Anyone who has watched college hoops this year or even the last few knows that 2022 and 2023 were undeniably difficult years for Purdue in the NCAA Tournament. The Purdue faithful know that these woes for the Boilers go WAY past 2022 and for some of us back as far as 1988 or even beyond. My first trip to a NCAA Tournament game was that 1988 game against K-State. A long road-trip from West Lafayette with my good buddy from high school Kerry - We sat so high in the Pontiac Silverdome that we needed binoculars to see the jersey number of Troy Lewis... That game ended in a 70-73 loss where our #1 seed Boilers lost to a #4 seed. Upon exiting the dome and getting to my car, I found that someone had the audacity to rip the hood-ornament off of my 1977 Oldsmobile Cutlass - unthinkable!!! This is where that love (hate) of the NCAA Tourney began for me... Other trips to see our beloved Boilers with my bride of 1990 turned into similar episodes of heart-break for us.
Many folks (including those who have considered themselves Purdue die-hards for life) have been down on not only the program, but Gene Keady, Matt Painter, and their Athletic Directors over the course of decades as as a result of the poor tournament results. Did that change Coach Painter or how he approaches the game?! That's a resounding NO - Coach Painter has created an amazing Family culture at Purdue and those who believe also believe in not only WHAT he is doing but even more, HOW he is doing it... Paint doesn't take under-the-table deals, he doesn't recruit one-and-dones, he doesn't yell & scream and berate his players. He treats them like young men and he listens when they have valuable input (even at a critical time-out). Matt has become one of the tenured professors of the game in the Big Ten. He wears quarter-zips and he is a players coach who plays to the beat of his own (World's Largest🤔) drum.
Controversy? Allegations of anything done wrong? No and no... This is a clean program who has only had 2 head coaches in the last 44 years. Does Painter micro-manage his teams?... Uhh that would be a NO! Purdue operates with an Offensive Coordinator much like football so that the head coach can be a head coach and not be in-the-weeds with every play call on offense. He's got a great and dry sense of humor and has even begun to take jabs at the haters which many of us absolutely LOVE!
Transfer Portal?!... Yup Purdue used it this year - but ONLY for a single/strategic pickup in Lance Jones. Jones was/is a critical puzzle piece that seems to make this Boiler puzzle a complete picture. Was it truly an un-known add? With Paint's familiarity with the Salukies I doubt it. This dude is an absolute Good Guy that we Boiler fans wish had been here 4+ years as he's that great of a fit.
Loved by coaches all over, Paint was not only known by Grambling State Donte Jackson prior to their matchup but they had spoken prior and Jackson had praise for Paint. Have you EVER in your life heard any other coach have unkind words for Paint?! Maybe upset with who he's recruited or what he's done but that would be it...
There are a host of other Good Guy Coaches (IMHO) right now in the Big Ten - Fred Hoiberg, Greg Gard, Jake Diebler (another great story in the making?...), Ben Johnson and likely others who run clean programs and try hard not to let the tail wag the dog in this era of 'what have you done for us lately coach?!' fanbases.
Outside of the Big Ten you have guys like Shaka Smart, Micah Shrewsberry, Tony Bennett and likely so many others that I could name who have spent a career doing the right things at all cost. These my friends are the Good Guys... These coaches (hopefully) encourage the hoops world with how they approach the game every stinking year, win or lose.
As the Boilers achieved that amazing goal this year of reaching a FINAL FOUR, only then did the world start to get a glimpse of what pain, scars, regrets and other lamentations that Matt Painter, former players and so many associated with this program have felt in the years prior to and leading up to this first FINAL FOUR appearance since 1980.
So I simply ask... Is 2024 the Year of The Good Guys??! That page in this story has yet to be written, but in the coming days the the basketball world will learn even more about why we Boilermakers have an unwavering attachment to this team, program, school and everyone associated with it. The train is firmly on the tracks y'all and I will be in Phoenix to see how this story ends!!!
