Penn State Men's Basketball
Purdue Head Coach Matt Painter Postgame Press Conference
vs. Purdue – January 29, 2019
Q: What did you like about the way you were able to finish off this win and what did you not like about the fact that it had to be an overtime game to begin with?
A: I thought that Penn State played well. I thought they shot the ball well. They obviously did a much better job than we did rebounding and got a lot more possessions. Both teams did a good job of taking care of the basketball, but we just put them to the free throw line too much. We have to do a better job of making our opponent earn it and make tough shots, especially tough twos over us. They really shot the ball well tonight and did a good job rebounding the basketball. When it gets called really tight, we have to get in better position, show our hands, and not let them get to the free throw line so much. We were able to hang in there and I think it's human behavior when you get up 18 points, the other team is going to come storming back and the other team is going to relax a little bit. Even though you don't intentionally do that, it happens in a lot of games, especially when the home team gets down and I thought Penn State had a lot of fight. We were very fortunate to knock down a 35-footer at the buzzer to be up six instead of only being up three and they came out and we had to grind it out. Obviously, we're in a tough position there at the end down two, and our guys did a good job executing. Carsen [Edwards] made a nice drive and then, obviously, I thought we were very focused in overtime. We did some really good things on the defensive end and got some stops. Obviously, made some plays. Trevion [Williams] came back into the game and made a couple buckets and Carsen [Edwards] had the big four-point play. Proud of our guys, proud of Nojel [Eastern] for making his free throws after they intentionally fouled him. That's three games for him that people have really went out of their way to try to foul him and he's made all of them in those three games when it has been that situation.
Q: You've mentioned the fight that Penn State had, obviously, now 0-10 in the Big Ten. From the outside looking in, how tough is it for a team to continue to get up every game, dive on the floor for loose balls, continue to play for their coach?
A: Most teams in that situation, they've been in seven of the 10 games. They've been in them, like you go down to the wire. This obviously was an overtime game, but if you go look at their final scores, obviously, we watch tape and we watch them a lot, they're right there. This game obviously could have gone either way, so as I said earlier we're very fortunate to win. It's hard. It's frustrating more than anything. They did a great job coaching, they did a great job playing. They made shots, rebounded, and when you get in those situations and keep coming up a little bit short, you have to be able to get one. And then you get one and you have to be able to build on it. I've been there. I've been on the top of the league. I've been at the bottom of the league. I've gotten last twice in our league. It's not something you want to be able to do. It's frustrating. You just have to keep doing the right things and keep working on those things and sticking on your guys and that's what they have been able to do. They're a tough team to go against. We couldn't keep them off the glass and we couldn't keep them off the free throw line.
Q: How much does this game remind you of the game two years ago here? Another overtime one and Ryan Cline obviously coming up big in both of these games now
A: In the game before that, Kendall Stephens made a huge three, so our last three wins here have been all overtime wins. I don't know. I would just be guessing, but Ryan [Cline] made a couple of big shots in that game for us in overtime and obviously, he made a lot of big shots today. Very efficient, 20 points on eight shots and 6-of 7 from three. We've really focused in on guys who can shoot the basketball. We really try to get ultimate size and get a lot of skill and Ryan [Cline] is a guy who's been a really good player for us and has kind of had to wait his turn. Now, he starts for us instead of coming off the bench and he's done really well. I don't know. All those games we just mentioned, all three of them could go either way. We've had that situation with other teams and we've gotten beat. I couldn't put my finger on it, we've just been fortunate.
Q: This is another game where another team who had not been shooting well, who had not shot threes well all season, had decent success from three. Do you see a correlation with that with some of the defensive rebounding troubles?
A: We obviously did a great job against Michigan State rebounding the basketball and when they get those offensive rebounds, they're going to get put backs and get fouled and get to the free throw line, but they also get those kick out threes too. We have to do a better job boxing out and we have to do a better job guarding the three-point line and just guarding in general. Giving up 90 points is a lot of points and I thought the other night against Michigan State, even though it was a home game, we played about as well as we can in the first half defensively. It wasn't like we were bad in the second half, but we obviously were not as good. It's different. Each game is different. Each team is different how they play that night. Each system is different. You just have to be able to hang in there and hopefully win a close one.
Q: Your team was up 17 with about five and a half to go in the first half and then at halftime it's just a six-point game including the buzzer beater. Going into halftime, did you know it was going to be another one of these games where it goes down to the wire?
Q: I thought it would be that way before the game, so even when it gets to that point, as a coach you're always trying to be in prevention, trying to help them understand what's coming. You hope it doesn't come, but you always have to be in that mode. We just didn't do a good job knocking their run down and then building it back up. That's just the way it is in competition and like I said earlier, it's human behavior. You get up like that and people are going to come back. We allowed too many second chance opportunities. Mike Watkins really was good rebounding the basketball in that first half.
Q: You mentioned that after the Michigan State game that you're a good offensive rebounding team and not a good defensive rebounding team. The numbers are saying the defensive rebounding percentage actually isn't that bad, but what are you saying from a coach's eyes?
A: I don't think we're hitting enough. I think when shots go up you have to really hit people. You try to stay out of rotation, so you're not behind play, you try to keep your defense connected and stay out of those rotations. Sometimes you're in those rotations, you just have to fly in and get it. When you're not, you have to hit people and go get the basketball. Sometimes being inside is the worst position. You fight to get inside, but when you shoot a lot of threes, those long shots go long. When you hit people and then you go and jump and get them, now you have a better chance to get it and you have a better chance of getting the call. When you're inside, you don't always get that when you don't hit. I just think we're not being as physical as we need to be and our guards need to be able to scrap and get around the basketball. With that being said, I thought we got another great effort from Nojel Eastern. Getting back to back double digit rebounds is pretty hard to do in this league from the point guard position.