Matt Painter won’t let rankings decide how his season goes. The Boilermakers’ head coach made it clear that being number one in December doesn’t mean much compared to where you are in March after Purdue beat Minnesota 85-57 to improve to 9-1. The feeling came just days after Purdue lost to Iowa State at home by 23 points, which knocked them out of the top spot. But Painter’s response showed that he was more interested in fixing problems than in mourning their fallen poll positions.

That 81–58 defeat wasn’t just any stumble, either; it matched the largest home loss by an AP No. 1 team in the poll era and dropped Purdue from No. 1 to No. 6 in the next rankings, per ESPN.

Painter, who is known for being blunt, dismissed the obsession with rankings on the Boiler Upload YouTube Channel.

“Being number one, really isn’t—you know, really that important to be honest with you, One next to your name in October, November, December—like, who really cares?” he stated. Painter stressed that what actually matters to him is being a No. 1 seed when the NCAA Tournament bracket comes out in March, not the number sitting next to Purdue’s name in November or December.

His point of view comes from the 23-point loss at home to Iowa State, where Purdue’s top ranking couldn’t stop them from failing to prepare and execute. The Cyclones took over both ends of the floor at Mackey Arena, and the Boilermakers gave up control.

Afterward, Painter admitted Iowa State “took us to the woodshed,” saying their physicality, details and toughness were “way better than our team,” which only hardened his resolve to fix those issues before Minnesota came to town.

Painter was extremely disappointed at the loss, which showed him the darker side of being a successful coach.

“You can go 34 and five, and you sit around thinking about those five losses. It makes him miserable. There’s a part of you that has to be a little bit miserable because that’s your job—not to let it happen again,” he explained.

He called that “the downside of coaching,” saying those five losses linger far longer in his mind than the 34 wins because “that’s what they pay you to do,” make sure it doesn’t happen again.

But the agony turned into focused preparation for Minnesota. Purdue’s 21-0 run to start the second half was the kind of response Painter wanted: 20 points in the paint, a strong defense, and full control. The nine minutes of dominance he talked about made the time of change a reality.

During that surge, Purdue outscored Minnesota 29–2 and, according to Hammer & Rails, averaged roughly 1.7 points per possession while dominating the glass, which is exactly the kind of “run, rebound, defend” stretch Painter had been demanding.

Painter had hoped that Purdue would play like a champion against Minnesota, and they did. Braden Smith led the offense with 15 points, 12 assists, six rebounds, five steals, and two blocks. This stat line proved Painter’s system. Per Purdue, he’s the first player nationally in at least 20 years to post a game with at least 15 points, 12 assists, 6 rebounds, 5 steals and 2 blocks, underlining just how complete a response their point guard delivered.

Oscar Cluff and Trey Kaufman-Renn each had double-doubles, scoring 28 points and grabbing 21 rebounds while controlling the paint. After halftime, the Boilermakers scored 29 points to the Gophers’ 2, putting to rest any doubts about their ability to handle pressure. Painter was right to put more emphasis on preparation than rankings because his team won its second Big Ten game.

Matt Painter keeps Purdue focused on bigger goals ahead

That win in Minnesota showed more than just being able to bounce back from hard times. Matt Painter knows that the season is not on the same schedule as the weekly rankings say it is. Purdue’s loss to Iowa State hurt their chances of getting a good non-conference win for their tournament resume, but the head coach sees a bigger picture coming together.

Since 2010, Purdue has made eight NCAA tournaments under Painter and been seeded No. 4 or better every time, which is why he talks more about positioning for March than about staying perched at No. 1 in December.

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“You can say you have a lot of goals, you have two goals: win the Big Ten and win a national championship. Those two goals aren’t out of the wicket. When you say, ‘Hey, you can’t do either one of those,’ and your season’s over, then be upset. But get it figured out and move to the next game,” he stated.

He’s been hammering the same message since the offseason, telling Sports Illustrated that Purdue’s priorities for 2025–26 were to win the Big Ten, return to the Final Four, and build one of the best offensive teams in the country while tightening up the defense and rebounding.

The schedule ahead backs up Painter’s faith. In the next few weeks, Purdue will play No. 21 Auburn, No. 25 UCLA, No. 13 Illinois, No. 23 Nebraska, No. 2 Michigan, and No. 9 Michigan State. That stretch, loaded with AP Top 25 opponents, gives Purdue multiple chances to rebuild its resume and prove its ranking should climb again before conference play hits full stride.

Purdue has a lot of momentum going into the Big Ten season because it is 2-0. The Boilermakers showed they have the defensive intensity and offensive execution needed for long-term success by destroying Minnesota.