After an overtime loss to Illinois last December, Purdue junior Robbie Hummel was heartbroken and back-broken in the locker room.
His back spasms were so intense, Hummel could not stand. The next morning, he was unable to get out of bed and walk to class. His roommate had to help him put on his shoes.
"Those were probably the worst two days I had," Hummel said recently at Big Ten media day. "It was a very painful experience."
And now how does he feel?
"Back like I'm 20 again," said Hummel, a 6-foot-8-inch forward.
With Hummel healthy, the Boilermakers are poised to build on last season's record (27-10, 11-7 Big Ten) and regional semifinals appearance in the NCAA tournament.
The Boilermakers were picked second in the Big Ten in a preseason media poll and are ranked seventh in the Associated Press national Top 25 poll.
Hummel was left off the preseason Big Ten first-team list, after averaging 12.5 points and seven rebounds last season, playing much of it in stints and wearing a bulky back brace.
But he could be one of the conference's most vital players in terms of his importance to the Boilermakers.
"Just the consistent part," coach Matt Painter said of what Hummel adds at full strength. "Having a guy that pieces it all together. He really helps us on both ends of the floor as a glue guy. He's a selfless type of guy. It's not something that happened overnight. He's a very mature basketball player."
The experience of playing injured throughout the season strengthened Hummel internally. And competing in the World University Games proved to him that he was ready to go.
In the offseason he worked on his core muscles and let the hairline fracture in a lower vertebrae heal. He said one side of it was cracked completely and the other side 70 percent fractured.
"It really helped out in the sense that I knew I'd be OK," Hummel said of playing this summer. "It was really a confidence boost to go play in physical-style games and not have any pain."
It's not like Hummel is a star among no-names.
The Boilermakers are the most experienced team in the Big Ten.
All five starters return, including point guard E'Twaun Moore, guard Chris Kramer, guard Keaton Grant and 6-10 center JaJuan Johnson.
Asked who's the best Boilermaker, Painter answered, "You might have five different answers during the week."
There's no question, though, that Hummel makes them better players every day of the week.
"He understands how to play," Painter said. "When you have that ... it just makes other people better."
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