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.
Two weeks after Founding Artistic Director Ben Rose resigned his post amid charges related to an alleged domestic violence incident, the Indianapolis Black Theatre Co. has named Tijideen Rowley as interim artistic director, according to the theater.
Rowley is the director of training and development for the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation grant that provides professional theater training at The District Theatre, where IBTC is a resident. The educational hub funded by the grant also offers a platform for developing plays related to Indiana Avenue’s history. Rowley holds a theater degree from Indiana University and an MBA from Boise State University.
Rose resigned March 10 after he was charged with felony strangulation, misdemeanor battery and misdemeanor battery resulting in bodily injury on March 5 by the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office after a late February incident in which he allegedly attacked a woman at his home.
An initial hearing for the case is scheduled for April 9.
Rose was selected in 2023 as the first artistic director of the new IBTC, a theater that launched with a $1.9 million investment from groups including the Central Indiana Community Foundation and the Lilly Endowment.
Rowley will begin his leadership tenure at the company by reviewing and restructuring the 2025 season with community input, according to the release. After Rose resigned, IBTC postponed the production of “Ain’t No Mo’,” which will now run from June 27 to July 13. Rowley also will focus on longterm growth and artist and community relationships, the theater said in a Sunday night news release.
“IBTC is focused on telling Black stories that challenge, inspire, and unite audiences. As we move forward, my focus is on strengthening our foundations and deepening our connection to the community,” Rowley stated in the release. “My vision, in line with the board, is to elevate IBTC into a marquee theatre company for Black storytelling—one that sets the standard in Indianapolis and beyond.”
IBTC also announced board changes in another release sent Sunday night. Board members Rich Trotman and Ira Mallory have resigned. New appointments include the Rev. Dr. Shonda Nicole Gladden, the District Theatre board’s vice chair and CEO of Good to the Soul, LLC, and Karen Dace, vice chancellor for diversity, equity, and inclusion at IU Indianapolis.
Senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo contributed to this report.
Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Sign up here for the newsletter she curates about things to do and ways to explore Indianapolis. Find her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.
Purdue 76, McNeese 62: Matt Painter’s reaction to Boilers win
The Boilermakers coach on Trey Kaufman-Renn’s rebounding, defensive answers, what happens when the transfer portal opens Monday and more.
Indianapolis will host an NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday and Sunday, March 28 and 30, 2025. Houston, Purdue, Tennessee and Illinois/Kentucky made the Sweet 16. The last team standing earns a spot in the Final Four, April 5 and 7 in San Antonio.
Here’s how you can secure a ticket and lodging in Indianapolis for the NCAA Tournament regional.
When are the NCAA Tournament games in Indianapolis? When are the NCAA Tournament games at Lucas Oil Stadium?
- Tennessee vs. Kentucky, 7:39 p.m. ET Friday, March 28
- Houston vs. Purdue, 10:09 p.m. ET Friday, March 28
- Regional championship game is Sunday, March 30, time TBA
NCAA Tournament tickets at Lucas Oil Stadium
Buy Sweet 16, Elite 8 tickets
All sessions: Start at $443 on StubHub
Friday, March 28: Starting at $194 on StubHub
Sunday, March 30: Starting at $127 on StubHub
Buy Purdue NCAA Tournament tickets
Lodging for the NCAA Tournament regional in Indianapolis
Rooms start at $95 a night on Expedia
Airbnb for March Madness regional in Indianapolis
Rooms start at $40 on Airbnb
How likely is Houston to win March Madness?
The Houston Cougars (32-4) are the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Regional and have won 15 consecutive games. They own the nation’s best defense, allowing 58.4 points per game and 38.4% shooting. Houston is the nation’s best 3-point shooting team (39.8%), though it doesn’t shoot many, and it protects the ball (9.2 turnovers, 6th fewest). The Cougars were national runners-up in 1983 and ’84 have been to the Final Four seven times, most recently in 2022.
Houston basketball key players
Houston basketball coach
Kelvin Sampson is in his 11th season at Houston and owns a 296-83 record. He previously coached at Washington State, Oklahoma and Indiana.
Houston NCAA Tournament schedule
First round: Houston 78, SIU-Edwardsville 40
Second round: Houston 81, Gonzaga 76
Has Purdue basketball ever made the Final Four?
The Purdue Boilermakers reached last season’s national championship game, losing to UConn. They were the national runner-up in 1969 and made the 1980 Final Four at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. The No. 4 Midwest Regional seed lost six of its last nine games leading into the NCAA Tournament but won its March Madness games handily.
Purdue basketball key players
Purdue basketball coach
Matt Painter is in his 20th season at Purdue and owns a 471-214 record. He previously coached at Southern Illinois.
Purdue NCAA Tournament schedule
First round: Purdue 75, High Point 53
Second round: Purdue 76, McNeese 62
Has Tennessee ever made it to the Final Four?
The Tennessee Volunteers (29-7) seek their first Final Four trip. Purdue defeated Tennessee in a 2024 regional championship game. The Volunteers finished fourth in the Southeastern Conference, which sent a record 14 teams to March Madness. They have a stingy defense, allowing 62.9 points per game (No. 6 in the nation) and 38.2% shooting (No. 1) and 28.3% 3-point shooting (No. 3). They lost twice to Kentucky this season.
Tennessee men’s basketball NCAA Tournament schedule
First round: Tennessee 77, Wofford 62
Second round: Tennessee 67, UCLA 58
Tennessee basketball coach
Rick Barnes is in his 10th season at Tennessee, and owns a 231-108 record. He previously coached at George Mason, Providence, Clemson and Texas.
Tennessee basketball key players
Why is Kentucky basketball so popular?
The Kentucky Wildcats (24-11) are a true college basketball blue blood, with eight NCAA Tournament championships, second to UCLA. UK last won the title in 2012. This season’s Wildcats average 85.0 points per game (No. 4 in the nation) and have six players averaging in double figures. Their depth shows in their 45-point average in second halves (also No. 4). They have beaten Tennessee twice this season.
Kentucky basketball NCAA Tournament schedule
First round: Kentucky 76, Troy 57
Second round: Kentucky 84, Illinois 75
Kentucky basketball coach
Mark Pope is in his first season at Kentucky. He previously coached Utah Valley and Brigham Young.
Kentucky basketball key players
What channel are NCAA Tournament games in Indianapolis on?
TV: Games are on CBS, with Ian Eagle (play-by-play), Bill Raftery and Grant Hill (analysis), and Tracy Wolfson (sideline reporting)
Watch the games with a free Fubo trial
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — David Hodges, a deputy sheriff at the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, was arrested Saturday for drunk driving.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday, that Hodges was arrested by the Lawrence Police Department March 22.
Hodges arrested and taken to jail for operating a vehicle while intoxicated with endangerment, reckless driving causing property damage, and operating a vehicle while intoxicated with a BAC above .08%.
MCSO said in the press release that Hodges has been terminated following the arrest.
Hodges’ initial hearing is set for April 7.
This is a developing story.
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