Here's What Coach Matt Painter Said After Purdue's 82-76 Win Over Michigan
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The No. 4-ranked Purdue basketball team took down Michigan on Saturday at Mackey Arena, ending a five-game losing streak to the Wolverines. They were the only team in the Big Ten that the Boilermakers' senior class had yet to defeat in four years with the program.
But Purdue got it done in an 82-76 victory, led by Jaden Ivey's 23 points and seven assists. Trevion Williams also added 19 in a game the team never trailed. It was the first of two matchups with Michigan in six days, as the team is scheduled to travel to Ann Arbor on Feb. 10.
Purdue coach Matt Painter spoke to the media after the game. Here's a transcript of everything he had to say, including video of the full postgame press conference:
Q: How did you react to Michigan's change in defenses, and how big was Jaden Ivey's ability to get into the lane?
PAINTER: It wasn't as much of just going from man to zone or zone to man. They've shown it before, obviously. It was just them going to zone, and are they going to stay in zone or are they going to go to man within that possession.
It's not like it's rocket science and it's that hard, you just don't have a high volume of experience of going against something like that. I thought coach Howard did a fabulous job of preparing their team and really keeping us off base. But the other thing is we had some really good looks that didn't go down for us. So we had some 3s that we liked that didn't go down. We had some shots around the rim, Zach did, Jaden did, Trevion converted almost everything he shot.
I think in time that those shots would go in. Sometimes you look at it and you gets results-based, and you really should be process-based. Just take good shots, you feel good enough about your groove. But we really didn't really too much because they kind of stayed spread on our 3s in the second half. We just said take what they give you, we had more opportunities in the first half to shoot 3s. I was proud of our guys, but like I said, I thought Michigan did a really good job in their scheme.
Q: What's your message to Trevion Williams going for steals?
Painter: It helps you in certain situations, like at the end of the Iowa game he gets a couple steals, this game he gets a couple steals. Then there are times when he goes in reaches and then you've got to have your hands up for passes. It helps you at times and it hurts you at other times. It's one of those things when he's got to really read the situation and if he can't get to it, you've got to have your hands up.
If you're swiping at things that you have no chance to get, those are the ones you've got to get your hands up. But if they're going to be loose with the basketball, he does a good job. He not only got steals on the ball, he got a deflection in the first half, he got a steal in the second half on passes. He was in a stance, he was alert and I thought he played great.
Q: Talk about Mason Gillis' play, energy and what he brings to this team.
Painter: He's very efficient, first of all. He's the most efficient player in college basketball in the latest rankings. He takes charges, he gets on the glass, he gets layups, takes open 3s, makes his free throws, plays hard. He took two charges tonight, should've been three. Just begging guys to take charges and finally we get a guy that get three and they don't give it to him.
He's been great for us. Super attitude, great effort, and that's what you need. You need that balance, especially at that position. When you have good bigs, if you can get someone who can pass at that position and play that and be efficient. That role definition at the four, he really epitomizes that.
Q: What was your evaluation of how you handles the press?
Painter: We had to something to come out there and screen to jar them. After we did that, we did a pretty good job. We leave the ball handler before. What we did to have a couple of those miscues, you still shouldn't turn it over. I'd rather get a 10-second count than turn something over. But we don't do a good job of helping them, and then when Trevion's in the game, Trevion really helps us. He can flash to some open areas and find those guys. I think after we switched our guys did a good job.
But it's like, I talked about this, we prepare for Florida State, Iowa was different but still we prepared for Florida State and went through a lot of stuff from a full court scheme. And then when we got there, I didn't do a good enough job of preparing them. I just thought they were ready from that preparation. You only have so much time in practice, but then once we went back to Iowa, our guys were great. And then tonight, they don't do it all the time.
They do it some, they do it every game, but they don't do it a lot. I just have to give it more time. We went through it, we worked on it, but you're playing Thursday night and you get back and you spend the night there (in Minnesota) and then you spend the night in Indianapolis and you're having 40 minute practices, you're having 50 minute practices. We haven't had a day off in two and a half weeks. So we just keep playing a game.
Sometimes that prep, I'm like let's get them off their feet, let's not do things — I've got to keep doing certain things, but I don't want the practice to be that long. I want them to get off their feet, so it puts you in a tough spot there. But I thought once we adjusted, our guys did a good job.
Q: Zero fouls in the first half, was that on Purdue's part?
Painter: Just kind of the game was flowing. There wasn't a lot of whistles, like we had two different times where we would have a guy at the scorers table and they would literally sit there for three minutes. It affected guys' minutes. Guys were just sitting there forever on two different instances with it.
I thought we did a good job, I thought they let them play a little bit more on the interior. Especially when those guys were going into their shots. But it was both ways and Hunter Dickinson really kind of set the table for them with his ability to make 3s. He has nine 3s in his career, and if doesn't put his foot on the line he would've had four in the first half. He's tough. If he's making 3s — obviously he's great inside and the way he can pass — that's a real tough cover.
Q: Did you have your own experience like Planes, Trains and Automobiles trying to get back to West Lafayette?
Painter: When you know you're going to spend the night and you're staying there, that's one thing. The problems happen when you get on a tarmac and you're waiting to fly and you sit on a plane. We've all done that, and then you fly for three hours. Now you have to get off, now you have to go get a bus, now you have to get back to the hotel, now you've got to do it all over again.
But we knew we were staying in Minneapolis, so it was easy. We were going to do the same thing, so that's not a big deal. Then when we flew back the next day and got to Indianapolis, the interstate was shut down so then we stayed there. But that was easy. In terms of energy, that's what you want. You want your guys to be prepared and have energy, but our classes were canceled Thursday and Friday, so it was OK.
Q: Are there any advantages or disadvantages to seeing them again on Thursday?
Painter: I'd answer if we were playing nobody before then. But we've got to play a game before then. We've got to play Illinois on Tuesday, so that's going to be a tough game. Just like this is a tough game, they're all tough. So we'll see.
Q: What does it mean to be the coach when Purdue win's it's 1,000th regular season Big Ten game?
Painter: This was the 1,000th win for Purdue? Cool, I should read the game notes. If you give them to me in time, maybe I would have read them. It's pretty cool, Purdue's got great tradition. It's a great basketball state, it's a great basketball conference. There's just so many good things. If you haven't come to Mackey Arena and experienced that right there.
That happens all the time, that doesn't just happen when Purdue plays Michigan. We sold out our exhibition game. It's a great experience for fans. But just lucky to be a part of it as a player, as an assistant coach and as a head coach. There's a lot of good things going on at Purdue.
Stories Related to Purdue Basketball
- PURDUE ENDS LOSING SKID TO MICHIGAN: Purdue basketball earned its first victory over Michigan since Jan. 25, 2018, on Saturday afternoon at Mackey Arena. The Boilermakers were led by Jaden Ivey's 23 points, but Trevion Williams added 19 in his first win over the Wolverines in four years with the program. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE, MICHIGAN LIVE BLOG: No. 4-ranked Purdue takes on Michigan at Mackey Arena on Saturday. Here is our live blog, follow the game in real time with updates and analysis as the Boilermakers look to snap a five-game losing streak to the Wolverines. CLICK HERE
- PURDUE REACHES 1,000 WINS IN REGULAR-SEASON BIG TEN PLAY: After an 82-76 victory against Michigan on Saturday at Mackey Arena, Purdue basketball improved to 20-3 during the 2021-22 season and 9-3 in Big Ten play. The win was the 1,000th in program history against conference opponents during the regular season. CLICK HERE
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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.