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GOLD AND BLACK ILLUSTRATED VOLUME 28, ISSUE 2 39 F or the conference-best 23rd time, Purdue won the Big Ten last winter, rallying from three games back midseason to win the league by two games, clinching a share of the title in Mackey Arena, on senior night, against Indiana, of all teams, of all nights. It was a watershed moment for the Boil- ermaker program, its first outright title under Coach Matt Painter, and for since-departed All-American Caleb Swanigan and the four juniors who now return as se- niors to defend their crown. Gold and Black sat down with Painter to discuss the season and much more. The following are excerpts from the interview. Gold and Black: What impressions about your team did you take from the World University Games? Painter: "I thought we saw that we are a very skilled team. They have really worked on that. We need to con- tinue to work on being a great decision-making team. If we can be that I think we can do some special things. I was pleased on that front. I like how well we shot the three, especially with how the international line is set up and because it is a different ball. We even used the wrong ball all summer in practice. We prepared for the paneled ball, and apparently we were misinformed. I don't think that's the worst thing, though, because the paneled ball makes you concentrate on your dribble. I think we have a very good and experienced team. We rebounded the ball well, outside of the second half of the gold medal game. Lithuania did a very good job of hitting the glass, but it was also one of those games where we didn't shoot as well and play as well. When you don't rebound to combat that, you end up losing to a quality team. "Our defense has a long way to go. Our inability to contain the dribble is a concern. We have to do a bet- ter job, especially the older guys, of containing dribblers and then executing overall team defense. I think we can work towards that and spend a lot of practice time on it to make sure we are staying on the same page defensive- ly. Any time you shoot the ball quicker and play with a shorter clock, your defensive stability seems to diminish a little bit. I don't know why that is, but is just starts to happen." Gold and Black: How does this team take on its own identity that is different from last year? Painter: I don't think we're as interior-minded as we have been. Obviously, Isaac (Haas) is effective and very important for the team. We have to get the ball in the paint whether it's driving the ball or feeding the paint, or getting offensive rebounds. You have to get layups and dunks, and get to the free throw line. We have to work on driving and making the right decisions. I think that's where we have to be a little different. We also can't just be a three-point shooting team. We have such good three-point shooters, that's something we really encour- age. As you go through the course of 8-10 games, there will be one where you don't shoot the ball well. When you're in those types of games, you have to realize you should be more selective from three and drive the ball a little more. That would be a concern, but it is also a self-inflicted concern because we encourage those guys to shoot it so much." Gold and Black: In general what might go into your offensive identity? Painter: "I thought Vince Edwards established him- self as someone who can score in a lot of different ways. I love the mismatch he presents at the 4. He showed a lot of different ways he could score. He used his shot fake, posted up, shot it well from three, and made some nice plays driving the basketball. I think he is going to really be a plus for us. "Carsen is a guy who uses his athleticism and skill to score. I just want him to be as aggressive as possible in advantageous scenarios. When he has angles and he has numbers, we want him to be aggressive and looks for his. One thing he has been working on and getting better at is understanding when he might not have those advan- tages. When you're going against a set defense or there are two people guarding the basketball, then the ball has to move out of your hands. That's something I think he's better at. Any time you have guys who can score like that, they have a lot of confidence, and that confidence can oc- casionally get in the way of what you should or shouldn't be doing. "I think Dakota (Mathias) and Ryan (Cline) need to continue being aggressive. They need to keep look- ing for their shot and not just limit themselves to being jump-shooters. Play off your shot fakes, score in transi- tion, and look for your pull-ups. At the same time, though, don't have that set thought. Play off your instincts. I thought P.J. (Thompson) played very well for us (over- seas), running the show and shooting the basketball. He