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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 2 39 I n his head, Vince Edwards knows he shouldn't carry the burden. The reality is Edwards' missed shot — a pull-up three-pointer near the left top of the key that clanked off the back rim in the final seconds against Cincin- nati — did not cost Purdue a first-round victory in its return trip to the NCAA Tournament last season. The Boilermakers lost the game long before that, blowing a seven-point lead in the final 48.5 seconds of regula- tion by missing free throws and not making defensive stops. Edwards knows that. It's what he's been told, over and over, by teammates, coaches, family and friends, all trying to console him in the immediate moments and ensuing months fol- lowing the shot, one he created after grabbing the re- bound off a missed free throw and dribbling coast-to- coast, letting the good look go with 1.2 seconds left. Some delivered support in prompt fashion — Jacquil Taylor wrapping arms around Edwards and walking off the court with him in Louisville, classmate Isaac Haas cradling a crying Edwards in his massive wingspan in the locker room after the game. Some delivered later with words — P.J. Thompson staying up late with his roommate to encourage him, reiterating how great his first season was and to keep his head up, Coach Matt Painter relaying the soundness of the shot and how he'd take the same attempt again in a heartbeat. And, even still, Edwards struggled to shake the self-imposed blame. "I know it didn't really come down to that last shot or that last possession," he says, graciously conceding to a reporter's attempt to offer perspective, "but to me, in the back of my mind, it did. Of course, I dwelled on it and let it hang over my head for awhile. But I had to try to get over it and get ready and get better and get prepared for next season." So Edwards did. Instead of letting the play ruin him, Edwards has been galvanized by it. Thompson caught Edwards re-watching the game, the shot specifically, "a lot" over the offseason. The wallpaper on Edwards' phone for months after the loss? A picture of him crying after the game. "After a season, especially after the way our season ended, everyone, not only us, but everyone in the coun- try is like, 'Aw, man, I'm going to work so hard this year and I'm going to get better, I'm going to do this and that,' " Thompson said. "Everyone is saying that a week after the season. But who's doing that months after the season? I feel like with that picture being his background — and kids our age are always on our phone 24-7 — he's always being reminded of that, and if he's not in the gym getting better then what's he doing? I felt like that gave him a little extra spark and that helped him out." Edwards' penitent feelings fueled an offseason that's wowed coaches and teammates with its produc- tion and results. For Edwards, it was the only logical way to respond, to keep the disappointment of the moment close to the surface and let it work. "Some things, you've just got to let it burn," Edwards said. "It stung a lot, just knowing practicing that shot, made it nine times out of 10 and it just happened to be that one that I missed. It's one of those moments that definitely stings and is always going to replay in the Tom Campbell Vince Edwards was deeply affected by his last-second missed jump shot in Purdue's NCAA Tournament loss to Cin- cinnati last season. In the months following, he couldn't stop re-watching the play, couldn't stop thinking about the missed opportunity. But, ultimately, Edwards used the moment to propel forward.