Relief in Ecstacy: Purdue's Basketball Journey

By: Chris Freeman

In the heartland of Indiana, nestled among the quiet, winding country roads and sprawling farmlands, there exists a faction of basketball fans whose fervor burns just as bright as their blue-blood, state-rival counterparts. Yet, their journey to the mountaintops of college basketball glory has been one fraught with uncertainty and heartache leaving them yearning. While their rivals have reveled in the glory of championship triumphs multiple times, the other’s fortunes have often seemed to falter at the most inopportune moments.

In the shadows of Mackey Arena, where the humble Purdue faithful dwell, exists a rabid fanbase whose souls have endured the sting of defeat, the agony of setbacks, and the bitter taste of unfulfilled potential. Their journey to the mountaintop has been one fraught with obstacles, each twist and turn in the road testing their resolve and pushing them to the brink of despair.

There were moments along the way when it felt like the mountaintop would forever elude their grasp when the uncontrollable forces of fate seemed to conspire against them every March. It was a journey marked by heartbreak and disappointment, where the shadows of doubt loomed large and the weight of expectation always seemed to drag them down.

But even in the darkest of times, there remained a flicker of hope—a belief that their struggles were not eternal, that their time would come, and that they would finally defeat the devil on their shoulder. For theirs is a story of perseverance and defiance, of understanding that Purdue is a family, emphasizing the values that former Head Coach Gene Keady set in place, and instead of forging their path to greatness, they continued to build on the foundations that made Purdue a special program.

Well before my time, Coach Gene Keady took over a Purdue program and did so imposing his standards above that of the play on the court. He decided that it was more important to prepare his players as young men for the real world, instead of treating them as if they all were going to be superstars. During his legendary run at Purdue, accompanied by a few Elite 8 appearances, reigniting the rivalry with Bob Knight’s Hoosiers, Gene had created a Purdue Basketball program that was nationally respected at a very high level. However, despite the program's achievements, there remained one elusive goal: the Final Four. For all of Purdue's success under Keady, the ultimate prize of reaching college basketball's grandest stage had remained just out of reach.

The transition from Gene Keady to Matt Painter marked a pivotal moment in the history of Purdue basketball, signifying the passing of the torch from one legendary coach to another and ushering in a new era for the program. Keady's departure after over two decades at the helm left big shoes to fill, and it was up to a young, former player in Matt Painter to achieve this.

In the landscape of college basketball coaches, known for having their fair share of characters, many who follow the sport for a living consider Matt Painter one of the few “nice guys” who lead their programs at a high level. Painter has always been sure to never take credit for his successes as a coach and instead uses that opportunity to shine a light on those who helped get him to where he is today. 

Taking over from Gene Keady, Purdue still was not one of the shiny, flashy brands in collegiate ball. He did not have great facilities and had to compete with the in-state blue-blood neighbors. He always gives credit to the recruiting class dubbed as the “Baby Boilers” consisting of high-rated recruits JuJuan Johnson, E’twaun Moore, and Robbie Hummel. He constantly says he would not have lasted more than 5-6 years if they had not believed in him and his abilities as a young coach.

Some of my first core basketball memories come from watching those Baby Boilers and their ability to bring Mackey Arena to bedlam. One that always sticks out to me is #2 Ohio State versus #11 Purdue in Mackey and 15k Boilermakers just going ballistic as E’twaun Moore goes on an eight-point run toward the end of the first half. 

The 3 major stars of that team, seemed to have ushered in a new era of Purdue basketball. Giving Matt Painter his chance to stamp his legacy at Purdue and show it was a new era for good in West Lafayette. Those teams were consistently finding themselves ranked in the top ten and battling for Big Ten titles, they had the talent to find themselves in the Final Four. Except as it usually went for the Purdue Basketball program, Robbie Hummel slips and tears his ACL. Another chance, another opportunity, and something that seemed completely out of the realm of thought for Purdue fans, their dreams of another Final Four were dashed.

Following up those great seasons, the next few seemed to be difficult for Painter and the Boilermakers, eventually hitting rock bottom in 2013-14 when they finished dead last in the Big Ten and things were looking pretty bleak. Rumors were flying around that Painter might leave for Missouri, and the program needed to have a gut-check moment and get back to the standards that Gene Keady set for the type of player that should come play basketball at Purdue. 

In comes a class of recruits that were high character recruits and would turn the program around in just one year. Players like PJ Thompson, Vincent Edwards, Isaac Haas, and the “Midwestern Cowboy” Dakota Mathias, once again all believed in Painter and were high-character guys. The following year Painter received his first 5-star commitment from Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan and a sniper in Ryan Cline.

Coach Matt Painter speaks on this quite frequently, in those years when they struggled he found himself straying away from his beliefs and recruiting and playing a brand of basketball that he did not believe in. In those classes of 2014 and 2015, he got back to the standards and norms of his style, playing inside-out and committing to the ‘big man’ getting touches. 

In those years they faced to continual heartbreak of losing to Cinderellas in the tournament. In their best chance to make a Final Four in that era, once again in classic Purdue fashion, in a first-round game as a #2 seed, Isaac Haas crashes to the floor and breaks his elbow. The elusive Final Four still evades their grasp.

2019 was a year in which they had to stray away from their ideal style a bit because they did not have a constant threat inside from a big man. Purdue is known to be a team that did not have many guys who could those off the dribble and create their own shot, but a ball-dominant guard in Carsen Edwards could. Carsen Edwards was so fun for Purdue fans because he was everything that Matt Painter usually would try to slow down and make better decisions. Because Purdue did not have the usual inside threat, he had the green light in 2019.

Accompanied by a certified sniper in Ryan Cline, Carsen Edwards and Cline got hot in March. Whether it be Carsen Edwards dropping 40 points multiple times in that run, or Ryan Cline single-handedly taking down Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen, a guard-heavy Purdue team was a new sight for the Boilermaker faithful.

March is a month of extremes—a rollercoaster of emotions where triumph and defeat collide in the blink of an eye. In 2019, at the KFC Yum Center during the Elite Eight matchup against Virginia, I experienced this juxtaposition firsthand. With 20 thousand fans packed into the arena, anticipation was in the air as Carsen Edwards delivered a heroic 42-point, ten 3-pointer performance. Surrounded by Purdue faithful, we dared to dream that the Final Four was within our grasp, with just 5.9 seconds remaining on the clock. But fate had other plans. Virginia's Diakete sank a buzzer-beater to send the game into overtime—a moment that would go down in March Madness history as one of the most improbable. In that instant, ecstasy and dread stood side by side, encapsulating the essence of March Madness.

I think it was at that moment it all hit Purdue fans. The nagging question of whether there was indeed a curse, and if the pinnacle of success would forever remain out of reach, weighed heavily on our minds. It had felt so close, yet slipped away in the blink of an eye. The somber car ride from the stadium back to the hotel is a memory etched into my mind—shocked, dejected, and numb, we grappled with the harsh reality of another missed opportunity.

In the subsequent seasons, Purdue remained a force in college basketball, reclaiming Big Ten titles and securing high seeds in March Madness. However, the specter of Cinderellas haunted their postseason aspirations. Whether it was the stunning upset by #13 seed North Texas, the loss to #15 seed St. Peters in the Sweet Sixteen, or the infamous loss as the second #1 seed ever to a #16 seed, Purdue couldn't shake off the reputation of faltering when it mattered most. Matt Painter once hailed for his regular-season prowess, began to be seen as the coach who excelled in the regular season but stumbled in March.

In the press conference after the Farleigh Dickinson debacle, Matt Painter had to face the most cruel media session a head coach in college basketball would ever imagine. “We have to sit in it, we have to face it, we gotta deal with it and we have to come back stronger”, he said while he took the questions straight to the jaw. 

Receiving the brunt of the off-season backlash, this team came back this year, led by Zach Edey with an extreme business-like approach. Whether it be them winning the Maui Invitational stacked with top ten teams or winning the Big Ten regular season championship with ease, this team looked like they were on a mission.

All tournament long they beat down their opponents and had no celebration after. The players would take to the media in a very stoic manner and say that they were just doing what they were supposed to do.

On resurrection day, March 31st, Boiler fans streamed into Detroit and took over Little Cesears arena for a date with Tennessee for the right to go to the Final Four. There was a buzz in the air like I have never experienced before. What set this team apart from years past was that they felt inevitable in a sense. On a day when Purdue played a pretty bad game by their standards, Tennessee’s star Dalton Knecht going nuclear, Zach Edey just refused to lose. The big shots in years past, that Purdue would always seem to miss, started falling. 

With two and a half minutes on the clock, Lance Jones hit one of the biggest shots in all of Purdue history. The crowd made Detroit sound like Mackey on a Saturday night. Tears welling up in eyes, including mine, strangers grabbing others to embrace Tennessee gave in and stopped fouling. Purdue had broken the curse, Matt Painter had broken the curse.

That moment of ecstasy throughout the stadium from Purdue fans was one of the biggest celebrations and emotional moments the tournament in March has ever experienced. Amidst the jubilation, lingered a sense of relief—a sigh of relief after years of near-misses and heartbreaks. As I shared a hug with a newfound friend, he summed it up perfectly: "It's more relief than anything."

For most fanbases, moments of triumph are cause for celebration and elation. But for the basketball-crazy fans of Purdue, it's something more profound. It's a release of pent-up emotions, unburdening themselves of years of frustration and disappointment. Each near miss, each heartbreak, had only served to heighten the stakes, making this victory all the sweeter. In that moment of ecstasy, Purdue fans found not only joy but a profound sense of relief—a weight lifted, a curse broken.

Purdue fans have been on the precipice of this moment for so many years. Trying to will this team back into the Final Four. The nearness of the achievement serves as a catalyst, intensifying their desire and determination to see their team cross the finish line and achieve greatness. 

In that moment of triumph, it wasn't just the fans who found relief—it was the entire Purdue basketball program. From Zach Edey's heartfelt embrace with Coach Painter to Robbie Hummel's tearful commentary on the radio, the significance of this victory extended far beyond the court. It was a collective exhale, a release from the weight of past failures that had burdened the program for so long. The 'Three Amigos', Glenn Robinson's injury, the heartbreaking loss to Wisconsin in the Elite Eight, Robbie Hummel's ACL tear, Isaac Haas's elbow injury, the Virginia game, and… Farleigh Dickinson—all of it, suddenly relieved in an instant.

Purdue basketball embodies a culture of excellence and integrity—a standard that sets the bar for programs across the NCAA. With a head coach like Matt Painter at the helm, the Boilermakers have cultivated a legacy built on family and doing things the right way. I couldn't be prouder of these young men and the resilience they displayed in the face of immense pressure. As we look ahead, let's carry this momentum forward and chase after two more victories. The journey continues, and we can finally say that: the sky's the limit for Purdue basketball.

Somewhere above, Caleb “Biggie” Swanigan looks down on this team with that infectious smile on his face as they continue to write Boilermaker history.