Passion for the Game

With his men's basketball team enjoying a second straight day off from practice - a rare occurrence in February - Matt Painter sat in the conference room at Purdue University's Mackey Arena taking notes and scouting the Boilermakers' next opponents. For this dedicated coach, there are no days off, especially during a heated Big Ten Conference race. "There are some tough times as a college basketball coach, but you have to always outwork people," he said. "This is a fickle business. You can be on top one day and on bottom the next." The 38-year-old Painter, a Muncie, Ind., native and former Purdue basketball player, knows that all too well. In his first season as Purdue's head coach in 2005-06, after replacing the legendary Gene Keady, the team struggled to a 9-19 record. The next two years, however, Painter led the Boilermakers to consecutive 20-plus win seasons and appearances in the NCAA tournament. Last year, Purdue finished 25-9 overall and 15-3 in the Big Ten, earning Painter the conference's Coach of the Year award. The 25 wins were the most by a Boilermakers team since 1997-98. "I definitely like coach Painter's approach," said Purdue sophomore forward JaJuan Johnson, a graduate of Franklin Central High School. "He really has a lot of passion for the game." Painter's "down to earth" attitude and basketball knowledge have paid big dividends on the recruiting trail, especially within the state. Purdue's current roster has seven Indiana natives, including Johnson and freshman guard John Hart (Beech Grove). "It's an emphasis to recruit our own backyard," Painter said. "That's an easy statement for me to make because we feel this is fertile ground for talented and intelligent basketball players." Painter, a former Delta High School standout and Indiana All-Star, usually earns extra points by expressing his passion to state recruits. "Basketball is a big deal to people in Indiana," he said. "People are consumed with their local high school and college teams, and they really support those teams. Sometimes you don't fully understand the magnitude until you're around people from outside the state." With the regular season winding down and the Boilermakers trying to secure a high seed in the Big Ten tournament this month and a potential NCAA tournament birth, Painter tries to cherish each day he spends in West Lafayette. "To coach here is a dream come true, and you have to really appreciate where you are in life because it can be gone tomorrow," he said. "Ever since I made the decision to come to Purdue (out of high school), the people have always looked after me - whether it's been as a student, player or professional." -