Photo Gallery: Sights and Sounds From Purdue’s First Day in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — The Purdue Boilermakers have arrived safely in Philadelphia and spent some of Thursday at the Wells Fargo Center, the site of this weekend's NCAA Tournament East Regional.
No. 3 seed Purdue plays Friday night against No. 15 seed Saint Peter's, the Cinderella of the tournament. On Thursday, head coach Matt Painter and players Jaden Ivey, Zach Edey and Trevion Williams all met with the media. Purdue then went through a 90-minute practice.
Here's our photo gallery from practice and their media session.
Graduate assistant Tommy Luce
Purdue graduate assistant Tommy Luce, a long-time fan favorite at Mackey Arena, helps out during warm-ups for the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Sasha Stefanovic
Purdue guard Sasha Stefanovic gives instructions to a teammate during a drill in the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Matt Painter and Paul Lusk
Purdue coaches Paul Lusk and Matt Painter watch a drill during the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Matt Painter
Purdue coach Matt Painter grabs a quick soda at the start o the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Ethan Morton
Purdue guard Ethan Morton, the only Pennsylvania player on the Boilermakers' roster, goes through a defensive positioning drill during practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Brandon Newman
Purdue guard Brandon Newman works through a drill during the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Mason Gillis
Purdue forward Mason Gillis stretches during the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Wells Fargo Center
This weekend's NCAA Tournament East Regional is being played at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. It's also the home of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers and the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers.
Matt Painter and Rob Dauster
Purdue coach Matt Painter (right) does a quick interview with Rob Dauster of Field of 68 prior to the Boilermakers' practice on Thursday.
Sasha Stefanovic
Purdue guard Sasha Stefanovic stretches during the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Matt Painter and Braden Welsh
Matt Painter and Braden Welsh, Purdue's director of strength and conditioning, talk before practice on Thursday in Philadephia.
Trevion Williams
Purdue senior center Trevion Williams clowns around before the start of the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Sasha Stefanovic
Purdue guard Sasha Stefanovic scans the view of the Wells Fargo Center prior to the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Eric Hunter Jr.
Purdue senior point guard Eric Hunter Jr. stretches prior to the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Ethan Morton and Trevion Williams
Purdue center Trevion Williams (black jersey) guards Ethan Morton during a drill in the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Sasha Stefanovic
Purdue guard Sasha Stefanovic.
Matt Painter
Purdue coach Matt Painter looks over his shoulder at the start of a drill during the Boilermakers' practice at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Matt Painter
Purdue coach Matt Painter meets with the media at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Matt Painter
Purdue coach Matt Painter enters his media session at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Trevion Williams
Purdue center Trevion Williams meets with the media at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Zach Edey, Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams
Purdue players Zach Edey, Jaden Ivey and Trevion Williams meet with the media at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Zach Edey and Trevion Williams
Purdue centers Zach Edey and Trevion Williams step onto the podium in advance of meeting with the media at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Shaheen Holloway
Saint Peter's coach Shaheen Holloway meets with the media at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Purdue plays the No. 15 seed Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Saint Peter's players
Six Saint Peter's players met with the media on Thursday.
Zach Edey, Jaden Ivey, Trevion Williams
Purdue players meets with the media at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Thursday. Purdue plays Saint Peter's on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament regional semifinals.
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- RELAXED PEACOCKS: Saint Peter's players met with the media Thursday ahead of its big game with Purdue. "We don't feel any pressure," Saint Peter's junior guard Matthew Lee said. "We're just here to play basketball. It's something we've been doing our whole career. Even though there's a bigger stage, at the end of the day, it's just basketball." CLICK HERE
- PURDUE MEETS SAINT PETER'S IN SWEET 16: Purdue basketball is preparing for its Sweet 16 matchup with Saint Peter's on Friday. The Peacocks are looking to become the first No. 15 seed to reach the Elite Eight, but the Boilermakers stand in their way. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE HEAVY FAVORITE OVER SAINT PETER'S: The biggest favorite in the regional semifinals is No. 3 seed Purdue, who's taking on the Cinderella in the Big Dance, the Saint Peter's Peacocks. Here's the opening point spread, and some amazing data on Saint Peter's and their best-in-the-nation performance vs. the number this season. They are on a real heater. CLICK HERE
- HISTORY OF NO. 15 SEEDS IN NCAA TOURNAMENT: For only the third time in NCAA Tournament history, a No. 15 seed has advanced to the regional semifinals. Saint Peter's, a tiny Jesuit school in Jersey City, N.J., knocked off blueblood Kentucky and 31-win Murray State last week, and now have a date with Purdue on Friday in Philadelphia. Cinderella stories are cute, but they don't usually last long. A No. 15 seed has never won a game in the second week of the tourney. CLICK HERE
- 4 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SAINT PETER'S: Here are four newsy nuggets about Saint Peter's, Purdue's opponent on Friday night in NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinals in Philadelphia. CLICK HERE
Tom Brew is an award-winning journalist who's worked at some America's finest newspapers, including the Tampa Bay (Fla.) Times, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Indianapolis Star. He also owns the book publishing company, Hilltop30 Publishing Group, and he has written four books and published 16 others.