'It's Going to be Really Special': Purdue Seniors Preparing for Final Game Inside Mackey Arena
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Win or lose, it's going to be a game to remember as Purdue basketball recognizes and celebrates its seniors in the team's final home contest on Saturday.
Trevion Williams, Sasha Stefanovic and Eric Hunter Jr. have been key contributors for the Boilermakers throughout the 2021-22 season. But even with all the memories they can reminisce about, the trio still knows there's still a job to be done.
No. 8 Purdue, which has lost its last two games, ends the regular season by playing host to in-state rival Indiana. The Hoosiers got the better of the Boilermakers earlier in the year, earning a 68-65 win at Assembly Hall.
Williams said the team owes them payback after the seniors dropped a rivalry matchup for the first time in their college careers.
"It's gonna be emotional. I'm trying not to think about it, trying to avoid it as much as possible," he said. "Obviously, you never think about playing your last game in Mackey. But here we are. The first task is to win the game. So that's why I say I'm trying to try not to think about it right now. When it comes, I'll say what I have to say."
After road losses against Michigan State and Wisconsin, Purdue is 24-6 overall which includes a 13-6 record in conference play. The team has locked a top-three seed for the Big Ten Tournament but is looking to end on a high note in front of a home crowd.
It's been an environment that's backed the Boilermakers all season, leading to a 15-1 record at home and will end in the 41st straight sellout at Mackey Arena come tipoff.
"It's a very bittersweet feeling, obviously, getting one last time to play in front of fans at Mackey," Stefanovic said. "But it's going to be really special, just being able to enjoy the moment. You play against your rival, it's going to be a good game no matter what. So it's going to be exciting, it's going to be really fun."
Above all else, no matter when the trio plays in their final game wearing a Purdue uniform, they want to leave the program better than they found it. Of course, their predecessors — the likes of Carson Edwards and Ryan Cline— set the bar pretty high before their departure.
The team was on the brink of a Final Four appearance during the 2018-19 season before an overtime loss to Virginia in the Elite Eight. Edwards scored 42 points for the Boilermakers in the loss.
Williams recorded four points and grabbed a team-high seven rebounds in the contest while Hunter scored five, including a 3-pointer. Stefanovic was credited with one minute on the floor, and it capped off the first season of action for them.
Through their collective experience, they'll look to lead the program to similar success with the postseason quickly approaching.
"We just know we wanted to end out on a high note," Hunter said. And I think we've got a good chance to do that."
The seniors have endured rollercoaster careers during their times with the Boilermakers. From being Big Ten champions and playing in an Elite Eight matchup in the NCAA Tournament as freshmen, to finishing 10th in the conference the following year, all before competing during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They've seen it all, been through it all, and they haven't wavered one bit.
"They've had a lot of success. But we've also had some bumps in the road, and they've kept battling," Purdue coach Matt Painter said. "I think they've been resilient, they've been tough and they've hung in there. A lot of times guys today, they don't hang in there. ... They've learned to battle through adversity, and I think that'll help them in life."
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- PURDUE LOSES TO WISCONSIN: Purdue sophomores Jaden Ivey and Zach Edey combined for 31 points in the second half of a road loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday night. The Badgers hit two shots off the backboard in the final minute to stun the Boilermakers 70-67. CLICK HERE.
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