Transient Buckeye Intro: We're approaching the halfway point of the season. That means fans of about half our teams (okay, maybe a third) are looking ahead toward potential postseason matchups, while fans of everyone else in the conference are already turning the page to basketball season.
Speaking of turning the page to basketball season, this week's Power Poll comes to us from @glassjawed, one of our contingent of resident BoilerBots. Since a large part of sports fandom involves revisiting pain and self-loathing, he's going to pair each of our Big Ten teams with a particular loss that Purdue has endured in the NCAA tournament. This is, I admit, a bit of a foreign concept for me. As an Ohio State fan, I can barely remember eighteen NCAA tournament appearances, to say nothing of losses. But we should never question the memory of Purdue fans when it comes to roundball. Take it away, @glassjawed!
I am here to tell you that Purdue basketball has been trying to kill me for almost my entire life. Now I know what you’re thinking, Purdue has been reasonably successful for like 100 years. They go to the NCAA tournament every (*) year. They have more total wins than any other (real) Big 10 team. They have the most Big 10 titles of all time and have an all time winning record against every other (real) team in the league. They’ve only really been “bad” like 4 seasons your entire life. What do THEY have to be so upset about?
Unfortunately, in sports, there is a distinct difference between “winning” and success”. But even though winning does not necessarily breed “success”, it does breed “hope.” And March, cruel bitch that she is, will turn that “hope” into “hilarious soul-deadening disappointment”, annually broadcast live to millions of homes across the country.
What follows is a collection of schadenfreude the likes of which may never be seen again. In order of most worst to least worst; here are Purdue’s most painful losses in the NCAA tournament (since it expanded to 64 teams).
(*) shut up
#1 Ohio State (5-1, 3-0) – 2019: 80-75(OT) Elite 8 to 1 Seed Virginia (the worst loss in Purdue history. Yes, really)
Last Week: 2 High: 1 Low: 5 First-Place Votes: 9 Last-Place Votes: 0
Yes yes Fairleigh Dickinson and yes yes St Peter’s were both horrendous losses and stains on the program that will never fully wash off. But ask any longtime Purdue fan which tournament loss hurt the most and the vast majority will inevitably come back to this. This Purdue team had every possible rooting interest a fan could want. Firstly, after losing Vince Edwards, Isaac Haas, PJ Thompson and Dakota Mathias to graduation, this was supposed to be a rebuilding year, so expectations were reasonable. Secondly, they had a flat out STAR in Carsen Edwards who could go get buckets. Thirdly, their 3 best players were so damned likable. Edwards was the undersized kid from Atascocita. Ryan Cline was the 3 point ace with the goofy looking release. And Grady Eifert was the former walk on who played his guts out on every play. And finally the team had a moment of adversity that brought it together when, following a blowout loss at Michigan St (that dropped the Boilers to 9-6), Purdue won 14 of their next 17 games and captured the Big 10 title. This led to a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament and, after dispatching Old Dominion and Villanova with relative ease, Purdue played, what was up to that point, the most entertaining game of basketball I had seen in a 99-94 overtime win over Tennessee in the sweet 16. This led to an Elite 8 showdown with 1 seed Virginia. In the first half Purdue led by as many as 10 and in the second Virginia led by as much as 8 but with just over a minute left, Carsen Edwards, on his way to a 42 point night (and being named the Regions MOP), drained a 3 to put Purdue up 69-67. On the next Virginia possession Kyle Guy misses a 3 and Purdue regains possession with 43 seconds on the clock. Edwards then misses an open 3 that is miraculously rebounded by Grady Eifert who kicks the ball to Ryan Cline (who is immediately fouled with 12 seconds left). 70% FT shooter Cline can only manage 1 of 2 from the charity stripe and Painter, who has learned his lesson from getting burned by not fouling against Little Rock 3 years before, instructs Nojel Eastern to foul Ty Jerome with 5 seconds left. Up 3, with a 93% win probability and faced with the prospect of slaying the Final Four drought dragon that has gone on for 39 years, Boiler Nation begins to believe. We love this team. They play the way we like our teams to play. The Purdue way. And after seeing Indiana and Michigan and Illinois and Minnesota and Michigan St and Wisconsin and Ohio St ALL make the final four since our last trip in 1980 we are texting our friends that this is FINALLY happening. Only it doesn’t. INSTEAD WE GOT THIS.
Heartbreak begins 1:32 in.
Purdue lost this game
I am already too annoyed to write about overtime, so watch that impossible ending here: https://youtu.be/BaMHWVUWQCE?si=ZIraCDhdIZQfTCKZ
#2 Indiana (6-0, 3-0) – 1940: Just going to leave this here
Last Week: 1 High: 1 Low: 7 FPV: 5 LPV: 0
“Despite winning the Big Ten conference title, Purdue (10-2 in the Big Ten) did not participate in the 1940 NCAA Tournament. Coach Piggy Lambert generally disliked postseason tournament play and commercialized postseason setups, so the Boilermakers declined or did not pursue an invitation. Instead, conference runner-up Indiana (9–3 in the Big Ten) represented the conference in the second-ever NCAA Tournament and went on to win the national championship.”
Goddammit, Piggy.
#3 UCLA (5-0, 3-0) – 1994: 69-60 Elite 8 to 2 seed Duke (a young boy learns what it means to eat shit in March)
Last Week: 5 High: 2 Low: 6 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
I was 12 when my grandfather died in 1996, but if you’d have asked me between March of 94 and November of 96 what the worst moment of my life was, I’d have said losing to (a white guy named) Cherokee fucking Parks in 1994 NCAA tournament. The loss was absolutely seismic for a 9-year-old kid who had spent the last 6 months hyper fixated on this Purdue team. For context, Glenn Robinson was everywhere in my small northern Indiana town that year, and even the IU brats at tiny Riverview Elementary school had to admit his obvious superiority to Alan Henderson. Purdue headed into this game with a 29-4 (14-4) record, a Big 10 title, the NPOY in Big Dog, a 1 seed, and was coming off the back of a tremendous win over a Greg Ostertag led Kansas. What happened next was, outside of the context of the years that followed, one of the most bizarre and unfortunate events in NCAA tournament history. The story goes that, during an impromptu wrestling match in their hotel room with Brandon Brantley, Robinson strained his back to the point that he had worst game of his collegiate career the following night. 6 of 22. Fouled out. Couldn’t defend for shit. This was Keady’s best shot at a final four and it all went to hell because two 6’8’’ dudes couldn’t stop themselves from doing flying elbow drops on each other the night before the biggest game of their lives.
#4 Northwestern (4-1, 1-1) -- 2016: 85-83(2OT) 1st round to 12 seed Little Rock (the dumbest game ever played)
Last Week: 4 High: 2 Low: 6 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
This game is important for MANY reasons. The first is that it after another good but great season that saw the Boilers finish 26-8 (12-6) and tied for 3rd in the Big 10, this was the last game of both Ray Davis’ and AJ Hammons’ careers. And West Lafayette loves us some Ray Davis and AJ Hammons. The second is that this nonsense is why Purdue fans somehow manage to hate Chris Beard EVEN HARDER than everyone else hates Chris Beard. And finally, this game (and the whiskey bender it inspired) is important to me specifically because it is what convinced me that, in order to focus on my physical health and mental well being, I needed to scale back on my drinking and my obsessive sports fandom. I can directly link many healthy habits I formed in my 30s to not wanting to feel the way I did following this game. OH and the reason I felt the way I did afterward was because the game itself was bullshit of reality bending proportions. After pulling away for most of the second half, Purdue found itself with a 13 point lead with about 3:30 to play. They then proceeded to turn the ball over on their next 48 possessions and let Little Rock get to within 1 with under a minute left. During the next Purdue trip down the floor, AJ Hammons found Dakota Mathias in the corner for a 3 that put Purdue up 4 with 35 seconds remaining. On the ensuing Trojan possession Josh Hagins missed a contested 3 that fell to Lis Shoshi for a second wild contested 3 that seemingly bounced 15 feet off the rim and improbably fell in to bring Little Rock to within 1 with under 20 seconds left. After 2 Purdue free throws, Hagins aimlessly dribbled to 6 feet behind the 3 point line, jump stopped BACKWARD TO THE LOGO and drained ANOTHER contested 3 that tied the game at 70 and (after Vince Edwards seemingly forgot he was a basketball player who was currently playing a basketball game) sent the game to overtime.
THIS WENT IN.
The ensuing 10 minutes of basketball carried on thusly: Purdue would either score or turn the ball over and then Josh Hagins would lob himself toward LR’s basket like freaking spider man and something impossible would happen. Little Rock won in double OT. Hagins finished with 31 points. And I had a 2 day hangover and a lot of soul searching to do.
Witness so much wailing and gnashing of teeth here: https://youtu.be/5JFkbNtEfFc?si=TLPIBerRDKaRsJ4R
#5 Iowa (5-1, 2-1) – 2022: 67-64 Sweet 16 to 15 seed St Peter’s (the bracket opens up just wide enough for everyone to have an ideal view of Purdue shitting its pants)
Last Week: 6 High: 3 Low: 8 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
In order to understand just how awful this loss was for Purdue and their fans, it is helpful to remember that Purdue was 29-7 (14-6) going in. Finished 3rd in the league and had a future lottery pick (Jaden Ivey) a future 2 time NPOY (Zach Edey) and a former All-American (Trevion Williams) on their roster. St Peter’s biggest star on the other hand (Doug Eddert) didn’t play a single minute of professional basketball following the conclusion of his collegiate career. Waiting for the Boilers, had they won, was an 8 seeded North Carolina team who Purdue had already stomped earlier in the season. The resulting game was the perfect storm of a team that was playing great, a wide open bracket and a cinderella story that had run its course. The loss was perfectly summed up when, with under a minute to go and St Peter’s leading by 2. Trevion Williams got absolutely bodied into oblivion by a kid 3 inches shorter and 60 pounds lighter and gave up an offensive rebound that effectively sealed the game for the Peacocks.
#6 Nebraska (5-1, 2-1) – 2010: 70-57 Sweet 16 to 1 seed Duke (the demon wood of Xibalba)
Last Week: 7 High: 2 Low: 8 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
If Robbie Hummel doesn’t blow out his knee at the Barn on February 24 Purdue makes the 2010 Final Four. This is an objectively true statement. And also what makes this loss so hard for Purdue fans. E’Twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson and Hummel were the most potent trio in the country, and the Boilers were in the midst of a second 10 game win streak when Hummel landed awkwardly and shredded his ACL. Even without Hummel, the rest of the team managed to take care of business and earn Matt Painter his first Big 10 title. An embarrassingly loss to Minnesota in BTT semis somehow convinced the tournament selection committee to award the 27-5 Big 10 champions a 4 seed (in eventual champion Duke’s region) and from there the path to a final four seemed dead. The actual game against the Blue Devils was rather uneventful with Duke steadily pulling away in the second half. But the reason this one is so high up the list of March losses is because the fan base spent an entire season unwaveringly KNOWING we had the best team in the country that year and Hummel’s brutal injury is a pretty lousy way to lose out.
#7 USC (6-1, 3-1) – 2023: 63-58 1st round to 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson (shielded by history and lowered expectations)
Last Week: 9 High: 4 Low: 9 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
If you are still reading this you then are keenly aware of the historic nature of this loss, so I won’t go too much into detail of the game itself. But I will say that I think most Purdue fans knew this team was a fraud. I cannot recall a single Boiler alum friend that picked them to advance past the sweet 16. Yes it was bad. And of course it was embarrassing to lose in the way they did. But if the expectations of success aren’t there going in to the tournament, can it really be considered the most painful in our history?
#8 Oregon (4-2, 2-1) – 2000: 64-60 Elite 8 to unwatchable total bullshit 8 seed wisconsin
Last Week: 3 High: 3 Low: 11 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
Dick Bennett era wisconsin was the basketball equivalent of a 7-hour layover at the Newark Liberty Airport. Bennett’s game plan always seemed to be to see how many slow white dudes he could throw onto the court so he could shout at them to be more disciplined. I hated both it and him for his style of play, but it certainly worked during his 5 seasons in Madison. Anyhow, the 2000 Purdue squad was a 6 seed, had finished 2nd in the league and was not one of Gene Keady’s 5 best teams, but it did represent his last shot at reaching a final four. wisconsin on the other hand, was 12-11 on February 16, and needed wins over ranked IU and Purdue down the stretch just to reach the tournament at all. This entire game seemed to be played within a possession or two and both teams had an infuriating player (or more than one in wisconsin’s case) repeatedly hurl themselves to the ground in an attempt to bait foul calls.
(if you’d like to watch this miserable event while Gus Johnson shrieks “PACK LINE!” and “ST CLOUD ST!!” 84 times here is video evidence you sick fuck) https://youtu.be/_qRwSdLaYbg?si=OdSIRTaVy_dkQla0
#9 Wisconsin (4-1, 2-0) – 1988: 73-70 Sweet 16 to 4 seed Kansas St (the end of the 3 amigos)
Last Week: 10 High: 5 Low: 11 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
Affectionately known as the 3 Amigos, Everette Stephens, Troy Lewis and Todd Mitchell led Purdue to an outright Big 10 title (by 3 games!), a 29-3 record and a top seed in the 1988 NCAA tournament. After easily dispatching some school from New Jersey and Memphis in the first 2 rounds, Purdue faced 4th seeded Kansas St in the sweet 16. The region’s 2nd and 3rd seeds had already lost, which opened the bracket up perfectly for Purdue to fuck everything up. Purdue managed to blow a 9-point half time lead, waste Lewis and Stephens going as combined 9 for 15 from 3, allow Mitch Richmond to go completely insane (27 and 11) and let the Wildcats steal one in the Silverdome.
#10 Purdue (3-3, 2-1) – 2013: 96 –83 CBI QF to who gives a shit?
Last Week: 13 High: 8 Low: 14 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
Our participation in this tournament was almost as big an embarrassment as our participation in FBS football the past 4 seasons. Painter learned his lesson and almost immediately took steps to correct his recruit mistakes. Purdue football will learn absolutely nothing and continue its death spiral for many years to come. Eat Arby’s.
#11 Minnesota (4-2, 2-1) – 2012: 63-60 2nd round to 2 seed Kansas (Rob is crying, I am crying, you’re crying, we’re all crying, OK?)
Last Week: 8 High: 9 Low: 16 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
This should have been Robbie Hummel’s MOMENT. After back to back season ending ACL tears (and the graduation of JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore) the universe owed RH#4 “One Shining Moment”. Admittedly, this was not one of Painter’s best squad’s. Even with Hummel, Lewis Jackson and Ryne Smith, they’d manage to lose a slew of close games to good teams (and a few head scratchers to bad teams) and at 21-12 (10-8) needed to sweat out selection Sunday before receiving a 10 seed and a date with St Mary’s. Since the Gaels only win in the tournament when they play IU, Purdue advanced to take on a second seeded Kansas that sported 2 lottery picks. After 58 minutes and 45 seconds of a game where Purdue held the lead, the Boilers found themselves with the ball, a 60-57 lead, and the chance to go up 2 possessions. But since this is Purdue in March and this is what we do, a bad shot and a turnover led to 2 fast break Jayhawk dunks in the final minute and that was that. Our hearts broke for Rob (who went for 26 and 9 on 9 of 13 shooting), and the greatest “what if” in Purdue sports history came to a close.
Relive the worst moments of Robbie Hummel’s career (with Steve Kerr on the call!) here: https://youtu.be/rt-qSRM3w3g?si=FXcwuEjOQ3vpOGW_&t=5190
#12 Penn State (3-3, 0-3) -- 1996: 76-69 2nd round to 8 seed Georgia (the worst 1 seed I have ever seen. For a while at least)
Last Week: 14 High: 10 Low: 18 FPV: 0 LPV: 1
The last of Gene Keady’s three peat of league titles in the 90s and the last embarrassing Purdue loss during the month of March (just kidding, oh my God it gets so much worse). After nearly becoming the first 1 seed to lose to a 16 (we needed Western Carolina miss to a 3 at the buzzer), the Boilers (who finished 26-6) are beaten from pillar to post by a non-descript Georgia team led by Tubby Smith. The final score honestly obscures how uncompetitive the game was throughout.
#13 Michigan (3-2, 0-2) 2011: 94-76 2nd round to 11 seed VCU (emphatically NOT exorcising the demons)
Last Week: 12 High: 9 Low: 18 FPV: 0 LPV: 1
Robbie Hummel, amazing human being that he is, saves us the grief of 5 months of hope this time, and blows out the same knee again during pre-season. I spend the first half of the season numb (and am vindicated by a bad loss to Richmond) before a home win over Michigan St with College Gameday in town sucks me right back in. 3 seeded Purdue, enters the tournament 25-7 (14-4) having finished alone in second behind juggernaut Ohio St (who we beat the brakes off of in February), has JaJuan Johnson named Big 10 POY and Matt Painter COY for the second year running. After easily handling some team from New Jersey that no one will ever mention again in the first-round, Purdue lays one of the biggest tournament turds I have ever had the misfortune of witnessing. From the opening tip, every Boiler not named JaJuan Johnson or Ryne Smith spends the next 40 minutes pantomiming familiarity with the sport of basketball. VCU shoots nearly 60% on the night and our season (and JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore’s Purdue careers) is jettisoned into the sun.
#14 Illinois (3-3, 1-2) – 1995: 75-73 2nd round to 6 seed Memphis (Brandon Brantley is better at teaching rebounding than he was at actually rebounding)
Last Place: 15 High: 12 Low: 16 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
Another year, another Big 10 title, another devastating March loss. After frustratingly poor free throw shooting guard Porter Roberts makes 1 of 2 shots from the stripe to tie the game at 73, 3rd seeded Purdue gives up their millionth offensive rebound of the game on Memphis’ final possession and loses on a last second tip in by Lorenzen Wright.
Relieve the misery of the final play here: https://youtu.be/PSKvGXNSUhw?si=eP6CUBEo-E6YY_YK (Dan Bonner actually does a great job of foreshadowing the Boilers’ inability to block out with about 10 seconds to go)
#15 Washington (3-3, 0-3) -- 2015: 66-65(OT) 1st round to 9 seed Cincinnati (Purdue is BACK…. to losing stupid NCAA tournament games)
Last Week: 11 High: 11 Low: 17 FPV: 0 LPV: 0
2015 and 2016 are among my favorite Purdue teams ever. After 2 sauceless seasons in the wilderness the 2014 recruiting class of Vince Edwards, Dakota Mathias, PJ Thompson and Isaac Haas began a renaissance in West Lafayette. Following a 11-8 start that included losses to North Florida and Gardner-Webb, the Boilers reeled off wins in 8 of their next 9 including a sweep of IU. Finishing the season 21-12 (12-6) was good enough to earn Purdue a 5th place league finish and and a return to the NCAAs after a 2 year absence as an 8 seed. But as is our custom, things went horribly once we’d got there when we couldn’t hold on to the 56-49 lead we’d built with 49 seconds left. The game ultimately went to overtime on a Bearcat buzzer beating layup that circled the rim roughly 94 times before falling through the net. Heading into overtime, pretty much everyone in the entire building knew Cincinnati had all the momentum and were going to advance. And they did.
How did we manage to fuck THIS one up? Behold! Here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EEVWwCOsvk
#16 Michigan State (2-4, 0-3) -- 1990: 73-72 2nd round to 10 seed Texas (glass’s mom shouts some swears in front of her young children)
Last Week: 17 High: 13 Low: 18 FPV: 0 LPV: 3
The first game on this list that I watched as it happened. Keady picked B10 coach of the year honors and Purdue finished the 89/90 season 21-7 (13-5) and 2nd in the league. After fortuitously drawing the Hoosier Dome for their first and second round games, 2nd seeded Purdue faces off against 10th seeded Texas. With under 10 seconds to go, the Longhorns’ Travis Mays sinks a pair of free throws to put Texas up 1. On the ensuing Purdue possession, the Boilers don’t even bother looking for B10 player of the year Steve Scheffler and Tony Jones gets blocked at the rim as time expires. My mom thought it was a foul vehemently enough that I still vividly remember her yelling about it, and Gene Keady thought it was a foul enough that he got fined 10 grand for screaming at the refs.
See, the play (and what certainly looks like a clean block) here: https://youtu.be/e1WSYo0kqfs?si=HoPESR92X14WOdaC
#17 Maryland (2-4, 0-3) – 1986: 94-87 (2OT) 1st round to 11 seed LSU (the road game)
Last Week: 16 High: 14 Low: 18 FPV: 0 LPV: 3
Purdue finished the 85-86 season 22-10 (11-7). Which was good enough to finish 5th in the Big 10, earn them a 6 seed in the tournament and… a road game on LSU’s home floor. This was such an obvious, stupid and easily preventable situation that it immediately led to a rule change that barred teams from playing NCAA tournament games in their own arenas. Oh, and just to twist the knife a bit more, the Tigers were missing 4 players due to academic ineligibility. A harbinger of the tournament stupidity to follow.
#18 Rutgers (1-4, 0-2) – 2021: 78-69(OT) 1st round to 13 seed North Texas (a mere prelude to the outrages that followed)
Last Week: 18 High: 12: Low: 18 FPV: 0 LPV: 6
A young team that was a year away from being something special finished 18-8 (13-6). This was good enough for 4th in the Big 10 and (in a situation wholly unique to post Covid 2021) the Boilers were given a 4 seed. This loss may have bothered me more if I didn’t go into the tournament believing they were grossly overseeded, and also if I wasn’t still completely broken from the horror of 2019.
Transient Buckeye: You....you alright, mate? Somebody get this man a beer. And hopefully the rest of you at least managed to get your daily fill of schadenfreude. Let's all grab the scissors and cut down the nets for @glassjawed for putting himself through...well, that...for the sake of our education and amusement.
What is your team's most painful NCAA tournament loss? Which of the Purdue losses here filled you with the most joy? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
Archiving This Year's Power Polls:
Transient Buckeye
BoilerUp89
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Transient Buckeye
