Cam Heide of the Purdue Boilermakers came off the bench and provided a spark in Monday’s national championship game against UConn. With Purdue trailing by nine points, Heide soared for a putback dunk that ignited the crowd.
The dunk caught the attention of Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, and the three-time Super Bowl champion took to X to express his amazement.
“Bro where did the dunk even come from😂😂😂,” Mahomes wrote.
Heide, a three-star recruit in 2022, has primarily served as a bench player for Purdue this season. The team’s usual go-to option, National Player of the Year Zach Edey, found himself tightly guarded by UConn’s Donovan Clingan, and his hook shot bounced harmlessly off the rim.
Bro where did that dunk even come from 😂😂😂
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 9, 2024
The 6-foot-7 redshirt, anticipating the miss, came flying in from the perimeter, snatched the ball with one hand, and threw down a powerful dunk over UConn’s Cam Spencer. The dunk put Heide on the scoresheet and made the game 41-34.
The Huskies went on to win the game 75-60 and repeat as winners of the national championship.
Cam Heide on his breakout performance against Rutgers
Cam Heide discussed his breakout performances in March with Sports 18’s Kelly Hallinan at Mackey Arena. The freshman forward patiently awaited his chance, learning from veterans like Sasha Stefanovic and Eric Hunter Jr. (“PJ”).
His dedication paid off in a big way during the Boilermakers’ game against Rutgers. Heide exploded off the bench, putting up a perfect shooting night and racking up 18 points.
CAMDEN HEIDE PUTBACK DUNK FOR PURDUE 😱🤯 pic.twitter.com/iZ2VVOxJK1
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 9, 2024
While speaking to Kelly Hallinan, Heide acknowledged the mental challenge of waiting for his moment:
“It’s super mentally challenging, but I think the biggest thing is just hearing it from people who have done it. Sasha tells me all the time, PJ tells me all the time, you know, eventually you’re gonna get a chance to just kind of go out there and just play basketball.
“And that’s kind of what they told me leading up to that game. It’s a challenge being ready, obviously being able to sit on the bench for 10-15 minutes, maybe not even playing in a first or second half and then going out there and just being mentally locked in is a challenge but I was able to do it against Rutgers.”
These performances against Rutgers and UConn could be a sign of things to come for Cam Heide.
