Current:Home > InvestPurdue's Matt Painter so close to career-defining Final Four but Tennessee is the last step -WealthRoots Academy
Purdue's Matt Painter so close to career-defining Final Four but Tennessee is the last step
View
Date:2025-04-13 05:47:04
DETROIT — Tom Izzo fawned over the Purdue basketball program and the job Matt Painter has done constructing a consistent winner.
Michigan State had just fought back but, like every other opponent that visited Mackey Arena this season, couldn't get the better of the Boilermakers.
Izzo is calling Purdue the best team in the country, even in comparison to, of all teams, Tennessee. He's pleading with media members who cover the Boilermakers to cherish Matt Painter.
"Don't worry about how many Final Fours he gets," said Izzo, who has been to eight Final Fours. "He wins a lot of games. He does it the right way. He's a hell of a coach."
Painter, though, knows the deal.
FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.
Coaches are ultimately judged by NCAA Tournament success. He saw it happen with his college coach, Gene Keady, who only got as far at the Elite Eight on two occasions.
And here sits Painter, one win away from his first Final Four, doing what Painter does, telling it like it is on the cusp of a moment Boilermaker fans have waited 44 years for.
"We've been undefeated non-conference for three straight years and have one of the best schedules in the country," Painter said. "We've won our league by three games in back-to-back years. For the people that compete, the players and coaches, those things do matter.
"The No. 1 thing is how you play in the tournament. We've played well so far, but hopefully this is just a start for us."
Purdue isn't entering uncharted waters.
Painter was at this same point five years ago.
He still thinks about that, how his team did almost everything right, and it wasn't enough as Virginia did a little bit more right to beat Purdue in overtime.
And yet, asked about if that loss still haunts him, Painter gave a response few others would.
"Yeah, that was tough, but I was still happy for (Virginia coach) Tony Bennett," Painter said. "It stunk that we couldn't do it, but I was happy. If it was going to be anybody, I was glad it was him and the way he's operated and the way he's done things, he's been great for college basketball."
Sound familiar?
Izzo was saying those same things about Painter nearly four weeks ago.
You know how that Virginia story ended. A No. 1 seed loses to a 16. The team comes back strong, again earns a No. 1 seed and wins the national championship.
Hmmm.
If the weight of that is on Purdue's shoulders, no one is showing it.
Of course, the Boilermakers know what's at stake.
"It's not other games," Purdue's star Zach Edey said Saturday. "You can't treat it like that obviously, but it's still just basketball. Rules are the same as every game we've played."
It's not other games.
Painter has won 470 times as a Division I head coach and what you hear a lot is about the game(s) he hasn't.
Sunday is huge for Purdue and Painter.
A win can change the perception of Boilermaker basketball in the public eye.
"Oh it would be huge," Painter admits on Saturday. "It's been our goal to win a national championship.
"We feel like we're halfway there."
veryGood! (5)
Related
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- Does being in a good mood make you more generous? Researchers say yes and charities should take note
- Lizzo's former documentary director slams singer as 'narcissistic bully' amid lawsuit
- Police officer in South Carolina killed by Amtrak train while rescuing someone who called 911
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- Why Jessica Chastain needed a 'breather' from Oscar Isaac after 'Scenes From a Marriage'
- Texas DPS separating several fathers from families seeking asylum, attorney says
- Tony Bennett's Wife Susan and Son Danny Reflect on the Singer’s Final Days Before His Death
- What to watch: O Jolie night
- Taylor Swift gives Eras Tour truck drivers $100,000 bonuses, handwritten letters of appreciation
Ranking
- In ‘Nickel Boys,’ striving for a new way to see
- Lizzo’s Former Creative Director and Documentary Filmmaker Speak Out Against Singer
- World Cup schedule for knockout stage: USA gets Sweden first round, Morocco faces France
- Trump indictment portrays Pence as crucial figure in special counsel's case
- Bodycam footage shows high
- The push to expand testing for cancer predisposition
- Big Brother Fans Will Feel Like the HOH With These Shopping Guide Picks
- Transgender former student sues school after being asked to use boys' bathrooms despite alleged rape threats
Recommendation
The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp dangles the possibility of increased state spending after years of surpluses
US Supreme Court Justice Jackson to speak at church bombing anniversary in Birmingham
Lizzo's former documentary director slams singer as 'narcissistic bully' amid lawsuit
Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
ACLU files lawsuit against drag show restrictions in Texas
Biden calls for immediate release of Niger's president amid apparent coup
Gigi Hadid shares rare pictures of daughter Khai on summer outings: 'Best of summer'