Purdue's Matt Painter on Gonzaga's balance: ’They can beat you in a lot of ways’

Mark Few and Matt Painter have grown quite familiar with one another over the last 16 months.

In November 2022, Purdue thumped Drew Timme and Gonzaga 84-66 in Portland, Oregon, during the PK85 event. Nearly a year later, the Boilermakers once again pulled out a double-digit victory over the Zags, 73-63, at the Maui Invitational. Friday marks the third installment over the last two seasons between the two programs, though Painter discounted how much familiarity will play a role in Detroit, Michigan, given how much his team and the Zags have changed over the last four months.

“I think the experience of playing them gives you a reference point, like it gives them a reference point, but I think it means very little,” Painter said Thursday. “I don't think either team played very well in the (Maui) game. I don't think either team shot very well in the game. So they had a lot of open looks that they normally make in that game.”

Here’s more of what Painter and his players had to say about the Zags:

Painter on how different Gonzaga looks since the first matchup:

“I think they're different in just looking at obviously how they start, inserting [Ben] Gregg into the lineup and Anton Watson's kind of durability and his ability to guard different people allows him to be bigger. Gregg has great size, but his skill level shooting the basketball really helps him. He's competitive.”

“[Dusty] Stromer coming off the bench instead of starting. He still gives them that punch off the bench where he can shoot the basketball. He goes to the glass, just like Gregg does.”

“Just quality players. He just kind of found the right mix. But they can play big, and they can play smaller. I think that flexibility for them has been really good.”

Painter on Gonzaga’s roster makeup:

“But more than anything, they've got really good guard play. Your guards have to play well. Your guards have to take care of the basketball. Nembhard and Hickman are two of the better guards in the country. I like their combination. I think they have a little bit better combination. It seems to be fluid for them.”

“But the thing with Gonzaga, they can beat you in a lot of ways. Those guards can break you down. Those bigs will get on the glass. Graham Ike can score on the block. They bring in Braden Huff, who stretches the defense also. So you've got a lot of skill, you've got a lot of size, but you've also got playmaking guards. It gives you a recipe for success.”

Fletcher Loyer on what Purdue can take away from first matchup with Gonzaga:

“It has been a long time ago, and we've learned a lot since then. We play differently. They play quite a bit differently.

“But watching the film, those two guards can go. You see that. You see how they attack pick-and-rolls. You see how they attack in open space. Really just us seeing that, seeing what they've done recently as well, but continue to try to play in our game. We don't want to play into their hands because they like to get out and really go in transition. So just stopping their guards and limiting their bigs is really important.”

• MORE: WHAT MARK FEW SAID BEFORE GONZAGA-PURDUE MATCHUP

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