LOUISVILLE - A little more than a year ago at this time, Purdue's season ended in the Big Ten Tournament. Though they might not have said it or overtly showed it, there were players in that Bankers Life Fieldhouse locker room that were glad it did.
Tonight, after its oh-my-god-I-wish-there-were-more-synonyms-for-"excruciating" overtime loss to a Cincinnati team that's no better than them, the Boilermakers crammed, literally, into the embarrassingly small Yum! Center locker room assigned to them, practically drowning in their own tears.
This is a good thing.
Not for them, obviously, not now anyway.
Rapheal Davis can't be thrilled that he was literally physically ill after this game, and when he was recovered, he was upgraded only to "basket case." Vince Edwards and A.J. Hammons probably would have preferred to march to the post-game press conference a little less puffy-faced, a little less pink around the eyes. Jon Octeus didn't go quiet in response to a question for a good 15 seconds because he was searching for the perfect word.
It was hard, man, hard being in that locker room - did we mention that it was small? - amidst all that sorrow, but it was also revealing.
Like I just said in the Wrap Video, we go through seasons talking about "what we learned" in this game or that game, this week or the one before, when the reality is the big reveal is the end.
How much do you care?
Because how much you care is going to directly impact how much and how hard you work, how good of a teammate you are and ultimately in some way or another, how much you win.
It was heart-breaking for Purdue to let slip a winning margin of seven points with 48 seconds left in regulation. Credit Cincinnati for making three big offensive plays to do it, but Purdue obviously had every chance to keep it at arm's length 'til the final horn and couldn't do it.
You could not have drawn up a more heart-breaking way to lose. I mean, it would have to be something unbelievable like a team goal-tending a game-winning three that was going to fall two inches short of the front of the rim. It'd have to be something completely outlandish like that, something that could never happen.
Anyway
This was a transitional year for Purdue. The Boilermakers were bad last season. Bad. I mean, last place and all.
For them to even be standing on the court tonight, their gag reflexes triggered in the Yum! Center, was something.
I know that's not the popular line right now, but it should be the enduring takeaway.
It was something for the program and will continue to be, because the core of Purdue's next few teams was sitting salty in that sardine-can locker room tonight, distraught.
I don't know what happens with Purdue's roster right now so it's hard to make projections for next season, but the guess here is that the Boilermakers will be right back on this same stage a year from now.
Hopefully with a bigger locker room, but back nonetheless.
Then maybe the year after, and the year after that.
Purdue got back into the NCAA Tournament after a last-place season and without a senior who was on campus when the fall semester started and with only two upperclassmen returning from last season. Two juniors improved immensely and freshmen came in and helped considerably, in every way they possibly could have, whether it was with their play or with their presences. Look at Vince Edwards, Isaac Haas and Dakota Mathias and you see three future All-Big Ten guys, if you ask me, and impeccable captains.
With a young team, Purdue turned things around entirely and came one physics-defying bounce of a basketball away from winning a game, even as all its demons converged upon simultaneously at the worst of times.
I'm not trying to Mr. Happy Face On Everything Guy here. Maybe taking the big-picture approach here when the wound is still not only open but spilling in every direction is too soon.
But tomorrow, the sun comes up and what's on the horizon for Purdue basketball would seem worth focusing on.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2015. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
Tonight, after its oh-my-god-I-wish-there-were-more-synonyms-for-"excruciating" overtime loss to a Cincinnati team that's no better than them, the Boilermakers crammed, literally, into the embarrassingly small Yum! Center locker room assigned to them, practically drowning in their own tears.
This is a good thing.
Not for them, obviously, not now anyway.
It was hard, man, hard being in that locker room - did we mention that it was small? - amidst all that sorrow, but it was also revealing.
Like I just said in the Wrap Video, we go through seasons talking about "what we learned" in this game or that game, this week or the one before, when the reality is the big reveal is the end.
How much do you care?
Because how much you care is going to directly impact how much and how hard you work, how good of a teammate you are and ultimately in some way or another, how much you win.
It was heart-breaking for Purdue to let slip a winning margin of seven points with 48 seconds left in regulation. Credit Cincinnati for making three big offensive plays to do it, but Purdue obviously had every chance to keep it at arm's length 'til the final horn and couldn't do it.
You could not have drawn up a more heart-breaking way to lose. I mean, it would have to be something unbelievable like a team goal-tending a game-winning three that was going to fall two inches short of the front of the rim. It'd have to be something completely outlandish like that, something that could never happen.
Anyway
This was a transitional year for Purdue. The Boilermakers were bad last season. Bad. I mean, last place and all.
For them to even be standing on the court tonight, their gag reflexes triggered in the Yum! Center, was something.
I know that's not the popular line right now, but it should be the enduring takeaway.
It was something for the program and will continue to be, because the core of Purdue's next few teams was sitting salty in that sardine-can locker room tonight, distraught.
I don't know what happens with Purdue's roster right now so it's hard to make projections for next season, but the guess here is that the Boilermakers will be right back on this same stage a year from now.
Hopefully with a bigger locker room, but back nonetheless.
Then maybe the year after, and the year after that.
Purdue got back into the NCAA Tournament after a last-place season and without a senior who was on campus when the fall semester started and with only two upperclassmen returning from last season. Two juniors improved immensely and freshmen came in and helped considerably, in every way they possibly could have, whether it was with their play or with their presences. Look at Vince Edwards, Isaac Haas and Dakota Mathias and you see three future All-Big Ten guys, if you ask me, and impeccable captains.
With a young team, Purdue turned things around entirely and came one physics-defying bounce of a basketball away from winning a game, even as all its demons converged upon simultaneously at the worst of times.
I'm not trying to Mr. Happy Face On Everything Guy here. Maybe taking the big-picture approach here when the wound is still not only open but spilling in every direction is too soon.
But tomorrow, the sun comes up and what's on the horizon for Purdue basketball would seem worth focusing on.
Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2015. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited. E-mail GoldandBlack.com/Boilers, Inc.
