Purdue started the season with high expectations and a 14-0 start to the season had them looking like the team to beat in the Big Ten. However, after getting off to such a great start, the Boilermakers slipped midway through the season, dropped three straight conference games and looked vulnerable. Well, since that time, Purdue has ripped off nine straight conference wins and they have their eyes on not only a Big Ten Conference Title but a number one seed in the NCAA Tournament. While they may not get the kind of recognition of Kentucky or Kansas or some of the teams from the Big East, the Boilermakers already have five wins against top 25 teams and have a chance to notch another win against one of the top teams in the country this weekend when they play host to Michigan State.

Matt Painter joined 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis with Dan Dakich to talk about the play of his team since the three-game losing streak, what it means to have one of the best defensive players in the country on his team to guard some of the players in the Big Ten, and the ability to have a number of players that can step up at any time and carry his team.

On the poor start that the team had to conference play:

“We hit a little bit of a wall. We had some success to start the season but we still weren’t a dominating or an overpowering team. We really let some things slip on the defensive end and rebounding. Since that three game losing streak our guys have really done a better job on the court and in the class. You also have to have your stars step up and make plays. I think at different times I don’t think a lot of people in the country have a center, a forward, and a guard who can all step up late in the game and score the ball for you. The fact that (Keaton) Grant stepped up the last two games here and made shots is really the icing on the cake for us. It really allows those guys to sit out there and make an open shot and that’s what we struggled with. We struggled with people outside of (Robbie) Hummell (E’Twaun) Moore and (JaJuan) Johnson just consistently making an open shot so it’s great to see Grant step up and make some plays.”

On whether or not he is upset about the play of last year’s Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten Chris Kramer:

“It kinda just happened and then we’ve stuck with it. The thing is every guy you have mentioned and you can throw Kalin Lucas on top of it, if he has to birddog those guys the whole game it wears him down and we’re trying to wear them down. Then late in the game, Kramer is fresh. Nobody is stopping Evan Turner, I really believe that. You can slow him down and maybe you can force him into more jump shots. And a guy like Kalin Lucas and (Demitri) McCamey, they are tough players and you gotta keep bringing people at them. But you can stop some other guys. We put Kramer on some of those other guys and we can shut those guys down instead of having Kramer start on those other guys and struggling a little bit and then the other guy getting off and Evan Turner getting off and then it’s a crazy cycle so that’s what we’ve been doing lately.”

On the ability of E’Twaun Moore to hit big shots:

“Especially if you look at his points late in the game. He really stepped up and made some plays down the stretch and made some tough pull-ups in key times.”

On who they want the ball in the hands of at the end of the game:

“We’ve had some games this year where some things have worked for us and we’ve ran some motion and put guys on defense and tried to play. I’ve switched from doing that because that’s how we’re gonna go down. If you’re gonna beat us we’re gonna go down with the ball in his hands. But more times than not, he steps up and makes the right play.”

Listen to Matt Painter on 1070 the Fan in Indianapolis here

This year’s Sweet Sixteen is full of huge college programs in the top conferences and the three other schools from smaller conferences are all tourney staples in Memphis, Xavier, and Gonzaga. The rest of the 16 has a record five teams from the Big East, three from the Big 12, two from the Big Ten and ACC, and one from the Pac-10. Some people may miss the Cinderella stories of George Mason or Davidson, but the truth is these are some legendary programs.

Think of all the success these sixteen teams have had. Seven coaches have won a title, nine programs have won a title since 1985, and all but Pitt, Xavier, Missouri, Purdue and Gonzaga have been to a Final Four. And it’s not like those five programs have been shabby.

Here’s our first batch of coaches interviews:

Jim Calhoun

Responding to a comment that he sounded noticeably excited and optimistic about his team heading into the second week of the Dance:

“Well we got a chance. That’s what I feel right now. I never lose confidence in my team but they certainly have made me – you know you have to as a coach make them believe. Now they’ve made me believe why the way they’ve reacted. And we certainly have a chance to do some special things over the course of the next couple weeks.”

Listen here to UCONN (#1 West Region) Head Coach Jim Calhoun on WFAN in New York

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Mike Kryzyzewski

Coach K talking about adjustments that needed to be made in season to better his team:

“We needed to make a change a few weeks ago because we just could not defend the point (guard) of another team well. We were turning the ball over a little too much and not getting into our offense. Moving (Jon) Scheyer to the being the ball handler and Elliot Williams as the guy pressuring the ball, its like a double change to really alleviate a problem at the point of our attack.”

Listen to Duke (#2 East Region) Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski on ESPN Radio

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Jim Boeheim

On stopping Blake Griffin:

“We try to play good team defense and be active and obviously you have to know where their best players are and you have to make it as difficult as you can for their best players.  You can’t let anybody have shots in college because anybody in college at this level at the Sweet 16 can make shots and hurt you.  So you just have to play good team defense and rebound the ball.”

Listen to Syracuse (#3 South Region) Head Coach Jim Boeheim on ESPN Radio Syracuse

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Tom Izzo

On how proud he was of his team, particularly for being so unselfish:

“Give our guys credit. You know, our assists to baskets [ratio] was 20 out of 22, and as you know, that’s what you hope for in coaching – that they’re sharing the ball.”

Listen here to Michigan State (#2 Midwest Region) Head Coach Tom Izzo on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis

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Jay Wright

Do you see Duke as a similar team to you guys?

“Yeah, I do.  I think they spread the floor and really space well like we do. They’ve got a lot of very skilled players like we do.  Defensively, they try to be very aggressive, more in the half-court kind of like we do. They are, they’re very similar teams.”

Listen to Villanova (#3) Head Coach Jay Wright on ESPN Radio Philadelphia

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Matt Painter

On the outstanding play of Johnson thus far in the tournament, particularly scoring the basketball:

“Yeah, he’s a confident player. And if you can get him the ball in position to score, whether that’s in transition or the half court. He’s really gotten aggressive and taken his shot. Before, I think he was a little bit hesitant. I think he would defer to others at times. And now we’ve just tried to encourage him to be agressive and take his shot.”

Listen here to Purdue (#5 West Region) Head Coach Matt Painter on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis

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Russ Pennell

To open, Pennell just emphasized how happy his guys fought through all the doubters and negativity to respond on the biggest of stages:

“We’re having a great time and these guys have been through so much. It’s just so good to see them have this success late in the season. We’ve kind of been the underdogs all year, which is weird for the University of Arizona.”

Listen here to Arizona  (#12 West Region) Head Coach Russ Pennell on KTAR in Phoenix

Against Washington on Saturday afternoon, the Boilermakers were led by JaJuan Johnson, who scored 22 big points to go along with 6 boards. More importantly, the 6′10″ sophomore blocked two key shots late to preserve the Boilers preserve a late narrow lead and escape with a 76-74 lead against a Huskies club that was playing good ball. Painter joined 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis on Monday to recap the weekend and look ahead to a regional semi-final showdown with top seeded Connecticut Thursday in Phoenix.

On what his team needs to do to limit Connecticut’s explosiveness:

“I think it’s important for us to stay in to Connecticut, get into them, be aggressive, but keep the ball in front of us and then do a good job on the glass.”

On the outstanding play of Johnson thus far in the tournament, particularly scoring the basketball:

“Yeah, he’s a confident player. And if you can get him the ball in position to score, whether that’s in transition or the half court. He’s really gotten aggressive and taken his shot. Before, I think he was a little bit hesitant. I think he would defer to others at times. And now we’ve just tried to encourage him to be agressive and take his shot.”

Listen here to Purdue (#5 West Region) Head Coach Matt Painter on 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis

View West Region bracket coverage on CBS Sportsline

View highlights of Purdue vs. Washington