Indiana men’s basketball has multiple players who can make a difference on a given possession, Purdue head coach Matt Painter said as much during a press conference ahead of the rivalry matchup on Friday night.
Asked if he’d learned anything about the Hoosiers during the prior matchup, a 72-67 Indiana win at Assembly Hall, Painter said there wasn’t anything that stood out from the game that the Boilermakers didn’t know going into the matchup. He took a moment to comment on a few players.
“They have
some skilled guys,” Painter said before elaborating.
On Nick Dorn…
“I thought Nick Dorn was probably the difference in the game,” Painter said. “His shotmaking ability.”
On Tucker DeVries…
“Obviously DeVries did not shoot in the second half, but he did a lot of things to help them win,” Painter said. “He can playmake, he can rebound, just a great awareness on the court.”
On Lamar Wilkerson…
“Wilkerson didn’t have a great game against us but, you know, he’s just so dangerous,” Painter said. “He’s proven with his ability he can get thirty to forty points on a given night.”
On Reed Bailey…
“I thought Reed Bailey played really well in the first half for them,” Painter said.
On Conor Enright…
“I thought Enright, I thought his ability to guard and his ability to do, once again, little things, really really helped them. His energy and his toughness, just his determination to guard the basketball and to play.”
Watch Painter’s full press conference here.
