Purdue Coach Matt Painter Discusses Last Year's Shortcomings, Optimism for 2022-23 Season at Big Ten Basketball Media Days
MINNEAPOLIS — Purdue coach Matt Painter took to the stage for Big Ten Basketball Media Days on Tuesday inside the Target Center. During his opening press conference, he discussed last year's shortcomings while also presenting optimism for the upcoming 2022-23 college basketball season.
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"It was a tough year for us last year because we thought we had a team that could do more damage than it did," Painter said. "As a coach, you take sole responsibility for that.
"Just trying as a coach to be better for our program, to be better for our team. I thought we should have won our league. I thought we should have won our tournament. I thought we should have gotten to the Final Four. We didn't — any of those three things."
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The Boilermakers are coming off a season in which they recorded a 29-8 overall record and were one of just two teams in the conference to finish the year with single-digit losses. The team had its share of success but often fell short of its own expectations.
With a 14-6 record in Big Ten play, Purdue finished third in the conference standings and had an opportunity to claim a victory in the Big Ten Tournament before falling 75-66 at the hands of Iowa. Painter led the Boilermakers to their fourth Sweet 16 appearance in five years, but they were stunned by Saint Peter's to end the season.
"Our talent was just a little bit above our production," Painter said. "I think that's the key for a coach, to be able to get his team more productive than its talent."
Heading into this season, Purdue must make up for the loss of five key contributors. Sasha Stefanovic and Trevion Williams are currently pursuing professional opportunities while All-Big Ten selection and second-team All-American Jaden Ivey begins his NBA career with the Detroit Pistons.
Eric Hunter Jr. and Isaiah Thompson also departed from the program via the transfer portal. Hunter will utilize his final season of college eligibility at Butler, and Thompson joined Florida Gulf Coast in the offseason.
The Boilermakers return just two starters from last year, led by junior center Zach Edey, who was unanimously voted to the 2022-23 Preseason All-Big Ten team. He averaged 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.2 blocks in just 19 minutes per game last season while leading the conference in field goal percentage.
Alongside four players making up the team's freshman class, Purdue also brought in senior guard David Jenkins Jr. from Utah out of the transfer portal. Painter said that freshman guards Fletcher Loyer and Braden Smith figure to play right away, praising the quality of their play early in the season.
Mason Gillis, Ethan Morton, Brandon Newman and Caleb Furst round out the six players on the roster with college experience. Purdue is set to open the 2022-23 season against Milwaukee on Nov. 8 inside Mackey Arena.
"We lost some really talented guys, but I like where we are. I like our pieces," Painter said. "I think our staff has done a great job in evaluating and getting good players for Purdue. I think we have one of the best front lines in the country. I really like our guard play. I don't like our experience at the guard positions, but it's also a great opportunity for young players."
D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball.