As Purdue Enters New Era, Matt Painter Issues Reminder Boilers Won Before Zach Edey

Yes, Zach Edey played a major role in Purdue's success over the last four years. But the Boilermakers had a tradition of winning before his arrival.

Dustin Schutte | Oct 24, 2024

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter talks to players / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Matt Painter has never been dismissive of the impact Zach Edey had on Purdue's program. The two-time National Player of the Year was a big reason why the Boilermakers won back-to-back Big Ten regular season titles and reached the National Championship game. There's no denying his contributions were massive.

What the veteran coach does want to remind everyone of, though, is that Purdue was successful prior to Edey's arrival in West Lafayette.

Saturday evening, Purdue will travel to Omaha, Neb. for a charity exhibition game against Creighton. It will mark the first time in four seasons have been without Edey on the roster.

Asked about what it would be like for Purdue to play against talented Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner without Edey on the floor, Painter said he's not looking in the rearview mirror.

"We have players also. I think that's the one thing that everybody relates to the upcoming season is the past season," Painter said. "I always tell people, we've won four out of the last eight Big Ten championships. Zach Edey was with us for half of them.

"He was a great player, he was the National Player of the Year, but we won before he was here. Sometimes that gets lost in the weeds."

Purdue has won Big Ten regular season championships in 2017, 2019, 2023 and 2024. The Boilers also won a title in 2010. Painter's teams have also claimed a pair of Big Ten Tournament crowns, one in 2009 and another in 2023.

This is a program that has appeared in 15 NCAA Tournaments in Painter's first 19 seasons. There's a track record of success in West Lafayette that predates Edey.

Yes, replacing 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game is certainly going to be a challenge. But the Boilers return three starters from last year's team in Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn. Senior Caleb Furst also has starting experience.

The Boilermakers also have young, reliable contributors in Cam Heide and Myles Colvin, both who made an impact a season ago. Plus, Painter brought in a five-man, top-20 recruiting class.

There's a lot of talent still residing in West Lafayette.

Painter acknowledged it's going to be a little bit different this season. Purdue may utilize different lineups and play at different tempos throughout the season, depending on player performance and opponent style. It's going to be a challenge.

But Painter has built and established a strong culture based on winning. He did it prior to Edey's arrival on Purdue's campus. He's going to do it after his departure, too.

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