Eye On College Basketball | CBS Sports

Episode: Purdue's Matt Painter believes their Spurs-like mentality gives them an Edge
Date: October 9, 2025
Host: Gary Parrish
Guest: Matt Painter (Purdue Head Coach)

Overview

In this special episode recorded at Big Ten Media Day, host Gary Parrish sits down with Purdue head coach Matt Painter for an in-depth conversation about Purdue's program-building philosophy, player development, the upcoming season, and Painter’s “Spurs-like” corporate culture that sets his team apart. Painter reflects on his program's success, candidly discusses learning moments from past seasons, and shares how Purdue remains a model of stability and consistency in a rapidly changing college basketball landscape.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Admiration from Peers and Building Purdue’s Program

• Parrish notes that coaches admire Painter, often citing him as the coach they’d want their own son to play for.
• Painter emphasizes this is “the ultimate compliment,” stating:

  “For other people to think that they would send their kid to play for you, like, that’s really kind of the ultimate compliment…who do you love more than your son or daughter?” (02:50)

• He credits collaborative staff, notably assistant P.J. Thompson, for their cohesive X's and O's approach:

  “I’m just a figurehead. That’s you, man.” (03:36)

2. Sustained Success & Program Philosophy

• Purdue has appeared in 16 of the last 18 NCAA tournaments (discounting Covid disruptions).
• Painter highlights their ability to avoid the transfer churn, focusing on retaining their core players and steady development.

  “We’ve done everything the way everybody used to…We just stayed the course and we do lose players, we just don’t lose starters.” (05:12)

• Evaluates players not by star ratings, but through granular evaluation and role definition.

3. Developing "Diamonds in the Rough" & Player Growth

• Many Purdue All-Americans weren’t highly touted prospects.
• Player development is at the program's core, as evidenced by talents like Zach Edey, Jaden Ivey, and Carson Edwards.

  “You think they’re going to be good, you know they’re going to be good. You just don’t know when they’re going to be good and at what magnitude.” (04:51)

• Painter sees both talent identification and program culture (“they have it…people just didn’t realize”) as reasons for this success. (07:06)

4. Braden Smith’s Rise and NBA Prospects

• Braden Smith stands out: 51% of coaches named him the best player in the country in CBS’s poll—a record high.

  “He affects winning more than anybody else…he makes other people better.” (08:37)

• Painter on NBA feedback:

  “He’s tough, he’s hard nosed, he’s intelligent…you have to be able to go pick the ball up and put pressure on the basketball and constantly put pressure on the defense when the ball’s in your hand.” (09:16)

5. Championship Aspirations and the “Spurs DNA”

• Painter doesn’t shy away from high expectations:

  “We have competitors. We have that corporate DNA that the Spurs had. It’s very hard to get that in college basketball today, but we have it.” (10:13)

• Stability is key: players who’ve been with the program 4–5 years form a strong team nucleus. Painter believes this Spurs-like mentality gives them an edge.

6. Learning from Past Seasons & Emphasizing the Final Four

• Painter reflects on not emphasizing the "Final Four goal" enough in previous seasons:

  “Looking back and reflecting is, why weren’t we talking about that? Like, all of our goals are still in front of [us].” (12:22)

• He now recognizes the importance of giving players belief in their championship pedigree, regardless of bumps in the road.

7. Roster Changes, Depth & Frontcourt Adjustments

• Losing rim protector Daniel and two-time Wooden Award winner Zach Edey in one offseason changed the team's rebounding and defense.

• Newcomers like Oscar Clough and returning players are expected to help:

  “His [Oscar’s] rim protection would really help. Our defensive field goal percentage at 2 was not very good…” (13:57)

• Painter discusses the trade-off with depth:

  “The thing you need to understand about depth is if you start going to a deeper rotation, your best players are playing less than they otherwise would be.” (14:40)

• On balancing minutes like different NBA teams:

  “You want your better players to play, but you also want them to be able [to handle] back to backs…You just have to balance it.” (15:23)

8. Oscar Clough’s Role and Mid-Major Translation

• Oscar Clough, a double-double machine at the mid-major level, might see his stats regress against Big Ten competition, but expected rebounding/defense per minute is key.

  “The thing that I want from him…is I want the rebounds per minute to be up.” (17:16)

9. Big Ten Title Drought & League Pride

• Although the Big Ten hasn’t won a national title since 2000, Painter says he’d root for league rivals if Purdue is knocked out:

  “You want it for your league and you want it for personal reasons…if you’ve been around long enough and you’re smart about it, you want to see your league grow and be stronger.” (18:36)

Notable Quotes

• On peer admiration:

  “That’s really kind of the ultimate compliment…that’s pretty cool.”
  — Matt Painter, (02:50)

• On maintaining program stability:

  “We do lose players, we just don’t lose starters.”
  — Matt Painter, (05:12)

• On Braden Smith:

  “He affects winning more than anybody else. When you go and look at like talent, like you don’t realize like how fast he is, how long his arms are, big hands can make speed, dribble threes. And so like he can just do so much more, but he makes other people better.”
  — Matt Painter, (08:37)

• On championship expectations:

  “We have that corporate DNA that the spurs had. You know, it’s very hard to get that in college basketball today, but we have it.”
  — Matt Painter, (10:13)

• On learning from last season:

  “Looking back and reflecting is, why weren’t we talking about that? Like, all of our goals are still in front of [us].”
  — Matt Painter, (12:22)

• On league pride:

  “If you’ve been around long enough and you’re smart about it, you want to see your league grow and be stronger and hopefully we can do that.”
  — Matt Painter, (18:36)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Peer coaches’ opinions and Painter’s reaction: 02:17 – 03:55
• Building and sustaining Purdue’s program: 04:20 – 06:44
• Diamonds in the rough & All-American development: 07:04 – 08:09
• Braden Smith’s rise and impact: 08:09 – 09:41
• Championship outlook and “Spurs DNA”: 10:00 – 11:21
• Final Four goal and lessons from last year: 11:21 – 13:19
• Depth, frontcourt, and balancing minutes: 13:32 – 17:08
• Oscar Clough’s transition to the Big Ten: 17:08 – 18:09
• Big Ten title drought and rooting for rivals: 18:09 – 19:24

Memorable Moments

• Painter jokingly giving credit to his assistant:
  “No, I’m just a figurehead. That’s you, man.” (03:36)
• His honesty about missed opportunities in motivating his team for another Final Four run. (12:22)
• Openly discussing rooting for a Big Ten rival if Purdue is knocked out; rare candor among major college coaches. (18:36)

This episode is a must-listen for fans of coaching, program-building, and those fascinated by how elite teams foster culture and consistency. Coach Painter’s openness, balanced with humility and humor, demonstrates why he and Purdue remain at the forefront of college basketball.