Matt Painter looks back on Purdue charity game against Arkansas
Matt Painter reflected on Purdue’s Sunday charity game against Arkansas, an 81-77 overtime loss in Fayetteville.
Despite being an exhibition game, the atmosphere at Bud Walton Arena may have felt like a regular season contest with both in the top 25. But it was for a good cause as proceeds went towards relief for those affected by the recent tornadoes in Arkansas.
For Painter, he’s all for doing games like this more often, especially on home soil.
“Let’s play these charity games more,” Painter said. “This was a great experience for a great cause. Think about bringing in someone to Mackey that’s never been. They’d be blown away.”
Sunday also served as an opportunity for the Boilermakers to iron out some wrinkles before the regular season begins against Samford on Nov. 6. That’s especially given a highly disappointing end to the 2022-23 season that saw them fall in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament.
“We have real problems because of this game,” Painter said. “We can figure it out and work on things. We’re on edge now.”