Indianapolis, IN
Purdue's sweet, fabulous return to Indianapolis
Purdue’s sweet, fabulous return to Indianapolis
“It’s none of that,” Fletcher Loyer tells me after the game.
The question I’m asking, the thing I’m trying to figure out, still, about the make up of this team is if March vindication is still Purdue’s ethos. So the question is if getting back to the Sweet 16, if it’s like making a basket after scoring 21 points, if it’s a prove it point for Purdue.
Loyer’s answer is a simple one. Purdue doesn’t plan to prove itself by getting to the Sweet 16. Purdue plans to prove what it is by winning the Sweet 16 and then the next round, and the one after that, and that final one for good measure.
The one and only stage of college basketball that this set of Purdue players hasn’t won at.
It’s clear Purdue wants more and is playing well enough to have it after two convincing wins in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.
Purdue’s preparation and offense set them up for success, two points of ‘fabulous’ from Painter
Purdue had less than 48 hours to prepare for a McNeese defense that held #5 seed Clemson to just 13 first half turnovers.
That was enough time for Purdue’s offensive coordinator, and former point guard, PJ Thompson, to build a game plan that used McNeese’s aggressiveness against itself.
The way I know this is it had head coach Matt Painter breaking out his favorite compliment.
“PJ did a fabulous job getting us prepared,” Painter said after the 76-62 Purdue win.
“I thought from watching them on film, they’ve unbelievable at what they do,” Thomspon told me after the game. “Interchangeable pieces, fly around, ultra-competitive, ultra tough, but what we noticed is a lot of people that play them – they struggle with movement. We tried to be deceptive. Being actors, not standing and watching, filling behind the ball, being available, and as Trey is posting, we have movement. Pinning guys in, and it’s really hard to take away both. Trey doesn’t have the size that we’ve had with the monsters in the past, but he’s unbelievable at using his body and he’s a load down there. When we moved the ball and made simple decisions, we made a lot of quality shots.”
It worked from the jump. On the first play, Purdue’s off ball movement moved any help inside and Fletcher Loyer was able to find Trey Kaufman-Renn half-fronted in the post. Kaufman-Renn caught the entry pass, turned, and had an open lane to go up and dunk.
On the next play, Kaufman-Renn found Loyer who moved to the right wing after Kaufman-Renn got into the paint. Loyer drained the open three-pointer.
A similar flurry of ball movement, repositioning, and patience led to one of the closing shots of the game that Painter pointed out after as the good things that came from Purdue’s game plan when CJ Cox hit his second three-pointer of the game that halted a micro-McNeese run.
Painter’s second fabulous
“Fabulous play,” Painter said after the game.
The play, a combined effort steal that saw Myles Colvin deflect a dribble, hit it again, and then Matt Painter’s star point guard, Braden Smith, sell out his entire body and somehow get a hand on the ball, knocking it backwards right into the waiting hands of Colvin who raced down court and drew a transition foul and two free throws.
“Just giving multiple effort, just making that play,” Painter said after the game about one of the defining plays of the game. “When he first did it, it almost looked like one of those fake hustle plays. Some guy’s diving, he has no chance to get to the ball and he makes the play. It was right in front of me. It’s coming right at me, it was like, that was my first instinct, like he can’t get there. And he obviously did. To have the intelligence and the toughness to make the play and save it towards his goal.”
The assist part of the play was a happy accident. After the game, Smith told me that he just knew the clock was going down and at worst, knocking it back wouldn’t reset the clock and force McNeese into a hurried shot or 30 second violation.
Instead, Smith’s deflection went rigth towards his teammate as Smith’s body spilled onto the floor right in front of his bench.
It was one of six steals as a team for Purdue whose
If Purdue’s trip in Providence has proven anything, it’s that when Purdue’s preparation meets execution and effort, Purdue’s play is fabulous and they’re going to be a hard out in the Sweet 16 no matter who they face between Houston and Gonzaga.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — We are 50 days away from the Indianapolis 500 and leading up to the green flag, WISH-TV is talking to people who have played a role in past races and those dedicated to the history of this iconic event.
Mike Lashmett, the founder of Vintage Indy, joined Saturday Daybreak to share his Tales From The Track.
Lashmett started as a mechanic back in 1971 for the Vel-Parnelli Jones team and George Bignotti, who won the Indy 500 with the Johnny Lightning Special 55 years ago. He said he did everything from driving the truck, to assembling the car, and working pit stops.
Lashmett shared that he was with that team for two years and then transitioned to the Super Team, who brought on Mario Andretti.
“Then I left that team at the end of ’72 and went with George Bignotti over to Patrick Racing Team,” he said. “That team won the 500 in 1973 and I was on Gordy’s car later that season. We won several races including Phoenix, and Trenton, sat on the front row for the California 500 at Ontario next to Pete Robson and Jerry Grant.”
Lashmett explained that preserving the history of the 500 is a must. He often conducts public speaking engagements with his good friend and pace car driver, Al Unser Jr, who was the first person to compete against his own father in the same Indianapolis 500.
Lashmett says Indianapolis would be nothing without the history and that it’s a very special place, not only because of the races, but because of the people.
“There’s a lot of famous racetracks in the world, Daytona, Le Mans, Monaco. No place has the history that the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 has,” he said.
“And no place do the fans have the appreciation and knowledge of even the minutia of the history of all things Indianapolis. So, that’s how important it is.”
Stay updated with Indy 500 live coverage, breaking news, and exclusive sports information from WISH-TV — your source for all things Indianapolis sports.
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The 2026 NCAA Tournament is nearing its conclusion, with the Final Four set to take place in Indianapolis this Saturday. The matchups feature a mix of familiar and new faces, including Arizona making its first appearance in the national semifinals since 2001.
Why it matters
The Final Four is the most anticipated event of the college basketball calendar, drawing massive viewership and setting the stage for an exciting national championship game. This year’s tournament has featured several Cinderella stories and unexpected contenders, adding to the intrigue.
The details
The two national semifinal games will be played on Saturday, April 4th. The first matchup at 3:00 PM local time will feature Arizona taking on the winner of the East Regional. The second game at 5:30 PM will pit the winner of the Midwest Regional against the victor of the West Regional.
- The Final Four will take place on Saturday, April 4, 2026 in Indianapolis.
- The national championship game is scheduled for Monday, April 6, 2026.
The players
Arizona
The Wildcats are making their first Final Four appearance since 2001, led by a talented roster and head coach Tommy Lloyd in his third season.
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What they’re saying
“I’m a simple guy, just trying to lead my team to the national championship. The Final Four is the ultimate stage, and we’re excited for the challenge ahead.”
— Tommy Lloyd, Head Coach, Arizona
What’s next
Fans can tune in to the national semifinal games on CBS this Saturday, with the national championship game set for Monday night. Ticket sales and viewing parties are expected to be at a fever pitch as the tournament reaches its climax.
The takeaway
This year’s Final Four features a mix of traditional powers and upstart contenders, setting the stage for an exciting conclusion to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Fans are in for a treat as college basketball’s biggest stars take the court in Indianapolis.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The HBCU All-Star Game Experience tips off Friday in Indianapolis, beginning a weekend of events that includes educational fairs, social justice panels and an all-star basketball game.
The multi-day event is centered at the Indiana State Fairgrounds and the Madam Walker Legacy Center, with activities scheduled through Sunday afternoon.
The experience is designed to celebrate the historical and contemporary role of Historically Black Colleges and Universities in sports and civil rights. Beyond the athletic competition, the event aims to empower student-athletes through conversations about education, community development, and activism.
The weekend began Friday morning with a college admissions and scholarship fair at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
The fair, which started at 9 a.m., provided resources for prospective students and their families. Following the educational events, the focus shifts to a “social justice and civil rights luncheon and panel” scheduled for Saturday.
The luncheon and panel will be held at 12 p.m. Saturday at the Madam Walker Legacy Center. Mawuli Mel Davis and Sean Johnson are among those participating in the discussions and joined Daybreak on Friday to discuss the event.
Mel Davis explained that the inclusion of social justice topics is a direct reflection of the history of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
“We have seen the role of HBCUs in the social justice work since the inception of HBCUs,” Davis said. “And so we thought it was absolutely appropriate to have a social justice, civil rights conversation for our student athletes.”
Davis added that the event serves to remind young athletes of their ability to affect society.
“This will be a way of pouring into them and reminding them of their power as student athletes and as young people to really impact how things are happening in our community and in our society right now.”
The panel discussions are divided into two segments:
- Panel 1 – Civic Engagement, Public Safety & Police Accountability
- Panel 2 – Educate, Employ, Empower — Youth, Education & Workforce Pathways as Civic Power
Johnson said one session will focus on education, while the other addresses community development and the intimate nature of the HBCU experience.
“We want to make sure folks, again, understand the importance of HBCUs and the role that HBCUs have played in athletics,” Johnson said. “We see all across the sports spectrum that you see athletes that come from our historically black colleges. And we want to make sure we continue to uplift that.”
The panel features several prominent speakers, including Dr. Ricky Jones from the University of Louisville, along with Barbara Arnwine and Daryl Jones from the Transformative Justice Coalition. Local organizers will also join the conversation, which is free and open to the public.
Founder Travis Williams and Kya Williams established the event to provide a comprehensive look at HBCU culture. Johnson noted that the founders believe the experience should be “bigger than the game.”
Sunday’s schedule returns to the Indiana State Fairgrounds for a black business vendor showcase starting at 12 p.m. This event leads into the final athletic competition of the weekend.
The HBCU All-Star Game will tip off at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds Corteva Coliseum. The game features top senior All-Star players from across the country and will be broadcast live on WISH-TV.
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