What Matt Painter changed on defense to take Tahaad Pettiford away appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Purdue Boilermakers’ current win streak hit three games this weekend following the team’s 88-60 win against the Auburn Tigers at the Indy Classic. One of the key factors in Purdue’s win was the team’s defense against Auburn star guard Tahaad Pettiford. Following the game, Purdue head coach Matt Painter spoke about how the team’s defense was able to bother the star guard, as per Justin Ferguson of The Auburn Observer.
Advertisement
“We changed some things about our ball screen D,” Painter said. “We wanted to hedge and be more aggressive with that, just out of total respect for Pettiford. We didn’t want him coming off ball screens and pulling the trigger.”
In the loss to Purdue, Tahaad Pettiford finished with only five points while shooting 2-of-7 from the field and 1-of-5 from the 3-point line. That was about 10 points below his season average of 15.2.
With the win, Purdue improved to 11-1 on the season. They are currently ranked No. 6 in the country in the AP men’s basketball poll. The Boilermakers have one more non-conference game remaining on Dec. 29 against Kent State. They then resume Big Ten Conference play on Jan. 3 against Nebraska. So far, Purdue is 2-0 in conference play with wins against Rutgers and Minnesota.
This season is Matt Painter’s 21st season at the helm as head coach of Purdue. Throughout his time with the program, he’s compiled an overall record of 482-216. He’s led the Boilermakers to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances, including an appearance in the national championship game in 2023-24. Last season the Boilermakers reached the Sweet 16.
Related: Bobby Hurley drops ‘awful’ take on Oregon loss
Related: Tobe Awaka gets Domantas Sabonis comparison from Tommy Lloyd
