Matt Painter Explains How Honesty Remains a Pillar of Purdue's Basketball Program
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Matt Painter mentions it frequently during interviews. Although a lot has changed across college athletics over the last five years, he still believes honesty is the best policy when it comes to maintaining a culture. Purdue is in a unique spot because of it, too.
Purdue enters the 2025-26 college basketball season as a favorite to win the national championship, thanks in large part to the vast majority of its roster returning from last year. The Boilermakers bring back All-Americans Braden Smith and Trey Kaufman-Renn, All-Big Ten honorable mention guard Fletcher Loyer, and key contributors Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox, and Raleigh Burgess.
Additionally, Daniel Jacobsen is back from injury, and the Boilers brought in Oscar Cluff and Liam Murphy from the transfer portal and brought in a 2025 recruiting class that includes Omer Mayer and Antione West Jr.
In today's world of college basketball — with NIL opportunities and playing time seemingly the most important things — Purdue was able to keep a large portion of its roster happy. Painter believes his program's ability to retain comes from its honesty within the program.
"I think the thing that starts it for us, it starts in recruiting, is just to be as honest as possible. Don't try to get guys under false pretenses. You're going to lose some people that way. But when you do get them, now they're yours," Painter told Field of 68. "They know you've been honest with them, and then when problems happen, just keep going back to the drawing board in terms of like, 'Hey man, let's work through these things, let's help each other out here, everything is fine.' If you keep being there for them, I know, at the end of the day, they'll play for you. You have a solid relationship, it's not fake."
Although four guys left the program via the transfer portal after last season, Purdue retained 86% of its offensive production from the 2024-25 season. It added a tremendous rebounder in Cluff, something the Boilers desperately needed. Jacobsen's return also provides the team with some much-needed rim protection.
On paper, Purdue appears to have everything it needs to make a run to the Final Four. But it didn't have to be that way. Painter said he makes sure to recognize everyone in the locker room for making a commitment and staying loyal to the program.
"The first thing I did in our team meeting in the fall, that's the first thing I always talk about: If you're going to be a special program and have a special season, everyone has to sacrifice," Painter said. "Even the guys who play the most, who score the most. Already, every single one of those guys has financially sacrificed.
How Painter operates in the NIL world
With players having the freedom of movement in college basketball, retention can be difficult. Yet Painter and his staff have found a formula that works well, though it requires players to make financial sacrifices at times.
So, how do you keep everyone happy?
"I think we've got a special group of guys. First, you let them know it's not your money ... like, we're trying to get you as much money (as we can)," Painter said. "I think when they know that's sincere that you're trying to do that for them, (it helps)."
Painter also believes it's important to let the locker room know that everyone within the program made some sacrifices to stay at Purdue, hoping to put together a special run during the 2025-26 season.
That's just another part of his honesty that has created such a strong culture in West Lafayette.
"The room needs to hear that Daniel Jacobsen sacrificed, Oscar Cluff sacrificed. Braden obviously did, TK did, Fletch did. But they sacrificed for the greater good," Painter said. "Can we do something special here? Can we win our league? Can we go to a Final Four? Can we get ourselves in a position to win a national championship?"
Purdue hasn't just put itself in position to win a national championship this season; it has propelled itself into the top tier of college basketball programs.
Much of that is a credit to Painter, who has been unwilling to sacrifice his principles even as college basketball undergoes massive change.
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Dustin Schutte is the publisher of Purdue Boilermakers on SI and has spent more than a decade working in sports journalism. His career began in 2013, when he covered Big Ten football. He remained in that role for eight years before working at On SI to cover the Boilermakers. Dustin graduated from Manchester University in Indiana in 2010, where he played for the men's tennis team.
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