Braden Smith left a 15 assist masterpiece on the floor against Houston's #1 defense in front an Indianapolis Sweet 16 crowd that was one shot away from being enough.

If Purdue can defeat its final opponent during the off season when it stares an unforgiving and giving portal in the mouth, then Braden Smith's swan song and senior year will end in the same arena, surrounded by the same teammates and fans as Purdue finally cuts down the final pair of nets in a season.

That's how good Smith was. That's how good Purdue was, even in defeat, a narrow, final second heart breaker, 62-60, to Kelvin Sampson's Houston Cougars.

Braden Smith final tally of assists for the season: 313

Braden Smith assists needed to set the all-time assists record in college basketball: 319

If there is someone writing scripts for college basketball, please be kind enough to give Purdue this. If Purdue plays the exact same way as it did this season, he'll break that record in Indianapolis, in his second Final Four, and this time when he carves up a defense and finds an open shooter and the shot goes up, up, up, and in.

It will be enough.

But first, monsters lurk in the corner.

Purdue will loses players in the portal. An already crowded rotation will become more so with redshirt Jack Benter entering the mix, redshirt and recovering Daniel Jacobsen, and Raleigh Burgess getting fully healthy after a stress calf injury took away his mobility late in the season.

Camden Heide should play more. Myles Colvin should play more. Gicarri Harris should play more. CJ Cox should play more.

It's a good problem to have during the season. Now, with the portal open and college basketball churning with money and chum in murky waters, the sharks are ready to bite.

Braden Smith will hear from schools, multiple, with big reputations and even bigger check books. He will have to weigh his legacy at Purdue against an amount of money that will have him set for life. That's not exactly an easy decision for someone in his early twenties.

There are players on the edges of Purdue's rotation that will have tough conversations with Painters, ones that will likely end with him thanking them and acknowledging, Purdue is a great place, and they made it better, but it's time to go.

There is money out there even for those not seeing the floor at Purdue. There are minutes at other schools that will allow those players to get a chance.

"You just want each one of your guys to do what's best for them," Painter said after Purdue's loss to Houston. "I think that's something that gets lost. Don't do what you want to do, do what's best for you. And if that's what's best for you to stay then great. If that's what's best for you to go someplace then great."

Painter's honest shines into the air like a beacon in a college basketball landscape that's easy to get lost in. Purdue has avoided the portal and thrived. Purdue will be a victim this season, Painter has all but promised.

But Purdue will not go easily into the night.

"But I know this," Painter added. "We'll have a good team next year."

In acknowledging the portal's part in the next few weeks, Painter also went to setting the gauntlet to his guys for the summer.

Usually the players get two weeks off before Purdue starts to offload into the off season. With the portal open, those communications will happen almost immediately. Painter said he'd talk to all his guys Sunday and Monday.

He has already leaked the mess for those that will be returning.

"Just be honest and frank," Painter said about the conversation. "If you don't like where you, improve. Get better. Dominate the summer. Dominate the fall. Get yourself in a better position than you are."

Then Painter offered a mantra that he proved in the summer that cost Purdue a 4-star, 6-6 guard.

"No one's been promised anything in our program."

Purdue just couldn't match Houston's physicality. It tried, Purdue was just one shot worse on a night when two teams sent haymakers back and forth, but Painter realizes that there was a flaw in design with this team.

The same portal that has threatened Purdue, will also offer him a chance to add what this team missed this season.

"Ultimately, we don't need to go out and get a different player," Painter said. "We just need to keep getting the same guys with the same character and the same makeup that we've been getting."

But Painter offers up honesty for himself, self-critique, and a guideline for the off season that might be a threat to all of college basketball.

"We do need more physicality," Painter added. "That's what we need. That's not their fault. That's my fault. We need to have a more physical team. Hopefully that's what - we'll make some moves."

Painter's promise should be music to Purdue fans hears and terrifying for anyone with hopes to win the national title next year.

Purdue enters next year with all-time legacy on the line, a team that's been there, and if it can survive the next month, should be there again.