Matt Painter’s habit of taking Purdue out of its comfort zone drew praise from the other sideline Thursday night.
After Purdue rolled past Fort Wayne 92-62 at Allen County War Memorial Coliseum, Mastodons coach Jon Coffman made it clear he appreciated the Boilermakers coming to town for an exhibition game.
"That was awesome that he brought his team [here]," Coffman said following the game. "Honestly, every Power Four [team] ought to do what Matt did.
I don't know why they're not doing it. It's great for college basketball.
Go do this; it's awesome. Butler needs to be doing it, Indiana needs to be doing it, Notre Dame did it two years ago.
It needs to happen."
For Painter, the decision was about more than just a preseason stop. He said the Fort Wayne trip gives Boilermaker fans in the area a chance to see the team without making the drive to West Lafayette, and it also keeps Purdue connected to a region that matters in recruiting.
"There are fans who can't get to Mackey Arena a lot, there just isn't," Painter said. "This has always been a hotbed for us, especially recruiting.
When guys are good enough in this area, we go after them. They've had a lot of success at our place."
The game drew more than 10,000 fans to War Memorial Coliseum, giving the matchup a crowd well beyond the usual exhibition setting. It was also another example of Purdue using preseason travel as part of its preparation.
Painter has done this before. Purdue has previously gone to Arkansas, Creighton and Kentucky for exhibition games, and Thursday was the first of two road exhibitions for this season.
"Playing these games away from home has helped us, getting into a different environment," Painter said. "This isn't going to be like a road game, per se, for us, but you're going to a place where they play their games and they're familiar."
The challenge gets steeper next. Purdue heads to Hartford on Tuesday to face UConn, a game that should tell Painter and his staff a lot more about where this team stands against top-level competition.
After that, the Boilers will fly to Las Vegas for their regular-season opener against No. 15 Gonzaga. Their first home game at Mackey Arena comes Friday, Nov. 6, against Valparaiso.
In Other News...
Purdue Women Land An Early Recruiting Win For Katie Gearlds
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The timing matters because Purdue also used its exhibition win over UIC to sort through what still needs cleaning up before the games count. Gearlds pointed to areas for improvement after the 55-52 result, so Womacks pledge offers a little momentum at the same moment the staff is balancing present-day details with long-term roster building. [Read more 🡒]
Purdue Volleyball Just Found The Boost It Needed In Big Ten Play
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There was also a milestone moment in the Minnesota match, when libero Ryan McAleer reached 1,000 career digs, a marker that fits the grind-and-respond identity Purdue showed over the weekend. The Boilermakers handled both ends of the challenge, surviving the longer, tighter fight against Minnesota and then taking care of business against Northwestern, which is exactly the kind of stretch that can change the feel of a conference season. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Painter Sees Something Familiar In This Purdue Team
Matt Painter is starting to see a familiar feel around this Purdue group, and it comes from a place Boilermaker fans know well. The current 2026-27 roster has rolled through its first two exhibition games by wide margins, enough to give the veteran coach a glimpse of the kind of rhythm and confidence that can matter once the season gets real. Painter has even drawn a line back to one of his most successful teams, the 2018-19 squad that finished atop the Big Ten regular-season standings and made a deep NCAA Tournament run.
The bigger proving ground is coming quickly, though, and it should tell Purdue a lot more about where this group stands. A non-conference matchup with UConn is next on the schedule, and Painter views it as an important early test for a team that has looked sharp in exhibition play but still needs a measuring stick against elite competition. For a roster trying to build on that promising start, this week offers the kind of challenge that can either confirm the early buzz or expose how much work remains. [Read more 🡒]