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VOLUME 26, ISSUE 2 9 OVERCOMING ADVERSITY LEADS TO BIG STAGE A s you read through this issue you will find one common theme among coaches Matt Painter and Sharon Versyp: How you deal with life in your lowest moments will ultimately determine whether you are successful. And both coaches have a vantage point from which to speak. Painter experienced two problematic seasons re- cently that saw his program fall to the basement of the Big Ten. Versyp is there right now with her team, having been relegated to the Big Ten's cellar in 2014- 15. Versyp is quick to point out that she doesn't want to talk about the past, or at least doesn't want to dwell on it with her players. She wants all energies point- ing forward. That is a reasonable and sound strategy with 18-to-23-year-olds that are trying to get Purdue's program back on track, and get it back right now. Yet, the Boilermaker boss is one of the most competitive people you will ever meet, so while she wants her team to focus forward, you can bet that the most re- cent season serves as a motivating factor of the high- est degree. Painter, on the other hand, is more open to talk about the role the 2012-13 to 2013-14 skid has played in building the personality of the program today. It too serves as motivation, and a reminder, about how culture counts, and how fast it can slip if you don't enough pay attention to getting the little things right. Versyp also speaks about how a changing culture in her program will deliver a more together team with hopefully better results. Yet, whether it resonates with the players is what is important. Time will tell with the women's team because the experience is so fresh. With the men, I think it already has. My favorite quotes in the en- tire magazine are from senior captain Rapheal Davis on Pages 18-21 when he talks about what it felt like at Big Ten media day last year when he sat alone at the media table with no one paying attention to the Boilermaker program. He is cognizant of the fact that in 2033 and 2034, at the 20-year reunions of those disappointing teams, he will forever have to own up to what happened on the court in those seasons. It is exceeding- ly honest of Davis to say that experience will always hurt, at least a little, but will also always serve as a reminder to move forward, and to improve everyday. They say a true measure of success is how you act in your lowest moments. If that is the case, both the men's and women's programs have, and will have, some better days ahead. For Purdue fans, they hope it is much better, but there is little doubt it will, in fact, be better. From Publisher Alan Karpick Gold and Black Illustrated A publication of Boilers, Inc. 2605 Yeager Road, West Lafayette, IN 47906 765-237-5002 or 1-800-876-GOPU (4678) Fax: 765-497-2110/Twitter.com/GoldandBlackcom President/Publisher Alan Karpick 765-237-5078 Editor Brian Neubert Publications Coordinator Kyle Charters Associate Editor/Football Stacy Clardie Photography Tom Campbell Graphic Designer Gary A. Hoffman Advertising Sales Alan Karpick Subscriptions/Marketing Jessica Bernard, Jordan Cory, Hayley Karpick, Reid Karpick, Tyler Ochs, Evan Solgere Printer Walsworth Printing (St. Joseph, Mich.)