Purdue's win is another chorus for the unsung

Purdue's fours stand out again High Point

It's one of those things that fans yell about in their living rooms at halftime without really understanding. An adjustment, of the coaching variety, that's as simple as taking one player out of the starting lineup and inserting another.

In this case, it's Matt Painter going with redshirt sophomore Camden Heide at the four in place of lone senior Caleb Furst in the second half and the corresponding space it provided Purdue.

But before we go there, let's stay with Furst. The first of an entire choir of unsung heroes for Purdue this afternoon, and this season, continuing a trend that goes deep into the last few years at Purdue and, in particular, that helped set Purdue up for beating High Point on Thursday.

Caleb Furst found himself against a lot of guards in one on one situations against High Point on Thursday afternoon. That's a familiar place for the 6-10 senior. Big Ten guards have learned over his four year career, a switch against Furst doesn't mean you have advantage. High Point guards didn't seem to realize that early against Purdue, but it knows now.

It was an advantage on Thursday, but one that tilted heavily in Purdue's favor.

"It's a little weird this time, honestly," Caleb Furst told me after the game. "Because I feel like in the Big Ten everybody's found out that I'm not this easy big guy to blow by. A lot of times I was guarding those guards as my primary matchup, so it was a little weird at first because when I got switched on them they were trying to clear out and stuff."

Both of those instances, Furst stayed level, long arms outstretched, and High Point's guards failed to get a step on him. Instead, they were forced to take extra steps as Furst clamped them before they could break into the paint.

Purdue didn't force a ton of turnovers, but the 6 first half turnovers helped keep Purdue's lead as it wore High Point down late. Furst's ability to defend allowed Purdue to play bigger without comprising it's dribble penetration.

But the second half saw Camden Heide get the start in place of Caleb Furst.

The switch had little to do with Furst. Heide, who has found his shot again and then some, continues to make a case for being one of Purdue's best player.

He might have been its best on Thursday after securing his first double-double of his career with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

It was a switch in the rotation that came as a Matt Painter coaching adjustment. With Furst in the starting lineup, High Point was able to cross-match on the defensive end. It hid shot blocker and the nation's most efficient rebounder, Juslin Bodo Bodo, on Caleb Furst. That pulled Bodo Bodo away from the primary pick and roll action against Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn.

Part of Purdue's offensive struggles early stemmed from High Point's ability to take away the short roll and make Kaufman-Renn's life difficult. Bodo Bodo didn't have to be tasked with taking on Smith as a dribbler or tagging Kaufman-Renn. Instead, he could provide support and a shot blocker at the rim in case either broke through.

But with Heide in the lineup, High Point had to respect Heide's shot and athleticism and was forced to put Bodo Bodo in the thick of pick and roll hell with Smith by matching Bodo Bodo up with Kaufman-Renn instead of Purdue's other big.

With Bodo Bodo defending the pick and roll, High Point plays a deep drop. That allowed both Smith to get inside - as he did in the final play of the first half, resulting in a Smith lob up to Will Berg for a lay up - and Kaufman-Renn to catch the ball cleanly and play against advantages on the floor.

The switch allowed by Kaufman-Renn and Smith to get to 21 and 20 points respectively.

But this Camden Heide, the one that goes 2 for 4 from three and throws down two monster dunks while grabbing 10 boards would play 30 minutes in any game for any team.

That's part of the culture and sacrifice of joining Purdue, and a sign that Purdue really might be playing its best basketball at the end of the season despite losing 6 of its last 9 games coming into the tournament.

"I don't need much for myself," Heide told me after the game.

But with Heide's play in the back quarter of the season, it's becoming clear that Purdue is going to need a lot more of this from Heide if it's going to return to the Final Four this season.

1d 5:07 PM ET ago

Topics

Can Purdue basketball's unsung heroes spark another March Madness run?

Round 1 of the NCAA Tournament was a Purdue victory. It was not just the Boilermaker stars who stood out against High Point.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Purdue Baseball Hosts Michigan

It is still relatively early, but this weekend’s baseball series with Michigan is a significant test for the Boilermakers. After a 12-8 midweek win over Milwaukee Purdue enters the weekend at ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Purdue equal parts encouraged and discouraged by win, moves on to Michigan

Purdue won the home match up against Michigan with conviction, stomping the Wolverines 91-64. At Ann Arbor, Michigan got the win back though the margins were thin, 75-73. It's clear that it's a ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Five takeaways from Michigan basketball's Big Ten Tournament win over Purdue

What happened and what we took away from Michigan basketball's surprising win over Purdue.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15
Game Wrap | Purdue 76 , USC 71 | Purdue wins late, Heide flies in

Purdue had to crawl, bite, and scratch its way back in the second half after falling behind USC early in the second half. With just under four minutes left in the game, Braden Smith finally pushed ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Purdue vs. McNeese odds, time, March Madness predictions: 2025 NCAA Tournament picks from proven model

The SportsLine Projection Model has revealed its McNeese Cowboys vs. Purdue Boilermakers picks as Will Wade looks for another upset
CBS Sports - 3h
2026 running back Jayvian Tanelus sets Purdue official visit

Another offensive playmaker in the 2026 recruiting class has locked in an official visit to Purdue, as Community School of Naples (Fla.) running back Jayvian Tanelus announced on X that he will be ...
Yahoo Sports - 3d
No. 22 Michigan snaps skid with 86-68 win over No. 20 Purdue, advances to Big Ten semis

Danny Wolf had 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists, and No. 22 Michigan snapped a three-game losing streak with a 86-68 win over No. 20 Purdue in a Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal
ABC News - Mar. 15
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Cam Heide lift Purdue basketball to Big Ten Tourney win over USC

Purdue fell behind by double digits in the first half, but came back and eventually held on to beat USC to advance to the quarterfinals.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Game time announced for Purdue vs. McNeese | How to watch

#4 seed Purdue in the Midwest bracket helped get the NCAA Tournament kick started by winning the second game of the day, 75-63, in Providence, Rhode Island on Thursday. It was the second game of ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Jakucionis' 3-pointer completes Illinois' rally for 88-80 win over No. 18 Purdue

Kasparas Jakucionis hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to put Illinois ahead for good, and the Illini rallied past No. 18 Purdue 88-80
ABC News - Mar. 8
Jakucionis’ 3-pointer completes Illinois’ rally for 88-80 win over No. 18 Purdue

Kasparas Jakucionis hit a 3-pointer with 40 seconds left to put Illinois ahead for good, and the Illini rallied past No. 18 Purdue 88-80 on Friday night.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 8
Amir Khan sat with Spike Lee during McNeese-Purdue in another March Madness highlight

Okay, this is awesome. Amir Khan and Spike Lee?!
Yahoo Sports - 1h
Klarna lands buy now, pay later deal with DoorDash, notching another win ahead of IPO

Klarna, the buy now, pay later lender that’s headed for an initial public offering, said on Thursday that it’s signed on DoorDash as a partner, another sign of momentum for public market investors.
NBC News - 2d
Lakers player grades: L.A. wins third game in a row by downing Denver

The Lakers got another relatively easy win on Wednesday, giving them a three-game winning streak.
Yahoo Sports - 2d
Statement of Purdue Pharma to 60 Minutes

Purdue Pharma provided the following statement for 60 Minutes' report Sunday, "The Settlement."
CBS News - Mar. 9
Why Cookeville is at home in TSSAA girls basketball state tournament after another quarterfinal win

Cookeville beat Lincoln County for its third TSSAA girls basketball state tournament win in four seasons. The Cavaliers face Bartlett in the semis.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
‘Focused’ Emma Raducanu wins in Miami but starts hunt for another coach

Vladimir Platenik has left two weeks into trial period Katie Boulter loses to Peyton Stearns in first round Emma Raducanu produced a calm, consistent performance to reach the second round of the ...
The Guardian - 2d
Purdue forward Madison Layden enters transfer portal

Purdue women's basketball has its third player enter the transfer portal.
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15
Michigan 86, Purdue 68: Postgame Video

© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Joshua Facemyer Purdue will play in the NCAA Tournament, but it appears to be limping in. Michigan pulled away from Purdue as the Wolverines used a ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15
‘Ruined this place’: chorus of boos against JD Vance at Washington concert

Attendance of vice-president – who once disbelieved that people listened to classical music for pleasure – strikes sour note at Kennedy Center in light of Maga takeover. JD Vance, the US ...
The Guardian - Mar. 14
Mets pound 13 hits en route to convincing 10-3 win over Nationals

The Mets had another offensive onslaught on Thursday night, this time against the Washington Nationals in a 10-3 win.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
James Harden and Clippers dominate Hornets for third straight win

James Harden finishes with 31 points as the Clippers pick up another win heading into a challenging stretch of games against Cleveland, Memphis and Oklahoma City.
Yahoo Sports - 5d
Big Ten Tournament - Purdue vs Michigan Prediction: Odds, Expert Picks, Betting Trends and Stats

Purdue Boilermakers vs. Michigan Wolverines Game Preview
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
Texas in 'do or die' mode, could be SEC's 14th NCAA Tournament team after wild win over rival Texas A&M

The Longhorns picked up another Quad 1 win Thursday with their backs against the wall
CBS Sports - Mar. 14
Purdue basketball overpowers High Point in March Madness, advances to second round

Purdue advances to Round 2 after topping High Point, 75-63.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
PJ Haggerty, Dain Dainja and No. 16 Memphis win AAC tourney with a 84-72 win over UAB

PJ Haggerty scored 23 points, Dain Dainja had another double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds and 16th-ranked Memphis won the American Athletic Conference tournament with an 84-72 win over UAB ...
Yahoo Sports - 5d
Reidsville completes second straight perfect season with 60th straight win, state title

Reidsville (North Carolina) finished its second straight perfect season and its 60th win in a row with another state title, led by Kendre Harrison.
Yahoo Sports - 6d
Purdue/USC winner to play Illinois

© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Purdue and USC will wrap up the Big Ten Tournament day two in the fourth and final game on Thursday night.The teams now know who they'll be playing against on ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 14
WATCH: Nuggets' Jamal Murray continues to haunt Lakers with yet another game-winning jumper

That makes three game-winners for Murray against L.A. in the last year
CBS Sports - Mar. 15
Forest getting close to the Champions League after another win but struggling City held by Brighton

Champions League qualification is getting tantalizingly close for Nottingham Forest. For Manchester City, there's still plenty of work to do. Forest, a team many might have thought would be ...
Yahoo Sports - Mar. 15
Klarna lands buy now, pay later deal with DoorDash, notching another win ahead of IPO

Klarna is partnering with DoorDash to give users of the restaurant delivery service more ways to pay for their meals.
CNBC - 2d
March Madness indeed. Pacers chaos continues with scuffle, ejections, another OT win

The Pacers won their third straight game, all by six points or fewer with two of those coming in overtime.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
UCLA rolls to another first-round March Madness win, 72-47 over Utah State

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. each scored 14 points and No. 7 seed UCLA routed 10th-seeded Utah State 72-47 on Thursday night to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
UCLA rolls to another first-round March Madness win, 72-47 over Utah State

Skyy Clark and Eric Dailey Jr. each scored 14 points and No. 7 seed UCLA routed 10th-seeded Utah State 72-47 to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in five seasons
ABC News - 1d
Purdue star Trey Kaufman-Renn alleges racist comments made by Illinois fans toward 13-year-old brother

Purdue is reportedly planning to file a report to the Big Ten over the incident
CBS Sports - Mar. 8
McNeese State vs. Purdue Prediction: Odds Expert Picks, Betting Trends, and Stats for 2025 March Madness

McNeese State Cowboys vs. Purdue Boilermakers Game Preview
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Tiny McNeese and viral manager stun Clemson in first March Madness upset

No 12 McNeese hold off No 5 seed Clemson in win No 4 Purdue survive No 13 High Point’s upset bid Cheat sheet: highlights and how to win your bracket McNeese coach Will Wade and his ...
The Guardian - 1d
Potential $7.4B Purdue Pharma opioid settlement frustrates some victims

Opioid victims are not getting a "fair shake" in potential $7.4 billion settlement, a claimant in the Purdue Pharmacy bankruptcy case says.
CBS News - Mar. 9