It's not like Vince Edwards came from nowhere to help the Boilermakers to their important 69-64 win over Indiana Thursday.
After all, his 26-point effort tied his career best. Yet, wins in Bloomington are rare for Purdue, and in more cases than not, it has taken a special effort from someone other than the Boilermaker star of the moment to deliver victory in Assembly Hall.
The Boilermakers are just 11-32 all-time on Indiana's home court, dating back to when Assembly Hall opened for the 1971-72 season. Here's our look at performances by unsung Boilermakers in those victories.
Wayne Walls: 19 points, 6 rebounds, Jan. 6, 1977
On a team with Walter Jordan, Joe Barry Carroll and Bruce Parkinson, it was Walls, a 6-foot-7 junior forward, who was a difference-maker in the Boilermaker victory. Walls, who was a four-year starter, saved some of his best games for against Indiana. A native of southern Indiana (Jeffersonville), the left-handed forward was known as a strong rebounder and shot-blocker, but on this icy night, he added 19 points (one point shy of Jordan's game-high 20) as the Boilermakers snapped the Hoosiers' 36-game Big Ten winning streak with an impressive 80-63 win. Not only was it Purdue's first road win at IU's new building, it remains the largest victory margin ever by a Purdue team in Assembly Hall.
Mark Atkinson: 18 points, 6 rebounds, Jan. 14, 1984
A favorite of fourth-year coach Gene Keady, Atkinson was a 6-7 junior college transfer who was a key role player in the Boilermakers' shocking run to the 1984 Big Ten co-championship.
A native of Brownsburg, Ind., Atkinson came up huge in his first season, scoring a career-best 18 points and grabbing six rebounds in the Boilermakers' 74-66 win. He helped the visitors to one of their most amazing scoring runs in school history, as Purdue out-pointed Indiana 22-0 over a nine-minute period late in the first half and early in the second, turning a 37-25 deficit into a 47-37 lead. It was Atkinson's first career start as well, and he played a role on the defensive end, along with Big Ten defensive player-of-the-year Ricky Hall, in slowing IU's standout freshman guard, as Steve Alford had just four points in the contest.
Todd Mitchell: 21 points, 12 rebounds, Feb. 23, 1985
This game will always be remembered as one when Indiana coach Bob Knight threw the chair and was ejected early in the contest.
But Purdue fans should never forget Mitchell's great performance. In a rare start in his freshman season, "Mitch" rose to the occasion to post his first double-double of his career, giving an early indication of his abilities as not only a top recruit but also a future All-Big Ten player. Atkinson was also great on the defensive end, limiting Alford to just 3-of-12 shooting, and the Boilermakers fought off the Hoosiers and one of the most raucous crowd the program has ever faced (especially after Knight's antics) to post the 72-63 win. It gave Keady his first season sweep over Knight and the Hoosiers.
Chuck White: 19 points, 3 rebounds, Jan. 13, 1990
The Boilermakers were in deep trouble at halftime with 13s running wild. Purdue trailing by 13 points to the 13th-ranked Hoosiers and looked as if it was going to be run out of Assembly Hall.
That's when White took over. The 6-6 junior college transfer who struggled early in his Boilermaker career after missing the 1988-89 season with an injury, had his coming out party in Bloomington. He blocked shots, ran the break with several spectacular dunks and was key to getting the game into overtime. In the final period, Purdue pulled out the win, 81-79.
Another unsung hero in the contest was Dave Barrett, who averaged just 1.8 points per game that season, but he hit a key three and scored the most important five points of his career during the second-half comeback.
Todd Foster: 15 points, Feb. 25, 1996
Most Purdue fans remember Chad Austin's game-winning shot in the closing minute, but it wouldn't have been possible had Foster not come off the bench to nail five three-pointers. The tough-as-nails senior guard connected on four from deep over in an eight-minute first-half span, but also hit a critical trey to give Purdue a one-point lead with 2:45 left in the game. In the end, the Boilermakers had a hard-fought 74-72 win, a key victory in its quest for a Three-Pete, (three straight undisputed Big Ten titles from 1994-96, just the second Big Ten team to accomplish that feat). In the post-game celebration, Foster did a little dance on the state of Indiana decal at halfcourt, forever endearing himself to Purdue fans, and putting him on Indiana's most-hated list for eternity.
Brian Cardinal 25 points, Jaraan Cornell 11, and Gary McQuay 10, Feb. 9, 1997
Ok, I get that it is hard to call Cardinal unsung, and Cornell for that matter. But McQuay definitely qualifies. The fact that all three were freshmen in their first game in Assembly Hall, make this remarkable. Cardinal scored a then career-best 25 points, Cornell scored all 11 in the tense second half and McQuay, who passed away less than a decade later after a bout with cancer, had a rare double-digit scoring performance. Austin's game-winner with 0.6 seconds left delivered the 89-87 win in overtime.
The victory was Purdue's fourth straight (and 100th overall) in the series, something that hadn't been accomplished by a Boilermaker team over Indiana since the winning seven straight from 1968-72.
Carson Cunningham: 17 points, 3 assists, Feb. 9, 1999
Cornell, with all 14 of his points in the second half, and Cardinal (21 points) loomed large once again, but by their junior years they had long surpassed unsung status.
In Purdue's 86-81 overtime win, it was Cunningham, a junior transfer from Oregon State, who was a big difference-maker. The Ogden Dunes, Ind., native hit 8-of-11 shots, scored 17 points and kept a Boilermaker team together that was suffering the early February blues. The victory was critical to Purdue's effort to make the NCAA Tournament, something it accomplished despite a 7-9 conference record. It marked the only time in school history the Boilermakers made the Dance with an under .500 league ledger.
Once a part of March Madness, Keady's crew took advantage, making a surprise run to the Sweet 16.
Jon Octeus 12 points, 3 rebounds, Feb. 19, 2015
It belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of the best dunks in Purdue men's basketball history. Octeus, a fifth-year transfer from Colorado State, leaped over Indiana's Collin Hartman early in the second half to break a 35-all tie and seize the momentum for Purdue in a dramatic 67-63 win. Purdue needed a couple of big plays in the final minute of the game to earn the victory, but Octeus' acrobatics had the effect (partly because it was played and re-played on every digital medium imaginable) of sending a message to the college basketball world that the Boilermakers would be back in the NCAA Tournament after a two-year hiatus.
It bears noting that the 2010 and '11 victories are not listed here, as Purdue was a prohibitive favorite vs. IU (which was reeling from the Kelvin Sampson Era) in both contests. The 2010 game was too close for Purdue's comfort as the Boilermakers won 78-75. The following year, it was a little easier for the Gold and Black as it rolled to its second double-digit win in Assembly Hall by a 72-61 margin. Kelsey Barlow's defensive effort in the 2010 game and the infamous choke sign he gave to the Hoosier faithful made it memorable. Like many times before, the victory provided the impetus, and confidence, for the Boilermakers' run to the NCAA Tournament.
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