Virginia coach believes in Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter

Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett shows empathy for Purdue coach Matt Painter.

Bennett recently shared his thoughts on Purdue’s unfortunate early exit from last year’s NCAA tournament in an interview with The Athletic during the Atlantic Coast Conference media days. After the Boilermakers were defeated by the No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, Bennett took the initiative to send Painter a supportive text message.

During the game, Bennett found himself unexpectedly rooting for Purdue, admitting that it was a strange feeling.

We must note that Bennett’s own team in 2018 suffered a similar fate when they lost to Baltimore-Maryland County, becoming the first No. 1 seed in tournament history to be defeated by a 16. Therefore, Bennett can relate to Painter’s disappointment as Purdue’s loss to FDU becomes the second instance of such an upset.

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For Purdue faithful looking for some solace, it’s worth noting that Virginia, led by key returning players including Indiana Mr. Basketball Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and De’Andre Hunter, managed to win the national championship in 2019. (Coincidentally, they defeated Purdue in a thrilling overtime match in the Elite Eight.)

This season, Purdue’s roster, including the National Player of the Year Zach Edey, remains intact, which gives hope for a strong performance.

Bennett showed confidence in Painter’s ability to handle the situation, stating that Purdue will use the disappointment as motivation, just as his own team did.

This article was originally published on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter gets vote of confidence