PHILADELPHIA — From being a big fish in a small pond to becoming a small fish in a big pond.

That cliche’ applies to standout high school basketball players transitioning to major college hoops — and Ethan Morton is feeling it.

“This game can humble you pretty quickly,” the Butler graduate admitted. “I’ve certainly experienced that. But I’ve been in college for two years now and I feel like I’ve adjusted now.”

Scoring a school-record 2,198 points at Butler, Morton is a sophomore guard at Purdue (29-7), coming off the bench for the 10th-ranked Boilermakers and making an impact in ways other than putting the ball through the hoop.

Morton certainly made his presence known in Purdue’s second-round NCAA Tournament triumph over Texas, scoring eight points, hitting a pair of treys, blocking two shots and sinking two critical free throws late in the Boilermakers’ 81-71 win.

He had scored seven total points in Purdue’s previous eight games.

“We have so many offensive weapons on this team,” Morton said. “I’m our last option that way, the benefactor from other guys being closely guarded so I’m wide open. It felt good to hit those shots the other night.

“We play 10 guys, so you don’t know when opportunities like that are gonna come. You have to be ready.”

Morton has become a defensive stalwart for Purdue. He was switched on to Texas standout Marcus Carr in the second half Sunday and helped cool him off down the stretch. Carr failed to register a field goal over a 14-minute stretch as the Boilermakers were able to pull away.

“I’m counted on for my defense a lot,” Morton said. “It’s funny ... I never thought that’s something I’d be able to do well at this level. I never played defense in high school. I was all about offense and making plays.

“Everyone loves being the guy taking 10 to 15 shots a game, being in a playmaking role, but when you’re out there playing with three All-Americans ... I’m not that guy.”

But Morton is an appreciated, productive player. A receht article in the West Lafayette Journal & Courier indicated tat his plus-18 — meaning Purdue outscored Texas by 18 points with Morton in the game — led all of the Boilermakers.

It also gained praise from his teammates.

“He was massive for us. He’s the reason we won,” senior Sasha Stefanovic was quoted about Morton’s performance in that article.

“He was locked in. He knew what we were trying to do,” Eric Hunter Jr. was quoted as saying.

The article also quoted Trevion Williams, Purdue’s leading scorer that night, saying of Morton: “Man, he did a great job on Marcus Carr. He stepped up.”

“It definitely feels good to have support from some of the other guys,” Morton said. “I have so much respect for them. They’re great players and I’ve had the chance to get to know them and learn from them.”

He’s also learning more about defense with each game, as Morton is often called upon to guard the opposing team’s most prolific scoring threat.

“We go up against so many talented offensive players,” he said. “All you can do is force them to take difficult shots. They’re going to make those shots at times — they’re that good — but if you make them work, you can get an edge.”

Purdue takes on 15-seed Saint Peter’s at 7 p.m. Friday in Philadelphia. A win there would put the Boilermakers in the Elite Eight on Sunday, where they would face the North Carolina-UCLA survivor.

Morton insists his team is not taking a sigh of relief because it’s facing a lower seed, Cinderella-type team.

“Everyone gets excited when a bracket is busted, but if you’re in the Sweet 16, you deserve to be there,” Morton said. “You can’t overlook anyone. Saint Peters beat a team (Kentucky) many picked to win it all, then took out a Murray State team that hadn’t lost a game in three months.

“They’re not going to be intimidated by us.”

Regardless, Ethan Morton has become a prime player in the NCAA Tournament, an event he’s followed and filled out brackets for his entire life.

“It’s weird, honestly,” he said. “From watching it on TV to being on TV — It’s surreal. I was thinking about that when we were getting ready to fly to Philadelphia. This is real. It’s happening.

“You try to soak it in because having a chance to get to the Elite Eight or Final Four is special. You never know if it’s going to happen again. Appreciate it while it’s here.”