What Matt Painter Said After Purdue's Win Over Toledo

Purdue picked up an important 83-64 win over Toledo on Sunday, snapping a two-game losing streak in the final nonconference game of the season. The Boilermakers improved to 9-4 on the season, thanks to a 34-point, 12-assist performance from Braden Smith.

After the game, coach Matt Painter met with reporters to talk about the game. Here's everything he had to say Sunday night.

On Purdue's "Big 3" accounting for such a high point total percentage ...

Painter: "It just depends on how somebody is defending you. Obviously, they were switching everything. When people switch everything, we're trying to schematically keep the ball in Braden (Smith)'s hands as much as possible, especially with his ability to go against a five. When they switched that, we wanted him to be able to take his shot or break people down and make the right decision. And then play off of that. I thought he did a pretty good job of that.

"It all starts with how they choose to defend you. And then, you know, being able to get shots from that. We struggle to rebound the basketball, but once we were able to get defensive rebounds — because they were sending everybody — you could see we could get out in transition. But we can't get out in transition if we can't get a rebound.

"But the volume of shots, obviously we're going to put the ball in Trey (Kaufman-Renn)'s hands and in Braden's hands and be able to run off of that. We run some stuff for Fletch(er Loyer) to get looks. People are going to try to take those away and not let him get those clean looks from three. But then our ability to make decisions and pass the basketball is going to give those guys shots. I thought all of them got shots. I thought Cam (Heide) had some good looks, Myles (Colvin) had some good looks. Then we missed some others, but we obviously made enough."

On how Braden Smith can be more aggressive finding his shot ...

Painter: "You can see the way they defended us, we put the ball in his hands a lot. He's going to get a lot of chances to get assists, he's going to get a lot of opportunities to shoot the basketball. If they want to take him away and blitz him or double him or high-hedge him, the ball has to get out of his hands, it's got to move. He's not going to be in play as much to score there, but now they're behind the play when they do that.

"He's wired to pass. So, now, this is really, really helping us and helping him to be aggressive when they put him in those kinds of oppportunities."

On using a unique lineup with three freshmen on the floor ...

Painter: "Trey got a couple of fouls and we were up 12 or 14 points, so we just kept him on the bench because we had that lead. I thought those guys did some good things. I thought Gicarri (Harris) did some good things for us. CJ (Cox) did some good things for us. Raleigh (Burgess) went in there and battled in the paint. All those experiences for those guys are going to help us and help them.

"We've got to do a better job of embracing the physicality of the game. When we did, we were able to get 50/50 balls and rebound. When we didn't, they got them. I thought they were quicker to the basketball all night."

On if Purdue is where it wants to be heading into Big Ten play ...

Painter: "We are if we win our next game. A lot of times, coaches talk about it, but they're talking in theory. We haven't won a road game. I like where we are if we win our next game. We have to get some people on our team — really, collectively, everybody on our team — to do a better job and be more physical. We have too many people with their feet nailed to the ground. You've got to hit somebody, then go get the basketball. Just be around the ball.

"We're having some fundamental breakdowns. I didn't think our defense was bad, but if you don't get more possessions than your opponent, you're not giving yourself a good chance. Tonight, it was even. ... What does this look like if we were even on the glass? That's a big question for us going into Big Ten play. It's a physical league, things aren't called the same on the road, as we all know. Those are the questions we have to answer, not that I have to answer. We have to prepare our next couple of days in practice and get ready to do a better job in that area."

On if Purdue can win in the Big Ten with so much production from the "Big 3" ...

Painter: "Yes. If you don't turn the ball over and you rebound better. It doesn't matter. A lot of people look at it like if you have a guy that averages 35 points, if you shut him down, you shut that team down. In reality, maybe so. But like, three people? That's a good core of three people. When you switch everything, they can do whatever they want, but they can't tell us who we can keep the ball with. That was the problem with Auburn, Braden kept getting the ball to Trey in some really good spots, not to score, but to make decisions. When you get those pocket passes and you get those 3-on-2s and 2-on-1s, you've got to make a fundamentally sound play at that point. Now, you've got to put the ball in the basket. You've got to make your layups against elite size, or you've got to make your open shots.

"We weren't making a second good decision at that time. It wasn't the crux of the game. The crux of the game is they're elite and they outplayed us.

"But yeah, that's the furthest thing from my worries. I think a lot of people are going to go in and say, 'We stop this guy, we stop a team. We stop these two guys.' Well, it's three guys, it's 60% of the people that's out there. Like, no shit, who isn't trying to stop the top-three on somebody else's team? Everybody is trying to do that. But, we had some guys who didn't score tonight and didn't help us in that area that can make open shots and make plays. They don't get the same volume of opportunities, and that's just the way it is on any team.

"I think, in the right scenarios, they're going to make some shots and really help us. That's not the No. 1 thing for any of those guys and the value that they bring to our team. Their best thing is just having a great attitude, competing, being physical, rebounding, running our stuff. Just be engaged and be better in your role. That goes for all of our players. Not just a guy here and a guy there. That's what we have to do if we want to be good as a team in this league."

On if Kaufman-Renn is used as an example to play physical ...

Painter: "Not really. It's more like the in-between. You've got to sprint in transition. You have to get deep post position because you hit them first. You have to get good rebound position because you hit them first. Sometimes, defensively, you get behind plays. And when you get behind plays, you don't have good rebound balance, you don't worry about boxing out at that point, you just go get it.

"We just have to have some guys around the ball better. He's physical, but he also has to keep his balance. When he's physical and he's balanced, he's a really good player. When he loses his balance, when you see him fall over sometimes — and he plays a lot of minutes. But that's just excuses. That's what you come to college for. You can never complain about getting too many minutes. You want that role. And he didn't have that role before, but now he does. To be frank with you, he should get more than six rebounds. But, I think everybody should rebound better than they did. That's the reason I say collectively.

"We've just got to be small in our size, we can't be small in our fight. Our fight has to be better than it was today."

On the importance of Caleb Furst's defensive versatility ...

Painter: "They made one on him, and that's what we kept telling him, 'Don't worry about that. That's a tough two. Don't worry about it.' But that versatility helps you when you have a guy that can switch onto guards and allow you to do different things.

"I thought he was great. He made two free throws, that's how he scored. But look at his plus-minus. We were a much better team with him on the court and he really gave us a lift and we stayed with him more in that second half, because we were better with him on the court tonight. If you consistently do that, you're going to help yourself, you're going to help your team. That's something we need. I thought our bench did some really good thing."

On Raleigh Burgess' improved stamina ...

Painter: "He's better there. He's still got some issues there, you can see after about three or four minutes, he'll get that way. He's got to react quicker. He's got to work on that explosion to go get that basketball. If you're not going to be able to get great position because you're in help, now you've got to be able to go get it. That's the one area where he's got to do better, finishing around the rim and rebounding the basketball for us.

"He helps us because he can stretch it out, he can make a shot, he can pass the ball. But it's valuable experience for him. He's better, but for every one that he got, then there's ones that he's missing. If he just does his work earlier, he's going to be in a better position."

On the positive things he's seeing from Raleigh Burgess ...

Painter: "Probably the No. 1 thing is just his attitude. He's got good energy about him, always ready to practice, always talking, always being positive, competing, trying, putting in time. All the indicators are there. He's got good physical ability. People have no idea how hard it is for guys to play right away and to be able to be productive right away.

"Sometimes he doesn't play, sometimes he plays five minutes, he plays 15 minutes, he plays 10. He's kept a great attitude and he's kept getting better, because he understands the big picture of things. But he needs more experiences, it's just hard sometimes."