Former Boilermaker finds hope in NCAA title game loss
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As a defensive stopper and timely scorer on Purdue’s Big Ten champion ’94-’95 and ’95-’96 teams, Roy Hairston has not just seen the school’s ‘NCAA tournament disappointment’ storyline before, he’s actually lived it. The difference this time? There’s very little for the naysayers to criticize.
“I’m proud of these Boilers, man, because they could have easily folded after losing last year to #16 seed,” Hairston told News 8 in a WISH-TV Daybreak conversation. “It goes to show the culture of Purdue and the great job Matt Painter and his staff have done to keep that group together, and make this run that they had.”
Hairston played under Hall of Fame coach Gene Keady, who is beloved at Purdue, but criticized outside of it for the same reasons as his successor, Matt Painter. Both coaches excelled at developing diamonds in the rough, landing prized recruits, and winning Big Ten Titles, but both also have NCAA Tournament records that leave much to be desired.
“It’s hard to win these tournaments,” Hairston says in defense of both Painter and Keady. “It’s very, very hard. You ask anyone who played in it or coached in it. It’s tough to win.”
Unlike the early exits of so many past Purdue teams, Hairston says a Finals appearance, even in a loss, can serve as a launching pad for the program.
“And this group has done a tremendous job of giving us all hope for the future, and maybe it’ll turn the tide,” said Hairston.
As a former coach on the staffs at IUPUI and UIndy, Hairston knows the recruiting trail
“Some of those high level recruits that may want to come to Purdue because they have a great coach, great culture, a great environment to play basketball, said Hairston. “It’s Indiana.”
Hairston also shared that many of his fellow former players keep close tabs on the current crop, chatting about the past and the possibilities of the future.
“You just pull for ’em, and hope that they’re able to do something that you were never able to do,” said Hairston.