What's Purdue's Strategy to Challenging Calls? Matt Painter Hilariously Explains

What goes into Matt Painter's decision to challenge — or not challenge — calls during a game? He hilariously broke down why it comes down to trust.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter gestures to his team. | David Banks-Imagn Images

CHICAGO — With the luxury of instant replay immediately on your television screen, you probably wonder why there are some calls that Matt Painter doesn't choose to challenge during any given game. The Purdue coach doesn't have the advantage of instant replay and, instead, has to rely on players who, now and then, may bend the truth about what happened on the court.

Following Purdue's game against Nebraska on Friday night in the Big Ten Tournament, Painter was asked about the thought process before challenging an official's call. That's when he started hilariously talking about the trust level with some of his players.

"Yeah, we're at about 7.5% for the year on challenges," Painter said, drawing a laugh. "I don't know if you guys have kids, but like, having a low trust level of people you love. It's a hell of a feeling."

During the course of a game, player's can become emotional and want to salvage every possession possible. Sometimes, that means they're not always aware of what may have happened during a specific play and believe their coach should challenge the call.

Or, in some cases, players may just be lying about what happened on the floor.

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter reacts to a referee's call. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

"You would just like them to be honest. You know what I mean? Don't tell me it went off the other team, then you see it and it's not even close. Just swallow your pride. It didn't work for us, go back to the other end. But, if it did happen, then tell us," Painter said.

"You have to ask them again. You know when your kids are little, and you tell them something, then you just stop and look at them and say, 'OK, what did I say?' Then they look at you, and it's like, 'Say it again.' You get that. Like, no, seriously, man, what happened here? 'I'm telling you 100% he hit it.' That happened to us about eight times this year, and then they get the ball and we lose our timeout."

A majority of the time, Painter would rather keep the timeout rather than risk a challenge. There have been enough examples of Purdue losing a challenge, as well as a timeout, this year.

So, the next time you get frustrated about a call that goes unchallenged, just keep Panter's comments in mind. In some cases, the risk may not be worth the reward.

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