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VOLUME 27, ISSUE 2 13 BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com T wo Marches ago, it was almost a sense of shock in Purdue's locker room after it let slip an NCAA Tournament win against Cincinnati and lost in overtime. Losing in such an improbable manner in such an im- portant game, for some Boilermaker players, was too much to bear in that particular moment. But when it happened again, in equally stunning fash- ion, roughly one year later, then it was almost a sense of disbelief. That was the case after Purdue — looking poised for a meaningful NCAA run after a Big Ten Tournament title game appearance — fumbled away a lead against Little Rock in Denver and again lost in overtime. Well, two of them this time. Little Rock made heroic plays, and a couple of fluke ones, too, to win that game, but it wouldn't have even had the chance had it not been for Purdue's fatal flaw: That inability at times to handle success and put games away that were there to be put away. It cast a pall over the Boilermak- ers' entire season, a 26-win effort that ended with a certain lack of fulfillment, because it could have been so much more. "It's hard to take that and call it a good season," said Vincent Edwards, now a junior. "We had a great season overall, but it's tough because you don't know what to make out of it. We were right there two years in a row, then we're one and done again." What's done is done now. All Purdue can do at this point is get back to that place where it's faltered each of the past two springs and do better this time around. It will have an opportunity again, with a team that could be the best Matt Painter's had since E'Twaun Moore, Ja- Juan Johnson and Robbie Hummel. A.J. Hammons and Rapheal Davis will each be missed for different reasons, but what remains and what arrives now constitutes a consensus top-20 team nationally and one that, on paper, should have some safety valves against some of its biggest issues a season ago. Purdue has three All-Big Ten candidates in its front- court in center Isaac Haas and forwards Caleb Swanigan and Edwards. In its backcourt, it has the deepest group of shooters Painter's ever had and experience and added maturity in those who'll be handling the ball when it matters most. Purdue has questions to an- swer on defense — big ones — but does figure to be a potent, and balanced, offensive team. It's a group that has no return- ing seniors who'll play promi- nent roles this season but is built around a four-man junior class that's combined to log 5,376 min- utes the past two seasons, with its best presumably to come as upperclassmen. "I think the pressure is on," said point guard P.J. Thompson, one of those juniors. "We have turned Purdue's culture around, everyone has, and I feel like for my class to really do something for Purdue, we need to win games Boilermakers' eyes set on March success this season For Atonement High Regard A look at some of Purdue's preseason rankings. Outlet Ranking Blue Ribbon 9 Sporting News* 10 Lindy's 12 Big Lead/USA Today 13 Athlon 14 ESPN.com 14 ESPN (Vitale) 15 NBC Sports 17 Campus Insiders 18 Sporting News 18 CBS Sports 20 SB Nation 20 * Magazine version