Matt Painter had seen enough after Purdue opened the season 0-2. On Monday night against Illinois, he changed the starting lineup, and the move helped spark a 76-59 win that gave the Boilermakers their first victory of the year.
That win set the stage for Friday’s meeting with Ohio, a chance for Purdue to get back to .500 at 2-2. It also gave Painter a fresh set of talking points when he met with reporters Thursday, and he didn’t waste time zeroing in on the areas he wants sharpened before another tricky mid-major test.
The biggest early issue for Purdue was shooting, especially from deep. Through the first two games, the Boilermakers hit just 10 of 49 from three-point range against Gonzaga and Valparaiso. That kind of start puts a team behind the eight ball fast.
Painter said the shot selection improved against Illinois State, but he still wants more from Purdue in two other areas: offensive rebounding and transition play. In his view, those are the kinds of things that can create easier points while the offense continues to settle in.
“I’d like to see more offensive rebounding, would like to see more sprinting in transition, more details in transition,” Painter said. “You want to push the basketball and we’ve gotta be able to push the basketball to create opportunities for ourselves, and we have to get on the offensive glass. Those two areas can really help, because the efficiency of your offense and your execution takes time.”
Painter also addressed Purdue’s comfort level with mid-range jumpers, a shot that analytics-heavy teams often try to avoid. That’s not how he sees it with this group. If a player has shown he can hit that shot at a solid rate, Painter is fine with it.
“You have to be good at it. If you’re not, you’re going to have to make that adjustment.
You’re not taking pull-ups out of convenience; you’re taking pull-ups because you’re making them at a good percentage,” he said. “And if you can’t make them at a good percentage, you need to curtail that or eliminate it.
But we have some guys who can shoot it.”
For now, Painter isn’t ready to shut that part of the offense down. If the misses pile up, that could change later, but he’s not there yet.
One player who earned Painter’s attention in Monday’s win was freshman Ertel. He was on the floor late, and while he scored only three points, he added three rebounds and held up defensively.
Painter praised the way Ertel competes, even if the freshman is still figuring out how to make an impact in a smaller role.
“It shows in practice. It shows every day with him.
You don’t doubt his effort. And sometimes with guys, it’s not that they’re not playing hard; they just don’t understand how competitive you have to be,” Painter said.
“He’s a competitive kid. He’s that way.
Now it’s more, ‘How do I play when my usage isn’t high?’ I like his aggressiveness.
I like his knack for looking to score.”
Through three college games, Ertel is averaging 2.7 points and 2.0 rebounds while playing 14.3 minutes per game.
Ohio brings a 2-0 record into Mackey Arena after beating South Alabama and North Carolina A&T. The Bobcats have been productive early, averaging 83 points per game while shooting 50% from the field. They also like to play fast, ranking 84th in KenPom’s adjusted tempo.
Painter knows what’s coming.
“They’ve been very successful in the MAC. Coach Boals has done a really good job,” Painter said.
“You know they’re going to compete ... they push the basketball. They’ve signed some guys who can really shoot the basketball.
They have good size and can spread the court, and then they have good skill. They’re very versatile.
“We have to be prepared for them in transition, but we also have to be prepared for them in the half-court with the stuff they run.”
Ohio has six players scoring in double figures through its first two games, which gives Purdue another offense with multiple threats to sort through on Friday.
In Other News...
Matt Painter Just Gave Purdue Fans A Backcourt-Frontcourt Dream To Watch
Purdue has already started building for the future with a recruiting haul that gives the program both ends of the floor to dream on. The Boilermakers have signed Isaiah Hill, a highly regarded seven-foot center from Indianapolis, and Kevin Savage, a four-star point guard from Marietta, Georgia, in the 2027 class, giving Matt Painter a pair of prospects who arrive with national attention and obvious long-term appeal.
For Purdue fans, the appeal is easy to see: one player can anchor the paint while the other brings the kind of backcourt skill that can set the tone for years. Both are expected to factor into the program down the road, and with their commitments in place, the Boilermakers have given themselves an early glimpse of a roster shape that could become very hard for opponents to handle. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Painter Just Gave Purdue Fans Another Reason To Dream Big
Purdues long-term roster planning got another boost this week when the program officially signed point guard Kevin Savage and center Isaiah Hill in the 2027 recruiting class. Both arrive with four-star status, and both give Matt Painter another pair of high-end building blocks as he keeps stacking talent for the future.
Savage comes in ranked No. 36 overall by 247Sports, while Hill sits even higher at No. 25, a sign that Purdue is landing impact players at key spots on the floor. Their additions help push the Boilermakers to No. 11 in the 2027 recruiting class, a reminder that the pipeline remains in strong shape as the program keeps aiming high. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Has One Early Offensive Problem It Must Clean Up Fast
Purdues early-season offense has looked sturdy enough in the half court, but the Boilermakers have had a hard time finding easy points before defenses get set. Through the opening stretch, they are averaging just 5.0 points per game in transition, a number that sits 338th nationally and points to a clear area for improvement as the schedule tightens.
Matt Painter and junior guard C.J. Cox have both stressed the same fix: push the pace and turn more possessions into quick scoring chances. For a team built to be efficient in the half court, getting more out of the open floor would not only lighten the burden on the primary offense, it could make Purdue much tougher to guard when opponents start loading up inside. [Read more 🡒]