Matt Painter Reflects on Impact Senior Trio Made on Purdue Basketball

The careers of Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn concluded with a loss in the Elite Eight. Matt Painter reflected on their impact on Purdue.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter addresses the media. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Saturday night wasn't how Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn envisioned their careers ending at Purdue. The senior trio worked all offseason toward bringing a national championship to West Lafayette to close out their time in college basketball.

The book closed on that opportunity in San Jose in the Elite Eight, with the second-seeded Boilermakers falling 79-64 to top-seeded Arizona. Although Purdue had a seven-point halftime lead, the size, strength and athleticism of the Wildcats prevailed in the final 20 minutes.

Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn may have fallen short of their ultimate goal, but a premature ending to their careers doesn't diminish what they accomplished in a Purdue uniform. No one understands that better than the man who coached them for the last four years, Matt Painter.

"Really proud of these three guys sitting right here and everything they've done for our program. Really set a standard of how to go about their business," Painter said following Saturday's loss. "It's going to be hard to emulate that. In today's game, having three guys come and stick it out and fight through adversity and keep making our program better.

Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) reacts in the first half during an Elite Eight game. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

"They got the most wins in school history. They got the most tournament wins in school history. They got two Big Ten Championships. They got two Big Ten Tournament titles. You know, they showed up every day and worked. That's what you want."

What has been celebrated most about this senior group is their willingness to stick with one program throughout their entire college basketball careers. In an era where players have freedom of movement and can transfer at any given moment, they stuck with it at Purdue.

In the past, Painter has acknowledged that all three could have left the program and earned more money. Instead, they were committed to playing at Purdue and winning at a high level.

"A lot of people look at it like, it can't keep happening in today's landscape, but these guys proved that it can," Painter said. "All three of them will get their degrees from Purdue University, which means something. With the rules and how everything is, it's diminishing education. It's one of the dumbest things I've ever heard in my life, because all of this is taking opportunities in education and helped our lives and helped our families."

Purdue Boilermakers forward Trey Kaufman-Renn (4) reacts in the first half against the Arizona Wildcats. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

All three have accomplished great feats while at Purdue. Smith leaves as the NCAA's all-time assist leader. Loyer is Purdue's all-time leader in made three-pointers. Kaufman-Renn scored more than 1,600 points and was an All-American selection.

For Painter, the individual and team success that this group achieved is a nod to what can be accomplished at Purdue with hard work and the right attitude.

"You can have it all. When you have the character that these guys have and the skill that these guys have, you can have it all," he said. "You can get a great education. You can treat people right. You can have a great basketball career. You can become a pro. I think these guys are great role models for young people out there to understand the big picture of things."

Purdue will continue to recruit high-character players

Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) celebrates. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

The landscape around college basketball may be changing, but Painter isn't altering his philosophy when it comes to recruiting. Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn are proof that great things can be accomplished through Purdue's model.

Recruiting classes at Purdue may not always get the highest praise, but Purdue's formula has worked well. The Boilermakers have won four Big Ten titles, reached seven Sweet 16s, and played in the National Championship Game in the last nine years.

What made this senior trio so special wasn't just their success; it was also their work ethic and attitude. It made life much easier for Painter and his staff.

"Sometimes you can get really, really talented teams, but you want to enjoy going into work. It's a little selfish, to be honest with you, as a coach." Painter said. "Like, I want to enjoy this too. I just don't want to get the most talented guys and then don't care about their makeup. Their makeup is really important."

Purdue may never get another trio quite like Smith, Loyer and Kaufman-Renn again. That's not going to deter Painter from trying, though.

"That's what we're going to try to find," he said. "We're going to try to find guys like this that have character, that are wired to be successful."

Get top Boilermakers stories, expert analysis, and can't-miss moments straight to your inbox for free by signing up for the Purdue Boilermakers on SI newsletter!