'He'll handle it': Virginia coach believes in Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter
Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett empathizes with Purdue coach Matt Painter.
Bennett discussed Purdue's first-round exit from last season's NCAA tournament with The Athletic during Atlantic Coast Conference media days. Bennett mentioned that he sent Painter a text message after the Boilermakers lost to No. 16 seed Fairleigh Dickinson.
Bennett said he felt himself pulling for Purdue late in the game: "It was the strangest feeling."
Bennett's 2018 team lost to Baltimore-Maryland County, becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 in tournament history. Purdue's loss to FDU is the second.
'I'm the common denominator': Matt Painter talks Purdue basketball NCAA tournament issues
If Purdue fans are looking for a silver lining, Virginia won the 2019 national championship behind key returning players in Indiana Mr. Basketball Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and De'Andre Hunter. (That team beat Purdue in an overtime thriller in the Elite Eight.) Most of Purdue's roster, including National Player of the Year Zach Edey, is back this season.
"He'll handle it, and he's built to handle that," Bennett said. "Wish that didn't happen, but it did -- and I think they'll use it the right way, just like our guys did when it happened to us."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue basketball coach Matt Painter gets vote of confidence
