Purdue’s mindset ahead of the NCAA Tournament first round
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WISH) — The Purdue University men’s basketball team is getting ready for its first game in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
The No. 4-seeded Boilermakers practiced on Wednesday inside Amica Mutual Pavilion ahead of their Thursday afternoon matchup against No. 13-seeded High Point.
“It’s our dreams as kids to be in this tournament,” Purdue junior guard Braden Smith said. “We’re here. Have fun while doing it and enjoy every step of the way and try to get one win at a time.”
The Boilers enter the matchup fresh off a loss to Michigan in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament, but the players have put that loss behind them.
“It’s a new season,” Smith said. “Each game is important moving forward and we have to win one at a time. Whatever we have to do to do that, we have to do that and we all understand that, as well. So I think for us, or at least my mindset, is flush all those losses down. They don’t matter anymore. This is what matters, this is what we’re here for. We made it to where we want.”
Despite being the favorite on Thursday, the Boilers are not overlooking the Panthers. High Point enters the matchup on a 14-game winning streak, which includes an 81-69 win over Winthrop in the Big South Championship.
“I think just the respect of your opponent and understanding, like, how good everybody is in this tournament,” Purdue head coach Matt Painter said. “We didn’t need some of that to happen. I’ve been on the other end of it at Southern Illinois end, but High Point is a very good team. They’re well-coached. I’ve been in his practices when he was at prep school. He coached one of our guys, Rapheal Davis. My assistant was on the Creighton staff with us. Any time you can dominate your league and win your tournament and 14 straight games, that’s respect, man. That’s a hard thing to do. That’s a very difficult thing to do in any league that you’re in.”
Part of the reason Purdue is not overlooking High Point is because of what happened to the Boilers just two years ago, when they were upset by No. 16-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
“We have seen the lowest of the lows and the highest of the highs, having lost to a 16 and making it to a championship,” Purdue junior forward Trey Kaufman-Renn said. “Just making sure we’re at the tip for 40 minutes. I think a team could come out and not miss a single shot, but ultimately it comes down to who can take care of the ball, who can play harder whether the shots go in or not.”
Of course, Purdue bounced back from that upset during the 2023 NCAA Tournament by making the national championship during last year’s tournament.
Purdue is hoping that having that experience will be beneficial this March.
“It’s not just me understanding how to handle certain situations there,” Smith said. “They understand it, as well, because they experience it and we have a great head coach that’s been through everything, as well. So he also understands that and can help us. I think just having that great supporting cast and people around us and our experience in the three years we have been here, I think it’s just our job as the older guys and the people that have had that experience to help the younger guys out.”
Tip-off on Thursday is set for 12:40 p.m. in Providence, R.I.
