Here's what Purdue coach Matt Painter and High Point coach Alan Huss said about their matchup
The NCAA Tournament tips off in Providence at 12:40 p.m. on Thursday with one team you’ve heard of and another you probably couldn’t point out on a map.
Purdue is the No. 4 seed, a perennial contender known more for its early-round exits and losing to teams it shouldn’t lose to rather than last season’s run to the national championship game where it lost to UConn.
High Point University, located in High Point, North Carolina, is known more for its aesthetically pleasing campus than its basketball. After winning the Big South Conference tournament, Thursday's game will be the Panthers’ debut appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
On Wednesday, Purdue coach Matt Painter and High Point coach Alan Huss spoke about their teams, the opposition and more before getting out on the floor at the Amica Mutual Pavilion for their final practice before Thursday’s matinee.
What Matt Painter said about High Point
The teams haven’t played each other since 2011 — a November game in which Purdue pulled out a 67-65 win — but Painter was well-versed in what the Panthers do well.
“They really work the ball downhill. They live in the paint,” Painter said. “That’s what you want. The stuff we talk about at every halftime is how much we are living in the paint and how much we are able to keep somebody out of the paint.
“When those numbers are good for us in both ways, we’re normally up 10-15 points. When it’s the other way, it’s normally bad news.”
But there’s more to High Point than just getting buckets inside. Painter was impressed by the Panthers’ offensive efficiency.
“They’re taking 3s, but they’re also getting a lot of inside-out type 3s,” Painter said. ”But more than anything, they’re getting to the free-throw line and getting layups.
“A lot of times, when they shoot layups, it’s over help and they’re the best rebounding team in the Big South.”
Why High Point coach Alan Huss hopes the slipper fits against Purdue
While many teams didn’t know their NCAA fate until the weekend ended, the Panthers have been preparing for the tourney — minus the opponent — since their 15-point comeback win over Winthrop in the Big South title game on March 9.
Time off could produce rust, but for High Point it’s prepared them for Thursday.
“We got to watch other people fighting for a spot suffer. That was kind of enjoyable,” Huss said. “Once we found out our opponent on Sunday, I spent a lot of time in the state of Indiana, familiar with their program, so we were able to pivot and put together a game plan.
“At this point, it’s not about Cinderella. Once the ball goes up, it’s about trying to win a basketball game, trying to be solid in all aspects and all phases of the game and we’ll try our best to do those things.”
Purdue is the biggest team — literally and figuratively — High Point has played this season, which didn’t include a single matchup against a “high major” program. The Panthers are tremendous underdogs in the game, but ready for the challenge.
“This will be a step up in class and size and athleticism, all of those things,” Huss said. “I think the important thing for our guys to understand is it’s just another basketball game.
“Obviously there’s more at stake. It’s one team goes home at the end of the day, but at the end of the day we have got to stay true to processes and no matter our opponent, we’ve got to do what we do and make sure we make things difficult on our opponent.”
How does Purdue beat High Point?
Painter didn’t give away all the Boilermakers’ strategies for Thursday’s game, but he did explain there were certain things his team needs to focus on to succeed.
“That’s going to be a key thing for anybody that plays them, being able to keep the ball in front of them, making them score over you but not two-to-seven feet to keep the basketball out more. But that’s easier said than done,” Painter said. “The teams that I’m watching on film are not doing it. We have to do a better job, as a group, of keeping the ball out of the paint. That’s what jumps out to me the most.”
Can High Point beat Purdue?
The Panthers had an incredible season, going 29-5 overall and 14-2 in conference play. In every game they played, they were usually the favorite.
That changes on Thursday and Huss thinks it can help more than hurt.
“I would rather be the favorite than the underdog, but it makes you have a mental edge,” Huss said. “We know we’re going to get everyone’s best shot all season. I think that’s the one advantage we have — we move into this space, we have been on edge all season.
“If we don’t have our best stuff, we’re walking into an environment, we’re walking into a team and it’s one of the biggest games or the biggest game on their schedule so I think that’s helpful for us.”
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Coaches Matt Painter, Alan Huss talk about NCAA March Madness matchup
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