INDIANAPOLIS — Appropriately, the USC men’s basketball team battled until the end.

Having survived a double-overtime thriller against Rutgers the previous night, the Trojans led for a significant portion of their second-round Big Ten Tournament game on Thursday night but could not hold off Purdue in the final minute.

Trey Kaufman-Renn matched his career high with 30 points, including the go-ahead free throws with 28.3 seconds left, and Purdue scored the final five points to beat USC, 76-71, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

“This is probably the most difficult game I’ve ever lost with a team, and I’ve been coaching a really, really long time,” USC coach Eric Musselman said. “That was tough for us. I thought our team did everything we could to put ourselves in position to win the game. I feel for the locker room. This group came here to try to win this tournament, and I thought we put ourselves in position tonight to play one more day tomorrow. … Just unfortunate that we couldn’t pull out a victory.”

Desmond Claude scored 14 of his 18 points in the second half for the Trojans (16-17), who defeated Rutgers on Wednesday night but didn’t look fatigued against Purdue (22-10). Wesley Yates III added 13 points and Matt Knowling and Rashau Agee added 11 points apiece.

The sixth-seeded Boilermakers trailed by 10 points in the first half, but they tied it by halftime and emerged from a back-and-forth second half thanks largely to Kaufman-Renn, who shot 12 for 20 from the field and 6 for 11 from the free-throw line.

After Kaufman-Renn’s free throws gave the Boilermakers a 73-71 advantage with 28.3 seconds left, Claude missed a short floater with 22 seconds left. Purdue got the rebound and Kaufman-Renn was fouled with 13.8 seconds remaining and split two free throws.

The 14th-seeded Trojans then were looking for a tying 3-pointer. Claude threw a pass toward Yates, who slipped and fell to the floor. Big Ten Player of the Year Braden Smith caught the ball for the Boilermakers, was fouled with 3.6 seconds left and made both free throws to clinch it.

USC used a 14-1 burst in the first half to grab a 28-18 lead and survived long stretches of both halves without Claude, who picked up two quick fouls in the first half and sat out for the final 13 minutes. Purdue’s Camden Heide drained two 3-pointers during a 10-0 burst to tie it with 4:23 remaining. The Boilermakers tied it again at 35-all on a Myles Colvin 3-pointer with 41 seconds remaining.

Claude returned in the second half, only to draw two more quick fouls. Still, USC capped an 8-0 run with a Chibuzo Agbo 3-pointer to open a 52-46 lead less than five minutes into the half.

Agbo hit another 3-pointer to give the Trojans a 56-50 lead with 12:28 remaining before Purdue responded with a 9-2 run and took a 59-58 lead on Fletcher Loyer’s basket with 9:21 remaining.

Claude, who returned to the court with just over 10 minutes left, hit jumpers on three occasions to give USC a two-point edge. After the third time, Kaufman-Renn had two baskets around a one from Smith to give Purdue a 71-67 edge with 2:25 left.

Claude drove for a basket with 2:07 remaining and then swished a free-throw line jumper to tie it at 71-all with 54.5 seconds to play, setting up the late drama.

“I was ready. I stayed ready,” Claude said of his extended stretches off the court. “At least I had the half to be fresh for the second half. I don’t control what the refs call even if I don’t agree with it.”

Musselman praised his team, especially given the short turnaround between games.

“I think people need to recognize we played a double-overtime game last night, that we’re three hours difference from home on our body clocks, that we got back to our hotel and the first time we got to utter the words Purdue were about 1 a.m.,” Musselman said. “We had some walk-throughs today, and I thought they came out and followed the game plan as good as any group I’ve ever coached.

“Again, I thought we played well enough to win the game, even with foul trouble.”

Loyer scored 14 points and Smith had 12 points and nine assists for Purdue, which had lost five of its previous seven games. Camden Heide added nine points (3 for 3 from 3-point range) and 11 rebounds.

Purdue shot 47.3% from the field and 9 for 23 from 3-point range, while USC shot 43.5% overall but just 7 for 24 from behind the arc.

The Boilermakers advance to face third-seeded Michigan in Friday night’s quarterfinals. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, with each winning at home.

UP NEXT?

The Trojans again proved they have the athletic skill and length to match up with most teams and pushed Purdue despite all of their starters having played the bulk of the double-overtime game the night before. On talent alone, USC appears to be a candidate for an NIT bid.

More to come on this story.

Which twenty-six Reds will we see?

A good bit has changed about the nature of the Cincinnati Reds roster mix since last we gave our best guess at who might be included on it come Opening Day.

Spencer Steer’s shoulder maintained its issues, and he received a cortisone shot back on March 1st. Andrew Abbott, though, has seen his shoulder progress well enough that he threw a pair of IP in a AAA game just yesterday. Rhett Lowder is still behind schedule, unfortunately, but at least it looks like he’s moving forward and not backwards. Speaking of ‘back,’ Tyler Stephenson headed for an MRI after lingering back pain.

Rule 5 draftee Cooper Bowman was sent back to the Oaksacvegas Athletics, while former top prospect Noelvi Marte was officially sent down to AAA.

That’s a lot to process, as are the risks of losing players in camp as non-roster invitees if they aren’t selected to start the season. Same goes for players with no options remaining, as they very well could be scooped up on waivers if not placed on the roster from day one.

With Opening Day now less that two weeks away (!!), here’s our latest, greatest estimate of which Reds will make up the Opening Day roster.

Catcher

I’ve got Tyler Stephenson (1) still on here alongside Jose Trevino (2), as all initial reports on Ty Steve’s back are that his issue is minor. It may mean we see more of Jose in the lineup early on, so far there’s nothing to suggest these aren’t the two backstops they’ll carry from day one.

Infielders (5)

Elly De La Cruz (3) and Matt McLain (4) are the cornerstones of this team, and they’ll form the middle infield. Christian Encarnacion-Strand (5) and Jeimer Candelario (6) seem to be locks in the corner rotation, while Santiago Espinal (7) has solidified his spot as the do-it-all infielder in reserve.

Gavin Lux

Gavin Lux (8)! He’ll see time at 3B, 2B, LF, and even at DH when the time is right. Since I’ve got Spencer Steer beginning the year on the IL, Lux’s versatility will help offset that usually created by having Steer on the roster for the time being.

Outfielders (5)

TJ Friedl (9) is back and healthy and poised to be the everyday CF and leadoff man all 4-WAR style once again. He’ll be flanked by Jake Fraley (10) and Austin Hays (11) most days, with Stuart Fairchild (12) a RHH option on days when Terry Francona wants to stack those up against southpaws. That brings us to Blake Dunn (13), whose RHH ability wins out in this mix over Will Benson since Lux, a LHH, is filling the ‘move anywhere when it’s time to switch’ role previously occupied by Steer, a RHH. In other words, I think Francona will choose to have one more righty bat around than another lefty.

Starting Rotation

Hunter Greene (14) will start on Opening Day, as well he should. He’ll be flanked in some order by each of Nick Martinez (15), Brady Singer (16), and Nick Lodolo (17) for sure at this point. Since the season is long as all heck, I just don’t think the Reds will rush back Andrew Abbott at anything less than ‘full stretched out,’ so I expect him to begin on the IL and miss a turn or two through the rotation - if anything, that may make him even more valuable down the stretch in August/September. I think the Reds carry Carson Spiers (18) as something of ‘starter on an expected bullpen day’ for the time being.

Bullpen

I don’t believe Graham Ashcraft (19) starts the year in the minors - rather, I think he’s carried as the piggyback guy for Spiers’ turn through the rotation with the expecation that he can fill-in for multiple IP when needed in a role akin to how Martinez began last year. Brent Suter (20), Sam Moll (21), and Taylor Rogers (22) form the LHP corps in the ‘pen, while Alexis Díaz (23) will resume his role as the closer. RHP options Emilio Pagán (24) and Scott Barlow (25) have guaranteed money on their deals, so they’ll be down there until they prove ten times they shouldn’t be, leaving one final spot that I’m expected to be filled by Tony Santillan (26) - he pitched well enough last year to deserve it and he’s out of options, so that’s a no-brainer.

Notes

Steer and Abbott are the two notable omissions here. Despite how dismal the Reds have begun seasons in recent memory (and how much that has folded any and all optimism entering those years immediately), I just think they’ll play it safe with them (and Lowder). Abbott getting ~27-28 starts is still very much viable, as is Steer surpassing 550 PA.

Ian Gibaut being back in camp is cool, and he’s fanned 8 against a lone walk in 7.0 IP so far this spring. He’s not on the roster, however, as a NRI on a minor league deal, so I don’t expect him to beat out the rest of the options above. That said, I do think he’s showing enough right now to firmly be in the mix as the first bullpen arm promoted when the inevitable dings happen to the rostered names ahead of him.

Chase Petty has looked really, really solid so far in camp, and at this rate he’ll make his debut (and more) as a Red at some point this year...just not on Opening Day or in the first few turns of the rotation, assuming all goes well elsewhere.