Purdue was selected to represent the United States in the 29th World University Games, held in Taipei from Aug. 19, to 30. After 15 months of planning and execution, the Boilermakers departed for Taipei on a direct, nonstop, 15-hour flight from Chicago, on Aug. 14. Arriving in the early-morning hours of Aug. 15, the Boilermakers checked into the Athletes Village, a space that would house 10,000 athletes from 150 countries, before a sightseeing tour to the coastal town of Tamsui.
After a much-needed good night's sleep, day two (Aug. 16), day two brought the Boilermakers' first real practice in Taipei.
Following practice and lunch, the Boilermakers visited the Grand Hotel and Guanin Temple. The team was fortunate to visit the Guanin Temple during the torch relay, causing the Boilermakers to interact with the locals and media and representing Purdue Athletics on a worldwide stage. The Boilermakers were hounded for pictures and autographs and really seem to enjoy being in the spotlight.
Next on the plate on Aug. 19, was the World University Games Opening Ceremonies. There really are no words that can describe the emotions of the night. Marching into to a packed stadium wearing the Stars and Stripes with thousands of people chanting "USA! USA! USA!" is an experience we will never forget. As excited as we were for that night, we were ready to get into pool play the next day.
Aug. 20... Gameday. Finally what we came to do. We knew coming in that Argentina would be the best team we played in pool play. After a fast start, Argentina came back and made it a game. However, our seniors carried us down the stretch to run to 1-0 in pool play.
The next four games were routs. The Boilermakers scored over 100 points in all of them, with an average winning margin of 50.3 points per game.
Medal rounds next. After winning Pool C, Purdue drew the No. 2 team from a loaded Pool D that included Russia, Lithuania, Austrailia, Ukraine and Israel. All of these teams would have been a major factor in any other pool they may have been in.
We drew a very good Israel team and knew it would be our toughest game to date. We had no idea it would be an instant classic. We trailed for most of the first half and after Vincent Edwards went down with a turned ankle late in the first half, a half he dominated, things looked a little bleak. We fell behind by eight early in the second half, but an 11-0 run sparked a rally. From then on, it was back-and-forth.
After Israel tied the game on a miracle finish and the ball bouncing perfectly for them to end regulation, we regrouped and won the overtime session for an 111-107 victory to advance to the semifinals.
Carsen Edwards was sensational. He scored 36 points, including 30 in the second half and overtime, and basically took over the game and willed Purdue to the victory. We've seen it happen so many times from him. He connected on eight 3-pointers, seven of which were in the game's final 25 minutes. When he gets going like that, just get out of his way.
A semifinal game against a very strong Serbia team awaited. This is a country with a proud basketball tradition, having lost to Kansas two years ago by one in pool play after Kansas hit a last-second shot to win it.
It was dominance from the tip. Purdue led 46-23 at halftime, stretched the lead to 79-36 after three quarters, before cruising for a 93-61 decision.
One day after a rolled ankle, Vincent Edwards was dominant. 31 points and 5 rebounds on 12-of-15 shooting.
Championship Game. Lithuania. One of the top basketball-playing countries in the world. We knew it was going to be a battle. Their experience vs. our talent. Lithuania's roster featured four players born in 1993 and four more born in 1994. They had nine players older than Purdue's oldest player (Jacquil Taylor).
Lithuania was focused on two things against Purdue. Getting us off the 3-point line and dominating the glass. They did both. Purdue led 36-29 with about two minutes left to go in the first half, but the lead was just two, 38-36, at halftime.
Lithuania quickly took the lead in the second half and it became apparent that Purdue was in for a battle. The Lithuanians took control on the game on the offensive glass, outscoring Purdue 20-9 in second-chance points, the final margin in an 85-74 setback.
Despite the silver medal, Purdue posted the second-best finish for the United States team in the World University Games since 2005. It played 11 games against international competition, six against teams that would be considered NCAA Tournament-caliber teams if played in America. The experiences gained both on the court and off will be essential to Purdue's quest to repeat as Big Ten Champions during the 2017-18 season.
The Purdue family is strong. Excited for the 2017-18 season.
