Every win is beautiful, epecially in the tournament.
I have been staring at the flashing cursor for the last few minutes thinking about what I should write. The entire second half was about as intense of a basketball game as you can ask for, right to the very end. It was a game where Texas threw everything it had into it. Tramon Mark and Jordan Pope were each playing lights out on one leg. Matas Vokietaitas was in foul trouble and limited in what he could do. Purdue’s offense was getting good looks,
but no one aside from Fletcher Loyer could knock down a three. Oscar Cluff fouled out on a disastrous play tha tied the game, and the prospect of playing overtime without him was looming.
Thank God for Trey Kaufman-Renn.
Look, all that matters this time of year is having more points than your opponent when the clock hits zero. You don’t get graded on pretty. You don’t get extra poll votes. You don’t get to upgrade your seed. These two teams played dead even for 39 minutes and 59 seconds, with TKR’s rebounding, which has been critical all year, being the difference.
And yes, even then I was worried about the full court heave.
This entire season has been about getting to Indianapolis, and now we are one step away from that goal. It marks the third time that a Final Four has been played in Indanapolis and Purdue has been in the Elite Eight. It won in 1980. It lost in 2000. It now gets another shot as Matt Painter now has his third Elite Eight appearance.
Some thoughts before the video:
- Only four points off the bench tonight. Yes, all five starters played great and were in double figures, but Jack Benter and Daniel Jacobsen struggled on defense and Omer Mayer jsut could not get a shot to fall.
- If Purdue hits its thees like normal this is probably a blowout. After Fletch hit those first two it was a series of bricks from long range. He would add two more, but Purdue closed 2 of 18 from long range after that. They were often very good looks, too.
- Not a particularly great game defensively, but Purdue buckled down and got some stops when it really needed them.
- Are we going with the 8 man rotation now? Jacobsen played just two minutes. Gicarri Harris, Mayer, and Jack Benter were pretty quiet, but gave the starters a break.
- What a monster game from TKR. That man would not be denied offensively. Just put the team on his back and cleaned up the mess at the end.
- Not the best shooting night from Braden Smith. In fact, he has kinda struggled the last two games. Hopefully he can get it together Saturday night.
- I was diagnosed with a pulmonary condition a few weeks ago. I think Purdue is trying to kill me.
- The unholy bargain of an Indiana football natty for a Purdue basketball natty remains alive.
- If you’re in Mounds State Park on Saturday you’ll probably hear me. I am camping this weekend with my son’s Scout troop and taking all the batteries I can find to watch via phone.
- Is it just me, or is there less pressure this year in the Elite Eight? It’s Purdue’s third trip there in the last 8 years, but after 2024 it does not feel as do or die.
- Purdue won this game because it was hitting so many midrange jumpers. It just dinked and dunked its way from there. Hey, whatever works.
- We do not win if we have to play OT without Cluff.
- Just the third time the program hits 30 wins in a season. It had exactly 30 in 2018 and 34 in 2024.
- Purdue is also 10-0 on neutral courts and 18-3 away from home. Yeah, I can’t figure it out either.
- One more game and we get to play a Final Four in what would be a de facto home game, although given our struggles at home this year that may not be a good thing.
- Just the messenger here, but Purdue’s only other national title in basketball had to go through San Jose, we’re playing in the same arena where the women won it all in 1999.
Purdue Press Conference
Texas Press Conference
