NC State basketball may get rematch with Final Four foe Purdue in San Diego next season

N.C. State may not have to wait long to get another shot at Purdue.

The Wolfpack and Boilermakers faced off in the semifinals of the 2024 NCAA Final Four in Glendale, Arizona, with Purdue winning to advance to the championship game.

But a change in the 2024 Rady Children’s Invitational in San Diego may have two teams on the court again early next season. Tournament officials announced Thursday that NCSU and Purdue had been added to the four-team tournament field, replacing Notre Dame and Arkansas.

The Pack and Boilermakers join Brigham Young and Mississippi in the event, to be played Nov. 28-29 at LionTree Arena on the UC San Diego campus. The tournament pairings and starting times for the games will be announced at a later date.

“Well, this is exciting!” , Sports San Diego chief executive officer Mark Neville said in a statement. “While we are disappointed that two teams have opted out of their contracts, we are so excited to welcome the SEC’s Ole Miss, and yet another team from last season’s Final Four in NC State!”

The Wolfpack is coming off a memorable season that earned national attention, winning the 2024 ACC Tournament and then advancing through the NCAA tournament to the Final Four.

In the loss to Purdue, the Pack limited the Boilermakers to 63 points and 7-4 center Zach Edey, the national player of the year, to a mundane 20 points and 12 rebounds. Edey will enter the 2024 NBA Draft, and both teams could have a different look to their rosters with incoming transfers.

The Pack is in the process of putting together its nonconference schedule for 2024-25. One planned game, according to the Kansas City Star, will be a Dec. 14 trip to Kansas to face the Jayhawks at historic Allen Fieldhouse.