Purdue's approach this season shaped by data

As soon as the halftime or post-game box score reaches Matt Painter, his focus turns to one category before all others, he says: Possessions.

A coaching pragmatist if there ever was one, it's long been the Boilermaker coach's belief that the team that has the ball more, that has more chances to score and keeps its opponent to fewer chances to score, will have an advantage.

For Painter, that view means a premium put on statistics such as turnovers and rebounding, especially the do-overs that come with the offensive variety.

But now more so than ever, Painter and his staff have more perspective on what Purdue's doing with those possessions, what's working, what's not, and where focus perhaps should lie, and that insight has shaped the way this Boilermaker team is playing.