Quotes That Matter From Matt Painter Following Purdue's 87-55 Win Over Ball State

Matt Painter shared key insights on Purdue's depth, rim protection and Gicarri Harris after the Boilermakers' 87-55 exhibition win over Ball State.

Mar 22, 2026; St. Louis, MO, USA; Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter looks on during the second half against the Miami Hurricanes during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Enterprise Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Purdue didn't look like a team going through a transition on Sunday afternoon. With four new starters, the Boilermakers cruised to an 87-55 victory over Ball State in their opening exhibition.

Here are the key quotes from Matt Painter following Purdue's dominant performance.

Nine guys could start

Mar 25, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Jack Benter (14) shoots the basketball during a practice session ahead of the west regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at SAP Center. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Predicting Purdue's starting five has been more difficult than usual heading into the 2026 season. Apparently, Matt Painter has run into the same challenge. Sunday's exhibition featured a starting lineup of Omer Mayer, CJ Cox, Gicarri Harris, Caden Pierce and Daniel Jacobsen.

Still, Painter believes nine players on the roster are deserving of a starting role.

"I really felt like we had nine guys that deserved to start. There's not a whole lot of separation out there," Painter said. "Sometimes it's really easy to pick a starting five. It's really easy to get a rotation set. This will be a difficult one, but I think that's a good problem. It's a really good problem to have."

The other four players in that group are Luke Ertel, Antione West, Jack Benter and Raleigh Burgess. It will be intriguing to see whether Painter makes any adjustments to the starting lineup as the season progresses, but Purdue's depth could be a significant advantage.

The Boilermakers have several capable options off the bench, giving Painter the flexibility to adjust his rotation based on matchups. If Sunday's performance is any indication, Purdue could have one of the deeper benches in the Big Ten.

Impressive rim protection

Mar 4, 2026; Evanston, Illinois, USA; Purdue Boilermakers center Daniel Jacobsen (12) defends Northwestern Wildcats forward Arrinten Page (22) during the second half at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the most notable statistics from Purdue's 87-55 exhibition victory over Ball State was the number of blocks. The Boilermakers finished with nine, showcasing their potential to protect the rim heading into the 2026 season.

Jacobsen recorded five blocks, while new addition Enzo Shahrvin added two. Their performances stood out to Painter, who emphasized the importance of having players capable of erasing mistakes around the basket.

"It's huge for us to have somebody to kind of erase, you know, whether it's your mistake or the ball just getting into the paint," Painter said. "It's a definite plus for us to have guys like Daniel and Enzo."

However, Painter also stressed that Purdue needs to do a better job of preventing opponents from getting into the paint in the first place.

"You want good rim protection, but you don't want a lot of it, right? That just means the ball's getting to the rim a whole lot. We have to do a better job of containing the dribble."

The frontcourt was one of Purdue's biggest question marks heading into the season. While it was only an exhibition against Ball State, the rim protection and interior defense were encouraging signs as the Boilermakers prepare for the regular season.

Gicarri Harris continues to grow

Purdue Boilermakers guard Gicarri Harris (24) shoots a three-point field goal against the Arizona Wildcats during a NCAA Tournament game Saturday, March 28, 2026 at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. Purdue fell to Arizona 79-64. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Outside of Antione West, Harris was arguably Purdue's best player during its trip to Canada. He continued to build on a productive offseason Sunday, finishing with 16 points and five assists in just 19 minutes.

Harris will be an integral part of this year's Boilermaker team, making his continued development an encouraging sign for Purdue. Painter discussed how the guard has embraced his role and improved his decision-making.

"I think that's something that G's learned to do," Painter said. "Instead of getting stuck and taking a bad one, he just played on two feet and got CJ that three."

Harris has also learned valuable lessons from coming off the bench during his first two seasons. Painter acknowledged that adjusting to a reduced role can be difficult, particularly for a player who wants to be on the floor more often.

"It stinks, but you learn hard, hard lessons when you sit over there," Painter said.

Harris appears ready to take on a larger role this season, and his performance against Ball State offered another glimpse of his potential. If he continues to make smart decisions while contributing as a scorer and playmaker, Purdue's transition following the departure of four starters could be smoother than some expect.

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