Love him or hate him, Coach Matt Painter is getting the recognition he deserves.
This year was supposed to be a reloading year, as four starters graduated and outside of a couple of players, most of the roster had not seen significant playing time. That inexperienced showed during the first half of the season, and as the calendar turned to 2019, it looked like Purdue was poised to miss the NCAA tournament unless they could slightly turn it around during conference play.
Now, with four games left in the regular season, Purdue has the chance win a share of the Big Ten title, and they’re in the driver’s seat along with Michigan State.