GLENDALE, Ariz. — This Matt Painter diatribe takes up nearly a full page alone.

In the media rooms throughout the NCAA tournament, tables are stacked full of game notes, player quotes and transcribed news conferences.

This question came from a news conference the day before Purdue basketball played Utah State in the second round.

Someone asked the Boilermakers coach a question about the transfer portal and how Purdue has built a culture where it isn't reliant on the portal and doesn't utilize it like other schools.

"I think it starts with education and people," Painter begins.

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Which is fitting, because Painter's mind works in a way that parallels few.

Painter's responses are not only insightful, they're educational. If you listen and decipher, Painter is teaching in the way he responds to a lot of questions, though he'll at times filibuster his way into a response. And his people skills are second to none.

"He is one of the smartest people I’ve been around," Bruce Weber says, probed about Painter prior to going on air for a TV broadcast during the Big Ten tournament.

Weber used to be Gene Keady's right-hand man and later hired Painter to join his coaching staff at Southern Illinois. Painter succeeded Weber after he took the head coaching job at Illinois.

"I knew when he was a player that he was going to be a good coach," Weber said. "There was no doubt. He used to come in and not only talk basketball, but even recruiting."

Oh yeah, Painter delved into recruiting, even as a player.

Dave Barrett, a former teammate of Painter's, remembers.

"There was no internet or anything," Barrett said. "They had those books that came out on high school players across the country. He would have that magazine and know guys all over the country and know what they were about. You know he just lived it and kept track of all different players."

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Matt Painter news conferences

That aforementioned Painter news conference where a nearly full page of type was required to publish the response in regard to Purdue's culture was not what people remembered from that question-and-answer session.

Painter would go viral later in the same conference in a response to a Utah State student reporter. The question could've, and should've, been worded better.

"Tomorrow you guys, by all probability, are most likely going to win," the question starts, and Painter cocks his head to the side.

With some coaches, this would've become a viral moment for other reasons. This young reporter happened to have the right person at the podium and got a far better response than he probably deserved given the framing.

Leave it to Painter to always give you the answer you didn't expect.

Prior to playing Tennessee in the Elite Eight, Painter was asked about the last time Purdue played in the Elite Eight, an overtime loss to eventual NCAA champion Virginia in 2019.

Obviously, it was a gutting loss, but Painter ends with this.

"Yeah, that was tough, but I was still happy for (Virginia coach) Tony Bennett," he said. "It stunk that we couldn't do it, but I was happy, if it was going to be anybody, I was glad it was him and the way he's operated and the way he's done things. He's been great for college basketball."

Or the time during the NCAA tournament when Painter was asked about people who say that Zach Edey is just tall.

Painter ranted about tests.

Tests for coaches about officiating and for officials on coaching. And for reporters in general. Probably because we ask questions like that.

It was Painter at his best for those who don't sit through his news conferences regularly and Painter at his norm for those who do.

Sticking up for the small schools

Not long after learning Purdue was a No. 1 seed for the second straight season, Painter was asked about NCAA tournament expansion.

During his reply, Painter noted Indiana State, eventually the NIT runner-up, should've been included in the tournament.

Painter always has had a soft spot for the small schools.

Go back to the season opener.

Samford coach Bucky McMillan, remember him? Samford made the NCAA tournament and nearly upset Kansas in the first round. But back in November, McMillan told a story about how the Bulldogs ended up opening the season in Mackey Arena.

McMillan tried desperately to get a power conference team on the schedule, unsuccessfully, until he crossed Painter.

"One thing I respect about coach (Painter) is he's always stood up for mid majors," McMillan said after losing to the Boilermakers on Nov. 6. "I've been to these NCAA meetings and he stood up for mid-majors."

A step ahead

Painter undersells his basketball skills when he played for the Boilermakers.

He'll often make the joke that Keady didn't play him because he wasn't very good. Painter was plenty good in his playing days and he's plenty smart as a basketball coach, regardless of how he sells himself in that department as well.

"He always stays a step ahead," sophomore guard Fletcher Loyer said. "He’s playing chess while everyone else is playing checkers."

You'll get no disagreement from Painter's boss.

Purdue athletic director Mike Bobinski is a basketball guy. He's served on the NCAA tournament committee six times.

When Bobinski speaks basketball, he knows what he's talking about. But what Painter knows about basketball, Bobinski raises his hand high over his head and says, "he's up here."

And, "I'll tell you this. There's no better coach from an athletic director's perspective to work with in the country than Matt Painter. He is as good as it gets."

Sam King covers sports for the Journal & Courier. Email him at sking@jconline.com and follow him on Twitter and Instagram @samueltking.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Purdue coach Matt Painter's basketball mind on display for all to see