Zihuatanejo

What is the distance between despair and elation? If it is measured on a temporal scale and applied to Purdue basketball it is 380 days.

I know that Bill Simmons pioneered the analogy, but the last 380 days have been a lot like the Shawshank Redemption for Purdue basketball fans. March 17, 2023 was the lowest of the low. Losing to Fairleigh Dickinson was arguably the most embarrassing loss in the history of the NCAA Tournament. Navigating the offseason and all the petty barbs and jokes was crawling out of the prison. Winning the Big Ten regular season was withdrawing all the embezzled money from the bank.

Then there was today. This was the Zihuatanejo moment where Andy and Red were reunited on the beach in Mexico.

But enough about that allegory. Five years ago Purdue was crushed in its Elite Eight game as the clock hit triple zeros in regulation. This time Fletcher Loyer was joyously tossing the ball in the air. There was relief. There was joy. There were tears. It was the most cathartic moment in Purdue's history as that clock hitting all zeros kicked off literal hours of celebrations across Purdue nation.

Robbie Hummel of everyone associated with this program should know. His own moment like this was undone by a balky ligament, one of those "what if" moments. Hummel spoke for all of us.

"I cannot believe this has finally happened."

You're not alone in that, Robbie.

That entire clip above is worth a listen. It is Purdue basketball encapsulated. Robbie Hummel is elated for Matt Painter. Painter doesn't know if he deserves the moment, but he says Robbie does.

There was so many moments to savor during the celebration. The infectious smile of Lance Jones stands out. A year ago no one knew who Lance Jones was. When he agreed to spend his final year of college basketball in West Lafayette the team embraced him. They lifted him up when he lost his father before the season. In turn, his three-pointer with 2:43 left that gave Purdue a six point lead will now hold the same reverence as Drew Brees' pass to Seth Morales.

You're a Purdue immortal now, Lance. Congratulations.

There was the quiet confidence and vindication for Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith. As freshmen last year they shouldered so much of the blame of that defeat, but they didn’t mope. They got better in the offseason. They carried themselves with confidence all year, and even an edge of cockiness. It's not cocky if you back it up, however, and because of that Purdue will play the first game in program history in the month of April.

There was Mason Gillis and Ethan Morton. It was a rough Sunday for those two seniors. Gillis was scoreless as he lost his shooting touch, while Morton didn’t see the floor. They are the epitome of what Purdue is as a program. Neither is an All-American. Both could have been stars elsewhere, and in this world of college basketball they could have gone elsewhere to be "The guy". Instead, they are old school guys that have stayed with the program through ups and downs. Now they are here.

Then there was Zach Edey. He was so stoic all year. He showed emotion after a big play, but in every press conference it was all business. You could see him break down while hugging his mom, relief flooding him. Later he trimmed a piece of the net and handed it to Gene Keady, a moment that was over four decades in the making for the venerable old coach.

Edey threw everything he had into this game. With Purdue struggling from three he put this team on his back and carried the them through the final 10 minutes. This was his masterpiece. 40 points. 14 rebounds. One block that was gigantic. He sat for roughly 30 seconds and left so much out there he airballed a free throw late.

Zach Edey has been such a dominant player he has made peoeple nationally dislike Purdue basketball. Through everything, he gave gave everything.

As for the fans, the emotions were all over the place. There was elation. There were tears. Celebratory drinks were poured. People visited the graves of relatives that had passed and didn’t get to see this day. This is a program that has sustained DECADES of suffering. In the span of two hours on a Sunday afternoon all of it was washed away.

This was one of my first tweets after the final buzzer.

Having managed Purdue sites for over 18 years I have long wondered what this moment would feel like. Now that it has happened the only thing I can think of is peace. Yes, there is still a game (or two) to play next week, but for Purdue something like the Final Four always seemed so far away. That half second in 2019 might as well have been a geological epoch. After all the heartbreak over the last four decades just finally making it to the last weekend feels tremendous. I can’t even fathom what winning it all would feel like. That’s not to say it can’t happen. Anything is possible now and Purdue has a very good shot at a national championship, but right now, this moment, is finally here after so many crushing moments.

So here is to you, Purdue fans. Casey will have some great features here over the next few days. Let’s close with some of the best things I saw over the last few hours.