Purdue Boilermakers head coach Matt Painter reacts to a call. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Matt Painter Takes Ownership of Purdue's Home Struggles This Season

Originally posted on Purdue Boilermakers on SI
By Dustin Schutte | Last updated Mar 8, 2026 9:30 AM ET

This season didn't go quite as Purdue had expected. On Saturday evening, the Boilermakers lost a 97-93 contest to Wisconsin, ending the regular season with a 23-8 record and a 13-7 mark in Big Ten play. Most surprising, though, was their record inside Mackey Arena.

Purdue had the benefit of playing some of the Big Ten's top teams — Illinois, Michigan, Michigan State and Wisconsin — on its home floor. All four of those games resulted in losses, spoiling the Boilers' chances of winning a third Big Ten title in the last four years.

Matt Painter said that a lot of Purdue's struggles this season, especially on its home court, fall on him.

"I know this — when you're in charge, you gotta own it. This is on me, us being 6-4 [in the Big Ten] at home," Painter said. "You can talk until you're blue in the face, I can talk basketball all day long with you, but you have to figure it out about your team, and I haven't done a good job with that. I own that."

In total, Purdue lost five home games during the 2025-26 season. In addition to the four Big Ten games it dropped, the Boilermakers also lost to Iowa State in non-conference play.

Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Purdue's 23-8 end was a disappointing close to the season for multiple reasons. The Boilermakers started the year hot, going 17-1 and 7-0 in Big Ten play before finishing 6-7 in their final 13 games.

A team that was projected to finish first in the Big Ten will have the No. 7 seed in the Big Ten Tournament next week. It wasn't the type of year anyone inside Purdue's locker room had envisioned.

There's still a lot of basketball to be played, and Painter still has plenty of confidence in his team. Despite the struggles over the last month, the longtime Purdue coach said the Boilers won't give up.

"We're not giving in to this s---," Painter said. "We're the people that do it. You gotta go back to the drawing board, gotta watch tape, gotta figure it out. Now, I like the Big Ten Tournament. You figure out who you're going to play, figure out who you're going to play from a winner. You sit and play that waiting game, then you have to get ready really quick."

This article first appeared on Purdue Boilermakers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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