Fresh off a game in which Zach Edey put up 23 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals and three blocks in Purdue’s 106-67 demolishing of Utah State, a reporter messed around and asked Boilermakers coach Matt Painter an excellently-worded question.
Painter was told to provide his opinion about the folks who cover basketball for a living who insist Edey is only good at the sport because he’s tall.
What ensued from there is the stuff of instant classic press conference lore:
“They just shouldn’t cover basketball. So like, you go to school, and you learn things or whatever, but we all don’t like every single class we’re in. Right? It’s kind of a necessary evil. It’s like going to work…everybody you work with, or you don’t like certain parts of your job, and it’s tough, right? You got to be able to deal with certain things that are difficult.
And so I just think everybody should take test on their knowledge of what they’re doing. I think all coaches should take a test so they understand refereeing, and I think all referees should take a test so they understand coaching. And I think all journalists should have to take a basketball quiz, or a test.
Or anybody that tweets, they should have to be able to do it, and if they say something so moronic as that, then they should have to have a probationary status where they they can’t tweet for like three months. I think it’ll help, like, society, you know?
Just try to knock out the fools so they don’t have to meet at the local Walmart and say things that don’t make any sense.”
That is a takedown for the ages, and the part is, Painter is 100% right. Sometimes a moment that tests a man’s patience and presents adversity is the perfect forum for the unfiltered truth to come out. We’ve got Painter at the podium talking about societal policy change that can stop the imbeciles on the Internet from polluting unsuspected citizens’ brains with nonsensical sports-related drivel. Look what happens when a charismatic leader and hell of an All-American Matt Painter gets blown back by the sheer stupidity of a vocal minority. Genius plans are hatched to defeat them once and for all.
If Zach Edey does serve as the key figurehead of Painter’s proposed revolution, I’m totally here for it. How is it that people arrive at such dumb sports takes? As somebody who’s been aggressively wrong about plenty of things before, “Zach Edey only good cuz he’s tall” is a bizarre hill for these non-ball-knowing people to die on. Must be edgelord-y to say that a 7-foot-4 young man who swept every single National Player of the Year award this season doesn’t, in fact, have any actual skill on a basketball court, and only produces gaudy stats because of his height.
Not like the Boilermakers, Edey or Painter needed any more motivation entering the Sweet Sixteen, but hey, this whole narrative can only add fuel to the fire. Purdue’s next opponent is Gonzaga, who they beat by 10 points back in November. Maybe those who don’t believe in Edey’s very real skill and talent should ask the Bulldogs players what they think of him. All Edey did last time was post 25 points, 14 boards and three blocks. Gonzaga is a formidable program year in and year out. They had no answer for Edey. And not just because he’s tall.
Before you check out the highlights at the end of this article that should persuade any person with functioning eyeballs and the most basic knowledge of basketball rules that Zach Edey’s height isn’t the only reason he’s good, another Painter-related tidbit. In retrospect, this man may have given the ultimate “praise the opponent I 1,000% know I’m going to destroy” monologue.
I hope Purdue goes all the way to the Final Four. Not because I happen to have them going that far in my bracket. Not even for the sake of validating Zach Edey’s skill set.
Just because I want to see more media sessions with Matt Painter. This man don’t miss right now.
Check the highlight reel from his 23-point, 14-rebound performance:
