We grab some final expert takes. Jimmy Fallon has Siena going all the way, our staff gives predictions plus we get a few more expert takes from people who might know more than late night.
While we got a bunch of predictions earlier in the week, we get those buzzer-beater ones as we approach tip off from our staff and around the nation

Staff Picks
Kevin – Siena 74, Purdue 68
Matt - Siena 73, Purdue 64
Jason - Siena 72, Purdue 69
Tim - Siena 65, Purdue 59
Ryan - Siena 79, Purdue 70

Ray Floriani who writes great stuff for College Chalktalk and Basketball Times, trust me I’ve read it – good stuff, gets us his final take before Siena and Purdue tip off at 2:30pm ET.

Ray Floriani College Chalktalk & Basketball Times
LYNDHURST, NJ- About the only discernible difference between Siena and Purdue is enrollment. Purdue of the Big Ten is roughly 38,000 while the MAAC’s Siena is all of 2,900. Both have 27 wins, they share the same offensive efficiency of 107 and the efficiency margin (offense minus defense) is close as well.  Purdue is a +15 WHILE Fran McCaffrey’s Saints are +14.

Both have under twenty percent turnover rate. No surprise with Matt Painter at the helm in west Lafayette. Painter’s emphasis is on defense and his teams do not race up and down recklessly on the offensive end. In fact pace, Purdue averages 66 possessions and Siena 70, hints the Saints may want to open things up. Regardless, Siena can play in a half court setting as well.

Robbie Hummel is gone for the Boilers but they have a pair of juniors , guard E’Twaun Moore and 6-10 JaJuan Johnson who can do damage. Back to defense. Covered Purdue in the Pre-season NIT in 2008 at MSG. They lost in OT to Oklahoma but the thing most impressive is how they communicated with each other on the defensive end the entire game. Some teams start out with good communication and soon it goes by the wayside. Not Purdue, especially under Painter’s watch.

The days of Siena sneaking up on people are over. And all Painter has to do is remind his team how Siena knocked off Ohio State of the BIG Ten in 2 OTs last March.
Earlier in the week I would have went with Purdue. Get the eraser out. My choice is Siena in a close one. The saints have the weapons and an outstanding lead guard in Ronald Moore to dictate the offense and keep poised against the Boiler D.

David Woods, who is busy in San Jose covering the #5 Butler Bulldogs for the Indianpolis Star, traded e-mails with us about Butler’s big win earlier today…

Siena Saints Blog: I was saying to someone today, wow Butler trails at halftime and then completely steamrolls an opponent in the 2nd half.. Haven’t seen that before…

David Woods: [The] Siena game persuaded me that Butler could take its game to a higher level. Seeing that now.

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