Camden Heide cherishes Purdue memories, trying to create new ones with Texas

SAN JOSE – There was the electrifying dunk off a Zach Edey miss against Connecticut in the national championship game.

There was the game-tying 3-pointer with 33 seconds remaining against Houston in last year’s Sweet 16 at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Those are Camden Heide’s Purdue memories.

He hasn’t tossed those aside. Heide created a memorable moment with Texas, draining a deep corner 3-pointer to send the Longhorns past Gonzaga in the second round and into Thursday’s Sweet 16 matchup against his former program.

“It was a similar shot to the one against Houston last year, and the time and score were super important,” Heide said Wednesday in his team’s locker room inside the SAP Center. “To put ourselves in that position to win the game, it felt great.”

Heide transferred from Purdue after three seasons with the program, including his redshirt year. He landed at Texas with head coach Sean Miller, looking for an expanded role with more minutes and meaningful contributions.

During the first 34 games, Heide is fifth in minutes played (22.4) and tied for fifth in scoring (5.9). Heide is shooting 50% from the floor, including 46.2% from 3-point range.

Against Gonzaga, Heide was on the bench for 17 straight minutes in the second half before entering the game with 32 seconds on the clock. He hit the crucial 3-pointer with 14 seconds to play, giving the Longhorns a four-point advantage.

Similar to when former Boilermaker Myles Colvin hit the game-winning shot for Wake Forest in the Bahamas to beat Memphis, Purdue fans had a rooting interest in Heide’s late-game drama last weekend.

“I was in a public setting when Cam hit that last shot at our hotel, and all the Purdue fans were cheering,” assistant coach Paul Lusk said. “They were excited, and I think that’s a pretty special thing.”

Heide kept track of his former teammates and coach’s success throughout the season. He acknowledged Matt Painter’s 500^th win, which came against Miami (Fla.) in last week’s second round, and Braden Smith breaking the all-time NCAA assist record.

“To see what they’ve done and seen the individual stats and everything, it’s super cool,” Heide said.

He could’ve been part of their success, but needed to branch out.

“I just kind of wanted more for myself,” Heide said. “I think going to Texas, hearing what coach Miller had to offer when I went in the portal, was something that really intrigued me, and what I was looking for. And I think at times I’ve really been able to do that this year.”

Heide’s game has evolved since joining Miller’s program. He battled through an injury earlier in the season and an illness, but neither has impeded his development.

He’s a shot-maker, a role he played at Purdue and believes he’s shown even more improvement while with the Longhorns.

“They’ve kind of depended on me at times to make shots,” Heide said. “That’s kind of helped our team win a few games. I think it’s just super important to step up and become more of a shot maker at certain times.”

He’s also stepped up with his knowledge of the Boilermakers and their tendencies. Heide has shared as much information as possible with the coaching staff and his teammates about what to possibly expect on Thursday.

“Yeah, he’s been big time,” senior guard Mark Tramon said. “He knows what they do. He knows a lot of what they do, so he’s been helping us, coaching us up on the things and just being a big-time guy for us in our scouting and everything we do in practice.”

Regardless of Thursday’s outcome, Heide will always cherish his memories with the Boilermakers, the bond he developed with his teammates, and the continued outpouring of support from the Purdue community and fan base.

“Just the love and support from Purdue fans,” Heide said. “It’s a great university. I’m so happy that I was a Boilermaker. I’ll be a Boilermaker for life. Everyone in my family went to Purdue. It’s super special for me to be a Boilermaker.

“I’m not sure that there’s many athletes that have been a part of two universities like Texas and Purdue. I feel very blessed to be a part of the basketball programs at both universities.”