DENVER — In the stunned silence of Purdue’s locker room after an 85-83 double-overtime loss to Little Rock to end its NCAA Tournament in the first round for the second consecutive year, senior Rapheal Davis seemed surprisingly composed.

Last season at this time, he was sobbing so hard he was out of breath, gulping for air between each word, when trying to talk about that first-round collapse against Cincinnati.

But on Thursday evening at his corner locker in the Pepsi Center, Davis mostly did a good job staying coherent.

Until he was asked big-picture things.

Like what he was feeling after his last college basketball game.

“I mean, um, I don’t know how to answer that one,” he said. Deep breath, pause.

Or if it felt like an incomplete season, things ending in the shocking fashion they did.

“My time is done, so I feel like it’s an incomplete career. Going out like this is probably one of the worst feelings I’ve ever had in my life,” he said. Abrupt stop.

Or how it felt to play with this group of teammates, including long-time friend A.J. Hammons, whom Davis says came to Purdue because Davis committed first.

“It’s a great group of teammates. I love my teammates. They’re all like brothers to me. But it’s one of those things where it’s over now. Words can’t really describe what …” he paused, deep breath again, trying to continue. “I can’t do it no more.”

So he stopped talking, waiting for another question.

But, really, there were no answers.

Not for what just had transpired.

Purdue, the No. 5 seed many thought should have been higher on Selection Sunday, held a 13-point lead with 3:33 left to play. Then it turned the ball over on three of its next seven possessions, including one by Davis when he was stripped on a drive.

Little Rock pushed the game to overtime on a wild shot, a deep, it-only-happens-in-March three-pointer with a defender standing straight up and tight.

Maybe that was it, really.

Maybe that was the end, even if there were still ultimately 10 more minutes.

Purdue kept unraveling.

Partly, maybe, because the Boilermakers couldn’t feed their other senior, the Big Ten’s first-team all-conference player, the guy widely considered entering the tournament as one of the country’s best big men.

Hammons touched the ball at the end of regulation — he missed a shot from the post with about two minutes left, then missed a point-blank putback (as did Vince Edwards) and then he kicked out a pass after being doubled for a wide-open look three by Edwards that rattled in before popping out. But Hammons also couldn’t corral a pass with 1:07 left for a turnover.

In the overtimes, the two four-year Purdue seniors tried to affect the game — Hammons did so on the defensive end with a monster block in each one and made two free throws with 1:28 left in the second OT before missing one of two in a three-point game with 21.8 left; Davis missed an open three-pointer from the corner in a three-point game with 1:40 left in double OT and could do nothing to cool Josh Hagins, who made incredible shot after incredible shot with Davis all over him.

“(I’m) supposed to be one of the best defenders in the country …” Davis said, taking another deep breath, “(and) he kind of cooked me toward the end.”

In the actual end, all the seniors could do was stare at the scoreboard in disbelief. Davis slowly untucked his jersey, pulled it over his head for a moment. Hammons, who’d been vocal in huddles in the overtimes by stressing rebounding and fight, kept the blank stare.

All that they’d done in their careers — Hammons becoming one of most accomplished players in Big Ten history with 1,500-plus points, 900-plus rebounds and 330-plus blocks; Davis establishing himself as one of the best leaders the Boilermakers have seen and a prime defensive stalwart — didn’t matter at that point.

All that mattered was it was over.

“It already hit home,” Hammons said when asked if he realized the consequence of the loss, of his career being done.

But he didn’t expound. Couldn’t. Had to keep emotions in check.

Hammons, though, did let the guard down a bit when asked about his career, maturing under Matt Painter’s tutelage, growing his game under different assistant coaches. It did not end well, but the ride was “great,” he said.

“First two years weren’t that good, (but) these last two years, they’ve been good to me,” said Hammons, referencing a last-place finish early in his career. “Not a great run in the tournament, but they’ve been good to me. I appreciate everything.”

Davis’ and Hammons’ teammates and coaches certainly do, too.

Sophomore Edwards, whose 24-point, 13-rebound performance could be considered a breakout, broke his stoic postgame façade only once: When asked about Davis and Hammons.

“Man,” Edwards said, struggling to compose himself, “it’s going to suck not having those guys around after this. Never thought you’d see the day come where both of those two guys leave. I just feel like they’ve been here for forever. They’re two great ambassadors to Purdue basketball. Ray, A.J., what they’ve done in their careers here, starting from the bottom and helping rebuild Purdue to get it back where it is, you’ve got to give a lot of credit to them. They could have transferred. They could have left. They stayed through the down times. They deserve a lot of credit.

“It sucks for A.J. and Ray, two guys who deserve more than this. That’s what hurts the most. Of course, losing is never fun, but to top it all off, you put those guys’ career (in there) and it’s over. I don’t think people realize when you look at Purdue basketball next year, Rapheal and A.J. Hammons will not be there. It’s crazy to think about. It sucks we couldn’t let them go out on a better note.”

Davis does, too.

But he’s eager to keep track of where this program goes, and both he and Hammons think there’s a bright future.

Hammons said the team is going to be “great” next season.

Davis hopes the players continue to build on the turnaround he and Hammons built.

“From where we were two years ago, my sophomore year, to where we’ve turned it around to be now, the guys they have in the locker room now are just great guys,” Davis said. “It’s one of those things where I’m excited for this group of guys. I’m going to be following them every step of the way. I hope them all the best. I’m going to miss them. I’m going to miss Purdue. I’m going to miss Lafayette. I’m going to miss Coach Painter. I feel the worst for Coach Painter, kind of should have been his year, along with ours. We let him down. I feel like I let him down a lot in my four years, but he’s a great coach. We’ve got a great coaching staff. They’ll be better from this.”