ISC Purdue

12/2/2024 Boilermaker Water Cooler Chat: Rollercoaster Edition

Rants, ravings, and somewhat sensical opinions following the wild, wacky, and wide-wide world of Purdue sports.

I am a rollercoaster fiend, even though my body is starting to rebel against it as I am getting older. The highs and lows, the twists and turns, the speeds and stalls. While it is not the most impressive number in the enthusiast community, I have ridden 99 unique rollercoasters, with thousands of laps around the track. Whether it be a classic wooden coaster, a high flying steel machine, or something flipping me upside down, I can’t get enough. Always a thrill, occasionally painful, and sometimes nauseating.

Purdue fans have experienced their share of thrills, pain, and nausea over the past week. All part of the rollercoaster which is Boilermaker fandom.

Basketball:

#13 Purdue 71, NC St 61

A rematch from the 2024 final four, this one was more of the same as Purdue opened up against NC St. in San Diego for the Rady Children’s Inventational. Purdue approached the game in a businesslike manner, and took care of an overmatched Wolfpack team.

Trey Kaufman-Renn led the way with 22 points and 8 rebounds. Camden Heide burst onto the scene scoring 15, Braden Smith had 11, and Fletcher Loyer had 10. The Boilermakers out rebounded NC St. 38-28, in an efficient first round victory.

#13 Purdue 80, #23 Ole Miss 78

A game that looked like it was going to be a Purdue blowout victory, until Ole Miss got hot. What also looked like it could have been an Ole Miss blowout victory… this rollercoaster took these teams on a wild ride. Back and forth, up and down, Purdue went from being up double digits in the first half, to being down double digits in the second. The Boilermakers, however, stormed back, snatching this game away at the buzzer with a Myles Colvin put back to seal the victory.

TKR led the way with 25 & 13, Myles Colvin added 20, Braden Smith had 18, and Fletcher Loyer added 13. A game that was mostly bolstered by the Purdue starters, the Boilermakers did not get much bench help, at least on the scoring end. Likewise, Purdue withstood a thermo-nuclear hot shooting stretch from Ole Miss, in which for about 10 minutes of game time, the Rebels averaged OVER 2 points per possession in their comeback mode.

Rebounding was the key, as the Boilermakers out rebounded their opponent 37-26, including the game winning put back with .5 seconds by Colvin.

Break It Down:

Purdue has won its 4th straight holiday tournament, and and provided plenty of excitement this time around. In this tournament they showed that they can A) take care of business against a weaker opponent, B) get out to a hot start, C) have the supporting cast members step up into big time roles, D) rebound effectively as a “small-ball” lineup, and E) remain calm and collected when they are facing adversity head on.

While this wasn’t the most impressive tournament from a field standpoint, Purdue did play high-major opponents, including a ranked foe, and came out victorious in both of the contests.

Football:

#10 Indiana 66, Purdue 0

Purdue set a record for the second time this season, for worst loss in program history. 137 years of football and the 2024 Old Oaken Bucket game is the most lopsided defeat in Purdue history. History. The season is, mercifully, over. The Boilermakers end the season at a 1-11 clip, in statistically the worst Purdue football season ever.

Consequently, Purdue head coach Ryan Walters has been relieved of his duties in West Lafayette. Read more about his firing HERE.

Big Man on Campus:

Myles Colvin has burst onto the scene, with his 20 pt performance in the Rady Children’s Invitational. His hustle and defense has been key to his emergence this season, as his effort has put him in position to make maximum impact. This week, his hustle paid off, slicing in and corralling an offensive rebound and quick put back for the game winner against Ole Miss.

Oh, and he didn’t even celebrate the game winning shot. He immediately looked to get back on defense. Colvin is all business right now, and you love to see it!

A Look Ahead:

The (as of the writing of this article) #13 Purdue Boilermakers will kick off Big Ten play, heading on the road to take on Penn State on Thursday 12/5. Following that game, the Boilermakers will return home for a tilt against Maryland on Sunday 12/8.

Big Ten season is already here! Lets see if Purdue can win their third straight Big Ten title!

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