Matt Painter discusses Nojel Eastern's transfer from Purdue
As was the case with Matt Haarms, Matt Painter had spoken to Nojel Eastern several times since the end of the season with no indication he was considering transferring. Tuesday, the Boilermaker senior-to-be put his name In the transfer portal.
During an appearance on the Dan Dakich Show in Indianapolis, Painter discussed Eastern's transfer, and perception of something being amiss at Purdue following the departures of both the team's seniors.
"Matt Haarms is a good guy and Nojel Eastern is a good guy," Painter said. "They want something else out there, and it's not magical. Sometimes it's effort and it's results. I don't doubt effort, but you've got to have results. If you can't, I feel you. Because I wasn't better than a lot of guards that I had to play against ... but I don't run around blaming Gene Keady because I couldn't guard Calbert Cheaney and Jim Jackson."
Asked about online criticism from Eastern's family members and apparently a trainer, Painter noted that he's not an avid message board or Twitter reader, but he seemed to be aware.
"It's hard to be good, hard to be good immediately," Painter said. "... Any time there's other outside influences (stirring up criticism), you just make it harder to be successful.'"
Eastern, along with Haarms, was one of a pair of team captains — the team's two most experienced, proven players — but neither had the sorts of seasons they hoped to as Purdue was likely to miss the NCAA Tournament had the COVID-19 outbreak not cut the season short.
Leadership has been tabbed as a failing with this past season's team.
And often this season, Painter mentioned a preseason discussion with his team in which he asked his players who among them had worked as hard as former Purdue All-Americans Carsen Edwards or Caleb Swanigan.
"Everyone in that locker room is good," Painter said. "I don't just hand out scholarships at the mall. It's about their work.'"
Both Haarms and Eastern have expressed interest in the NBA.
Haarms, who transferred to BYU, was quoted as saying that he left Purdue in hopes of finding an opportunity to showcase an "NBA-ready skillset." He closed the season as the Boilermakers' No. 2 center behind Trevion Williams. Williams, Painter said, "simply beat him out," but the Boilermaker coach said he was eager to see how Haarms was going to compete as a senior at Purdue, once fully healthy.
Eastern, a two-time Big Ten All-Defense team pick but a limited player offensively, has submitted his name into the NBA draft, for the second time in his career.
"You have to dominate college basketball or bring something that really translates to that next level," Painter said. "Let's work toward that instead of talking about that. Think big picture and think development and think getting better.
"(Players) don't get the big picture of how good you have to be and how hard you have work to get there."
Listen to the whole show here.
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