Not this time

 Well. I guess that answers that question.

The question being, "Will Purdue choke in the first round AGAIN?"

Sorry, haters. But no.

This time, Zach Edey would have a monster game -- 30 points, 21 rebounds, meaning he was just two rebounds short of matching the entire Grambling team. First 30-point, 20-rebound game in the Madness in 29 years.

This time, Braden Smith would score 11 points, dish 10 assists, and not turn it over a single time. Like, zero-zippo.

This time, he, Fletcher Loyer and Lance Jones would make seven threes and combine for 24 points. And Loyer and Jones would play barely half the game -- Loyer 24 minutes, Jones 21.

This time, the final score was a traditional 1-vs-16 final score: Purdue 78, Grambling 50. A 28-point rip in which the Boilers would limit Grambling to seven points across the last eight-and-a-half minutes.

So, you know, ya'll can stop bringing up Fairleigh Dickinson now.

Especially on a day when upsets again gave Da Tournament its traditional seasoning.

The highlight was 13-seed Yale stunning 4-seed Auburn, a bit of delicious schadenfreude because Auburn's an SEC school and the SEC has just two teams left after starting Thursday with six. Which makes SEC commish Greg Sankey look silly for suggesting last weekend that more worthy Power 5 schools should have opportunities in the Madness.

Oops.

In any case, Yale bouncing Auburn wasn't the only little-over-a-big. Two 12s (James Madison, Grand Canyon) beat two 5s (Wisconsin, St. Mary's), the former by 11 points and the latter by nine.  Another 12 (UAB) made another 5 (San Diego State) sweat before losing by four. The littles, in other words, represented enough to give Da Tournament the kick they always do -- a kick it wouldn't have without them.

Not to belabor the point or anything.