Two Key Principles Remain Pivotal in Purdue's Defensive Approach
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Matt Painter has been around long enough to know how Purdue can find success on the defensive end of the court. Regardless of what opponents might try to run offensively, the Boilermakers' head coach said there are two foundational pieces that his team will never stray from.
Tuesday night, No. 1 Purdue hosts Evansville in the season opener. Painter acknowledged that scouting can be tricky this early in the year as teams are still trying to figure things out with their roster. But the Boilers are focused on being successful in two specific areas.
"We have to keep building our defensive foundation. We have to do a good job of keeping the ball out of the paint, we have to do a good job rebounding the ball," Painter said on Monday. "And we're never going to get away from that. Those things are going to be so important."
Those were two areas where Purdue really struggled last season. The Boilermakers lacked rim protection and had trouble keeping teams out of the painted area. Because of their lack of size, they also had issues rebounding the basketball at times.
Adding 6-foot-11 center Oscar Cluff from the transfer portal should help Purdue in the rebounding department. Last year at South Dakota State, he averaged 12.3 boards per contest, one of the highest totals in the country.
Purdue also gets some much-needed help with its interior defense with 7-foot-4 center Daniel Jacobsen returning from injury. He provides the Boilermakers with rim protection, as well as tremendous shot-blocking ability.
Purdue won't stray from those defensive principles for as long as Painter is in charge, and it will be the primary focus on Tuesday night. But the Boilers also have to help their defense by avoiding turnovers and taking good shots against Evansville.
"From an offensive standpoint, trying to get a good shot every time down the court and get our defense set," Painter said.
Why scouting is difficult early in the year
The reason it's so important for Purdue to focus on itself in the first two games is that it can be difficult to scout opponents so early in the season. Painter said it can be difficult to know what to expect from a team when a new year tips off.
"Doing a good job of scouting and knowing what's coming, I think that's the hardest time to do that," Painter said. "Just because people are not going to run some things in their first couple of games or they're adjusting to new personnel and trying to get things figured out. But this is the hardest time to really lock in and know what someone is going to do."
To that point, Evansville has welcomed nine new players to its roster. The Purple Aces picked up five players from the transfer portal and brought in four freshmen in the 2025 recruiting class.
Evansville does return six players, but only three saw significant time on the court last year.
Purdue will scout Evansville as best it can in preparation for the season opener on Tuesday night. But the primary goal, Painter said, is sticking to Purdue's "rules" defensively, regardless of what the Purple Aces try to run.
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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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