Quotes That Matter From Matt Painter Following Purdue’s 76-53 Loss to No. 4 UConn

Purdue closed out the exhibition portion of its 2026-27 season on Tuesday in Hartford. The Boilermakers fell 76-53 to No. 4 UConn, a preseason contest that exposed multiple deficiencies as Matt Painter’s team prepares to open the regular season next week.

The glaring statistic from the game was Purdue’s struggles from behind the three-point line, converting on just two of their 25 attempts from long range. The Boilers also lost the rebounding battle 40-34 and had 13 turnovers to UConn’s 11.

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After the game, Painter said Purdue will go back to the drawing board and try to correct some things before heading to Las Vegas for a matchup with No. 15 Gonzaga. What else did the head coach have to say following the loss?

Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter addresses the media. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Finding ways to win when the ball doesn’t go in

Who are you when the ball doesn’t go in the hoop? That’s a question Painter asks every team he coaches. On Tuesday night, we saw why that’s such an important teaching point.

Not only did Purdue struggle from behind the three-point line, but it also shot below 39% from the field. Many of those failures are a credit to UConn’s defense, but the Boilermakers also missed open shots.

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When those shots aren’t dropping, Purdue must do the little things to win games. That didn’t happen on Tuesday night in Hartford.

“What we always talk about is when you go on the road and you don’t make shots, can you still be a really good team? Obviously, we’re not there right now,” Painter said in a video posted by GoldandBlack.com. “I know it was extreme, shooting 2-of-25, but when you have fewer rebounds and more turnovers, you’re not going to win that game. You have to have four or five turnovers, outrebound them by 10, and try to fight your way back in. When you’re turning the ball over more than them, and you’re getting fewer rebounds, and you go 2-of-25, it’s going to be a long night.”

Guys enduring the growing pains

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Publish date : 2026-10-28 03:04:00

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