Purdue Boilermakers center Oscar Cluff creates viral moment after mixing up Queens University location before March Madness matchup

Oscar Cluff became an unexpected talking point just as the NCAA March Madness tournament bracket was revealed. The Purdue Boilermakers center went viral online after making a simple but embarrassing mistake while speaking about his team’s next opponent.

Purdue had just secured the Big Ten Championship and earned the No. 2 seed in the West Region of the NCAA Tournament. That win set up a first-round matchup against the Atlantic Sun Conference champions, the Queens University Royals.Soon after the bracket announcement, WJW reporter Angela Moryan asked Oscar Cluff what he knew about Queens University. His answer quickly spread across social media.“It’s in New York somewhere,” Cluff said.

The moment became awkward almost instantly. Queens University is not in New York. The school is located in Charlotte, North Carolina, which is about 540 miles away from New York City.As soon as Cluff realized the mistake, the situation turned into a lighthearted moment among teammates. Cameras caught players laughing while Cluff walked away looking embarrassed. Despite the slip, Purdue still heads into the matchup as one of the strongest teams in the tournament.

Purdue Boilermakers center Oscar Cluff laughs off viral Queens University location mistake before NCAA Tournament matchup

Oscar Cluff’s comment happened during a short courtside interview with reporter Angela Moryan shortly after Purdue’s conference title win.When asked about the upcoming opponent, Cluff sounded excited and focused on the game itself.“Can’t wait, let’s get it going,” Cluff said.Angela Moryan then followed up with another question, asking what he already knew about Queens University. That is when the viral moment happened.“It’s in New York somewhere,” Cluff replied.Teammates standing nearby quickly reacted. Several players laughed while Cluff realized the mistake and walked away from the camera looking a bit red-faced.Trying to move past the moment, Cluff added another quick response.“Just ready to play, ready to play whoever,” he said.Queens University actually sits in Charlotte, North Carolina. The school’s name comes from the city’s history.

Charlotte itself was named after Queen Charlotte, the wife of British King George III. Because of that royal connection, Charlotte is often called “The Queen City.”The name Queens University also honors a former school called Queen’s College that was founded there in 1771 during the time of British rule.While Cluff’s mix-up created laughs online, the game itself looks very one-sided on paper. According to ESPN’s matchup predictor, Purdue has a 97.8 percent chance of winning against Queens University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.Even so, March Madness is famous for surprising results. Lower-seed teams have shocked favorites many times before, which is why fans will still watch closely when Purdue and Queens finally meet on the court.