The Purdue portion of the audience at the KFC Yum! Center exploded in delirium when Ryan Cline was fouled with 17 seconds left, and in the time necessary to identify the guilty party and then assemble everyone at the free throw line, Boilers fans could imagine themselves visiting their first Final Four in decades.
With the Boilers ahead of Virginia by two in the 2019 NCAA South Region final, star guard Carsen Edwards had tried to clinch victory with a 3-point shot. It did not connect, but teammate Grady Eifert ran down the offensive rebound and got the ball to Cline. All they needed were two free throws. They got one.
It seems almost cruel to recount what happened next in an article about Purdue.
Let’s just say the Boilers did not win, and leave it at that.
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Which is why the hunger for a trip to the Final Four is so intense.
Purdue last got to that stage in 1980, and the heartbreak of 2019 is only one such episode. There was the terrific 1988 team nicknamed the Three Amigos – Todd Mitchell, Troy Lewis, Everette Stephens – that rolled through the Big Ten but were undone by Kansas State’s Mitch Richmond in the Sweet 16. There was the 1994 team led by Glenn Robinson that was stung by Grant Hill’s brilliant defense against the Big Dog in the Elite Eight. There was the 2000 team that fell four points short against Wisconsin in the West Region final.
And that’s to say nothing of the misfortune that wrecked the Baby Boilers in 2010, when they were 24-3 and ranked No. 3 in the nation, as star forward Robbie Hummel tore his ACL just four games before the end of the regular season. Or the ignominy of becoming just the second No. 1 seed ever to lose to a No. 16, which occurred just 12 months ago.
That’s what Purdue fans have endured on the way to this moment, which arrives Sunday, with their team in the NCAA Midwest Region final and looking not to add another tragic chapter to their March history.
They have been one of the best teams in this season, and in this tournament. From the Maui Invitational title through the Big Ten regular season, Purdue enjoyed a dominant year behind another Player of the Year effort from center Zach Edey, as well as a first-team All-Big Ten performance from point guard Braden Smith. They’ve been there before, though.
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This is what’s different. They’ve not been this dominant this deep in any NCAA Tournament. With Friday’s 80-68 victory over No. 5 seed Gonzaga, the Boilers have won their three March Madness games by an average of 26.3 points. That’s just a couple points off the pace through three rounds established by top overall seed Connecticut.
Edey overpowered Gonzaga with 27 points and 14 rebounds, and Smith did it from a different direction with 14 points and 15 assists. Attempting to deal with Edey led both of Gonzaga’s excellent big men, Anton Watson and Graham Ike, to foul out of the game.
“They’re hunting right now, not being hunted,” Gonzaga coach Mark Few said following the game. “That’s how you get to Final Fours.”
Purdue fans have been exceptional for years. When The Sporting News magazine identified a series of superlatives around the game more than 15 years ago, the “Paint Crew” was selected the best student section, and a series of successors have lived up to that declaration. Overall, Mackey Arena has been sold out without exception since Jan. 15, 2019.
They have celebrated their team’s victories and navigated all that heartbreak.
That doesn’t mean it’s their turn for some good luck.
The NCAA Tournament never is hesitant to punish whichever team is available. The Boilers have to count on making their own.
