It might have been just an exhibition, but the scoreboard told a story that Boilermaker fans won’t forget. Without two of their projected starters, Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance, the Wildcats faced Purdue in Rupp Arena.
The top-ranked Boilermakers lost 78-65. The Wildcats’ combination of speed, energy, and ball movement invigorated the home crowd, while Purdue, fresh off a 24-12 season and 13-7 conference record, looked relatively flat.
Exhibition or not, the performance has left fans and analysts questioning if Matt Painter and the Boilermakers are carrying the same cracks into the new season. And it seems the people who care most, aka Purdue fans, are not holding back.
Can Matt Painter Fix the Cracks Exposed by Kentucky?
With 16 NCAA Tournament berths, eight Sweet 16 appearances, and a trip to the national championship game to his name, Matt Painter isn’t new to high-pressure situations. However, even he acknowledged his team could’ve done better.
The game started off with some spark. Purdue had an early advantage. However, the Wildcats wouldn’t let the Boilermakers steal the spotlight in Lexington. After an early 5-3 lead, Otega Oweh scored five straight points to give Kentucky an 8-5 advantage.
Purdue tied it at eight, but Mo Dioubate and Trent Noah’s layups pushed the Cats ahead by four. Freshman Jasper Johnson hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to 15-10. The Boilermakers fought back with free throws from Braden Smith, but Kentucky countered with Andria Jelavic at the line and a Kam Williams triple to lead 20-12.
One fan who hopes Painter and his team learn from this writes, “It’s what he needed. They were full of themselves. We had 2 of our top 3 players out, and they were never in the game.” Painter’s own postgame comments hinted at the same perspective.
“You look at their minutes from their starters. Besides Aberdeen, you gotta remember, Lowe’s not playing, that’s why (Aberdeen is) playing more minutes there..This could have been worse,” Painter said. Purdue looked sluggish compared to the Wildcats’ relentless pace.
The halftime score, 38-30 in favor of the Wildcats, told half the story. Braden Smith’s free throws kept Purdue within striking distance, but Kentucky’s response was textbook Wildcats basketball. Andria Jelavic hit a pair of free throws, Williams drained a three, and suddenly it was 20-12.
Purdue tried to fight back with an 8-2 run, but then Kentucky exploded on a 9-1 stretch, with dunks from Oweh and Brandon Garrison. “Even Purdue fans have to admit it’s concerning to have the exact same issues as last year,” one fan noted. Outrebounded by 12 and still lacking rim protection, Purdue was being schooled, exhibition or not. Then came the second half.
The second half began with hope for the Boilermakers. They had an 11-6 run, cutting Kentucky’s lead to three, 44-41. The Wildcats did not let that sit for long. Noah came in with a triple, Aberdeen hit two free throws, and Moreno’s dunk started a 7-0 run that blew the game open.
Williams made another three, and Kentucky led 54-43 with more than 12 minutes to play. A fan reading the moves sighed, writing, “Not when you had no game plan, seniors going 80% speed at best, ran basically 3 sets entire game…so funny the euphoria being displayed over a scrimmage.” It was funny if for a Cats fan and painful for a Boiler.
Purdue’s stars tried, but the numbers told the story. Trey Kaufman-Renn scored 19, and Braden Smith and Fletcher Loyer combined for just 6-of-25 shooting. To make things worse, the Boilermakers were outrebounded 42-30.
The bench had its moments with 18 points on 53.3% shooting, but it wasn’t enough. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s freshman and bench contributions were bonkers. Johnson scored 15 points, Oweh and Noah scored 10 each, and Dioubate scored nine rebounds.
Even as the game wound down, fans were thinking ahead. “Getting humbled in pre-season will get them focused for the regular season,” one optimist said. Meanwhile, others weren’t so sure.
“I feel like he should be a little bit worried. I kept seeing their real players on the court, and they looked slow. But who knows,” wrote a fan. The cracks in Painter’s squad are out, and it’s time to get fixing.
Right now, the only silver lining for the Boilermakers is that it was an exhibition game. They still have time to fix the lapses and play better. Purdue will host UIndy in the final exhibition game on October 29 in Mackey Arena.
