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Purdue Will See a Familiar Face in Sweet 16

When Purdue takes the floor in San Jose next week for the Sweet 16, it will see a familiar face wearing a Texas uniform.
Dustin Schutte|
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) smiles after a made basket.
Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) smiles after a made basket. | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

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Purdue Boilermakers

ST. LOUIS — Just one year ago, Camden Heide was preparing with Purdue for a Sweet 16 matchup against Houston in Indianapolis. Now, the junior is getting ready to play against his former team in the same round of the NCAA Tournament.

On Sunday afternoon, Purdue clinched a spot in the Sweet 16 with a 79-69 win over No. 7 seed Miami, making its third straight appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The second-seeded Boilermakers will play No. 11 seed Texas in San Jose, thanks in part to the late-game heroics from Heide.

With Texas owning a narrow 69-68 lead on No. 3 seed Gonzaga on Saturday night, Heide checked into the game with 32 seconds left on the clock. At the 14-second mark, the junior caught a pass in the corner and buried a three-point shot to put the Longhorns ahead 72-68, essentially sealing the upset victory.

It was eerily similar to the shot Heide made in Purdue's Sweet 16 game against Houston with around 30 seconds to play. With the shot clock winding down, Braden Smith connected with the then-sophomore, who knocked down a corner three to tie the game at 60.

Actually, it wasn't "eerily similar" at all. It was the exact same shot.

Purdue did not beat Houston that night in Indianapolis, losing on a defensive lapse on a brilliant baseline out of bounds play from the Cougars. Still, the shot Heide made was a big one in a clutch moment.

As a result of Heide's big shot on Saturday night, he'll have the opportunity to play against his former teammates in San Jose. It's a perfect storyline for Purdue's March Madness journey.

Heide's season at Texas

Texas Longhorns forward Camden Heide (5) participates in a drill.
Texas Longhorns forward Camden Heide (5) participates in a drill. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Heide entered the transfer portal following his sophomore season at Purdue. The 6-foot-7 Minnesota native averaged 4.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game for the Boilermakers before deciding to look for other opportunities.

The junior found a home at Texas, where he has started in 28-of-34 games and is logging 22.4 minutes per contest for the Longhorns.

Heide is averaging 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while shooting 50% from the floor. He has scored in double figures eight times this year, which includes a 20-point performance on Nov. 18 against Rider.

Since the start of the NCAA Tournament, Heide hasn't played quite as much, averaging just 15.7 minutes per game. As he proved on Saturday night, though, he's still capable of hitting big shots.

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Dustin Schutte
DUSTIN SCHUTTE

Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.

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