Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter and his team don’t need any reminders.
The Boilermakers are fully aware of what has happened the last two years in the NCAA Tournament, especially last year. A season ago, the top seeded Purdue basketball team fell to 16th seed Fairleigh Dickinson, becoming just the second top seed to fall to a 16th seed in NCAA Tournament history. This year’s Purdue basketball team maintains all that is in the past,
“I don’t think we’re really worried about what happened last year,” guard Braden Smith said. “We’re focused on now. That’s in the past. I’ve said it multiple times, they beat us that day, and they played better than us, and I don’t think it will happen again.”
The Boilermakers take on 16th seed
Grambling State Friday night at 7:25 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. Painter’s team comes in having won the Big Ten Conference regular season and with a 29-4 record. Grambling State, on the other hand, picked up a win Wednesday night against Montana State in the First Four play-in game. The Tigers are sitting at 21-14 on the season. Grambling State has overcome adversity all season long. The Tigers were 2-10 when SWAC conference play began. Grambling went 14-4 in conference action en route to going back-to-back with SWAC regular season crowns and then won the conference title.
Can Purdue basketball overcome past results?
Purdue basketball has looked good all season long, breezing through the Big Ten and dispatching the likes of Arizona, Gonzaga, Morehead State, Samford, Tennessee and Marquette, all of whom made the NCAA Tournament.
However, no team may have entered the tournament with as much pressure as the Boilermakers. The past three seasons, Purdue basketball has under performed in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, it was a loss to 16th seed FDU. In 2022, there was the Sweet Sixteen loss to 15th seed Saint Peters. In 2021, 13th seed North Texas knocked the Boilermakers off in overtime.
Painter is 17-15 in the NCAA Tournament and has never advanced beyond the Elite Eight with four Sweet Sixteen trips.
Right, wrong, indifferent, this year’s team with the reigning national player of the year Zach Edey, will be defined with how it does in the NCAA Tournament.
That gives the Boilermakers all the motivation it needs, including Painter.
Painter said sometimes the best lesson can come from having to sit in adversity.
“A lot of times that’s the best medicine is to be able to sit in that adversity. You can’t fix something if you don’t own it. From a staff standpoint, we own it. Our players own it. That’s the best way to go about it and do something about it,” Painter said.
This year’s Purdue basketball team maintains it’s different
Ever since losing to Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament, members of this year’s Purdue basketball team has said they are a different team than last year’s squad.
And, based on results, they would be right. Each time Purdue has lost this season, it has rebounded nicely.
After falling at Northwestern, the Boilermakers won seven straight games. Following the loss at Nebraska, Purdue won nine games. After losing at Ohio State in February, Purdue basketball won six.
Edey said this year’s team responds after losses.
“This year, we know who we are, we know what type of team we are, and we know what we can do,” Painter said.
Guard Fletcher Loyer said his teammates enter tonight’s contest with a “bigger chip” on their shoulder.
“There’s more you want to prove, more you want to do. The difference between last year and this year is just how hungry we are. That bad taste in our mouth has stuck with us all year. We’ve had to deal with it,” Loyer said.
And, now it is time to see if Purdue can get rid of it.
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