After Fairleigh Dickinson and North Texas, Purdue fans know that nothing can be taken for granted in the NCAA tournament. It's called March Madness for a reason, and head coach Matt Painter guided his squad past a major upset this year.
In the 75-62 win over High Point, the Boilermakers did enough to comfortably win. After the game, the HC seemed mostly satisfied with the effort from his team. This aspect, specifically, was the focus of his postgame comments. It's been a long year for everyone, and tired legs can sometimes creep into the minds of athletes and derail an otherwise good playoff run.
His message following the victory served as a reminder to buckle up and push through any fatigue and potential doubts entering the mindset of his players. It also doesn't hurt when echoing the mantra of one of the best coaches in all of sports. Every year is different, and the Boilermakers will want to embody the wisdom that coach Painter is borrowing from another head of his respective program.
Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots often used the phrase 'Do your job.' It serves as a blueprint in sports that essentially asks players to do what is necessary within their role to ensure team success. After a tough Big Ten schedule, coach Painter knows that no one is feeling fresh or at 100%. His team managed to get the win and avoid a first-round embarrassment. He used the coined Belichick phrase to reiterate the need to fight through the soreness and mental fatigue of participating in 30+ games.
Speaking after the game, coach Painter gave the following words of solace for his group, as posted by Boilers in the Stand on X:
"Anxious, sad, however you feel.......do your job."
Here he's showing that he understands that it isn't easy to play well at this time of year. The miles add up, and the drain of conference play can begin to add up. Coach Painter also knows that these are the most important games, and season success is only judged on postseason play.
For everyone, whether starting or not, he's asking them to dig deep and show up ready to do whatever is asked of them in order to keep advancing. It's not that players necessarily need added motivation once the ball gets thrown in the air during tip-off, but it helps to be reminded sometimes of what is required.
Doubling down on this point, he furthermore, mentioned how coming off the bench can have downfalls for athletes. While playing time is a welcomed sign, no matter how ready someone stays, it can be difficult to get in a rhythm and score in spot minutes. He acknowledged this. This explains why he didn't seem too alarmed by Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith scoring over half of the points in the opener.
The 20-year Boilermakers coach did insist that hustle and attention to detail, particularly on defense, can always be consistent. Shots fall, and minutes can fluctuate. There always needs to be a constant sense of desperation, even when playing lower seeds from less notable conferences.
Coach Painter has the experience and wants to avoid what happens when a talented side overlooks a hungrier opponent. If the team keeps it up, and the bracket falls their way, Purdue could go far, but only if they heed their coaches' words and earn it.