Matt Painter led the Purdue Boilermakers to the Final Four last year, but his past March Madness shortcomings still linger in the minds of fans. Painter has lost in the first round of the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed in 2016 against Arkansas Little Rock, as a No. 4 seed to North Texas in 2021, and infamously fell to Fairleigh Dickinson as a No. 1 seed in 2023. So when 13th-seeded High Point made a second-half charge against the Boilermakers on Thursday afternoon, fans were ready for another Purdue collapse in The Big Dance.
This is a game Matt Painter loses 100 times out of 100. Goodnight Boilers.
— kevin wn, kamari mcgee fan (@nilkswadler) March 20, 2025
Purdue dropped six of its final eight games of the regular season in the Big Ten Tournament and struggled defensively all season without back-to-back National Player of the Year Zach Edey. So, after the Boilermakers surprisingly landed a No. 4 seed on Selection Sunday, the High Point Panthers, champions of the Big South Conference emerged as a popular first-round upset pick in plenty of fan’s and expert’s brackets.
However, Purdue, behind a stellar second-half performance from First-Team All-American point guard Braden Smith and First-Team All-Big Ten center Trey Kaufman-Renn, pulled away for a 75-63 victory to advance to the second round.
Matt Painter gets that 4 or 5 seed and turns into the biggest moron you've ever seen unless he has an NBA-level big man like Biggie Swanigan
— DaRon Holmes fan account (@greeazemode) March 20, 2025
The tide started to turn for High Point in the second half, cutting the Purdue lead to five just out of the break when Chase Johnston knocked down a three-point shot and later to four when Trae Benham hit another. Visions of Painter’s other upset loss danced in college basketball fans head and some were so sure his team would lose the game that they were ready for Purdue to move on from the legendary head coach.
Matt Painter has to be the most overrated coach in the country. He routinely underperforms in the tournament. His Purdue team is about to blow a double digit second half lead to 13 seeded High Point. Time to let him go if you are Purdue.
— Jonny Rizzo (@jonspicks) March 20, 2025
Painter has been the head coach at Purdue since taking over for Gene Keady in 2005 and has led the Boilermakers to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances over those 20 seasons. While he’s never won a National Championship, he has turned Purdue into a Big Ten powerhouse and this win over High Point could be the start of another deep tournament run.
Matt Painter gets that 4 or 5 seed and turns into the biggest moron you've ever seen unless he has an NBA-level big man like Biggie Swanigan
— DaRon Holmes fan account (@greeazemode) March 20, 2025
Though, some fans will never believe in one of the best coaches in the country. Maybe they should start. And maybe I should too because I had a High Point upset in my bracket and am off to a disappointing 0-2 start to the Tournament. But at least I didn't say he should be fired in the second half.