Matt Painter Critical of NCAA's Rule Allowing G League Players in College Basketball

Matt Painter has already had his first viral moment of the 2025-26 college basketball season. The Purdue head coach didn't hold back when talking about the NCAA permitting players from the G League, the NBA's developmental league, to play college basketball.

In recent weeks, the NCAA has granted eligibility for former G League players London Johnson (Louisville) and Thierry Darlan (Santa Clara). During a press conference on Thursday, Painter was asked if he was in favor of that decision.

At first, he thought it was a joke from a popular social media account, @NBACentel, which shares preposterous rumors about the league and players. When he learned that it was real, he didn't know what to say.

"You're just kind of at a loss for words. Like, you don't know what's next, right? I don't know, nothing surprises you anymore, I know that," Painter said, the beginning of a three-minute explanation as to why he's not in favor of the rule.

Painter's biggest gripe with the NCAA granting eligibility to G League players? It's the latest step in taking opportunities away from high school prospects.

"Everybody is a high school player at one time. There have to be opportunities for high school players," Painter said. "Why are we taking away from high school players? The portal, all that stuff, takes away from the recruitment, especially [Division II], low-major, mid-major recruitment. It just does.

"Isn't the backbone of what we have, high school student-athletes? And we just keep going away from it. So, I'm kind of the opposite. I'm stubborn. I just want to do more of it, keep doing more of it, even if I lose a guy."

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter yells down court | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In today's college basketball climate, it's a win-or-get-fired mentality. Athletic departments have shorter and shorter leashes for their head coaches, placing a high incentive to win quickly.

Painter says that's another piece of the puzzle that is hurting the sport. In essence, he didn't blame coaches for taking advantage of the rules in place, but instead questioned why those rules are in place.

"These coaches, they want to win, they want to keep their job. They don't want to have to move their kids from one school district to another school district," he said.

"They want to grow [their program], but do you want to do that with 19- and 20-year-olds or do you want to do it with 22- and 23-year-olds? Well, they're going to go into the portal and get older players and keep doing it, whether they want to or not, because they want to keep their job."

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