Purdue faces quite the obstacle in its path toward a third consecutive Sweet 16 appearance in the form of reigning national champion Villanova.

The third-seeded Boilermakers (24-9) will look to topple the sixth-seeded Wildcats (26-9) on Saturday night in the NCAA Tournament South Region second-round game at Hartford, Conn.

Purdue and Villanova recorded impressive defensive performances in their first-round victories. The Boilermakers limited 14th-seeded Old Dominion to a 26.9-percent effort from the field in their 61-48 win on Thursday while the Wildcats grinded out a 61-57 triumph over 11th-seeded Saint Mary's.