Mick Cronin Says Matt Painter Among Few Coaches With 'Honor' in College Basketball
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Mick Cronin may come off as rough around the edges, but the UCLA coach had plenty of positive things to say about Purdue's Matt Painter following the Bruins 69-67 win over the fourth-ranked Boilermakers on Tuesday night. He had a lot of praise for a fellow basketball coach whom he considers a friend.
Both Cronin and Painter have been coaching for over 20 years and have seen many changes in college basketball. One thing that hasn't changed, Cronin says, is Painter's character.
"Matt's a great guy, one of the few guys with honor in our profession. Tremendous guy," Cronin said. "One of the few guys that doesn't tamper, has never cheated a day in his life. Some kid, talking about transferring and he calls you and tells you that his agent or parent called you. We've been through this a lot, me and him."
Painter has developed a reputation as one of the good guys in college basketball, finding ways to win at a high level without bending the rules. Purdue has had plenty of success in recent years, too, winning four Big Ten titles since the 2016-17 season and reaching the national championship in 2024.
Tuesday's game was a hard-fought battle that came down a Tyler Bilodeau three-pointer with less than 10 seconds to go. Even though the Bruins upset the Boilermakers, Cronin still believes Purdue has a team capable of making a team run in March Madness.
"He's got a great team," Cronin said. "They have a chance to win the title if they stay healthy."
Purdue's first loss in Big Ten play
Purdue's 69-67 loss to UCLA on Tuesday night was the team's first loss in Big Ten play and just the second defeat of the season. The Boilermakers are now 17-2 on the year and sit 7-1 in the league. Nebraska is now the only remaining undefeated team with an 18-0 record and a 7-0 mark in the conference.
The Boilermakers had opportunities to put the game away, but UCLA's 17-5 run to close the first half and two costly turnovers with less than two minutes to play resulted in a Bruins victory.
Painter is hopeful that his team can learn from the experience and push forward with a big game against Illinois on the horizon.
"I don't think we played our best basketball, but you also can't look at things because you miss some shots," he said. "We didn't shoot as well as we're capable, but I thought our guys competed. We have to be better defensively."
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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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