Coach Matt Painter has been struggling to get the Purdue offense going in the National Championship game. The Boilermakers have been constantly going back to Zach Edey in the post with not much variety in their schemes. This is why Coach Dan Hurley has been taking advantage of this one-dimensional point of attack along with the exhausted National Player of the Year. A shift of momentum was necessary for the squad to get back into it and Camden Heide may have just given that to them. Robert Griffin II and the rest of the world went nuts.
Camden Heide took off a la Neil Armstrong and flushed the tomahawk putback dunk for two points.
CAMDEN HEIDE GOES UPSTAIRS FOR THE PUTBACK 😱pic.twitter.com/qPROVu4he9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 9, 2024
Purdue needs the momentum
The Purdue basketball bench player is clearly stepping up because Coach Matt Painter is experiencing some rotational issues. Donovan Clingan is outworking Zach Edey as the Boilermakers' big man has clearly not rested. Coach Dan Hurley also put key Purdue guys like Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer on clamps in this National Championship game. Lance Jones has also been a bit of a non-factor due to early foul trouble.
Camden Heide's dunk was much needed in giving the Purdue faithful some hope. It sparked a lot of reactions and memes.
Robert Griffin II got in on the memes early after Heide flushed the dunk down. He inserted the White Man Can't Jump poster along with the caption, “They lied – Camden Heide probably.”
Purdue fans were already quick to make declarations about their future after the highlight, “Yeah get ready for the Cam Heide, Myles Colvin, and Kanon Catchings next year…”
Other avid spectators of the sport also pointed out the improvement of Heide, “Watched Camden Heide in high school play my son. First play of the game he dunked on him with the and 1. Knew he would be special at that.”
Some were even proclaiming that the Purdue winger was going high up in the NBA Draft, “Guarantee there will be some mock draft after this game that puts Cam Heide in next year’s lottery just off that dunk.”
Purdue has a lot of ground to make up in this National Championship game. Will they be able to chase UConn down?