Michigan Coach Dusty May Says Purdue Had 'Different Look' in Friday's Game

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — The Purdue team that blew a 13-point halftime lead to Ohio State on Tuesday did not show up to Mackey Arena for Friday's top-25 showdown with No. 21 Michigan. Coach Dusty May learned that lesson the hard way in his return to his home state, with the 11th-ranked Boilermakers posting a 91-64 win.

It was all Purdue from the opening jump, scoring the first six points and never looking back. It was one of the best performances of the season for the Boilermakers — a stark difference from the final 20 minutes against the Buckeyes earlier this week.

After the game, May said he saw something different in Purdue's spirit on the court.

"I thought their players played with as much spirit and energy as the crowd," May said. "They had a different look than I had seen on film at times. But, I'm not surprised. You better come in here with a hard-hat on and a different mindset if you're going to find a way to win."

When asked to elaborate on his comment, May acknowledged that he was talking about Purdue's performances in a handful of losses, particularly the Ohio State game.

He knew the Boilers were capable of performing at a high level, especially inside Mackey Arena.

"They've been that way at times. There's some recency bias — I just watched (them play) Ohio State, and I watched Penn State when they didn't play well, and I thought Penn State was extremely determined," May said. "I also saw them play extremely well against Alabama and some other games.

"Until you feel it in this environment, you couldn't communicate, you couldn't hear yourself when the crowd really got into it. Obviously, that has an affect on athletics, sports, basketball, whatever the case. It was more impressive than I thought, but it's been a long time since I've been here."

May was referencing his time at Indiana, when he was a student manager under coach Bob Knight. He was on the losing end of a few games while with the Hoosiers, a feeling he hoped to avoid Friday night.

But Purdue was too talented and too locked in. Early on, it was easy to see that the Boilermakers were the aggressor and the Wolverines looked dazed and confused.

It was a wake-up call for May's team and evidence that it still has progress to make if it wants to be a championship-level squad.

"If we're going to be a championship-level program, we have to be able to rise the occasion and at least match the energy and spirit of a championship-caliber program," May said. "We're not there yet."

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