, Wooden was a three-time All-American as a player.

He helped Purdue to a claimed 1932 championship (before the NCAA Tournament). Later stars like Rick Mount, Joe Barry Carroll and Glenn Robinson have kept up the Boilermaker tradition.

Purdue reached the NCAA title game in 1969 before falling to UCLA and Wooden. The Boilermakers reached the Final Four again in 1980 but has had a four-decade plus drought until this year.

In recent seasons, Purdue has struggled not to be defined by March Madness flops. In the last three seasons, the Boilermakers had bowed out against No. 13, No. 15 and No. 16 seeds.

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NC State vs Purdue men's basketball H2H

The NC State Wolfpack hold a 4-2 series advantage over Purdue. The schools met for the first time in December 1971. The Wolfpack won 84-71 and went on to win the next three meetings in 1974, 1999 and 2004.

Purdue has taken over in the last two meetings, besting the Wolfpack at home in 2014 and in a neutral site game in Brooklyn, New York, in 2021. The two schools have never met in postseason play.

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Notable record in the NC State vs Purdue series

The most recent game in the series was especially interesting, as Purdue was ranked No. 1 in the nation at the time.

The Wolfpack led by eight points inside the final four minutes, but the Boilermakers finished hot and forced overtime, where Purdue prevailed 82-72.

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When was the last time NC State beat Purdue?

NC State's last victory over the Boilermakers came on Nov.! 29, 2004. State won 60-53, despite shooting just 33%. State's Julius Hodge scored a game-high 22 points to lead the effort. Purdue shot 33% in the defeat.

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When was the last time Purdue beat NC State?

Purdue won the last game in the series on Dec. 12, 2021. In the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Purdue prevailed 82-72 in overtime. The Boilermakers shot 50%, where young Zach Edey had nine points and seven rebounds. State was led by 21 points by Terquavion Smith.

Can State pull off an upset against the Boilermakers? Purdue is a 9.5-point favorite, but the game is projected as the more likely upset in the two semifinals.