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The Purdue Boilermakers are set to take on Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 as they continue their quest to return to the Final Four for the first time since 1980.
Many Boilermaker teams have attempted to take the program back to the promised land, but none have been able to do it. There are no guarantees in March; the Boilermakers know this all too well themselves. That said, there is a feeling this could finally be the year they make a run.
Former Boilermaker guard Chris Kramer, who played for the program from 2006-2010, was on some of those teams that couldn’t quite get over the hump. His Boilermakers appeared in the Sweet 16 in 2009, losing to UConn, but that would be as far as they would get during his time with the program. During his appearance on Thursday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, he said there is one big difference between his and earlier eras of Boilermaker basketball compared to this current era: Zach Edey.
“This year’s team just has obviously a generational talent in Zach Edey that is so hard to prepare for. How do we guard him with JaJaun Johnson? Do we let him play one-on-one, do we go and double [him], who do we cut the double off of? All of those nightmare situations that this team brings to you. You could go back to those Big Dog [Glenn Robinson] days, maybe? I think our Baby Boilers team was very good, but I just don’t know how we stop Zach Edey, to be honest with you.”
Chris also spoke about the evolution of Purdue head coach Matt Painter from when he was playing for the program to now.
“The thing that I think is so amazing is the growth that Coach Painter has made. The look at the way he’s evolved from those years when I was there until now is absolutely amazing. He knows who he is, he has no problem passing out leadership to his assistants, and giving them the ball and [saying] ‘Hey, you’re running the offense P.J Thompson’, and Paul Lusk and Terry Johnson are running the defense. Obviously, he has a say in what’s going on, but for somebody in his position, [that’s] had the success that he’s had, to just be willing to [have], almost like a football [team], have an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator. I think it’s pretty amazing.”
Listen to JMV’s full conversation with Chris Kramer and more down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
