PROVIDENCE — Purdue coach Matt Painter is no stranger to delivering a memorable quote during the college basketball season. He wasted no time in dropping one as the Boilermakers prepare for March Madness, comparing the criticisms of player development and the transfer portal to marriage.

The fourth-seeded Boilers are preparing to play No. 13 seed High Point in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday (12:40 p.m. ET, truTV). On Wednesday, Painter met with reporters to talk about the upcoming matchup, as Purdue hopes to make another deep run.

Painter fielded a question asking about the development of point guard Braden Smith. The junior was named the 2025 Big Ten Player of the Year, was a first-team All-American and is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, presented to the top point guard in the country.

After detailing Smith's recruiting process and his impact as a player in West Lafayette, Painter then talked about Purdue's development as a program. He acknowledged that, at times, fans can be pretty persnickety about how they view things.

"It's a really unique deal — when we win, people say we're great at developing players. When we lose, people say we don't go in the portal enough," Painter said, drawing a laugh from reporters. "It's kind of like being married, right? Damned if you do, damned if you don't. It's like, where's the answer where everyone is happy? That's what I want."

"Sometimes, you're going to have growing pains in development."

Purdue was one of a handful of programs that didn't utilize the transfer portal following the 2023-24 season. The Boilermakers returned starters Fletcher Loyer, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Smith from last year's Final Four squad. They also brought back key contributors in Caleb Furst, Myles Colvin and Camden Heide, as well as a five-man recruiting class that includes Gicarri Harris, CJ Cox and Raleigh Burgess.

There really wasn't any roster space for Painter and his staff to take players out of the portal this past season, even losing players like Zach Edey, Mason Gillis, Lance Jones and Ethan Morton from last year's squad. Will that change moving forward?

Either way, Painter probably knows he'll face criticism from some of those hard-to-please fans, regardless of how he approaches roster management.

: Former Purdue coach Gene Keady is in Providence and ready to cheer on his former team as the Boilermakers prepare for High Point in the NCAA Tournament.

: No. 4 seed Purdue takes on No. 13 High Point on Thursday in the NCAA Tournament, and it's a big deal for second-year coach Alan Huss. He spent nearly a decade coaching in Northern Indiana, and knows Purdue and coach Matt Painter well. He talked about those experiences during Wednesday's press conference in Providence, R.I.

: After failing to win the Big Ten and some picking High Point to pull off a first-round upset, Purdue should be highly motivated for March Madness this week. 

: Purdue guard Braden Smith was tabbed as a first-team All-American for the 2024-25 college basketball season. Trey Kaufman-Renn was an honorable mention. 

: No. 4 Purdue and No. 13 High Point will meet in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday. TV and radio information, top players, key stats and more.