Purdue vs Wisconsin Jan 3rd
Why Purdue is a good program- Coach Matt Painter
We cover games here at Delphi Bracketology to get a firsthand look at teams so we can gauge how the data matches up to the eye test. The Purdue Boilermakers are a top program in college basketball. They will likely be a 1 seed or a 2 seed in our next bracket reveal. They have shown remarkable consistency over the years. As we left Mackey Arena, it dawned on us that a huge reason for Purdue’s success is head coach Matt Painter.
Listening to Coach Painter in the post game press conferences is akin to getting a short coaching clinic. The information is great, the tone of his delivery win or lose is appreciated, and the time he gives to the media is more than most coaches.
The fact that Purdue lost the game on Monday night did not deter Coach Painter from an honest and fair evaluation of his team. It is clear to those that listen that he really has a grasp of the game and how to communicate it to his players. His teams may not win every game, but they compete and are a tough out every single night.
Here are some of the quotes from Monday night’s post game press conference. Read them and you may get an understanding of how good a coach Matt Painter really is.
“Who are you as a player when the shooting percentages aren’t good during a game?”
On defense: “We want to stop your actions and make you make plays. Wisconsin stopped running stuff and found ways to get Johnny Davis the ball.”
“You don’t get to announce your defensive identity, you have to earn it. We are not good defensively, we just have to keep working on it.”
“In coaching it’s hard to get role identification. Wisconsin does. Players need to know who they are and play to their strengths.”
“You just have to be solid. Being fundamentally sound is a good thing in basketball. Playing off two feet is a good thing. Sometimes we get a little too casual with the ball.”
“Losses normally shape you.”
“You recruit toughness.”
“Try to instill a mental toughness– it’s just doing simple little things over and over again.”
There was obvious disappointment in Purdue’s play, but Coach Painter understands why they lost, understands how to help them get better, and understands how to win.
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