Purdue’s Matt Painter not a top 15 coach in college basketball? ‘Blasphemous.’

Matt Painter and Purdue made their breakthrough this NCAA tournament, reaching the school’s first Final Four since 1980.

Not everyone was impressed, however. 247Sports’ Grant Hughes released his rankings of college basketball’s top 15 coaches following the season. Noticeably absent was Matt Painter.

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Painter, a five-time Big Ten coach of the year, has guided the Boilermakers to back-to-back Big Ten regular-season titles. Purdue wasn’t ranked lower than No. 4 all season this year and was ranked No. 1 for 12 weeks over the past two seasons. Purdue has averaged 30.6 wins a season the past three years.

Clearly a poorly coached team. (sarcasm font)

As Painter said this March when folks argued Zach Edey was just tall: “I think all journalists should have to take a basketball quiz or test… I think it’ll help society. 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.”

So who ranked higher than Painter? Here’s Hughes’ list, with some of our notes:

1. Dan Hurley, UConn

2. Bill Self, Kansas

3. Scott Drew, Baylor

4. Kelvin Sampson, Houston

5. Mark Few, Gonzaga (lost twice to Purdue this year)

6. Rick Pitino, St. John’s (didn’t make the NCAA tournament)

7. Tom Izzo, Michigan State (lost to Purdue twice this year, won 11 fewer Big Ten games than Purdue in past two years)

8. Rick Barnes, Tennessee (lost to Purdue twice this season, including in Elite Eight)

9. Tony Bennett, Virginia

10. John Calipari, Arkansas

11. Nate Oats, Alabama (lost to Purdue this year)

12. Hubert Davis, North Carolina

13. Eric Musselman, USC (in five years at Arkansas he had SEC finishes of 10th, 9th and 11th)

14. Jim Larranaga, Miami, Fla. (Miami’s ACC finishes since 2019 – 11th, 10th, 13th, 4th, 1st, 14th)

15. Jon Scheyer, Duke (has coached for all of two seasons)

People obviously had some feelings.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue’s Matt Painter not a top 15 coach in college basketball?