FanShot

Painter Spurns Missouri; Purple Half of Unholy Alliance Offers Condolences

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Matt Painter will remain at Purdue. I jumped the gun by about 10 minutes, as it turned out. At the time, evidence appeared overwhelming in favor of Mizzou pulling this off. And then all hell broke loose. All I can say right now, Missouri fans, is that I know how you feel. You just experienced all the exhilaration I felt during the week Bob Huggins was hired and all the depression I felt the week he left — only for you, it was compressed into 24 hours. That, I cannot even imagine. Keep your chins up. You'll get a good coach, I'm sure of it. I know K. Scott Bailey might disagree, but if Matt Painter replaces Mike Anderson — as this report indicates will happen soon — I'm cool with Mizzou again for a while. Like KSB, I soured on the whole Unholy Alliance concept this year and last as Mizzou's play became increasingly douchy and Anderson became increasingly intolerable. But Painter is good people. He's like Frank Martin in a lot of ways, not least of which is coaching philosophy. Mizzou once again will defend. If K-State ever is to have a hope of winning this conference, we need some other programs to step up their game and start beating KU, too. Painter will make Self's life hell, IMO. And this is just horrible news for coaches such as Rick Barnes and Scott Drew, who are going to get exposed against Martin, Painter and Self twice a year now.