Nathan Baird, Indianapolis StarSat, November 22, 2025 at 4:40 AM UTC·4 min readNASSAU, Bahamas — Myles Colvin certainly dreamed of this at some point: ball snapping through net as buzzer sounds, game won, Purdue basketball fans chanting his name as he and teammates sprinted deliriously around the court.
Colvin even wore a black jersey with gold trim for Friday night’s heroics at the Baha Mar Championship. Yet those Boilermaker fans — hundreds of them already in their seats for the championship game to follow — celebrated one of their own lifting Wake Forest to a 69-68 victory over Memphis.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Col-VIN! Col-VIN! Col-VIN!” The Purdue legacy who left for Wake Forest after last season learned his lifelong Boilermaker connection cannot really be severed by the transfer portal.
“It felt good,” Colvin said. “Obviously I have a big Purdue history, so the love they have for me is amazing. I wish them nothing but the best and obviously I think it’s likewise for them.”
Colvin knows how well Purdue fans travel for these events. He encountered them all over the Baha Mar resort during the event. Some of the same fans conjured a similar celebration one year earlier, when Colvin's put-back at the buzzer beat Ole Miss for the Rady Children's Invitational championship in San Diego.
It appeared the Demon Deacons would need a near miracle to pull one out Friday.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWake Forest’s Mekhi Mason fouled Memphis’ Dug McDaniel with 1.5 seconds remaining and the score tied 66-all. The Demon Deacons were out of timeouts. Colvin stood in the top box alongside the free throw line, gesticulating wildly toward his bench.
He wanted to know the plan. He had some indication it might include getting the ball into his hands.
McDaniel made both free throws to put Memphis up 68-66.
That plan involved inserting Isaac Carr to make a three-quarters court pass to Tre’Von Spillers in the lane. Spillers made a touch pass to Colvin on the wing, who caught and shot as Memphis’ Zach Davis closed too late to interrupt the attempt.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe ball snapped through, and bedlam broke out on the court.
"It's just a matter of staying ready," Colvin said. "I think we can trust anybody on that floor to hit that same shot. I think it's just a matter of I was ready for it. At the same time, I think Juke (Harris) on the other hand was ready for it as well."
Wake Forest trailed 66-62 with under a minute to play. Colvin’s layup with 42 seconds left proved equally crucial in setting up the final heroics.
He finished with 19 points — the same total he scored in Thursday’s 84-83 semifinal loss to No. 15 Texas Tech.
The performances mirrored Colvin's role throughout the start of the season. Entering Friday, his 27.1 minutes per game ranked second on the Demon Deacons. His usage and production were in line with that of a starter, even as he awaits his first night in the starting lineup for his new program.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“Myles can lead us in scoring on any night,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said after Thursday’s loss. “Our strength is our depth.”
Colvin went into Friday’s game shooting 35.1% from 3, averaging 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds and triggering viral highlight clips of his dunks and a half-court buzzer-beater.
If that sounds as if the Heritage Christian grad and Purdue legacy took his Boilermaker identity and spread it across a larger role, that’s exactly what he looked for in a new destination.
The son of former Purdue football player Roosevelt Colvin said he was not sure what options would arise when he entered the transfer portal. He found a system where he feels he has the room to utilize his athleticism.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It’s not necessarily the role I'm worried about," Colvin said. “The position I’m in is what I was looking for in a new school, where I’m able to play a little more free, I feel like, and get downhill a little more.
“Our offense the way it is, anyone can go off on any night.”
Wake Forest may not be the No. 1 team in the country, but Colvin joined a program trying to break through to a higher level. Both of its losses have come by one point — Friday’s tight finish at Baha Mar and an overtime loss to No. 5 Michigan in Detroit.
It was headed for a third one of those until Colvin’s jumper. As he conducted a postgame interview, a teammate nearby bellowed, “He’s got that clutch gene!”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHe also has Boilermaker genes. He and Purdue shared one last moment of triumph together in The Bahamas.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Myles Colvin Purdue transfer stars for Wake Forest, feels love from fans
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