When Purdue was down one, and the waning seconds were ticking away on what was looking like a disastrous upset, Matt Painter put the ball in Braden Smith's hands, trusting that the best play maker in the country would do the right thing.

The right thing, throughout the night, was getting the ball into Trey Kaufman-Renn's hands.

That's what Smith did. He dribbled right, pulled Oumar Ballo and Trey Galloway out after a screen at the top of the key and then he waited. It was just a second, but that second might go a long way in Purdue's chase for its third straight Big Ten title.

In that second, Ballo escaped from Smith, searching for Kaufman-Renn, his man, and as he did, Smith turned his body, shielded himself from Galloway's long arms, and bounced a pass low to Kaufman-Renn who coralled it just as Ballo came to his body.

Kaufman-Renn caught it, then he dribbled, making contact with Ballo's body and spun a full 180 around, just one step inside the free throw line and put a hook shot up.

It was the tenth made shot of the game for Kaufman-Renn, and it put Purdue up 77-76 with 11 seconds left.

It was a game winner.

When IU found itself trailing Purdue by one with 11 seconds remaining, it had three players in double-figures: Trey Galloway 13 points, Oumar Ballo 14, and Mackenzie Mgbako with a game-high 25 points.

When the ball was inbounded to Myles Rice, who spent most of the game on the bench in favor of Anthony Leal and Trey Galloway, Rice had zero points and IU had one timeout.

As Rice bowled up the right side of the court and the clock ticked down, Rice rushed a pull up against freshman Gicarri Harris. As Rice went into his shot, Galloway was still holding his hand up, hoping for the ball. Mgbako was standing wide open in the opposite corner. Ballo was trying to seal his man down low.


When Rice's shot was blocked and it ended up in Kaufman-Renn's hand, the game was over, Rice still had no points, and IU still had a timeout left to use.

When Purdue needed a play to win, it executed.


When IU needed a play to win, it crashed.


Though the two rivals will play again, this time in Assembly Hall in just a couple weeks, on this night, in this year, during this season, IU and Purdue passed each other like ships in the open night.

The teams might share a state, but one team has found port with Matt Painter and another appears lost at sea.


Purdue is headed towards another NCAA Tournament and perhaps Big Ten Title.


IU is headed towards an iceberg.


Whatever IU thought they were getting with Mike Woodson, it appears to have all but crashed at this point. IU for the second straight game pulled defeat from the jaws of victory.

Whatever song Mike Woodson was singing, Rice wasn't listening. Instead, a siren's voice seemed to pull the young guard towards the glory of a game winner.

"Couldn't get his attention," Woodson said after the game. Then, a moment later, "Once he took off, I couldn't get to him. The official went by. We've just got to connect better."

There's seems to have been a lot that's passed IU by in the last decade of basketball, but what has to hurt most is Purdue's ascension to the top of the league and sport.

IU had the timeout to set up a play and an offensive gameplan that was working against Purdue, but instead, Rice was blocked by a Purdue legacy true freshman and IU's best chance at getting into the NCAA Tournament sank into cold waters.

It stands even more damning considering how IU's last game finished with confusion clouding the final plays against Maryland, including trying to get Rice on the same page with a play call on an in bounds.

IU's frustration appeared to boil over in Mackey Arena on Friday night. As the two teams went towards the handshake line, Indiana's Oumar Ballo was seen stalking off the court, upset by Rice's game missing shot.

This time Luke Goode wasn't able corral his fellow Hoosier back towards sportsmanship.

What might hurt the most is that Painter knows IU let Purdue off the hook.


After the game, Matt Painter didn't pull any punches.

"We were just fortunate there at the end that Trey Galloway doesnt' have the ball in his hands at the end," Painter said. "Let's just be frank about it because he was making plays."

Which just about sums up the IU experience under Mike Woodson. Woodson, a former IU player, a guy with an NBA pedigree, was able to put rosters together with NBA talent, five stars recruits and guys who have won elsewhere.

But when IU needs his voice most, it seems he's too far away to help.

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