Why can Purdue basketball win it all? Because of guys like Camden Heide and Myles Colvin

WEST LAFAYETTE — If this is the year for Purdue basketball, and it very well could be, it will be because of what we saw Thursday.

Yes, the Boilermakers have their stars in Zach Edey and Braden Smith.

But every year in the NCAA tournament, there's some virtual unknown player along the way who becomes an overnight sensation.

Guys like Myles Colvin and Camden Heide.

"Everybody can come in and make plays. That's why they're here," Smith said. "They wouldn't be on the top team in the country for no reason. They can all make plays and we all trust them to make plays."

Heide introduced himself to college basketball Thursday night, scorching Rutgers for 18 points on 7-of-7 shooting, which included a circus layup, a putback rebound dunk and four 3-pointers.

Colvin, a true freshman who lacks any signs of being gun-shy with the ball in his hands, is every bit as capable of having an offensive performance like Heide did.

More: Camden Heide's career night helps Purdue basketball bounce back against Rutgers

Guys down the depth chart who aren't the focal points of an opposing scouting report become reasons teams win games in March.

Purdue's coaching staff is well aware what it has in guys like Heide and Colvin hibernating in those limited minutes category.

"Coach (Paul) Lusk tells me almost every day keep plugging away. Keep going at it," Heide said. "When I'm going up watching film, whether it's me playing four minutes, 10 minutes, whatever it is, you know, (Elliot) Bloom, Lusk, those guys tell me stay patient and stay ready because eventually I am going to have nights like tonight."

People clamored for Heide to be given a chance.

In the previous two games, Heide played a combined 10 minutes. In the past nine games, Heide had a total of 12 points. Since scoring 13 points against Samford in the season opener, he'd failed to reach double figures.

Then he came in with the hot hand and the Boilermakers rode that, even through Heide's technical foul.

"None of us are surprised by it," Edey said. "We all know the kind of work he puts in. We know the type of talent he has."

If Painter has been asked once this season about why a certain player doesn't get more minutes, he's been asked a dozen times.

In one instance, Painter, who comes off very levelheaded and astute in how he answers every question while a camera is on him, responded with a slight tone after he was asked following a game why Colvin wasn't playing more.

There's 200 minutes to divide amongst your roster during a regulation college basketball game.

Painter's roster has a luxury of talent and depth. Heide is the seventh Boilermaker with at least 16 points in a game this season. Purdue is 24-3, by the way, so perhaps that roster management is going quite well.

Painter wants to play Heide more. And Colvin. And Caleb Furst, Mason Gillis, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Brian Waddell, Will Berg and on down the line.

Sometimes you just can't.

But sometimes you can, and those guys show why they earned a scholarship to Purdue in the first place.

"We've talked about it a lot as a staff. You get into a 10-man rotation and when you sub is that more for defense, offense," Painter said. "(Heide) has been solid on both ends. It's hard because it's a numbers game. That's all it is. It's not like we don't believe in him because we do."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Camden Heide latest to showcase how deep Purdue basketball roster is