Purdue, Painter lament another early March Madness exit

COLUMBUS,Ohio (AP) — It’s become a disturbing, familiar pattern forPurdue.

Anotherpromising season. Another putrid NCAA Tournament.

For the thirdstraight year, the Boilermakers were bounced by a double-digitseed,losing Friday night to No. 16 seedFairleigh Dickinson,which doesn’t have a player tallerthan 6-foot-6 but took out the Big Ten’s best squad with surprisingease.

“Obviously ithurts,” Purdue coach Matt Painter said. “It hurts bad. I don’t wantto take anything away from them. They earned it. They played betterthan we did.”

Purdue waslooking to make history. Not this type.

TheBoilermakers are the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed,joining Virginia, which fell to UMBC in 2018.

This Marchwas supposed to be different. The Boilermakers (29-6), who haven’tmade the Final Four since 1980 and have never won a title, had oneof the nation’s best players in All-America center Zach Edey,shooters to support him, experience and depth.

But Purdue,which was a top seed for the first time since 1996, buckled underFDU’s full-court pressure and the Boilermakers couldn’t figure outhow to get the ball inside to the 7-foot-4 Edey, who spent thenight sandwiched between several Knights defenders.

Last year, itwas No. 15 seed Saint Peter’s that ousted the Boilermakers, and No.13 seed North Texas the year before that.

“It stinks,”said Painter, who has lost to double-digit seeds five times. “Theyoutplayed us. They outcoached us. That’s the one thing as a coachthat you always face it, and you’ll get ridiculed. You’ll getshamed. You’ll get whatever.”

“It’sbasketball. You’ve got to get better. You’ve got to keep fightingto get yourself in this position and then be better. And that’swhat we have to do.”

Back to thedrawing board.

Edey’s nightstarted ominously when he short-armed a jumper in the lane thatfell short of the rim. He rarely got a clean touch, and while hefinished with 21 points and 15 rebounds, the Canadian nicknamed“Big Maple” by his mom couldn’t lift his team to victory.

After thefinal horn, Edey walked glumly toward Purdue’s locker room and anunknown future.

There’s achance he won’t be back as he would likely be an early pick in thisyear’s NBA draft. It’s also possible he’ll return after anotherstinging loss that has left Purdue’s fans wondering if it will everbe their year. (If history is any solace, Virginia won the nationaltitle the year after it was embarrassed by UMBC.)

“I have noopinion on that,” Edey said when pressed about his next move. “I’llmake my decision going forward.”

Painter isregarded as one of the country’s best coaches. But although hegraduates his players and has kept the Boilermakers among the elitefor years, questions remain about whether he can get his team overthe top.

He’ll haveanother year to consider what went wrong and what might havebeen.

“You win theleague, you win your tournament,” he said. “You fight to get intothis position. We haven’t been in this position as a 1 seed in along time. And we get here and we don’t take advantage of thatopportunity.”

It’s a Purduetradition in March.