Gold and Black is a multi-platform media company that covers Purdue athletics like no one else.
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/405025
ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 25, ISSUE 2 25 f BY BRIAN NEUBERT BNeubert@GoldandBlack.com P urdue's program seemed to be on such stable, sus- tainable ground. But after a run in which the Boilermakers won 23 or more games and played in the NCAA Tournament in six consecutive seasons, things bottomed and came full circle to where Matt Painter first found them. Purdue finished in last place in the Big Ten last season, its sec- ond losing record in as many seasons. So the goal now for Painter in a season in which very little will be expected of Purdue by outsiders is to get things headed back in the right direction. He and his staff will have to do so with one of the freshmen-heavi- est rosters in college basketball. Gold and Black recently sat down with the 10th-year coach to get his thoughts on the program and season to come. Gold and Black: Why is this season going to be different? Painter: "I would say if you go back and analyze where we were two years ago, we had a young team, and we struggled non-conference, and then in conference play we competed — we were 8-10 in the league — and tied two teams that not only went to the NCAA Tournament, but won a game in the Tournament. Our league was the No. 1-ranked league in the country, so we proved that we could compete. Then last year we were 10-3 non-con- ference, a couple games we just showed that immatu- rity. We were not ready to play, did not have that focus. Then the start of the Big Ten season, we were still in a position to compete and be around that .500 mark, may- be push past it, and we just kind of imploded. "We needed to make a step at that time, and we didn't. The decision-making, the costly turnovers, espe- cially late in games, inability to make free throws, really hurt us. We simply did not have good chemistry. And not to continue to beat a dead horse, but by subtraction and addition, we have gotten that part figured out. We have a real good group of guys. The ones that returned, they learned some hard new lessons. But for the newcomers, Q & A : M A T T P A I N T E R 'Strong In Your Convictions' Painter says recent struggles haven't deterred him Tom Campbell Coach Matt Painter enters his 10th season confident his program is headed in the right direction, thanks in part, to an influx of new players and attitudes.